arrow fletching question

[chiefks]

Whats the advantages or disadvantages to useing the different fletchings out there. Blazers keep getting mentioned on here. Then there's feathers. Then there's quick spin. Different length vanes... right helical.... left helical.

How do you know what to use???

[nubo]

I think mainly weight is the biggest difference in vane's ,I found the blazer's to be the lightest and the toughest vane I've used .The blazers also will stabilize your arrow as well as a 4"vane at less weight on your arrow .Now as far as right helical or left helical ,this is just which way you want your arrow to spin ,I've only ever used right helical and straight with a bit of an off set ,as for how it improve's your arrow flight I'm not really sure ,so I'll leave this one for someone else to answer ,it's also a question that i would like to hear the answer to.

nubo

[BobCo19-65]

Just to name a few things to think about when choosing fletchings.

FOC, the lighter the fletchings, the more FOC you will get. Feathers are about the lightest.

Speed, the more drag you have on the back of the arrow, the less speed you will get and the lesser the trajectory will be (usually beyond normal hunting ranges).

Stabilization properties. The more the arrow spins and the greater the surface area in the fletch, the greater stabler the arrow will be. A fixed blade broadhead will be better served by a stable arrow.

Quietness, I believe that tests have shown that a parabolic cut is the quietest, followed by shield andbanana.

Peronally, I love the Pope and Young cut feathers. However they are a bit loud. For hunting, I use a banana cut. Both are pictured below.





If you are shooting off the shelf of a bow, you must use a feather.

Per