Helical vs Offset...Tuning Question

dtabor · 10-23-2003, 06:57 AM

I currently shoot PSE carbons with offset fletch. I have switched to a fall away rest and would like to change over to helical fletch now. I am having some new arrows made and would like to start making the transition with these new ones...my question is....will the tune, sight-in etc be different between the two types of fletch?

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Arthur P · 10-23-2003, 07:04 AM

Quote:

will the tune, sight-in etc be different between the two types of fletch?

I wouldn' t expect it to be, but the archery world is chock full of little mysteries.

You won' t know for sure until you get the new arrows but I can practically guarantee that you won' t have any major problems.

dtabor · 10-23-2003, 07:21 AM

Im getting good flight/tune/speed with what I have. Wondering after reading other posts on the difference in the two if I should just leave it as is.

D

Arthur P · 10-23-2003, 07:40 AM

IMO, all the horror stories about helical fletching are overdramatized and probably invented by guys who are getting fletching contact with their rest with helical. With a dropaway rest, you won' t have that problem.

I' ve never seen any huge difference between helical and offset as far as arrow speed. Even beyond 50 yards, the difference is very small. Where I have seen a noticeable difference is in broadhead accuracy. It' s much better for me with helical.

It' s at least worth a try. That way you can make up your own mind about it. If you don' t like helical you can always refletch to offset.

98Redline · 10-23-2003, 07:51 AM

I think Arthur hit the nail right on the head.

I have always had good arrow flight with straight and offset vanes as well as feathers when using either field points or mechanical broadheads. When I started using Montec fixed blade heads this year my groups opened up an inch or so at 25 yards. Initially attributing it to a tuning issue, I went forth along that route until I was pulling my hair out. Everything seemed to be perfect with FPs and Mechs, but the fixed blades just didn' t group as well.

On a whim I set a few arrows up with a helical fletch and guess what? The fixed blade group sizes dropped back to where the FPs and Mechs were.

The helical and offset fletch arrows hit at the same point of impact out to the point where my aim is more of a contributer than the arrow flight......however I still only sight in with arrows identical to the ones I hunt with.

One note....if you decide to make the switch to helical fletch for hunting, do the deer a favor and stay out of the woods until you are 100% sure you are sighted in. This should be at least 2 days of repeatable shooting with the new setup. If that is not what you are willing to do, then stick with what is working for you until after the season. I am always leary of changes in my setup mid season.

JeffB · 10-23-2003, 07:02 PM

Good advice here. IME using mech' s an offset is quite satisfactory, but a good helical is always a safe bet with fixed blade heads..the more helical the better

Pinwheel 12 · 10-24-2003, 04:46 AM

Yep, Art did a good job on this one.

I' ' ve been using a helical for years with shoo-thru rests and have never had a problem with contact. The drop away craze to me is nothing more than that--if you know how to tune correctly and know what to look for,(or know someone who does

) there is simply no definitive reason to go to a drop away IMHO.

Another thing to think about is the newer " straight and level" nock travel design bows--I can shoot a myriad of different arrow spines out of one and the tuning is a complete snap with all of them! This I also feel will contribute to people being able to find that the tuning woes they have encountered over the past decade with the conventional solo designs will not be anywhere near as apparent, and because the arrow comes out of the bow straight and level, that they can even get away with an offset instead of a full helical on most arrow choices, even on fixed-blade broadheads! I' m currently testing this theory on a couple of S&LNT hunting bows and so far it is producing good results-- flight and accuracy are great with a 3 degree offset out to 60 yds. Who woulda thunk it....

Pinwheel 12

fxbonerhead · 10-25-2003, 11:08 AM

just what exactly is the diff. between offset(3,4,5degree) and helical?

WalMart · 10-25-2003, 02:36 PM

Last week I just installed a Bodoodle 3 prong rest...and I' m now using helical fletched arrows instead of 1 degree offset fletched arrows. It was a pain in the @ss trying to get the nock perfectly aligned, so the vanes don' t contact the prongs. I think helicals are good with shoot thrus and dropaways....not good with a 3 prong rest.

DaveH · 10-27-2003, 12:08 PM

My experience is very similar to redline' s. I spent all spring and summer shooting 4" offset vanes and was very pleased with my accuracy out to 60 yards or so. When I put broadheads on, I expected them to shoot the same since I knew the bow to be well tuned. Surprise--they were low and to the left and not as tight.

After trying numerous fixes, I fletched some arrows with 5" vanes--some with hard right and some with left helicals. To my relief, that fixed the problem. I' m now shooting 5" hard right helicals with a dropaway rest. They shoot slightly to the left of my field points, but very tightly grouped. I' ve adjusted my sights accordingly and have arrows identical to my hunting arrows for practice.