I shoot a Mathews Q2 w/ Easton 2315s and feathers. I've noticed that the feathers make a significant amount of noise and whistling as they fly through the air. I also found out how the rain can pretty much ruin your hunt when using feathers. Also realized how fragile feathers can be ( not as durable vanes?). However, I really like the forgiveness of feathers, as well as the foc advantages. WHAT SHOULD I DO? WHAT DO YOU GUYS USE?
I love the forgiveness of feathers as well,but the problems you mention is what makes me opt for 4" AAE Plastifletch Elite vanes for hunting shafts.I still use feathers for 3D in the off season,however.
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An "archer" tries to see how far away he can get from his target and still connect, a BOWHUNTER tries to see how CLOSE he can get to his!
Supposedly the waterproofing powders work really well, although I havn't tried them yet. For me, the positives you mentioned and others outweigh the negative of slightly more noisy than vanes, so I live it and go on... Never missed a deer 'cause he heard the arrow...
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Genesis 27:3
"œNow then, get your weapons "” your quiver and bow "” and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me."
as for the problems feathers have with rain, it can be quickly solved with some spray that is pretty cheap. i forget the name of what i got, but it is for keeping flys dry when fly fishing. spray it on and they dont hold any of the water anymore.
If the loud noise bothers you, switch to vanes. But if your shooting a shelf style arrow rest then there's really nothing you can do about it.
Feathers can work on any arrow rest but plastic vanes need to be used on the type of arrow rest where you get fletching clearence.
I prefer to use plastic fletching over feathers on my compound bow because of the durability and waterproofness. Keep in mind, I use prong style arrow rest on my compound bow.
If I were to use a tradbow or a shelf style arrow rest, I would use feathers for forgiveness when they touch the rest.
If I were to shoot with fingers, I would prefer feathers and a shelf style rest.
Actually, an arrow with vanes will be going as fast at 20 yards as one with feathers (it may be a couple of feet or so behind the feathered arrow at this point, but the actual speed will be there. It may take the vaned arrow another 20 yards or so to pass the feathered arrow, but it will retain it's speed where as the feathered arrow looses speed faster. With the same exact arrows (other than the fletching) the feathered arrow will usually be about 5 fps faster out of the bow on the chrony (this is simply because it is lighter). The arrow with vanes will retain the speed, KE and momentun bettrer down range.
Out doors I use vanes, indoor at 20 yards I use 4" feathers. Hunting I use 4" vanes.
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Never argue with idoits, you have to sink to their level and then they beat you with experience
Yooper11,I did a little testing last year and with a little help from jacksons web site this is what i came up with.
4"feathers 390gn@290fps 4"vanes 406gn@287fps
Yds FPS KE FPS KE
0 290 73 287 74
10 283 69 283 72
20 276 66 279 70
30 269 63 275 68
40 263 60 271 66
50 257 57 268 64
If jacksons ballitics program is right Id be using vanes.Like Rob said they will be even out to ten yards but ill take the extra 5KE at thirty yds.Good Luck!
I had identical arrows fletched in feathers and vanes and chonographed them last summer and both were identical in speed. I always thought feathers were faster. The downrange energy is very interesting as well. I shot feathers for the last 5 or 6 years until last summer and then I switched to vanes so they could pass through my shoot thru harness on my Bowman bow. I found no problems with the vanes whatsoever.
Feathers vs. Vanes
