vanes vs. feathers

leow · 01-22-2006, 05:41 PM

I was tweaking my set up lately trying to lighten my arrows and get some more speed. I shoot a 5'' vane with a right helical twist on a 2117 game getter shaft, topped off with a muzzy 125. I can't really switch out my BH because i just bought six of them. I should have bought the 100 grain. I shoot an old pse bow from the early 1980's instinctivly. i was wondering if it would be a good idea to switch to feathers to lighten my arrows, and make them more forgiving off the rest. The only concern was the dependability of them. Do they fall apart easily, shoot like crap in the rain, or get permanent damage from rain, snow etc.. the next question was about right and left wing. is that the direction of the helical or what.

LBR · 01-22-2006, 10:18 PM

You'll have to use feathers to get good flight if you are shooting off the shelf. I doubt there will be enough difference in arrow weight to notice.

They hold up well, and you can get several different products to protect them from moisture. With left wing feathers, use a left helical clamp, or vice-versa for right wing. You can fletch either one straight.

Chad

PSEsilverhawk55 · 01-22-2006, 11:13 PM

i weighted my vanes i was shooting and they were around 20 or 25grns i think, then i wieghted tru-flight 5 1/2in shields and the wieghted around15 to 120, 5in. parobolic gateways were about 10 to 15 so they weight less bought enough to notice a difference. as for durability i have shot though to with field point and it took alittle bit out of the top is a couple places where the arrow hit and it is still on the arrow still shooting good, then i hit one last night will practicing and hit the quill it busted the front of it off the arrow, but a little glue and it shoots just the same. dont now about rain or anything cuase i just switched to them so i have to wait till next year to find out.

HNI_Christine · 01-23-2006, 10:19 AM

I like feathers much better than vanes. Iuse them for all my bows (compounds and trad bows) I haven't had problems with them in the weather, or even in the rain.

If they get wet and smooshed down, I just pull up on them as they dry off and they'll still work fine. Just don't flatten them up against something as they dry off or they'll stay flat until you wet them down again and 're-fluff' them.

They'll get torn up if you hit your own arrows, but then so will vanes. ...and unless bugs eat them, they'll last much, much, much longer than a vane in storage. (I have pictures of arrows from the 13th century that still have the original eagle featherfletch on them)

Of course, they are a must for shooting from the shelf.

Bradkoz · 01-30-2006, 11:50 PM

feathers are great, i was always a skeptic but then i shot with a friend who had about 1/3 of his feather shot off (on every arrow, stupid rest he had) and still touched his 5 arrows together at 25yds. i use NO SNOW spray on mine and they beed water unless its pouring for hours then just run my hands over them every 20 minutes or so. i got about 1000 shots out of mine this year and still could have used them but just felt like putting some new ones on. they seemed to be way more accurate then my vanes.this was on my compund i use feathers on my recurve because i need all the help i can get with that thing