I' d only use vanes on my hunting arrows if I intend to hunt in a steady, soaking, day-long rain... which I don' t do any more. I have shot tournaments in steady, soaking, day-long rain with feather-fletched arrows and have gotten lower than average scores, but that was more the result of shooting in miserable conditions than wet feathers. I' ve shot lower than average scores in the same conditions with vanes.

If I get a good deal, I' ll buy arrows fletched with vanes and shoot them until they get shot up, which (fortunately) doesn' t take very long at all. Then I refletch with feathers.

I' m like Rack-Attack on the durability thing. The shooting I do, and the people I shoot with, I' d have to be able to buy vanes and glue at wholesale prices to be able to afford to keep my arrows fletched. Feathers outlast vanes 10 to 1. I' ve got arrows that have been wearing the same feathers for several years. Beat up feathers can be rejuvenated by passing them over the spout of a steaming teapot or over a pot of boiling water. You don' t have to replace them when they get ruffled. In fact, you' re throwing good feathers in the trash and wasting money if you do. Of course, it' s your money to waste.

Noise. High profile feathers fletched in a tight helical will usually be noisy (and are also probably the source of the drag myth). A light helical or small offset goes a long way to being much quieter. After a few weeks of shooting, feathers soften up and are quiet as a mouse.

It' s a flat out fact that feathers are lighter and, so, are a tiny bit faster than vanes over typical hunting yardages. I don' t personally know a lot of folks that shoot at deer past 60 yards. That' s the distance I start seeing noticeable difference in point of impact between vane fletched and feather fletched arrows. For all practical purposes, speed comparison between feathers and vanes is a non-issue, IMO.

There are good waterproofing agents on the market and, yes, they do have to be reapplied after an arrow has been shot a bit. But you' re not likely to be shooting the same arrow over and over again on a hunt. Actually, I just spray my feathers with Scotchguard the night before I go out if there' s a chance of getting wet.

Some REAL benefits of feathers. The lighter weight gives you better FOC for better stability. Beat up feathers fly better and quieter than beat up vanes. Feathers give similar broadhead control with less surface area than vanes (4" feathers control just as well as 5" vanes). Feathers give better forgiveness of any accidental fletching contact, on the rest or on sticks and twigs downrange.

If you' re shooting feathers instead of vanes for 3D, then you have to be doing it for a reason. For better better accuracy and better scores, I assume? Same thing applies in the deer woods.

But if you' re in a situation like BobCo, where most of your hunting is in the wet, then vanes would be more convenient.