ORIGINAL: BGfisher

I have used both vanes and feathers extensively over the years so have a fairly good idea of which I prefer---feathers. Normally 4" is best for stabilizing broadheads. 5" is better but usually not necessary if you do a decent job of tuning.

The talk of durability almost always comes up. True, feathers won't take as much abuse as vanes, but the difference is that feathers can be all torn up and ratty, maybe half missing and they will still work. In fact, they're light enough that one could be completely missing and the balance of the arrow won't be upset. I've often time shot an arrow with only one feather---with target points.

Water proofing? A good silicon spray will work aand so do some of the commercial products just for this purpose. Normally I figure if it's raining hard enough to flatten feathers down it's going to wipe out any blood trail so best just to quit hunting for that day. That may not be an option on some hunts. The choice would be yours.

Fear not about any loss in KE. Feathers have nada to do with KE. Generally an arrow will leave the bow faster with feathers than vanes due to less weight. They do create more drag, thus faster stabilization, so do slow down faster than vanes, but the two equalize in speed around 50 yards or more and this is beyond what we normally hunt. THINK, speed is part of the equation in figuring KE. And whatever speed you get out of "only 60#' is quite enough for anything you're likely to hunt unlss you're planning something in Africa. Don't sell your equipment short.

Something else is that with feathers being lighter your arrow will have a higher FOC. This can improve arrow flight and stability also.

Now, this is comparing 4" feathers against standard 4" vanes. Introduce Blazers and things improves somewhat for vanes as Blazers are only about 50% heavier than 4" feathers. However, Blazers have a higher profile so can introduce clearance issues with the rest and/or the cables. This often necessitates the use of a drop away rest. Feathers don't really have this problem. They hit something they just lay down.

As for fletching issues? You get right wing for your right hand clamp. I rarely have a problem getting them to stick to shafts. Prep the shafts well---squeaky clean. If the shafts are smooth use a piece of scotchbrite to rough them up a bit before cleaning. And of course, never use rubbing alcohol to clean shafts. It has oils in it. 91% works well, as does using acetone on a cloth. Don't soak shafts in acetone. Finally, I like to clean the shafts with very hot water after using the alcohol. Then I fletch with Flethtite Platinum. It's slower setting than super-glues, but I think it bonds better and doesn't get brittle. This also means easier stripping in the future.