Extreme Shrink Fletch
11-20-2006, 07:48 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: Extreme Shrink Fletch
I've not used them, but here's my take on them. Good idea, bad execution. First, they are HEAVY.....second, expensive. Third, what happens when only one fletch needs replaced? You gotta buy another expensive one and redo the whole thing........ARGHHHH.....
IMO, just get a fletching jig and do it yourself. Very simple.
IMO, just get a fletching jig and do it yourself. Very simple.
11-21-2006, 11:04 AM
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 186
RE: Extreme Shrink Fletch
I bought some when they first came out. Just make sure the water is up to the temp that they state on the directions or they won't work. Also let them dry for a few hours before you shoot. I let 1 dry for an hour and when I shot the arrow the shrink fletch ended up half way dowm the shaft. I still pefer fletching 1 vane at a time.
11-22-2006, 08:43 PM
#4
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 62
RE: Extreme Shrink Fletch
I tried them this season and found that the temp needs to be as stated or the fletch won't shrink. Take a thermometer (cooking) and check the temp. I also found that when I went to recover a hit the fletch had slipped half way down the shaft. This didn't occur on all my arrows, but it did occur on two of them. For the price I think I will stick to refletching my own arrows.
11-24-2006, 08:26 PM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: mississippi by way of Florida
Posts: 357
RE: Extreme Shrink Fletch
Ok,
Let me preface this by saying mine have only been on for about two weeks.
I bought a dozen Carbon Force arrows, brand new of course, about a month ago to go with my new switchback. On two occasions I shot and/or hunted in a light rain. The 4 inch duravanes that came on the arrows I had picked out to hunt with started coming off, so I started usingothers to hunt with. I had ordered a set of shrink vanes w/ duravanes and what ended up in my mail box was a set w/ blazers instead of duravanes. I felt like the cheap cost was worth giveing them a try, despite the negative reports I had heard on them.
Instead of shipping them back, I fletched the3 arrows that seemed to be having problems w/ the blazers and white "cresting" shrinkwrap.
All my shooting has been done by my switchback. It is chronographed at 275 fps and shoots 27 inch carbon force axial weave arrows. All the shooting has been done w/ 100 grain field tips. I haven't really tried them w/ my muzzy 4 blades, but may give them a try for fun.
As far as grouping and weight. I picked out six arrows, 3 with the shrink blazers and 3 with the duravanes. I really could not tell the difference. I shot 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. Sometimes the blazers grouped better than the duravanes, sometimes not (that, of course is my fault). One thing for sure, the ballistics were the same. There was no appreciable difference in drop out to 50 yards.
As far as durability. I did not have allot of pass through shots, all my shots were either on a 3d target or block w/ field points. I can see where there might be a problem w/ durability though. But, in the few pass throughs, or almost throughs, that I had, I did not have any problem w/ theshrink wrap fletchings.
Noise. This might be due to the blazers, but the blazer/shrinkwraps were much louder than the duravanes. There was a pronounced buzz with them, where the duravanes were very quiet. The extreme vanes were listed as 8 degree r/ helical, I think. The same as my duravanes. But there was definetly more noise. I have never shot blazers before though, and that might be normal.
One side note. I really like Gold tip HTs, don't know why, but that is what I have used for the past two years. I had 3 left that were in good shape and could not find any more locally. That is why I ended up w/ a dozen new carbon force arrows. One of the gold tips had theoriginal duravanes in good shape and two had the fletchingmessed up, so I used the extreme shrink wraps on them. What I can say is that the gold tips 45/75s fly exactly like the carbon force 300s, whether they have duravanes or the shrink fletchings on them. I shunk fletched the two that were bad and left the other alone. I can take a mixed batch of the carbon force duravanes, carbon force w/ shrink and the three gold tips and I really can't tell the difference out to 50 yards.
All that said, durability may be an issue.
And, I agree on the application point of the water being very hot. Hotter the better. Do exactly as the instructions say and, so far, I have been moderately impressed. We'll see about the long run.
Hank
Let me preface this by saying mine have only been on for about two weeks.
I bought a dozen Carbon Force arrows, brand new of course, about a month ago to go with my new switchback. On two occasions I shot and/or hunted in a light rain. The 4 inch duravanes that came on the arrows I had picked out to hunt with started coming off, so I started usingothers to hunt with. I had ordered a set of shrink vanes w/ duravanes and what ended up in my mail box was a set w/ blazers instead of duravanes. I felt like the cheap cost was worth giveing them a try, despite the negative reports I had heard on them.
Instead of shipping them back, I fletched the3 arrows that seemed to be having problems w/ the blazers and white "cresting" shrinkwrap.
All my shooting has been done by my switchback. It is chronographed at 275 fps and shoots 27 inch carbon force axial weave arrows. All the shooting has been done w/ 100 grain field tips. I haven't really tried them w/ my muzzy 4 blades, but may give them a try for fun.
As far as grouping and weight. I picked out six arrows, 3 with the shrink blazers and 3 with the duravanes. I really could not tell the difference. I shot 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. Sometimes the blazers grouped better than the duravanes, sometimes not (that, of course is my fault). One thing for sure, the ballistics were the same. There was no appreciable difference in drop out to 50 yards.
As far as durability. I did not have allot of pass through shots, all my shots were either on a 3d target or block w/ field points. I can see where there might be a problem w/ durability though. But, in the few pass throughs, or almost throughs, that I had, I did not have any problem w/ theshrink wrap fletchings.
Noise. This might be due to the blazers, but the blazer/shrinkwraps were much louder than the duravanes. There was a pronounced buzz with them, where the duravanes were very quiet. The extreme vanes were listed as 8 degree r/ helical, I think. The same as my duravanes. But there was definetly more noise. I have never shot blazers before though, and that might be normal.
One side note. I really like Gold tip HTs, don't know why, but that is what I have used for the past two years. I had 3 left that were in good shape and could not find any more locally. That is why I ended up w/ a dozen new carbon force arrows. One of the gold tips had theoriginal duravanes in good shape and two had the fletchingmessed up, so I used the extreme shrink wraps on them. What I can say is that the gold tips 45/75s fly exactly like the carbon force 300s, whether they have duravanes or the shrink fletchings on them. I shunk fletched the two that were bad and left the other alone. I can take a mixed batch of the carbon force duravanes, carbon force w/ shrink and the three gold tips and I really can't tell the difference out to 50 yards.
All that said, durability may be an issue.
And, I agree on the application point of the water being very hot. Hotter the better. Do exactly as the instructions say and, so far, I have been moderately impressed. We'll see about the long run.
Hank
