I have heard a lot about vanes and how good there are.But i heard that feathers are the best because they are more forgiving.I use vanes on my carbon arrows but the vanes are starting to tear from shooting so much,will feathers do the same,i would like to know?

I have one carbon arrow that has been through one deer last fall, summer practice and 2 deer this fall. Feathers have held up well.....just rinse them out and let em dry.

Both fletchings will wear but vanes hold up better. I use feathers though cause i have noticed that they help with consistancy. Its really just preference. Feathers do suck in the rain though. They shrink right down tight to the shaft where vanes wont.

Feathers will carry your broadheads better than vanes will. I have a bow set up for hunting in Colorado and I use veins on my carbon arrows for durability. If you are shooting carbon arrows with veins, you generally will find that you have to shoot heavier (125 grain) broadheads to get them to fly consistantly. A lot of your flight patterns will vary in using viens and featers due to your arrow weight. If I am shooting carbons I like a heavier shaft.

I like feathers. Faster in side 30 yards. My friend who shoot vanes always have curves and waves in them after a while, my feathers alway are like new, until they go through a deer!

Good Luck!

PRACTICE....PRACTICE....PRACTICE......SUCCESS!

amen cloud 9!

My feathers have lasted me almost 2 years of hard use and they show no ill effects in the shooting department, where a half torn vane will screw everything up!

Feathers will be more forgiving of errors and stabalize your arrow that much faster by creating more drag to help guide that arrow from a possible errant shot, mis matched set up, or boogered what have you.

There are ways of waterproofing them that work quite well, thats the only concern of most folks. I dont like the powders but they do work. I have a spray can of stuff and baby bottle liners when its really bad and cant say I have matted feathers anymore when I take these precautions.

And the misnomeanor of vains holding up better then feathers is a farce! They are however cheaper and easier to deal with....the reason most people use them, LESS WORK! Rip them off, scrap, clean with acetone/denatured alcohol, and refletch.

If you do screw up a feather and it isnt torn or completly mangled....Steam them, it may take a time or four but they will go back to virtually new shape! One thing I have gained from being a fly tier! If you know any fly shops they can help you with the steaming as most of them (experts or advances tiers anyways) will know how to do it. Beginners usually dont care enough to steam materials so stay away. It's pretty simple get a pot of water to a boil, dont completely soak the feathers, if they are really bad, "preen" them with your fingers or a saftey pin (bodkin if ya have one). Let them dry and steam them again and again till they are holding back together. There are barbules inbetween the feather stems themselves that act as velcro to hold them together. Look at an atlantic salmon fly, the wing in particular, how it has slips of different color and even different bird feathers to make one wing. Those barbules are what hold it all together and ALL the good atlantic tiers are steaming ATLEAST once. You may not see the results the first time that you want but give it a bit, you will!

I am a feathers man dont like vanes at all.

Feathers since 1965. Last season I tried vanes for the first time. Never again.

I prefer feathers as well. I actually think they're MORE durable than vains in some regards. You can steam the shape back into them. Vains will go "off" with relatively little damage I.E. a little tear or nick and the game is over with that one wheras I've shot feathers with major chunks taken out(just to see how it flies) and it's bulls all the way. An added bonus is I gained 4fps?? I haven't changed anything else, but haven't shot the vains side by side either. Can they make that much of a difference?

Trushot }}------>

Feathers all the way. I began shooting vanes and when i began workin up at the bow store, my boss swore by them. Finally, I broke down and fletched some up and i will never go back. Yea, vanes are more "durable", but ive actually refletched less feathers than i would have vanes, and thats with everyday shooting of about 40 or 50 shots. They are more stable, even in the rain. Now my boss is tryin to get me to shoot Zwickeys. Maybe next year.