Only in FPS, Jeff.... not in accuracy. With an identical setup at 40 yards, your blazers wouldget there a bitfaster, but both will be accurate, pass through anddo the job very effectively.

Exactly! And if you use a heavier arrow then the loss in FPS becomes negligible. To put it another way, the blazer's performance catches up to the feathers performance at 30 yds .

If there is a point of diminishing returns in performance or speed with feathers, I have not found it. When I shoot 3 arrows with feathers and 3 arrows with vanes at 60 yards on a standard 60 yard field archery target and all 6 go into the X ring, I can't see a point of diminishing returns.

Not many of us believe in shooting at game at 60 yards and beyond, so... Where this 'diminishing returns' thing came from, I don't know. Probably started by someone who sells vanes for a living.

Mythbusters should be all over this.

Guys....I'd switch to feathers in a second.....but I like being able to throw my quiver in my soft case and not worry about them gettin "smooshed" (sp???). If I knew of a way to shoot them all the time without worrying about them....Id do it...now that I have the longbow.

I may try it on a limited basis, this year.

I smoosh my feathers all the time then, when I get ready to shoot the arrow, I run my closed hand over the feathers and they smooth out like new .

Arthur,
I'd get right on it, but two things are stopping me. One, I only have a dozen arrows, and they're fletched for hunting.
Second, I'm just not good enough of a shot yetto put this to the test at 60 yards.

OK.....I had to buy a BUNCH of feathers the other day. From now on.....anything needing a re-fletch will get feathers.

Now....HOW do I know they'll be OK for my setup (the ones I have ordered for my longbow (like in Quick's first photo)?

Ain't no law saying you have to shoot feathers on your c'pound just because you use 'em for your longbow. If you don't want to set it up with feathers, then don't. I just don't see the problem.

As Rob said feathers are actually much more durable than vanes are. Sure they can start to look a bit ratty and even be missing parts, but they still stabilize the arrow great. Actually I think they work a bit better after they are beat up some. Where in contrast a vane with a slight nick, tear or hole in it will usually need to be refletched. It will make the arrow much louder and actually cause it to spin erratically. When I used vanes I found myself having to refletch arrows way more than I do with feathers.

And as far as diminishing returns it all depends on what you mean. There is no distance where they will not stabilize an arrow better than vanes. However because of the increased drag they will slow down faster than a vane. Where you will start to notice this depends on the speed of the arrow and how heavy the arrows are. Most times you will hear that a vaned arrow will start to overtake a feather fletched arrow around 50 yards. But like Arthur stated that is not always the case. At any rate you will not notice the difference at normal hunting distances.

In my eyes you just can't beat a good aluminum arrow with feathers. And if you are going to use vanes I am pretty impressed with Blazers.

Paul