Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

I am interested in what most of us are using for our hunting set ups. I have always used 4 3/4 inch plastic vanes from flex-fletch. Have had great results from them but am cosidering switching to feathers due to being more foregiving and better flight stability. The only thing that has kept me from switching is the rain problem. Are there many people who shoot feathers in all weather conditions that have a trick?

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

I started with feathers.... went to vanes for several years and am back to feathers. There are several things to do to keep them dry. They make this powder you can put on them that helps. It' s not 100 percent and they still can get wet in a soaking rain. I' ve had better luck with the fly dope that fly fishermen use for dry flies. I just pick up a bottle at the local Orvis shop and it last for a couple seasons. Right now I' m back to the powder stuff. Wet or dry, they shoot pretty much the same in a tuned bow. I just like feathers because they' re KOOL.:D On a real rainy or wet conditions I pull a zip lock bag up over my feathers far enough to poke a nock thru the bag. Then I crimp the " zip lock" cords closed between arrows and outside the last one. The bag will stay there and keep them dry.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

I used vanes, now I use Feathers. Feathers seem to fly true and clear my rest easyer. But I have to say that vanes do better in wet weather then feathers.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

The switch that I made to plastic vanes last year is going to be a one year experiment. I had success with them, taking the only deer that I shot at, but I was never very happy with vanes. I don' t understand why they are supposedly more durable than feathers. I can shoot my feathers with the feathers in bad shape, but if I got one little nick in the plastic vanes that arrow was done until it could be repaired. I guess it' s all in what you like, and I like feathers.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

I' ve always used feathers without any problems even when hunting in the rain. There are several products that you can use to treat the feathers to make them waterproof. I use Dri-Tite brush on and Dri-Tite powder and have had great results with both. I prefer the powder, it' s easy to use, faster than brush on and works great.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

I allways used feathers , allways got better flight with them , I mostly use 4" sheild cut feathers , or conical . I use the powder to keep them dry , some use hair spray , but the smell factor scares me about useing that for hunting . A big thank you to DavidMill thats a great tech tip " zip locks over the fletching " I' ll definately use that one , thanks again .

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

Feathers.

Sometimes I' m forced into shooting vanes when vane fletched arrows is all that' s available in the size I need and I' ll shoot them until the vanes are screwed up. Shooting nice, tidy groups or getting stuck in a group of nock-aimers at a 3D, it doesn' t take long at all to get a dozen vane fletched arrows to needing a re-fletching. I always go back with feathers.

Feathers are more durable, lighter (better FOC and a bit faster arrow speed over normal hunting yardages), less critical of riser/rest contact. The only thing vanes have going for them is they are waterproof. Some say they' re quieter in flight than feathers are, but that' s open to debate.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

For what it' s worth.....I used vanes first for a few years and then was put on to feather by a friend. I used feathers for a few years and now I' m back to vanes. I had some minot porblems with feathers....after a few hundred shots they wouldn' t " zip" back together and thus they were taller than originally. That created some clearance problems after a while. I also have problems with vanes....one touch with a field point to the vane and that vane will tear and never fly the same. Either way both need to be replaced when worn. Vanes have worked better in the rain than fethater for me, but Davidmil hit it when he said that the effects of rain are minimal if your setup is properly tuned.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

I shoot 5" shield cut feathers and love them. The forgiveness factor alone is enough reason in my book to use them. When there is wet weather I use used to use a gallon size ziploc bag but now a buddy of mine made himself and I fletching coers made out of some camo and viynl material attached to my quiver with elastic bands works great and as for the arrow knocked on my string I just use a small ziploc bag placed over the fletching on the arrow. I also own one of those porta roofs (kind of like an umbrella that screws into a tree) it also helps to keep my fletching dry but just in case I always carry one or two arrows fletched with vanes.

RE: Plastic vs. Feathers.
 

Jason, when feathers do that, running them over the spout of a steaming teapot will zip ' em right back up. Even holding them over a pot of boiling water will do it. Just don' t get the feathers soaking wet and stand the arrows up to dry where the feathers won' t be leaning against anything.