I am looking to buy a dozen new arrows to be dipped and such and I was wondering which would be better, vanes or feathers? I have shot a bow with feathered arrows and I liked them, but I wonder if i could use them for my bow. A browning compound, 55#, 28" draw, aluminum arrows. Any help?

Feathers are the best way to go IMO

Feathers all the way.

You have to use the one that would best suit your needs.

1. - Feathers are more forgiving than vanes as far as rest clearence goes unless you shoot a drop away than this point is null.

and

2. - Vanes are much better in harsh weather such as rain whereas feathers will tend to lay flat when they get soaked. and vanes are much more durable and last longer.


so it's really up to you as to which one better suits your needs, good luck.

I was constantly refletching arrows and replacing torn up, shot up vanes. Since I switched back to feathers on ALL my arrows, I have to knock cobwebs and dust off my fletching jig before I can use it. It's that long between fletching sessions now. I have found feathers to be far more durable than vanes.

The one and only advantage vanes have over feathers is they are waterproof.

Feathers are much more forgiving of rest contact. They stabilize the arrow quicker coming off the bow. They are much lighter than vanes, with means your arrows have better FOC balance AND they shoot faster over normal hunting distances. They don't have that plastic smell, which is one area of scent elimination a lot of guys don't even consider.

Feathers..............go with the feathers.......they will work for your setup!

i think vanes are ugly and feathers are cool. but i use vanes there quiet they don't get wet there durable when shooting single targets and not groups. and as forgivness no problem drop away.as a hunter i will always use vanes to many +s not to. but there still ugly.

Arthur; I tried Scotchgard fabric spray on feathers and they hold up well in rainy Rochester, NY. I do spray with a cover scent and have not had any problems, so far. This was 1st yr. trying so I will wait and see if the product seems to affect feathers over a longer time span.

As far as feathers being more durable, I have found the opposite to be true. I don't know about anyone else. When shooting feathers, if any part of the feather enters too far into the target it gets all mangled and unable to shoot. I also noticed that if you have any rest contact then the feather will start to wear at the point of contact. As far as vanes, you can hit the rest and shoot through any target you want. Yes, they will be all wrinkled but if you take a hairdryer to them they straighten out as good as new with no need to re-fletch. The only time I ever have to refletch vanes is if I am too lazy to keep pulling arrows and shoot 6 into a bunch causing me too shoot through a vane. (This would be easily avoidable if I wasn't such a bonehead)

First, just smooth the feathers back into shape and keep shooting. Second, just like taking your hairdryer to your vanes to straighten them out, you take a mangled feather and run it through the steam coming out of the spout of a tea kettle and it straightens right back like new.

Anybody that's ever done any field archery or 3D tournament shooting whatsoever knows how durable feathers are in comparison to vanes. When you've got 3-4 other guys shooting at your nock, you don't want vanes on your arrows.