Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

I'm sure it's been asked a hundred times....

How much would helical feathers slow down an otherwise identical arrow with straight offset feathers?

I'm asking because I'm about to buy my first fletching jig (Bitz), and need to decide which clamp to buy.
I will mainly be hunting with the arrows I make, releasing with fingers off of a flipper rest.
Even if I shoot target, I prefer to use my hunting setup to stay with the same form and feel.

I like the concept of the added stability that a helical fletch would give to my arrows bearing fixed blade broadheads, but I don't want to reduce my speed too much since I only pull about 55 pounds for a speed of about 210fps. I can shoot with a more arched trajectory, but don't want to if I don't have to.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

Helical shouldn't slow you down more than 7-8 fps.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

At normal hunting ranges you shouldn't see any difference at all. They both will leave the bow at the same speed. Downrange somewhere, maybe 40 yards away, the heical will slow the arrow a bit more, but the advantage of spinning (stabilizing) your arrow far outweighs the couple fps loss.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

I ALWAYS shot straight fletched feathers, 4 inch. Tuning broadheads was always an all day deal. I'd mix and match broadheads, swap 'em, shoot everything at 20, 30, 40 and beyond. Cull, sort, try other combos to get the best fliers I could for hunting. From a dozen NEW arrows I usually expected to get anywhere from 5-7 or maybe 8 that passed the test. The others became practice arrows. Last year I went to the very slightest of helical. Now I screw on a broadhead and expect it to shoot where I aim. I may have 1 or 2 rejects from a dozen...probably caused by a misaligned insert or something. The little bit of helical was all that was needed to truly stabilize the arrow. Say it slows the arrow a little(which is probably VERY little) What speed you loose from the helical is probably mostly gained back from having an arrow that corrects its flight quicker and is more stable. With field points you might not see the difference but when you screw on a fixed broadhead things have to be right. You still have to make sure the bow is super tuned... but you should do that anyway...regardless of what you put on the arrow.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

David is it the or rather a straight offset fletch?

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

I fletch with a lot of helical. Mostly for the same reasons David said. Never noticed a speed problem, and never had a problem shooting broadheads. Worked for years, never got the urge to experiment.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

MD... I have a slight helical in mine. Gives you close to the same effect I guess as the slight offset.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

I fletch with the max amount of offset allowable by the jig and the arrow diameter. I am going to buy the additional right helical clamp. I think it is an additional 25 bucks.

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

Can you use Helical vanes with a Whisker Biscuit rest???

Thanks,
jt

RE: Speed? Helical vs. straight w/ offset
 

I tend to agree. Speed loss is marignal at best. It would not be enough to convince me not to switch. If I was going to pick offset over helical then it would be because of the increased fletching clearance with a prong rest not because of any speed gain.