Spiraling arrows?
 

And not the good kind.

Well, I recently fletched a half dozen arrows with Blazers to see if there was any noticable difference betwen them and my Duravanes.

They seemed a bit more accurate, not a lot, just a little.

However, even at 20 yards there is a noticable circular motion that my arrows are making on the way to the target. Not quite fishtailing, not quite porpousing.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? I know it can't be normal, it just doesn't seem right. How do I go about fixing this problem? Move the rest? Nock point? Both?

Help!!

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

I've noticed that too. But I just figured it was the spin of the arrow. [&:]

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Sometimes your eye can be confused by the fletching on the arrow as it spins, making it look like the tail end is spiralling downrange.

If the tail end is actually spiralling, then you've got fishtailing and porpoising going on at the same time. Might be you had small tuning misadjustments that the 4" vanes were hiding, but the short Blazers can't compensate for. (?)

Another thing...You sure you're not getting rest contact?

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any contact with the rest. When I used to get contact with my Duravanes it would leave a small black mark. Maybe I'll check for that too.

It could just be that my eyes are playing tricks on me, I'm still very accurate, it isn't causing any problems in my groups.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Have someone stand directly behind you and see if they are still spiraling. Mine do that, and 3 other people have said they are flying perfectly straight. Also try shooting through paper at various distances.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

did you fletch with a offset?or a helical ?if so they are supposed to spin when flying.this is the wind catching the fletching.this gives better arrow flight when shoooting fixed blade broadheads.I always fletch mine witha offset to the right if your shooting right handed.or a helical.witch is a lttle more offset than just a standard offset.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Do they all do it? Or just one or two. Number your arrows and pay attention. How do they group. If they actually spiral they will not group that well.

I would look at rest contact or something being seriously miss adjusted if they all do it. Normally for me it is a bad or bent arrow. A bad nock could probably do it as well, or messed up fletching. If an arrow is out of balance it will do it.

I have one arrow that spirals bad on the way to the target, I put it on an arrow spinner and it actually looks good? I have other arrows that are not as straight that don't do that. It must be messed up somewhere though.

It could very well be an optical illusion as well, or windy out. My arrows do crazy stuff in the wind. Try some bare shafting and see what happens. If you just reflecthed the arrows maybe the fletchings are not uniform and causing problems during flight?

Paul

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

I would number them like Paul suggested to see if it is just one or two. If they all do it, spray the rest and/or vanes with foot powder to find out if you have any fletching contact. If you don't, put the arrows on a spinner to check for straightness. If they are all straight, check them for balance as well. If the arrow is out of balance, you will get that spiraling effect. If you still can't find out what is wrong, drop back and punt! :D j/k Seriously, Blazers are great vanes and you should be getting good arrow flight.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

i've got 3 different colored vanes on my arrows to match my strings (god i don't know what has happened to me) and i get that effect sometimes. fletch a couple all 1 color and see if it doesn't clear up.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Doesnt help with 1 color either. All 3 of my vanes are yellow.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Yeah, I'm shooting with plane white crests and all white blazers.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

ditto to dairy
when i used feathers i could notice it...

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Wash, back off on the helical with the Blazers. Try them a bit straighter on the shaft. From the back to front of your vane I would recommend 1/32" of an inch offset. This should correct the wobble.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Well I'm using the Arizona E-Z Fletch so there really isn't that much helical to them. Enough that when looking at them straight down the shaft you can see it, but otherwise you don't notice it.

Is there a way to adjust the degree of helical with this fletcher?

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

Nope. Your stuck with it unless you buy a new one. I got the same kind, but I think I have a hard hard helical though.

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

This sort of shows the amount of helical I have on my arrows.



Do you think it's too much? Should I try a differen't jig?

RE: Spiraling arrows?
 

first thing i'd do is strip all the vanes off a couple arrows and get them shooting on the same horizontal plane as a fletched one. adjust according to the unfletched one. it'll move more than the fletched one. then you'll have your nock height, or close. then i'd set centershot by doing some walk back stuff. zero in at 20 yards with your 20 pin until you're confident its correct. then go back to 30 and shoot at the same dot (near top of target) with your 20 pin a few times, and then from 40 with your 20 pin. if your arrows are going left from 30 and 40 then move your rest a little right, or vice versa and go back to zeroing in from 20 and start over. when you're done with that and shooting a vertical line then go back to 20 and shoot a horizontal stripe. if you're dead on it, cool. if not play with your tiller a little bit - take 1/8 turn out of your top limb and see if it gets better or worse. when you're done with that check that nock position again with bare shafts and fletched arrows. i don't put a lot of stock in bare shaft and fletched hitting the same spot, just on the same horizontal plane. the reason is sometimes mine do and sometimes they don't because a bare shaft is much more succeptable (sp?) to me making minor mistakes in my form and release. if its always off by more than 2" left or right you could have a spine issue, or a dirty release (i mean bad form)