I have been fooling around with vanes these days. I had some Blazers on some arrows from my old flecthing jig (soft right helical). I recently got a Bitz (right helical) and some Duravane Predator vanes. I fleteched a few arrows with the Predators using the Bitz. In the mean time I had put a set of Vapor Trail stings on the bow. So I did a little bare shaft paper tuning. Here is the observation/question - while paper tuning, I was able to get these nice little tear patterns with the blazers but arrows fletched with the Predators had a fairly ugly tear pattern. The only differences are the vanes and the amount of helical. Why, pray tell, would there be such a difference in the tear patterns?

There shouldn't be any difference but the helical might be causing a contact issue but that is just speculation.

It is the strangest thing! I lied however, the nocks are different. I got some Bohning signature nocks with the Predator vanes... But the strange tear pattern is still there with the Predator vanes but not the Blazers!! Too wierd!