Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

I'm thinking about changing things around a bit, and wondered if I could get some opinions here. What are the Pro's and Con's of Feathers and Vanes??? I've got some 4" duravane fletched arrows, and some blazered arrows, but was wondering about shooting feathers, and what difference I may see, good or bad.

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Here is a link to a good feathers vrs vanes discussion. I didn't feel like typing it all out.;)

Link

I personally like feathers, but I am currently using Blazers and I like them. If I were to shoot vanes it would be blazers over anything else.

Paul

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

personally, I'll take vanes over feathers any day, shooting a compound that is. I've tried feathers and they sounded like bacon sizzling as they flew through the air. They also layed down when they got wet, something you need not worry about when shooting vanes.

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Feathers for my trad and vains or FOBs with my compound...
vains are all weather and feathers take a little more care in certain weather conditions...

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

To me Feathers are all good, better control, lighter, more forgiving, and they help you achieve a higher FOC.

Dan

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Now if you know someone who goose hunts get the wing feathers and make your own but dont bleach or dye them as you will take away the natural oils that make them almost water proof;)

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Never tried making my own feathers but sounds interesting. Hey Ausie, do you know where I can find a blue and white goose?

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Vanes are better for hunting. I like the lower profile 4" and I believe duravanes are the lightest. Even their tougher vane for the wb is only 9 grns. a piece, a blazer is 6+, higher profile and stiffer, the opposite of a feather and a detriment (deflection issue). Vanes a quieter and in my recent test more durable. Both smacking each other the feather needs refletched. By the by, 2 arrows, one with a vane and one with a feather hit that close together.

All bohning vanes are heavy than the duravane counter part.

Feathers are beautiful and forgiving to deflection, lighter as mentioned, considerably and as mentioned you can cut your own. Goose feathers were popular in Europe's days past and still are there. Turkey feathers are a relativly recent item, (we have them here in the states:D). Right wing and left wing mean just that, the wing they came from. I've heard that if you shoot right, get right, left, get left.

Enjoy them both. Have somefeathered ones fordays that pleasant. Have vanes for everything else.

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

I use feathers and blazers....the blazers are great no doubt, but I like my feathers as well...they are more forgiving, and they just look so darn cool;)

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Nodog, you are correct in that if using the same size vanes the blazers are just as heavy if not heavier, but the key is the blazers are much stiffer and you can use a much smaller vane and get more control out of it so they actually weight less. Most blazer set ups don't weigh much more than a 4 or 5 inch feather fletched arrows. And they control about as well. They just are not very forgving because they are so stiff is all.

Paul

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Duravane makes many different vanes and one is identical to the blazer except for weight. Blazers together will weigh around 18, 5" feathers wont top 7, a 4" is 6.4" duravanes are 25; even their 4" savage vane made for the wb is only 28.I use those for their durability and lower profile. Bohning vanes in a 4" are pushing 40. They are supposed to be 11 a piece.

I tried both the blazer and duravane equivalent. High and stiff with contact issue for me. I didn't care from them in a strong cross wind, but then again none I've tested did enough to be called good, some better.


I think the 3D duravane is almost as pretty as a feather and they come in many sizes.

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

I've got Dan from MeanV sending me some barred feathers and a right helical clamp for my Bitzenburger , i love the look of feathers and just gotta try them .

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Should be sweet with that Merlin. A real Robin Hood.:D

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

Feathers:

1. Increased air distruption = more stable arrow flight at short yardages + slower arrow + increased arrow flight noise.

2. Rain + feathers = disaster. Yes you can treat the feather but you can't sit out all day in the rain like you could with vanes. There is nothing on the market that can make a feather 100% impervious. (other than dipping them in plastic!)

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

If you're a big enough idiot to sit out in the rain all day, then you're probably too much of an idiot to take a plastic bag with you to cover up your feathers. [8D]

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

I have shot my biggest deer in the rain. I'll sit out all day no problem. Rain in my neck of the woods gets deer moving while wimpy hunters head for the inside.

A plastic bag makes way, way too much noise in the rain. Tried it and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

I hope you don't gut shoot your animal or hit it other places then the vitals. I don't care who you/we are, our arrows don't always go where there suppose to! Good luck with tracking that in the rain.

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

I don't have a problem with my feathers not doing the job of steering an arrow when wet.Most I have talked to that actually tested them in the rain or wet have said the same.;)

RE: Feathers vs. vanes, pro's and con's??
 

That is just not true. I suppose it could be true if your bow and arrow were not tuned correctly but if your setup is tuned then shooting wet feathers is not a problem.

A member here actually did a test to disprove this myth. It makes for interesting reading.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2262756