What one is better?
10-07-2014, 01:17 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 32
What one is better?
Hello all, I am looking at purchasing a Bohning blazer fletching jig but im not sure how well they work and what one is better. I noticed there is the Straight jig and the Helix jig. Is there much of a difference or will they both shoot well? do i need specific sized arrows or fletchings or do my regular blazers work? Any info on this would be awesome!
10-07-2014, 05:38 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
I imaging you're going to use these arrows for hunting (shooting broadheads). With that in mind I strongly suggest you get the helical model. This puts a 3* helical on the vane. They are adjustable for different arrow diameters. And you can only use them with 2" or possibly 3" vanes as the slit is not very long. I have one and they work great. The only drawback is you can only apply one vane at a time. I also use the Arizona EZ fletch (Helical) for carbon arrows. This will put all 3 vanes on at one time. You can fletch a dozen arrows in 1/2 hour with a quick set adhesive.
10-08-2014, 08:08 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 282
First thing first - you match your arrow spine to your bow, draw length, and broadhead weight. If you need help with that, send me a private message with that info and I can run it through some software to identify your ideal arrow spine.
Next thing - the straight jig keeps the fletching perfectly straight, while the helical jig puts a curve on it. Straight fletching is still usually put on with a slight offset, so the arrow spins and stabilizes in flight. The bigger the diameter of your arrow, the easier it is to put more offset on your fletching. Helical puts a lot of spin on your arrow, because it basically wraps the fletching around your arrow shaft in a helical shape. I prefer this because it makes your arrows super stable and can help minimize any influence from your broadheads - especially if you use fixed broadheads. I've also found helical is easier to do on smaller diameter arrow shafts than trying to put an offset on them. The downside to helical fletching is that it can knock a very small amount of speed off of your arrows, as it transfers forward energy into rotational energy. It can also cause a slight bit of noise, because the vanes are biting into the air surrounding them more aggressively. I would highly recommend helical fletching to everyone - it keeps your arrow stable and can help correct fixed blade broadhead flight. 2 inch blazer vanes are excellent general purpose vanes, but you'll want to make sure the arrow shaft is clean and that you use a good quality adhesive - it can be a bit of a chore to get them to stick well, but once you figure out exactly how to do it, its a snap.
Good luck and happy shooting!
Next thing - the straight jig keeps the fletching perfectly straight, while the helical jig puts a curve on it. Straight fletching is still usually put on with a slight offset, so the arrow spins and stabilizes in flight. The bigger the diameter of your arrow, the easier it is to put more offset on your fletching. Helical puts a lot of spin on your arrow, because it basically wraps the fletching around your arrow shaft in a helical shape. I prefer this because it makes your arrows super stable and can help minimize any influence from your broadheads - especially if you use fixed broadheads. I've also found helical is easier to do on smaller diameter arrow shafts than trying to put an offset on them. The downside to helical fletching is that it can knock a very small amount of speed off of your arrows, as it transfers forward energy into rotational energy. It can also cause a slight bit of noise, because the vanes are biting into the air surrounding them more aggressively. I would highly recommend helical fletching to everyone - it keeps your arrow stable and can help correct fixed blade broadhead flight. 2 inch blazer vanes are excellent general purpose vanes, but you'll want to make sure the arrow shaft is clean and that you use a good quality adhesive - it can be a bit of a chore to get them to stick well, but once you figure out exactly how to do it, its a snap.
Good luck and happy shooting!
