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Durability of Feather Fletching

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Diligence:
I was reading a few posts about goose wing feathers as fletching, and the comment was made, "they are more durable than turkey" or "they are no different than the durability of turkey".......however, I don't know how durable real feathers really are.

So, put this in a frame of reference I can understand.  How many shots can you make with your feather equipped arrow (goose, turkey or otherwise) before seeing fletching damage?  What kind of damage is typical and how much of that damage can your fletching take before you replace the fletch?

Thanks in advance for educating this newbie!!

D

hawkbow:
I can only speak for myself, but usually the shafts give out and break long before the feathers wear out.. i can only guess at the amount of shots before this happens but would guess about a thousand or more.. in real hunting situations the arrows life is cut short by impact with the live creatures and forests and trees they inhabit ;D ;) I has one arrow that killed seven deer before finally breaking on a big elk.. Hawk

Muina:
I have feather fletches that've got really wet on the damp grass and are still fine to shoot, but they look a tad unsightly. I reckon if you manage to keep them dry there's a good chance they'll last more than a thousand shots.

Diligence:
Okay - much thanks.  I clearly underestimated the durability of real feathers.

The only two arrows i just fletched, were with pidgeon feathers, and after a few shots they are already starting to look pretty beat up.

Cheers for the info!

D

Hillbilly:
Bigger, stiffer feathers like turkey and goose are more durable than smaller feathers. It also depends on how good of a shot you are. Tight groups on a target are rough on feathers-that's why I try to avoid shooting tight groups whenever possible. ;D If you tie them on in addition to gluing, they'll be there a long time unless you cut it off with another arrow, tree limb, or Pat's dog beats you to your arrow. ;D

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