Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: PEARL DRUMS on May 19, 2012, 09:53:53 am
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I used 5" or 5 1/2" feathers forever, thats all I used. I shoot 29" arrows and have been experimenting with various feather lengths to see where the threshhold is. Im down to a 3-fletch 3 1/2" x 1/2" feather and my arrows fly exactly the same, but faster and more quiet for certain. Anybody else ever mess with feather size? I plan to shoot all summer at the shoots and wrap on some bheads to see what they change, if anything at all. It sure is nice getting three feathers from a primary rather than one or sometimes two.
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Pearlie, as you know feathers steer an arrow by adding drag to the back end. Ideally you want the least amount of drag as possible and smaller feathers give less drag. My fletching has been getting a bit smaller over the years but I want all my arrows to shoot like my hunting arrows so my brain doesn't have to compensate for different arrow make up.
Are you testing your arrows with broadheads?
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Not yet Pat. Just using field tips so far. If I can get away with it, I certainly will. My feathers dont hit my mouth at draw, they are quieter in flight, and my draw hand doesnt rub my feathers when I draw. Overall Im loving it. Broadheads will tell the tale for certain.
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I did kinda the same as you pd, I started out making all mine 5 and a half inches and then went down to 5 and so on. I stopped at 4" and my broadheads still fly good. Im not that good of a turkey hunter so I started makin mine shorter to get more fletches out of each feather. :)
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Thats good to know. I dont plan to go any smaller than I have them now. I want to toss on various types of broadheads and shoot them all summer. I want to shoot on wet days and windy days to be sure they stay stable. If this works out I can easily fletch a dozen arrows with one wing!
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Do you bareshaft tune your arrows? If they fly well without fletching even small feathers should improve or stabilize the arrows flight.
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Do you bareshaft tune your arrows? If they fly well without fletching even small feathers should improve or stabilize the arrows flight.
I have a few left from 2 dozen arrow that had 5" turkey fletch that was only 3/8" inch high at the back! They fly like darts because each and every shaft was hand spine tuned to that bow at my draw length. The fletch was cut straight from the 3/8" inch high back down to nothing where the sinew wrap sealed the deal. Bare shaft testing can get you very close to perfect flight and then all you need is a whisp of fletch to add spin. If you intend to shoot broadheads, you can always leave them a bit higher for more drag.
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I can shoot 4" festhers with some of my setups.....smaller is better if they fly true. Some of those big ol honkin feathers are like flu flus....loud and slow. LOL
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The longer and taller your feathers. The quicker your arrow stablize's for broad heads off the bow.
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Do you bareshaft tune your arrows? If they fly well without fletching even small feathers should improve or stabilize the arrows flight.
Heck no! I want to keep the hair I have Pat. I pay more attention to shooting form that anything else. Its what matters to me. I shot braodheads with my tiny feathers and they fine and dandy.
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I have used 4 inch about 1/2 at the back cut to less than 1/4 at the front for a long while,if the arrows are tuned right that is all you will need,several reasons,keeps feather off the belly of the grip/get 2 feathers out of each primary
faster and quieter. No brainer for me. :) :)
Pappy
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Thanks guys. Learned alot here. I've started making smaller "traditional" type feathers just to get more from my materials.
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I started out with Flu Flu style sea gull feathers and i have used 4 inch feathers with the weight of the heads i use the arrows dipped too much, i am using 5 inch feathers now, and the 125 grain heads and the 125 grain glue in/ glue on adapters they work fine, i have a string with fur silencers, my bows a 60 lb at 28 draw and it fires like a shot from a rifle, in a split second it hits i dont think it makes much noise, im going to shoot it in the silence of the woods this summer and find out tho
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4" parabolic for me.
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I've tried all of the above....varied results..small= quiet/fast large= stable/noisy/ slow Keeping an eye on this thread......
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I shot my 3 1/2" all weekend in some wind, slight rain, uphill, downhill, 40 yards down to 15 yards and they performed flawlessly. I doubt I will ever use longer feathers again. I cant hear my arrows anymore in flight anymore. A well tuned bow/arrow set up never hurt anything either.
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PD I think that's the key....an arrow that's tuned well to the bow....I definately like the idea of getting more fletches per turkey wing.....I've been cutting them 5" shield and 3" shield for kids arrows.....Two 4" fletches seems more appropriate.....
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PD,
heres the shape I use. Both are quiet in flight, but the bottom arrow is a lot faster (shoots flatter @ 5/8 yrds more distance). All my huntin arrows are like the top one. Not the way y'all do it but thats what my set-up looks like.
rich
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Rich it looks like you use the same "chopper" I do. I like it that way. Every feather is a bit different, but the same still. I will snap a pic of my experimentals when I get time later tonite. They look alot like your lower feathers, but 3" shorter.
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for years i've been using mainly feathers that were 10cm (3.9") long and 1.5cm (3/5") high (all the way from front to rear).
They fly quiet and stable also with judos and blunts. I almost never shot broadheads because I don't hunt.
Reading what's written here gives me the idea to try a bit smaller ones, maybe 4" long and only 1/2" high....
thanks for the input :)
gian-luca
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5 inch 1/2 wide this size stableizes broad heads the fastest.
I had a few people bring me that had troble with arrow flight as some as the switched to broad heads.
The 5 inch do'nt really matter about sound, and only needs to stablize your head if your shooting deer at 20 or under. Since I don't hunt 10 rings WITH PRACTICE POINTS I'll stay with the 5 inch. Plus you can see where they hit the deer better.
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I have used 4 inch about 1/2 at the back cut to less than 1/4 at the front for a long while,if the arrows are tuned right that is all you will need,several reasons,keeps feather off the belly of the grip/get 2 feathers out of each primary
faster and quieter. No brainer for me. :) :)
Pappy
Yeppers Pappy has it down good.