Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: Cromm on October 14, 2008, 07:11:58 pm
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Hi,
This may have already came up but;
What size and stlye fletchings do you use on your arrows?
Thanks for your time.
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With store bought feathers I use 5 1/2" shield cut. With primitive, I burn with my own pattern. All about 5 1/2" to 6". Pat
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With store bought feathers I use 5 1/2" shield cut. With primitive, I burn with my own pattern. All about 5 1/2" to 6". Pat
Same here, high back shields, 5 1/2" long (comes out 5" after wrapping them off). I use the same with wild feathers when I have them.
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5" for me. haven't hunted yet though, when i do, I'll probably use 5.5"-6"
Zander
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With normal three-fletched arrows I usually cut them 5 1/2" and in a high-back design.
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6" to 7" single fletch.
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mine are 5" long after wrapping. This time anyway. I usually just wing it but these latest ones I actually measured after I bareshafted the shafts. Well, OK, one arrow anyway. ::) I still need to bareshaft the rest then fletch those. I really need to kill a deer so I can get more back sinew. :-\But my profile is starting to evolve into a high back tapering to the front... cut with scissors until I convert my heat gun into a feather burner.
possum
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heat gun into a feather burner?????? what??? how????
cromm,
i have been using 5 " parabolic... when i started to build my own cuase i bought them befor i knew anything and they work good for me but i just got a few 5 1/2" high back sheild cuts...
looking forward to try those out but i need some shafts...
i have been told that most people who shoot seriously use the 5 1/2" highback shields... heard they drag a little bit more but are way more accurate... but that just what i have been told... so dont know by experaince yet!!!
i was also told that, thats what most poeple use when they compete in traditional competition.. but i have yet to go to a comp soo once agian dont know fom experaince or from seeing for my self... but thats what i was told...
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I like Native American style fletching. Here's some I've made. They range from 7" to 8-1/2" long.
(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg112/jackcrafty/10-11-08-2/S4020651.jpg)
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Sorry, I meant soldering gun. El Destructo, I believe, posted a pic of his.
possum
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I use about 4" fletches. Shield style but i cut them lower than they normally come. Just what works for me!
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jackcrafty,
WOW !!! those are some nice arrows... i havnt seen vary many like that, i like the long low profile look... how do they fly??? i think im going to have to play around with something like that in the futer... with the natural shafing that im going to be harvesting... and dry'n over the winter.. i really like the look..
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They fly pretty good. They have been shot quite a few times and they've been out in the weather...so they are a bit ragged..but they still fly pretty good.
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I have been experimenting all year with tuning and fletching different shafts in differing ways, and despite all the existing wisdom around, for ranges up to 50 metres I am now using 2.5 and 3" put on straight. I am getting flat flight, straightening fast (well within 15 metres) and penetrate the same as 4 and 5". These are 450+ shafts with 125/150 points. BH OK too! The other good thing is they are quiet. I use them in two bows, a board longbow and a longhorn recurve with no difficulty changing over.
Why would you use long fletches if the arrow is good?
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I shoot at very short ranges. Long fletches allow the arrow to recover much quicker.....so instead of straightening within 15 meters, they straighten within 1.5 meters. If they are cut low and applied straight, the overall drag is greatly reduced. Otherwise, a flu-flu arrow would be the best choice for quick recovery.
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Remember: the longer the fletch, the higher the profile, the further it's mounted back on the shaft, and the more it's helically fletched... the more steerage correction it provides.
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Ideally you want the smallest fletching as you can get away with for the shooting style and arrows you have. Fletchings are the steering mechanism for the arrow and they steer by drag. The more drag the slower your arrow goes. The slower your arrow goes the more arc your arrow has in flight. Add a broadhead to that mix and that changes the dynamics. Straight fletch or helical are other options also. The more helical you put in your arrow the more it spins and the quickest it recovers from paradox...but the slower it goes. I use a JoJan straight fletcher with a slight off set and 5 1/2" high back shield feather cut. For me, my shooting style with mostly self bows and with broadheads and field points this set up works best for me.
Flight shooters use very small fletchings so there is less drag but enough to straighten out their arrow as soon as possible to get the most distance out of their shot. As the event criteria changes from one style of bow to another so does the fletching so someone shooting in the hunting bow class will have larger fletching than someone that is just trying to shoot farther than anyone else. Pat
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pat,
i use the Bitzenburger, R W H clamp... cuase that what came with it when i got it from cabela's and right wing feathers... i didnt know what i was doing and i never read the instuctions when i got it home i just started playing withit and its pretty self explanitory... but i'm still messing around with the adjustments and differant curve and anlge's this thing has i dont know what is supossed to use for what but i think its col it has all the differant adjustments... just wish i knew what they were all for...
i got the right wing clamp cuase im right handed but i dont know if that what is right... but i have been wanting to get the other two clamps to try and mess around with them as well but i havent picked them up yet...
and i havent got the left wing feathers but im loking into gettting some whole feat hers later and if i splite them then i get both right and left wing out of one feather right????
so i will need to get the other clamps.. right???
i dont know enough about this stuff but it sure is fun learning.. ;D
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It doesn't matter if you are right or left handed. You can use either R or L feathers as long as are all the same on an arrow. With secondary feathers you can split them and have a left and a right feather so if you do this, don't mix them up. The Blitz has a lot of settings so you can fine tune your arrows. If you are shooting Olympic archery that might be necessary but for me it isn't. I can get good enough flight with a simple set up. Keep experimenting with different styles and sizes as well as amount of helical. I don't think all three clamps are necessary unless you just want to do more experimenting. You might try the straight against your RH but the LH won't be much different from the RH as for arrow flight.
You can also tie them on by hand and put whatever helical or not and right handed or left without having to buy more clamps. Pat
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I've mainly been using 4 4", i like this because then i don't have to worry about where the cock feather is.
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John K; That's a good idea for fast shooting,i may have to try that one out.....
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I don't worry about the cock feather either. Some of my arrows shoot better with the cock feather in and some out. That's where figuring out spine and the stiffest side of the arrow comes into play. Pat
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I use 3 4in ,I don't like them on the handle when on the bow and with a low brace, 5 or 5 1/2 feathers rides on the pass through on the handle.If you have the right spined arrows it really
don't matter. :)
Pappy
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I like 4 fletch also, and shooting the cock feather in or out makes no difference in flight. Try it.
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...and many times with cane or shoot arrows if the arrow doesn't fly correctly , flip it over and try it. Good chance it will fly well. ;)
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you guys use the banana fletch? i've seen it, but it dosen't look very effctive... or appealing, I use the 5" from the footed shaft. -jimmy
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I'm not a big fan of the banana fletch...just don't like the look.
Here is a 5" 3 fletch i did they where cut with a scissors.
(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll62/johnkeehn/CIMG0258.jpg)
JohnK
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On the modified 2 fletch I use I burn the feathers in an almost banana cut. So far that shape works best for me with that style fletching. Kenneth(Little John) shoots a banana cut and really likes it but I prefer a 5 1/2" high backed shield cut or my version of it. Pat
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I use three fletch, but if the spine is right, it doesn't matter if the cock feather is in or out. Helps when you are concentrating onwhat you want to shoot (like squirrels ;)).
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I like the banana fletch. My set of 4 fletch arrows are banana cut. But I had to do them that way because I cut all my fletching upside down for a dozen arrows.When I realized what I did, I re -cut them right side up and had short, banana cut fletching. ;D
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(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x74/michbowguy/primarow023.jpg)
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thats a pretty cool fletch, is it very durable? if it is, and if it flies well, thats something i might look into, although i think that might get f'ed up in the brush pretty easily... but it kinda looks more like a flu flu in a way ;D yeah, i like the high sheild in the back, but if any other design preforms better ill use that. personally, i like the most vibrant, biggest possible fletchings on a bow possible, like 12 fletchings per arrow, 7 1/2 inches ea. ;D jk -jimmy
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they dont catch as much wind as you think as these feathers i had were "thin,and light weight",and they folded down real easy.
i like to use big points and i shoot close range,so size of fletch for me is a good thing.
they are all natural and mostly waterproof,and very quiet.
on target arrows i cut and use alot smaller length and height feathers..
and actuall i just tie on some smaller 3 inch overall feathers on on the "animal" end of the feather and just wrap it on tight.
then i just let the back of the feather just "be natural",no ties or cuts.
i use the smaller inner wing feathers for this or crow feathers.
jamie
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they dont catch as much wind as you think as these feathers i had were "thin,and light weight",and they folded down real easy.
i like to use big points and i shoot close range,so size of fletch for me is a good thing.
they are all natural and mostly waterproof,and very quiet.
on target arrows i cut and use alot smaller length and height feathers..
and actuall i just tie on some smaller 3 inch overall feathers on on the "animal" end of the feather and just wrap it on tight.
then i just let the back of the feather just "be natural",no ties or cuts.
i use the smaller inner wing feathers for this or crow feathers.
jamie
Do they fly straight being only tied in front and rest of the feather Loose?Cool Ron
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sure do,as the feathers are smaller and with the ends not tied they slow the back of the arrow nicely.
that is the main purpose for fletching you know....
is to keep the nock end of the arrow from surpassing the point end and to hlep guide the arrow with large broadheads,so the broadheads dont "plane" or steer the head in the direction "it" wants.
if you have the propper combination of weight spine in your arrow choice you dont really need feathers.
i just like to use them.
jamie
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"if you have the propper combination of weight spine in your arrow choice you dont really need feathers"
I've been bare shaft testing my last few dozens and I am prepared to swear by that technique. I end up with a 5 inch fletch that is about 3/8th inch tall at the back tapering down to nothing at the front. Not much surface area to drag, but since I get a better spine match to the bow, who cares. Enough is sufficient, more is superflous. Or should I say superflu-flus?
Of course you have to be diligent in your release because your fletching is not overengineered.
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I use feathers that are simmular to michboys but I do tie mine on the back and then fold them over and tie them in front. I use these with big heavy wooden blunts but also with no points at all eccept the sharpened arrow and in both cases they fly well and are as accurate as the normal 3 feather fletch. Also they shoot good over distance. They spin very well. I use this on all my arrows and like it alot.
(http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3278/fletchqc7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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on the arrow pic abobe i tied and folded the back portion of the arrow.
im now testing out some "new" style of feather styles and hopefully they will be in the magizine for all to see!
jamie
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I've wrestled with this quite a bit. I love arrows. I think they are beautiful and nothing makes them more beautiful than a big precisely cut feather, but feathers help and hinder performance. As posted above, if the spine and weight is right you don't need much feather, but reality is we all need a little help correcting the arrow and the feather does that beautifully. A big set of feathers will correct most anything, but it really slows the arrow. If you want to see just how much get in a big field with a 4 inch low cut feather and shoot it by aiming at the top of the trees then do the same wit a flu flu. I've ended up with a 5" on most of my arrows. I do a shield or traditional cut.
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that is true as well my friend but why are you shooting at anything soooo far with a flu flu???
just a fecicious statement, but im getting somewhere with this....
ive shot large feathers with real big broadheads to stabilize them VERY quickly in close quarter situation, whereas if you use shorter low profile "faster" feathers it would take a bit more to stabilize.
i never shoot over 20 paces...mostly 10-15 paces...all my whitail deer are taken at close range.i hunt strictly from the ground with not alot of camo as well.
i guess if you are wanting to stabilize a big head quicker....use a larger fletch....
if you want the extra 4-6 fps gained by the arrow with smaller feathers, that is an option as well, but i find "cut" feathers make more noise in the bush and by your bow.
full feathers,but cut lengthwise shorter seem to work well for me...
look at new post and i will drag up some pics of some of my feather test arrows..
jamie