Do feathers wear out?

[Friends call me Pac]

I've been shooting the same 5 arrows about 4-5 times a week since January.  The feathers are getting a little ragged and I was wondering do feathers get worn over time enough to affect accuracy?  They are still shooting ok but my groups seem to be opening up some.

Mine are looking kind of like a comb.  That's exagerated but there are deffinate gaps from the top to about half way down.  The bottom of the feathers look about the same as when I glued them on back in January.  I'm shooting into haybales and it isn't uncommon to have the featers go into the bale and I have to pull them through instead of forcing them backwards through the hay.

I know it is a goofy question but all of my experience has been with vanes.

[longstick]

I have some on mine Ive been shooting for about 3 yrs now..nice and broke in IMO
So personally Id have to say no I think they actually get off the shelf better

[reddogge]

Not at all goofy.  Yes they can wear out.  Mine wear on the lower hen feather.  They get worn, thin and ragged on that one.  I keep shooting them for practice arrows but I wouldn't trust one for a hunting shot.  Usually I break or loose the arrow or take a hunk out of the feather first though.

Refletching is an easy job though.

[amar911]

Reddogge -- Great avatar!!

Allan

[Don Stokes]

Yes, they can wear out, and they can tell you something in the process. If you have a feather that wears more than the others, you might have a slight clearance problem.

[Hog Wild]

I can't keep an Arrow long enough ( Break, Loose,or son takes them) to find out.  

[moebow]

Sure they wear out like anything else.  But usually you lose or break an arrow before that happens.  A trick to keep them looking good is to steam them in the spout of a tea kettle or something similar.  Feathers that are matted down or otherwise ragged will perk right back up.

[TonyW]

Of course they wear out - why else do birds moult every year?

Of course, considering that the original owner was plucked before the feathers completely wore out, a good feather seems to last for decades in storage.

[saltwatertom]

If you have to ask, you are not shooting enuf!!!      :D

[Red Armed Panther]

We all wear out, or so I'm told.

[Shinken]

If your arrows are closely matched to your bow, it doesn't take a lot of feather to get the job done and feathers can be shot until just the quill is essentially remaining.

Having said that, they may not be pretty, but they'll work!

Shoot straight, Shinken

[PAPA BEAR]

one little trick i tried is spray scotch guard on them.lightly though,not to heavy,seems to keep them in place pretty well.