Will Feather fletching make a shaft stiffer?

[Scott Bradford]

Got my arrows bare shaft tuned perfect.  Tomorrow I'm getting a couple fletched and see how they fly compared to the bare shafts.
My question is will the 5" feathers I'm going to get put on the shafts make them a little stiffer?
Just curious. It took me quite some time to find the correct arrow configuration to get my bare shafts to fly straight, now I'm hoping after fletching, they will still be right on.
Thanks for any input,
Scott

[Winterhawk1960]

Yes, the fletching's will make your arrows act a little stiffer.

Winterhawk1960

[JRY309]

They can affect it alittle,when you add weight to the rear it will stiffen the spine slightly.But 3-5" feathers only way around 10-13 grs.,thats alittle weight.When I'm making and tuning some new arrows I'll have a few fletched up so I can shot them with the bare ones and check the tuning.Then I'll clean and prep them for final installing of the inserts,I do this with carbon and aluminum.

[NDTerminator]

Feathers don't weigh all that much, but if you put on a 7" wrap that adds another 11-12 grains, then there's the weight of the nock (13 grains for Super Nocks) and the weight of a uni-bushing, if you use them. It's surprising how it all adds up, and that weight affects spine, although you probably will never be able to tell the difference...

BTW, Stu's Trad Spine Calculator is the bomb for modeling how weight affects arrow spine prior to building the arrow...

[Bjorn]

There's no actual stiffening, there is a small weight increase; but the main thing is feathers create drag, that acts like a spine change and will make your arrow act stiffer.

[Scott Bradford]

Thanks guys!  I'm going to just fletch one and see how it flies compared to the bare.  Then go from there.  Hopefully there won't be much difference.

[LKH]

The shaft will actually shoot a little stiffer.  It's why when you are bareshafting you generally cut down the shaft until it shows slightly weak.