Feather drag, optimum size?

[mnbearbaiter]

Ive been shooting 5 1/2" Hi Back Shield feathers for a long time now, and today i just wondered if its needed! I tend to shoot a lil bigger broadhead(snuffer, ace, zwickey delta, tusker)usually, and just figured that with the more metal up front id need more feather in the back to stabilize and prevent windplaning! Ive heard it before, "go with the least amount of fletch that you can get away with", and i believe its sound advice! I still get passthroughs on my familiar whitetails like i always did, but just wondering if im robbing my arrow of energy, and if so how much with the larger feather?

I think the only way you can answer that question is to shoot through a chronograph to determine whatever (pretty insignificant, I am betting) speed difference there is between your 5.5" feathers/broadhead combo and other feather lengths. Then calculate kinetics with the usual formula. If you're getting good arrow flight and penetration with your present setup, why mess around with it unless it's for curiosity's sake...you can drive yourself crazy with this stuff!

[mnbearbaiter]

Good point you have, i do get great arrow flight and for the longest time i attributed it to the larger feathers! I shoot arrows in the 680-700gr range out of a 55# longbow, so speed was never top priority! I was looking for a quiet killer that was soft in the hand and forgiving which ive achieved! I mean if anybody out there has tested this and found it to be like a 15fps difference id say its a hindrence to penetration, but 5-7fps i wont worry about!!!

[Zradix]

Originally posted by mnbearbaiter:
"go with the least amount of fletch that you can get away with", and i believe its sound advice!

I agree with this.....but...
I don't like the only way to figure out what you can't get away with...failure.

If your arrows are tuned in spine wise then you could go a little smaller and still have plenty of fletch to help with a not so good release during hunting.

I have to lean to the above post though..If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[mnbearbaiter]

Well now im torn! When i look at alot of other tradgangers equipment i see alot of hi back style fletching, banana, parabolic, shield, etc.! I know certain types of fletching have more drag than others, but accross the board id like to know whats sacrificed in performance with larger fletching!

[Stumpkiller]

It is significant out at 20 yards.  Whether that drag is necessary to give you flight stability depends on your spine and bow set-up.  I've never used anything but three fletch 5", either parabolic or shield for a broadhead (though I did play with a triangular P&Y style briefly).  I have tried many flu-flu styles.  I worry about the noise as much as the drag.

If you want to find out if your arrow is fast and quiet enough try hunting pine/red squirrels.

[Friend]

Your own testing will put you in the comfort zone.

Note: The fletch requirement is significantly reduced on Ultra-EFOC arrows.

Quieter arrows are welcome.

[Beanbag]

Bearbaiter, For what it's worth and I'm no Asbel but I had the same question when I was playing with my compound a few years ago. ( I've since come to my sense's and gone back to trad). What I found was that the feathers verses the vanes( iknow it's treason) but there was not too much difference inside of 25-30yds. I then went to checking to feather size against the vanes. Other than a little more noise, I did not see much change in impact location. The feathers lay down in the fist few yards out of the bow and are pretty much the same drag, unless you go to an extreme.I found that the feathers are really forgiving . If you are bare shafting for good flite I think the feathers are along for the ride. Feathers can hide bad tuning like stumpkiller is saying.I use 3- 5" parbolics also. Thks, Jim G

[JimB]

I haven't chronoed to see the difference.I'll have to check that some time.I think any speed difference is probably minimal.

I have used the 5 1/2" high backs a lot and 5" even more.I love the looks of them.Larger feathers do make more noise and they definitely are affected more by crosswinds.

I recently stepped out of my comfort zone set up some arrows with 3" shields-four fletched at 90 degrees.

I'm shooting heavy arrows and heavy heads though the heads aren't wide.They stabilized the arrows very well so I switched to broadheads to see how well they handled that.They flew very well.Still not sure,I waited till we had a bad,windy day and shot the broadhead arrows with a crosswind.

They handled that well,even back to 20 yds.They wobble some in a cross wind but not nearly as much as my arrows fletched with three 5" feathers.
Shooting them side by side on a windy day shows a dramatic difference.The smaller ones are more stable.

The wind hasn't stopped here for three weeks so I continued to test them,even when it got really violent.They have done well and I'm convinced.I doubt if there is much speed gain but the advantage in the wind is very obvious and this is windy country to hunt in.

As stated above,you would have to test your own setup,especially with your broadheads to see what will work.I would also shoot them on some windy days to confirm.

[JimB]

OK,after writing all that,I decided to check some speeds.I have a set of arrows for my 51# Bear TD.Some still have 5" 3 fletch shields and some have the 3",4 fletch shields.The 3" seem to be about 5 fps faster.Most people will say that is insignificant but it is more than it sounds.

I have chronoed different arrow weights from 500 to 700+ grs and it takes a 50 grain weight reduction in an arrow.50 grains equals 5 fps.Most don't think that a change of 50 grs of arrow weight is insignificant.

Viewed another way,I have a 48 # Mojostik and a 53# one.The 53# er is 5 fps faster than the 48.

[mnbearbaiter]

The bow shot great when i bare shaft tuned it, so i probably would be fine with 3 5" shield cut! That being said, i plan on using STOS heads for elk, thats a streamlined head that shouldnt need much feather!

[mnbearbaiter]

Before i order up some 5" feathers, i will fletch an arrow with the few odd 5" shield feathers that i have and compare its flight to the 5 1/2"!

[twitchstick]

I have been shooting 3 4" parabolic feathers with 160 gr snuffers and they tune out well. I started with 3 5" parabolic feathers and didn't notice any flight problems when I switched. I think it would could show more flight problems if our tuning is not spot on with 4" verses 5" or 5 1/2".

[JimB]

I'm positive the 5" feathers will work,easily.

[Beanbag]

Hi, JimB, I used 3" 4 fletch way back,if I remember correctly they were't 90 though. Never really paid too much attention to things back then,they looked cool though. Going to try some because if they are not affected by the wind that much, thats big. A pickup of 5 fps is also great. Glad I come here, lot's of good info. Thks Jim G