Arrow Tracers

[White Oak]

Anyone use Gateway feather tracers on their arrows?My son picked up 2 packs for me at a trad shoot last weekend.Just a wisp of hot pink feathers.Just wondering if you attach them with a drop of glue just ahead of the nock and let them trail or wrap them around the shaft.They seem like a good idea.

                  Thanks,
                         Ed  :confused:

[xia_emperor]

yes, but the just don't last long.  :(

[manyletters]

Ed...I susually use a drop of superglue to tack it on and then run a tiny bead around the shaft and lay the tracer in that...I learnt to use tweezers for that 'cause I superglued a pink feather to my finger  

[Archer 1]

I make my own out of a white rabbit hide, and just glue them on. You can get about a gazilion tracers out of 1 rabbit hide, and they last.

[Dan Worden]

I used to use them a lot. They really make an arrow stand out.

Here is how I applied them.

1- trim them so they about 1/2" high. get rid of all that excess fuzz. it just comes off in your face when you shoot anyhow.  This will still make a 1-1/4" ball of color viewed from the back  

2- put a little dab of glue on the shaft behind the nock and stick the tail end of the tracer in it 90 degrees to the shaft. let dry

3- either wrap the shaft with some fletch tape or smear a thin line of glue all around the shaft

4- clip a hemostat on the end of the tracer and roll the shaft spinning the tracer onto the shaft let the hemo hang and the glue dry.

5- remove hemo and trim off excess length

with and without for comparison.

 

[BobW]

Two wraps of fletch tape behind the feathers and lay the foot on it as you wrap it around.  As suggested, you could trim them some.

As to them lasting, I have over 200 shots on them.  seems long enough for me....

 

[Dave Worden]

What everyone else has said PLUS if you want to save some money, buy a bag of maribou feathers from JoAnn Fabrics, Micheals, Hobby Lobby, or some such art or sewing store.  Strip the feathers from the vanes and you'll have, to use Archer 1's words, a gazillion of them for about a buck and a half.  More colors to choose from too.  Like Dan, I trim mine too, but I do it after I glue them on.  Also, we have shop around here that puts them in front of the fletching rather than between the fletching and the nock.  Personally, I think they show up better on the end of the shaft, but there's another option you want to try.

[V I Archer]

I'm going to try some rabbit fur strips I bought from the flytying department of a sporting good store.

[White Oak]

As always , thanks for the tips guys.I never thought about Micheals or any place like that and we're in there quite often.    I payed $4.00 a dozen for these. That won't happen again.
Thanks again. All good ideas.

                    Good huntin,
                                Ed