helical vs. offset & 3 vs. 4 - opinion

[Matt Green]

Rookie fletcher here: Some of you who have experiemented with 3 vs 4 and helical vs. offset fletching.  Give me your opinions
1. how much does speed change ?
2. more/less noise ?
3. shelf clearance issues?
4. w/4 feathers can you go to a 4 (instead of 5inch feather)

Why do you prefer the way you've settled on??
Add any other ideas you like.
Thanks in advance to all who respond.
matt Green

[Rob DiStefano]

this is all fairly subjective stuff as most any kinda 3 or 4 fletching will work at least well.

with a WELL TUNED ARROW, fletching size could diminish.  dittos for 4 feathers vs. 3.

you'll hear lotsa advice and opinions.  but you MUST do your own testing.

i prefer a lo profile 4" banana cut fletch, 4 feathers, 75x105 or 90x90, slight offset, no helical.

the main advantage to 4 fletch is no nock indicator is needed - any way you stick the nock on the string is correct.

a 4" fletching also allows two fletches chopped or burned out of one full length feather.

i have no perceived loss of arrow speed using a lo profile 4 fletch.

[Jim Curlee]

Been shooting 4 fletch for 25 plus years.
I use 4 - 5 5/16 feathers, I prefer natural bars. I also want as much helical as I can get, and still keep the quill flat on the shaft. LW-RW makes no difference, as long as all the feathers are the same wing, on the same shaft.
I also use tapered shafts.
My shots on game are generally very close, I prefer those 10 yards, and under.
I want my arrow to recover from the archers paradox as quickly as possible, so the arrow enters the animal as straight as possible.
I find that with my arrow-combo, I get just that.
I know I lose speed, and cast, but at 10 yards, who cares.
I do know, if I shoot one of my 4 fletch arrows, and a 3 fletch arrow with the same size feather, that I will gain better than 50 yards of distance in a flight shoot.
So unless your shooting for distance, it really doesn't matter, how much speed-cast you lose.
Noise, from the arrow has not been a factor for me in hunting.
For years, when stump shooting, I've fired arrows very close to my dogs, they never flinch till the arrow hits. Thats through 4 different chessies.
It's the movement thats gonna get you in hunting, not how fast, or how quiet your arrow is. Your arrow is never going to be faster than the speed of sound!
One thing on noise that I've noticed, is if I burn my fletch higher than 11/16 on the shaft, I will get more noise. The reason this happens is that you are out of the oil line, and the fletch will become ratty, this leads to more noise.
Whew
Jim

[JRY309]

I feel like said proper arrow tuning is more important.I like to have a helical fletch whether I'm shooting LW or RW,3 fletch or 4 fletch,low profile or high proflie,I shoot them all.And they all fly great as long as my arrow is well tuned.I'll fletch straight on some youth arrows,it's hard to get much helical on a 1514 shaft,too small of a diameter.

[Rob DiStefano]

if my arrows (carbons) are flying well right off the shelf, i see no advantage to building in helical or a large amount of offset.  that just adds drag and may create other issues.  

except for woodies.  imo, they're too darn inconsistent to think they're always gonna fly well.  for those, i use high four fletch and a fair amount of offset or just use a helical clamp.

[xtrema312]

I like med. helical 3-4".  I have gone more to all one color feather. I have gotten a lot better at just felling the indicator or spotting the correct nock direction without the cock feather, but the low profile 4x4 bananas just sounds like a great way to go.

[JAG]

Low profile, banna, left hand helical with all my wood and cane arrows.
No problem out to 20 plus steps,  Haven't had to shoot any farther than that, at game.
On 3-D shoots, same set up as hunting.  No problem out to 40 yards.
Its a personal choice.  I like my set up cause no one in my area shoots anything like it, and I don't have to check the nock.
Johnny/JAG

[Jim Curlee]

Rob;
Your right if you buy bulk shafts, you are going to have to spine, and weigh each shaft.
Once your done with that, they are as matched as any other arrow shaft.
I sold them by the pound, don't know how you could do any better matching any other shaft material?
From the people I talk to, they are spining carbons, because they are not matched either.
I know nothing about carbons, and plan on keeping it that way.
I've bareshaft tested alot of people over the years, you can find the perfect wood shaft for your bow, and your arrow length.
I get-em to fly like darts out of my bows, with no fletch. Wouldn't accept any less.
Sorry for defending wood guy's, but it works, and has worked forever.
Jim

[Kris]

Hey Jim,

I've shot your arrows for years and you provide some of the best tapered cedars out there.  I'll probably be picking some more up at K-zoo.  Wood is what it is all about and is what most Trad people are attracted to in the first place, no need to defend it.  To me, taking an animal with a wood arrow is more enriching than with a "perfect" alum. or carbon shaft.  I have been shooting some carbon lately and it is amazing but my heart is with wood.

Kris

[Kris]

Questions:
1. how much does speed change ?
2. more/less noise ?
3. shelf clearance issues?
4. w/4 feathers can you go to a 4 (instead of 5inch feather)

Answers:
1. The more offset and/or helical you use, the more drag will be imparted upon the arrow, thereby reducing arrow velocity.  Obviously, the more fletch (surface area/resistance) you attach to the arrow, the more it is also likely to reduce arrow speed as well.  No surprises here.

2.  Noise occurs when air is not flowing in a laminar fashion (streamline flow) over the fletch or there is more resistance upon the fletch then necessary (offset/helical), or other small protrusions or disruptions i.e. a raised quill or the "points" on shield fletching.  This is the gist of making a quiet arrow.  Fluflus are typically very noisy, arrows with small refined straight fletch (flight arrows) are not.  Reduce the amount of turbulence/disruption and bare shaft tune when possible and you'll be heading in the right direction.

3.  The lower the profile of the fletch the more clearance you'll have at the shelf.  Also your fletch orientation will affect this i.e. 120, 90, 75x105.

4.  Usually, but there is no quick convenient answer, there are too many variables. A lot of guys love 4, 4" fletch.  I happen to be from the 3, 5 ½" camp.  It is just personal preference and what you can do with your individual shooting technique.  In theory, if you can obtain the same amount of surface area with smaller fletch but more of them, then yes.  Best just to try all the sizes and configurations to develop your own preferences.  Fetching is not that expensive and you can assemble any combination mentioned  above on the same jig.  You don't have to be exclusive.  I have buckets full of every arrow configuration there is.  Have fun with it!

Good luck!

Kris