Traditional Feather Chopper and Canada Goose Feathers

[macksdad]

I have been chopping some canada goose feathers with a traditional chopper from 3 rivers.  After fletching my arrows and shooting them, I have found that they shoot very well however they are very noisy in flight. You can hear them all the way to the target. There is no bow noise just noise off of the fletching. This is my first time for goose feathers and my first with the traditional chopper.  Anybody have any suggestions about whether it is the goose feathers or the cut that I am using that is making the noise.

[Jack Guard]

Its the cut of feather.  The trad cut is my favorite looking but has been a bit noisy for me also.  Sometimes i take scissors and clip about a 1/4 or more off of the pointed ends.  They don't look as good but are a bit less noisy.

I love canada goose feathers.  I harvest a lot of geese each season but also go to the local parks in june and pic them up when they molt.  

Good luck

[Mike Vines]

Might be that you are using the secondary feathers.  They are softer with a shorter oil line, and I have noticed that both of those are a great contributor to fletching noise.

By contrast, primary feathers with a very high oil line are sniper silent, I have found.

[Rob DiStefano]

in my experience with canada goose fletching, what mike and jack both said.  

for me, they all (primary and secondary) work best as a banana cut 4.5" four fletch and under 1/2" at the high point.