Shield Cut vrs. Parabolic

[The Hawk]

Shooting shields and parabolics past the open window of the house today and my son (inside the house) said that the shields made a wooshing noise and all he heard from the parabolics was the thump in the target? Anyone else notice a difference?

[BOWMARKS]

Your son is correct,the Shields do make more noise than the Parabolics. This is caused by the back cut of the Shields.

[JLyle]

shoot a banana-cut at full-width and let him get an earful of that! They make the shields seem quiet by comparison.

[Don Stokes]

I reduced the noise from my shields by trimming them a bit. My chopper makes them a little too high.

[stickbowmaniac]

I find sheilds to be a little noisy to.I like 4" parabolic.There quiet and my broadheads like them to.

[Night Wing]

When I was a teenager, I listened to the arrows being shot by bowhunters at archery functions. Those shooting 5" shield cut feathers, I could hear them on the way to the target. The ones shooting 5" parabolic feathers, no noise in flight. This is why I shoot 5" parabolic feathers.

I will say this, when parabolic feathers start looking worn and ratty, they will start to make a noise on their way to the target. When I hear this, that's when I re-fletch.

[reddogge]

You guys have good ears.

[paperenginner]

We have good ears but remember that animals "deer" have even better ears.  No sense sending them an alarm when you shoot.

[Jim Wright]

With all due respect you certainly don't have to have "good ears" to hear shield cut fletching in flight. I'm over 65 and retired from the construction industry. I love the look of shields and have owned dozens of them and never had a dozen that were quiet. On the other hand save for a couple with a gap in the glue line I've never had noisy parabolics, ditto on the one dozen banana flethed arrows that I still have a few of left.

[Jim Wright]

Let me make a correction. Rod Kelley (Mountaintop Traditional Arrows) in Kalispell, MT. did burn some rather low 5" shields on some Beman MFX carbons for me once that I shot at 3d and they were all quiet.

[Javi]

With all due respect to y'all... I ain't never had an animal complain about the noise my shield cut feathers make... Plus them big honking BH's make noise too...  :D

[The Hawk]

Thanks for all the replies and Javi, you are right, my Phantoms do make a little noise. My solid Woodsman Elites seem pretty quiet.

[Friend]

Parabolics fletched on the same angle as Shield with the same length should be quieter.

Personally, I shoot 4" shield with low angle helical due to my shooting style. These arrows with Ultra-EFOC are quiet.

[Easykeeper]

Comparing new feathers, shield are significantly louder than parabolic in my experience.  However once they are broken in a bit the difference does not seem so great.  I like the looks of shield so usually use them in spite of a little more noise.  I figure the deer will probably hear my bow or see the fat guy in the tree move at release more than hear the arrow...

[rholzie]

For me, the sweet sound of the arrow going "swoooosh"  

[Hoyt]

I just like the looks of barred shield cut feathers. The noise they may make at the distance I shoot at deer, I'll let the deer worry about that.

[buckracks7]

I also just like the looks of the shield cut. About the time the deer stop to wonder what that strange bird is, it's too late.

[Chinook]

Easykeeper - you took the words right out of my mouth.
I shot parabolics for many years - probably a carry-over from my target archery days (before vanes got popular).  You could definitely hear a worn or damaged parabolic going down range.
But one day it sort of dawned on me - hey, those SHIELD cut feathers look good, and that's what Fred Bear was shooting.  Been shooting them ever since.
If it looks good - it should work good - right ?

[Ari]

I use 5.5" shields and never have a problem with sound, cant say the same for my 6" parabolics but they have a higher profile.

[ripforce56]

Unless I am hunting I could care less how much noise my feathers make, right now I am shooting Traditional Cut and they do make noise but I like the look and  profile! For hunting parabolic feathers all the way!