3fletch causing optical illusion?

[Jhawk]

After I bare shaft tune my arrows I have a hard time feeling like I'm achieving good arrow flight.  I'm confident that they are flying well bareshafted and proceed to fletch them up using 3 LW helical on a Bitzenburger jig. I use a different color cock feather and on his last set they were orange and yellow. When I shoot my fletched arrows it looks like the tail of the arrow is wobbling. The arrows are hitting their mark and grouping well. I want to make sure I am getting the best flight possible and tonight I am going to fletch up two arrows with four fletch and see what they look like. My question is, will my fletching  (color, offset or number of fletching) appear to make my arrow fly poorly?

[Bowsey Wails]

Try your 3-fletch with one color. Most likely you are seeing what appears to be a wobbling arrow, when in fact you are seeing the light color fletch as it revolves on its way to the target.
Tim

[BigBucksnTrucks]

I agree with Bowsey, if your really concerned, strip the cock feather and just use one color for all 3.

[AkDan]

It could be wobbling.  Adding feathers,cap,crest will stiffen the spine a bit.  I also shoot all 3 like colored feathers.  The next step would be to read up on ol's site on tuning to bring things home.  

You could also be having issues with clearance from your feathers.  Lastly try cock feather in.    

Just a few things to tinker with

[Pheonixarcher]

I agree with the above. It could be wobbly, or it could be an illusion. Try shooting in a different direction than normal. If you typically shoot with the sun to your left, try shooting with it at your back or right. Or if you're shooting indoors, try outside. I have seen both an illusion, and feather clearance/tune cause this.

[stringstretcher]

Are you shooting wood or carbons?  If you are using carbons, you might try a lighted nock in the end and shoot in very low light.

[Jhawk]

Using carbon arrows and using Adcocks (sp) method of bareshafte tuning. Also I crested my arrows prior to tuning.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Shoot through a piece of newspaper and you'll know.  No need to strip anything.

[30coupe]

I've seen the same thing with one odd colored feather. Chances are you are just seeing the illusion. I often use one barred and two solid feathers, which lessens the illusion, but it is still a bit noticeable in the right light. I used to use two yellow and one black or orange cock feather. It looked like the arrow was doing barrel rolls, but in truth, it was flying just fine.

I like to use a barred or different colored feather on my broadhead tipped arrows as just another visual cue that I have the correct arrow. My practice and stumping arrows all have the same solid colored feathers. I also use orange nocks on the broadheads and green ones on the stumper/practice arrows.

I test broadhead flight on both shafts just to be sure everything flies right.

[JamesV]

Also if you are shooting in a partially shaded area, the alternating sunlight and shade can cause an optical illusion.

James

[Roger Norris]

Fred Asbell convinced me that 3 feathers of the same color was the way to go. He says, and I agree, that some folks see that odd colored cock feather as a "wobble" when it isn't.

[Butternutz]

Keep your fletchings all the same color. You achieved good flight bare shafting the fletchings are there for guidance and they look cool. Good luck  Don

[Randy Koleno]

It may be fletching interference or an optical illusion. It's easy to eliminate the illusion variable by making all the fletching the same color.

 I was having the same problem. I paper tuned and got a nice tight tear, but it just bothered me not seeing a perfectly flying arrow. I went to a white wrap, 3 white fletches and a white nock. Now, when I see that nicely flying arrow, it gives me more confidence and piece of mind.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by Jeff Strubberg:
Shoot through a piece of newspaper and you'll know.  No need to strip anything.

yep, a little paper tuning if nothing else can build confidence.

I have had good flying arrows look weird because of lighting and or the color giving me an optical illusion.

[AkDan]

Adding fetching alone to bareshafts will or can affect spine/tuning.   If you're doing bareshafting and than ol's method what's your results?   If you're on here is it shooter error?  Or your odd fletch optical illusion? Or just super close not spot on tuning and you need to tweak bh, silencer position,  pressure points on the shaft head nock weights etc?

Some bows are much less forgiving of shooter and/or spine errors than others.  How a person shoots can effect this as much as the bow itself.   So saying u need to change x may or may not be right . You may not need to change a thing!  

All of these methods are a way to achieve the same results.  Some of us or some bow labor through the process more than others.

[AkDan]

Ment pressure points on your bow sorry for miss type!  Fat fingers, itty bitty buttons and auto spell leave my already poor grammar nothing short of hilarious most of the time!