3 inch feathers vs 4 inch feathers!

[Fastltz]

OK so after finally getting my chrono to work here are some results. From a sage recurve 50@28 shooting easton axis st with 50 grain brass inserts and 150 grain tips and full length weighing in at 585 gn 3 inch and 597 gn 4 inch. My draw length is 31.75 making the draw weight 63#.
four 3 inch feathers avg 173.5 fps high of 177
four 4 inch feathers avg 174 high of 177
The 4 inchers seemed to be more consistant. I have shot both set ups with stinger broad heads and each seem to fly well out to 25 yards ( max range of yard).
FOC of both are very close.
SO what would you use? I am thinking the 4 inch because if they get wet they will retain more control?

[Fastltz]

Oh yeah they are the 300 spine eastons

[Josh Perdue]

the 4"

[Sirius Black]

Last weekend I made up a 3" feathered 4 fletch for the first time, and it shot great. I think I'll keep shooting it.

[Terry Green]

You wont be able to shoot the difference....so I'd go with the 4"....especially with Bheads and the various hunting conditions mother nature throws at us.....plus the 'not so perfect' shots we get offered at times.

   

[Fastltz]

I agree the 4 inch just seem to offer more. I wonder what longer ranges would tell, faster, slower, less accurate? Another day i guess. On another note...any sage owners get similar speed?

[stalkin4elk]

Any noticable noise difference?

[Fastltz]

I couldn't tell any noise diff. Other than the 3 inch looking cool not much reason to go with them

[Tav]

Last year my daughter did her science fair project on how different feather sizes/shapes affected arrow stability and velocity...I think she made me shoot 2in razers, 3in, 4in, 5in both shield and parabolic, a three-fletch fluflu and a spiral fluflu.  I did all of the shooting for her because we measured velocity just in front of the bow and at 20 yards and I didn't want anybody else to be responsible for blowing up my chrono.  The smaller the feather the faster out at 20 yards was the general trend but it was a small difference and I flat out could not shoot consistent enough to get super solid data.  However, it was very easy to see that the larger the feather the faster the arrow stabilized.  We shot through paper at 5 yards to compare stability.  Her conclusion was that 4inch was the best of both worlds.  My conclusion was to use 4-inch shield cut feathers, 2 pink and 1 white, only because I think they look cool not because of science, I'm just not good enough to shoot a major difference.  Super fun project though.  I think it is best to listen to Mr. Green.

[Friend]

Full length shafts, utilizing today's technology, do not facilitate achivieving upper end EFOC or Ultra-EFOC.

The full length BH tipped shafts may require much more steering control under very possible conditions.

While not one of the choices you provided, I, personally, would not consider utilizing a fletch less than 5"s unless it was a 4X4.
Note: This opinion is coming from a four fletch guy who hunts with hi end range EFOC and Ultra-EFOC arrows.

[Swamp Yankee]

4" would be my choice.  Most of us seem to be concerned with speed because it increases accuracy at longer distances; and sometimes forget that most shots are pretty short and getting the arrow stabilized as quickly as possibe is just as important.  I've had arrows glance off a turkey on two occasions where the shot was under 10 yards and the arrow hadn't yet stabilized.