Arrows and feather size?

[MIBIGHNTR]

I have noticed a 3-Fletch 5" Feather to drop less than a 3-Fletch 4" Feather, both fletched with a RW helical and all other factors being equal.  Not sure if it is the additional spin the extra 1" of feather adds expeditiously with a decent helical or if the larger feather adds a bit more loft, or both combined??

Am I crazy or has anyone had similar experiences??

[Zradix]

:confused:

[kevsuperg]

Yes your crazy    
 I don't know that I shoot well enough or have a consistent enough release that I could tell the difference between the two.
 The 5" adds 3" more feather but I cant see how that would make much difference.

Actually, four 4' has more surface.  But, I doubt that under 40 yards there is enough loft difference to tell.  It could have more to do with the hen feather angle on the sight window.

[Zradix]

Originally posted by pavan:
Actually, four 4' has more surface.  But, I doubt that under 40 yards there is enough loft difference to tell.  It could have more to do with the hen feather angle on the sight window.

I went on in my 1st post too thinking he was talking 4-4".
..had to edit it after I saw he actually said 3-4".

...glad I'm not the only one...lol

No, I saw the 3 by 4, I was hinting that 4 by 4 is better.  With Surewood arrows over 500 grains, I prefer 4 by 5 these days.  At hunting range trajectories out to 40 yards, I cannot tell much difference.  I have tested fletching, as I posted somewhere else, with a target bow with a bow sight to make sure that I was not cheating, and found the difference is not as much as what some think.  In the real world of angled and swirling wind and less than perfect draw lengths and releases and shooting positions, a little extra feather can help get the arrow straight quicker.  I know we are all suppose to be long draw shooting machines. At midwest shooting events, I am not seeing all that much perfection, it is sometimes difficult to pull off that Silvan Archers pose when teetering on a steep slope with funky footing, while trying to bend an arrow in flight around a tree or obstruction to hit a target or animal. That is when a bit of extra feather can void a deflection, maybe.

[M60gunner]

I have only seen a difference when I shoot the 5" banana feathered arrows I have. But really donot see any difference using 5" or 4" Parabolic or Shield cut.

[McDave]

Originally posted by MIBIGHNTR:
I have noticed a 3-Fletch 5" Feather to drop less than a 3-Fletch 4" Feather, both fletched with a RW helical and all other factors being equal.  Not sure if it is the additional spin the extra 1" of feather adds expeditiously with a decent helical or if the larger feather adds a bit more loft, or both combined??

Am I crazy or has anyone had similar experiences??

The only way I can imagine this would be true is if the arrow wasn't tuned very well, then the 5" fletches would stabilize it faster than the 4" fletches, and the 5" fletched arrow might go farther.

But if a bow/arrow is well tuned enough to shoot a bare shaft at 20 yards without much deflection, then the bare shaft is the maximum velocity you're going to get from that bow/arrow combination.  Any feathers you add will add air drag and slow the arrow down.  It's easy to see and measure on a chronograph when you compare a bare shaft with a fletched arrow.  Also easy to see if you compare a regular fletched arrow with a flu flu.  Not much difference between a 4" and 5" three fletch, but it's there, if you're shooting tuned arrows.  That's why long distance target shooters use 2" or 3" feathers.

[monterey]

Being a full length feather user and burner, I'm switching to 4 X 4 for economy (two fletches from each full length feather) and to keep the feathers off the rest of my longbows.

I don't shoot with enough precision to notice the difference in the way they shoot.

[Zradix]

my bad...sorry.
Guess I'm just off today.

[MIBIGHNTR]

Thanks for the input fellas!!  Seems I am forever testing and theorizing.  The curse of being an engineer, too analytical most of the time....LOL

[creekwood]

Originally posted by McDave:
 

Originally posted by MIBIGHNTR:
I have noticed a 3-Fletch 5" Feather to drop less than a 3-Fletch 4" Feather, both fletched with a RW helical and all other factors being equal.  Not sure if it is the additional spin the extra 1" of feather adds expeditiously with a decent helical or if the larger feather adds a bit more loft, or both combined??

The only way I can imagine this would be true is if the arrow wasn't tuned very well, then the 5" fletches would stabilize it faster than the 4" fletches, and the 5" fletched arrow might go farther. [/b]

ditto on what McDave said...

[monterey]

Originally posted by MIBIGHNTR:
Thanks for the input fellas!!  Seems I am forever testing and theorizing.  The curse of being an engineer, too analytical most of the time....LOL

Analyzing and playing with variables Is one of the fun aspects of archery for me.  Others find comfort in the steady and unchanging methods they employ.  

It's all good fun regardless.

[10essee]

I know from my compound days that an arrow with 4 3" feathers has significantly more drag than one fletched with 4 2" Blazer vanes. I saw at least a 5' drop difference in the two when shot at 100 yards at the local range. Dead on with the 4-2" needed a 120 yard pin to get the 4-3" feathers to hit in general area.