Will 3 4inch fletching work?

[LittleBen]

If your arrows are tuned very well, and your shooting is clean you can get away with very little fletching. 3 4" is more than enough. If that doesn't fly well you have tuning and/or form problems.

I use either 3 4" or 3 5" just depending on what I have lying around.

I've thought about trying 4 2" rayzr feathers, but since long distance performance is not really relevant for trad bow hunting, I haven't bothered.

[Jakeemt]

I shoot 2.5 and 3 inch fletching with broadheads often no issues.

[Darryl R.]

I shoot 310 grains up front on 28.25” 400’s with 3-3.5” parabolic feathers on the back end.  They fly like bullets

[Producer]

I use 3 4" Parabolic with 125 grain field and broadheads with well tuned arrows and they both fly equally well.

[zwickey2bl]

I have been shooting 4/4" feathers at 90 degrees for the past several years, I.like that I can cut 2 4" feathers out of a full length quill, and also that the shorter 4" feathers clear the rear of the arrow shelf of my Hill-style bows when an arrow is nocked just resting on the string and shelf. They fly well for me with fairly heavy arrows,

[Pete McMiller]

I've been using 3x3" with Grizzly Kodiaks for several years with no issues.  Like others have said, fly like bullets.  You may not notice a significant difference in flight in normal conditions but when the wind starts to blow is when they really shine.  Much less yawing in a cross wind than with larger fletching.

[zwickey2bl]

I have been shooting 4/4" feathers at 90 degrees for the past several years, I.like that I can cut 2 4" feathers out of a full length quill, and also that the shorter 4" feathers clear the rear of the arrow shelf of my Hill-style bows when an arrow is nocked just resting on the string and shelf. They fly well for me with fairly heavy arrows,

[Skates]

Jerry, can you give us some numbers on the speed difference your getting?  Sometimes smaller fletch 'looks' faster than they really are.  Hard to really know if you haven't chronoed them.

I've ran the numbers and although faster, I've not found a way to use the word 'much faster'.  Only slightly.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

[Running Buck]

I have been shooting 3-4" fletch for years with zwickey and woodsmen heads. They shoot flatter and with much less noise then larger or longer feathers.

[Skates]

Running Buck, from what I have found is that noise comes from the height and cut of the feather, not the length. I've heard a lot of difference in noise on some cuts and heights, but I can say either that going from a 5 inch feather to a 4 inch feather of the same cut to be 'much less noise'.  Did you do a decibel test?  

Please enlighten.

[Jerry Russell]

Originally posted by Skates:
Jerry, can you give us some numbers on the speed difference your getting?  Sometimes smaller fletch 'looks' faster than they really are.  Hard to really know if you haven't chronoed them.

I've ran the numbers and although faster, I've not found a way to use the word 'much faster'.  Only slightly.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

I haven't run them through a chronograph but I can when I get back to a friends house that has one. I would add than a chronograph is just a snapshot in time and can't measure the negative impact of friction in air over the full flight of the arrow in the small vs big fletch question. In other words, the "drag" impact of a big 5" feather vs the smaller 2.5" is cumulative. The farther the shot, the greater the impact (think flu flu). That is where the tiny fletch out perform and there is a certainly a measurable difference.  The arrows shoot much flatter as measured against other arrows.  We often hunt where getting an additional 5-7 yards of confident range increase make a very big difference.  I also believe the impact of a cross wind is significantly decreased.  This was a big deal on a recent caribou hunt.  

I started shooting the tiny fletch after watching a friend shoot at ranges I didn't think possible.  He attributed the increase in accuracy at the longer distance to the change in fletching.  

Later I visited a friend to test a prototype 1.5" broadhead he was introducing.  This guy is a magician when it comes to tuning a bow.  He had that bow shooting a BARESHAFT arrow out to 35 yards with that big ole head.  We put an arrow with 5" fletch and it fell like a rock.  

He asked me to just try the 2.5" fletch and the arrows were shooting right back with the bare shafts.  I was sold and never looked back.  

I realize that some don't like the look and I would agree that a 5" shield cut is a good looking feather but I will take the accuracy at longer distances.

[David McLendon]

I have recently changed to an arrow of more weight going from a fast and flat 8.9gpp to 11gpp both with 5" fletching. The heavier arrow performs well but as expected there is the trade off of a quicker and more pronounced drop.
  After seeing Jerry's arrows I am about to build another batch with the 2.5" fletching with the thought of improved trajectory and getting back some of what I gave up for a heavier arrow. The way I see it the 5" and 2.5" will leave the bow at the same speed so gaining initial speed is not my intent but rather to preserve that speed by reduced drag thus flattening out trajectory.
  Chrono testing at 15' will not show this benefit, 30 yards would but needless to say I won't be shooting any broadheads at my chrony rig at 30 yards.
  This will be a project for the post holiday dead zone when hunting is over and too cold to fish.

[Terry Green]

I have never seen much difference in feathers as far as speed, but have as far as stability in the crazy shots I have to manufacture in the field.  I found this in practicing crazy shots in the back yard.  As I have stated here MANY times before, I use 5 inch 4 fletch for a variety of reasons.

If I want a faster arrow, I drop  Arrow weight (rare occasion for TX) As a 60 grain difference it weight makes MUCH more difference in speed than fletching. ( Dropping to Trad Lites makes my arrow go from 585 grains to 525 grains)

That being said, I've killed animal from 5 yards out to 60(gofers with Doug Campbell) with 5 inch 4 fletch.

I'm sure 3 4" will work on my 'go to' shot, but its not for me, wont work how and when I want it to....but that's just me. I need A different arrangement for my 'bag of tricks'.

Know your trajectory is what is important.  Once you know that in consistency....your accuracy will be impeccable.

Just my take.           

[Jerry Russell]

Certainly not trying to be controversial as this is simply a matter of physics here.

I think there may be confusion on the issue as far as the "speed" of the arrow.  Small fletch does not make for a faster arrow, but it absolutely does help to maintain the arrow speed over time and distance.  Maintenance of speed equals a more accurate arrow by reducing arrow drop from your point of aim.  

The arrow is not more accurate but by taking as much arch out of the equation as possible, you have a more accurate shooter via less trajectory calculation.  Think back to the last time you saw an Olympic archer shooting a 5" fletch....  

I'm not saying they are for everyone but a bigger feather does produce much more drag.  Its physics.

A very simple way to look at it is to compare a common hunting arrow with 5" fletch to an arrow with flu flu fletch.  There is little difference in arrow speed at 10 yards but at 20 yards the impact of drag will drastically impact arrow trajectory.  

Every bow is different but in my case I shoot a a 56# black widow SA-3.  The difference with the small fletch is very dramatic.  Not just in shooting accuracy/distance but arrow penetration.
 
If you don't like them for their looks, I can understand that but I can bet that if you have someone make you a couple up, it will add 10-30% to your confident range of shooting AND more accurate at all ranges in time.  It will tell you, however, if your bow is REALLY tuned.

[Terry Green]

Jerry....we are cool!!!...olympic archers are not bowhunters!

[Jerry Russell]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
Jerry....we are cool!!!

Lol.  I know.  It's just good stuff to discuss.

[Terry Green]

[smokin joe]

It really is a good discussion. I know I need enough feather to correct the arrow paradox quickly. I also know that 3 4-inch feathers is more than enough so fr, and I am going to experiment with even smaller feathers. My bare shafting shows that my tune is good, and I like to tune and tinker with arrows. I may end up with something terrific. To each his own.

[Terry Green]

Yeah Joe...it really all depends on 'your style' of hunting...and I do change, although rarely, depending on my hunting scenario.  Everyone's style is different, some are very similar...so find what works for you.

   

[David McLendon]

Well I'm going to roll a few shorties during the holidays when I get sick of company and need to get away. About all I have ever shot is 5" fletch, but I can see where this will help not with more speed which I don't need, but by preserving that speed and momentum farther downrange and flattening  out trajectory. I have some things coming up next year that could benefit from that. I'll do some side by side comparison testing with fletching being the only difference.