Could you make this arrow fly?

[The Ursus]

Ok, I feel like I've been beating a dead horse for a long time now with this issue.  This is what your fletchings look like when hunting in SE Alaska.  I can't, for the life of me, get them to fly well with a broadhead.  Wet feathers and field point, no problem, great flight.  I've been trying to tweak my nock point while shooting wet-matted fletchings and broadhead to no avail.  It get's sorta close at times but always some degree of screwy fly in one form or another.  I feel that I know how to tune a bow (although I'm listening if there are recomendations) so that's not my question here.  My question is, given the BH and wet feathers in the pics and assuming all the tuning is done right, could you make this arrow fly?  If everyone says "No way!" I'll feel much better and stop messing with it.
 
 

[vermonster13]

Vanes and an elevated rest would cure that for you.

[Basic Instinct]

BI- Delta makes those rain vanes made to shoot of shelf and would cure that problem for you I believe.

[The Ursus]

Yeah, I have a recurve set up like that already.  It shoots fine.  The set-up in testing is a longbow shot off the shelf.

So, vermonster and basic instinct, I take it you don't have high hopes for the wet feathers in the pics?

[ishiwannabe]

Ever try No Snow? I know I dont get the same wet weather here in NY, but No Snow worked great for me so far, spring through winter.

[30coupe]

Have you tried Wensel Woodsman broadheads?

[vermonster13]

Personally I'd rather take the problem out of the equation myself. I'd hate to get a shot I've worked all season for and have to worry that my equipment would fail me. Get a fletch cover and don't nock an arrow until you have an opportunity and waterproof the heck out of the feathers if you really want to use them. A big broadhead will really steer an arrow so fletching is kind of important.

[The Ursus]

I don't know how many times I've heard "If it's tuned right, it don't matter"  That's the thing that really bugs me.  That's also the reason I keep beating this dead horse.

[vermonster13]

On a carbon or aluminum yes. A woodie is a different animal. Moisture could be getting into the shaft, etc.

[Shawn Leonard]

You can keep the arrow nocked and make two slices in a zip lock sandwhich bag down both side and than seal it around the arrow, a little tug to get it starting to unzip and thanpull and it is off, I have had nocked  arrows with feather fletches stay dry in down pours. Do not ask for a pic. get an arrow and a ziplock baggie and try, it is pretty self explainatory. Shawn

[wtpops]

Have you tried alining the broadhead so it is horizontal to the ground. This way when it goes through paradox it wont catch any air. Worth a try

[Dan Worden]

Originally posted by The Ursus:
......."If it's tuned right, it don't matter"  .......

with a field point

The problem with a broadhead and no fletchings is you have a flat surface to catch wind and steer with no corrective force at the back end.

[Roadkill]

I lived on Adak-know the problem.  Why not over fletch?  try 4 or even 6 fletch.  the idea is to stablize the arrow and it taskes X amount of surface area to get there. use a fletch cover or draga mixed bage of regular and then over fletched arrows.  just think about it

[Brian Krebs]

I used goose feather fletch for a while - and it does 'stand up' to wet weather.

 I use a catquiver now if I am hunting in wet weather.

[The Ursus]

Originally posted by 30coupe:
Have you tried Wensel Woodsman broadheads?

No, but I know where you are going with it.  Less wind planing etc. steering at the front of the arrow.  I have some and may try that but  I don't have the sharpening confidence I get from a 2 blade.

[The Ursus]

Originally posted by wtpops:
Have you tried alining the broadhead so it is horizontal to the ground. This way when it goes through paradox it wont catch any air. Worth a try

Can't say that I have but I'll make a note of it next time I glue a head on.

[draco]

Are you not reading the posts? Do what people are saying and waterproof your fletch and keep them covered. If you don`t do that there is no hope for solving your problem. Oh,and clean up that bench, it`s an accident waiting to happen.

[The Ursus]

I would love to try goose feathers but until I can get one in range with my shotgun it's gonna have to wait.  I may try the over-fletch techneque but in the past I've had difficulty with 4 fletch kicking off the shelf funny.  Probably just another can-o-worms I should stay away from.  

I have an idea in my head for fletching covers like what was mentioned earlier with the ziplocks that I may have to try.  

Dang rain forest!!!!

[The Ursus]

"waterproof your fletch" that's funny.  All due respect, I can tell you've never hunted in Juneau, AK.  I've tried all the "water proofers".  The guys that make that stuff havn't ever hunted here either.  Tire Wet, Black Magic, silicone powders, scotch guard, none of them work.  

I have a cat quiver but the problem is that you can't pack a critter out on your back when you are wearing it.  I made a tube quiver that works pretty good when strapped to my pack frame (a must) but once you pull an arrow out and it gets wet it contaminates all the other arrows in the quiver and they get soggy too.  

As for the workbench, it's a loosing battle.  That thing only stays clean for a week or two at most.  I tinker way too much to keep that thing in any order.

[Bjorn]

Nope; Ursus I could not make that arrow fly. A friend uses condoms over his fletching in downpours that you might consider 'showers'. Personally I could not add those to my hunting trip necessities without some questions! LOL!