Straight Fletch vs True Helical Fletch

[Roger9070]

Hey Guys,

I was just wondering how many guys shoot straight fletch for their hunting arrows vs helical and why?  I have been experimenting with both lately on carbon shafts with high FOC arrows and some of the results have really surprised me.  The bareshafts seem to consistently group with the straight fletched shafts while the true helical shafts group to the right of these.  What have you found when comparing straight to true helical fletching?

Thanks,

Roger

[GCook]

I've shot both and haven't noticed a difference in bare shaft vs either.  I also shoot both left and right helical without any discernable difference at the level of ability and range I shoot.

[katman]

RW feathers glued with straight clamp no off set, high foc. Why? Quieter in flight. Does it make a difference, don't know dead deer don't talk much, lol.

Is it possible your getting fletch contact on riser with those helicals, that's a bunch of helical for sure.

[Pat B]

I've always shot straight, offset fletch. The reason why is ab old friend gave me his JoJan Multi Fletch shortly after I started shooting traditional back in the 1980s. The Multi Fletch he gave me was at least 20 years old when he gave it to me and I've been using it since.
 An arrow that is fletched with a dead straight fletch will still rotate in flight because of the make up of the feathers. Take a 12" long at least thin thread and tie it behind your broadhead and shoot at your target. You can see how much your arrow rotates from release to the target by the wraps of the thread on the shaft.

[GCook]

That's one of the things about traditional archery I like.  Watching the spinning feathers and arch of the arrow.

[reddogge]

You have two different broadheads on the arrows. For a better comparison make both the same.

[Roger9070]

Thanks for the replies guys I appreciate the input.  This is the first time I am trying arrows fletched with a true helical jig from Arizonia Ez-Fletch, in the past I have always used a Bitzenberger jig with a helical clamp.  To respond to some of your inqueries, no I am not getting any contact as far as I can tell but I am going to keep testing. I have had others watch me shoot and I even videoed but I may spray the fletch to do a contact test.
 
As to the two different broadheads that was only for the picture, I had it on hand so I posted it, I was shooting fieldpoints from all three shafts, bare, straight, and helical. 

One thing I did notice was that at the range the other day we had a pretty good crosswind and the true helical shafts recovered quicker and were straight in the target compared to the straight fletched.  As to noise both are very quiet and I hear no sound from either of them straight or helical.

Thanks for the advice I will keep you guys posted!

Roger 

[Alexander Traditional]

I did some straight offset one year,and they worked great,but have had just as good of luck with the helical.

[Roger9070]

Terry I'm confused in one sentence you say "the beauty of proper fletch" and in the other you say "just perfecting your shooting mechanics....."

So are you saying it's the proper fletch at that allows you to shoot all those different heads or your form or the combination of the two?  Inquiring minds want to know! 

Thanks,

Roger

[Terry Green]

Please don't take those two statements as contradictory,  they are completely separate from one another.

I'll try and explain later... after coffee... 

[Jon Stewart]

straight for about 50 years now.

[Gdpolk]

I’d say investigate why your helical is moving the arrow flight on you. It should not be doing that.

Straight vs helical: I shoot a slight helical for three reasons (1) my jig gets better contact with a helical, (2) I shoot single bevel broadheads and want the arrow spinning when it hits for synergistic transfer of rotational energy, (3) I’ve noticed it has just a little more drag (Chronograph testing) and stabilizes the arrow just a little bit faster which to me means on the CLOSE shots I’m going to get a marginally cleaner hit.  The downside to helical fletchings is more drag results in the arrow slowing a little quicker and more drag results in the flight being a little noisier. But, I’ve been fortunate to harvest every single species legal to bowhunt in my state with my longbow using helical fletchings so the proof is in the freezer that they are working well for me.

[Roger9070]

Please don't take those two statements as contradictory,  they are completely separate from one another.

I'll try and explain later... after coffee... 

Terry a man after my own heart, always coffee first!

Roger,

[Sam McMichael]

Mostly helical because my clamp is made that way. I have also shot straight, but with broadheads, I seem to get slightly better performance with helical. Actually, though, I have no strong preference.

[Roger9070]

I’d say investigate why your helical is moving the arrow flight on you. It should not be doing that.

Straight vs helical: I shoot a slight helical for three reasons (1) my jig gets better contact with a helical, (2) I shoot single bevel broadheads and want the arrow spinning when it hits for synergistic transfer of rotational energy, (3) I’ve noticed it has just a little more drag (Chronograph testing) and stabilizes the arrow just a little bit faster which to me means on the CLOSE shots I’m going to get a marginally cleaner hit.  The downside to helical fletchings is more drag results in the arrow slowing a little quicker and more drag results in the flight being a little noisier. But, I’ve been fortunate to harvest every single species legal to bowhunt in my state with my longbow using helical fletchings so the proof is in the freezer that they are working well for me.

GDPolk & Terry,

I have always shot helical in the past fletched with my Bitzenberger jig and never really experimented with straight or offset because the helical shot fine and I had no issues.  I recently bought the Arizona Ez-Fletch true helical because I wanted to experiment and I lost my Bitzenberger when we moved.  I just found it curious that the true helical shafts grouped to the right of both the bareshaft and the straight fletched. 

My question was mainly to see if anyone else had experienced this with a true helical and perhaps if this was a common occurrence since I had never shot true helical before.  I also realize that contact, hand placement, torque, and numerous other user induced influences can be the cause of these anomalies not the true helical.  The straight fletch was just another way to experiment and see if I could narrow down the reason the helical was hitting to the right.

It is also the first time that I have shot fletching shorter than 5 inches on a traditional bow and thought maybe others had gone through a similar process and would have some input as to wether the increased helical of a true helical was as beneficial as a long feather.  Looking back now I should have been more specific in what I was trying to get an answer to, I appreciate the feedback and suggestions from everyone.

Thanks,

Roger

[Gdpolk]

Makes sense to me. Things that make a fellow scratch his head are worth investigating and discussing. We are all in this together and trying to get the best information and the best results for the field that’s possible. My observations too are just my experiences the same as anyone else’s but I can say that my bareshafts hit right with my helical fletched arrows out to 35yds and after that my fletched arrows start ever so slightly hitting lower but the left/right deviation is the same regardless of fletching or no fletching. The exception to this is in the wind my bareshafts become unstable and do wacky things compared to my fletched arrows.

[goingoldskool]

Do you think you're getting spin drift?   I've only heard of that on extremely long shots with firearms....  i guess if your arrows are rotating fast enough, it could "pull" to the right???

[Roger9070]

OldSkool I haven't shot them much over 20 yards so I don't think it's that, unless they get that much more rotation at that short of a range.  What I'm checking for now is contact and my release.  I have pretty much eliminated contact so I videoed myself shooting today in my basement, and noticed if I took a deep hook on the string the helical shafts tended to go to the right.  When I took a shallower hook they all grouped together, so I think it was pilot error on my part.

Thanks,

Roger

[Roger9070]

Terry they are offset by about 2 percent hardly even noticable compared to the true helical they appear straight. 

I think I figured the issue out after videoing myself in the basement shooting I was taking a real deep hook on the string and the true helical shafts seemed to group right of the bare and offset shafts.

Once I took a shallower hook they all seem to be grouping together and behaving much better, so it appears it was pilot error not equipment related!

[Pat B]

I've shot straight fletch, slightly offset for years with different commercial broadheads, 2 and 3 blade and with home made trade points and stone points and it was never disastrous. Working with each type broadhead will have your arrows flying right where you want them to go and most of my arrows are either hardwood shoots or cane from mostly selfbows. Nonsense? I think not!