Wild Feathers vs Domestic - weight

[YosemiteSam]

About a month ago, I fletched up a few shafts with natural turkey feathers from previous years' kills & learned just how much heavier natural feathers are compared with ones I've purchased.  Each feather weighed in at 6.5 grains vs about 1.5 grains for ones I've bought.  Same length & rough dimensions.  And, of course, it radically altered the dynamic spine of the arrows, throwing my shot off by about 8" left (right handed) compared to where they were before I refletched them.  As they were, I'd have to order heavier points or woody weights to compensate for the stiffer spine.

Are feathers from wild birds normally more dense?  Or did I just process them wrong?

[Orion]

Yes they are because wild birds actually live to maturity.  Domestic birds nowadays barely make it past a couple of months.  Their feathers aren't fully grown in length or weight.  That's why the length of most commercial feathers nowadays is closer to 8-9 inches.  It used to be 11-12 inches.

That being said, 4.5 grains of additional feather weight should have negligible effect on arrow flight.  If your arrows are off by that much, something else is at work.

[McDave]

I wonder if your purchased feathers really weigh 1.5 grains?  I didn't think anything was that light!  I weighed a few of my own purchased feathers, and they weigh +- 3 grains for 4” feathers.  Of course, even using my weight, you would have a difference of 3.5 grains per feather, or 10.5 grains total if you're using 3 feathers.  Still, I wouldn't think that 10.5 grains more on the back end would “radically” change the dynamic spine.  I would check for quill contact to see if something else is throwing off your POI.

If your shafts aren't tapered, you could consider tapering the back end which would reduce weight and maybe improve the arrow as well.

[Jack Denbow]

Is the base on the feathers you processed as thin as the feathers you bought? If so use the secondary feathers if you want lighter feathers. I don't see any difference between the primary and the secondary as to where they hit the target.
Jack

[Roy from Pa]

I grind the quill way down on wild turkey feathers, pretty close to what the store bought feathers are.

[hawkeye n pa]

I have  arrows fletched with  domestic and  wild turkey feathers. ( but not mixed) Don't notice any difference in flight even with broadheads. 

[YosemiteSam]

I wonder if your purchased feathers really weigh 1.5 grains?  I didn't think anything was that light!  I weighed a few of my own purchased feathers, and they weigh +- 3 grains for 4” feathers.  Of course, even using my weight, you would have a difference of 3.5 grains per feather, or 10.5 grains total if you're using 3 feathers.  Still, I wouldn't think that 10.5 grains more on the back end would “radically” change the dynamic spine.  I would check for quill contact to see if something else is throwing off your POI.

If your shafts aren't tapered, you could consider tapering the back end which would reduce weight and maybe improve the arrow as well.

Lyman digital scale says so.  It has been reliable for everything else.  The purchased feathers were rather cheap ones that I bought a few years ago.  They're light & fairly soft compared to most I've bought before & since.

You might be onto something with quill contact, though.  I made them for a board bow that is built about 1/4" outside of center with a velcro strike plate.  Every bow I've made has always been extremely touchy about spine.  The arrows flew great with the short 2" feathers they came with but now that I'm trying to refletch them, it's all gone to crap.

[YosemiteSam]

I grind the quill way down on wild turkey feathers, pretty close to what the store bought feathers are.

I'll try to grind some down further & see what happens.  Likely, I'm chickening out on the belt sander for fear of grinding down my plastic feather vise.

[YosemiteSam]

Yes they are because wild birds actually live to maturity.  Domestic birds nowadays barely make it past a couple of months.  Their feathers aren't fully grown in length or weight.  That's why the length of most commercial feathers nowadays is closer to 8-9 inches.  It used to be 11-12 inches.

That being said, 4.5 grains of additional feather weight should have negligible effect on arrow flight.  If your arrows are off by that much, something else is at work.

5 grains each x 3 = 15 grains of additional weight on the back.  I had read somewhere that a few grains in the back acts like about 10 up front (opposite direction though).  If that's the case, it would be like taking off 50 grains up front on what was a fairly light 400 grain arrow.

[Roy from Pa]

I have an old metal fletching clamp I use.

I've seen guys make a holder from thin metal.

I also grind the sides of the quill.

They can be trimmed down pretty easily.

[Orion]

I misread your initial post.  I read it as the commercial feathers were 1.5 grains lighter per feather (not 1.5 grains per feather), thus my 4.5 grains per three.  If they really are only 1.5 grains each, that is a 5 grain per feather difference, 15 grains for three feathers as you noted. 

Are you saying you're using 2-inch feathers on a board bow cut 1/4-inch proud of center.  If so, tune would have to be very good to get your arrows to fly cleanly. I don't think 2 inches of fletch is enough to quickly stabilize an arrow that has to flex around a proud cut riser, and I still don't think an arrow 15 grains heavier on the back end would throw your arrow flight off that much, unless there are also spine problems. 

[Jack Denbow]

I like about 1/32" thickness and 2/32" width (best) to 3/32" width. As your sanding device  wears those dimensions will vary.

[Bldtrailer]

Natural wild  feathers also have oil in them from the birds glad near the  tail , store bought have been cleaned (washed, de oiled to dye ) this may or may not add some weight . I'll bet your quill thickness/width has more to do with the difference.
Also I find true primaries are MUCH stiffer from wild birds(age ) store bought are more like secondary wild feathers (softer)

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I don't know if this the answer to you question but I been grinding and cutting using Wild turkey feathers for the last year and I think the primary feathers are heavier or thicker than purchased feathers and I think the secondary feathers are more durable the purchased. As long as I can get Wild Turkey feathers I will only use them that my 2 cents. 

[YosemiteSam]

Maybe I should try a few secondaries & see how they weigh out.  I'll have to see how many I have left since I use them for brushing bees off their comb.