3" feathers

[Moon]

Guys,

I was wondering if anyone here is using a 3" feather on their arrows and what kind of flight they're getting?  I ask because I recently switched from 5" feathers to 4" feathers on my carbon express heritage shafts (31") and they fly great.  My total arrow weight is 500 grains and I'm shooting a Palmer double carbon 49 pounds at my 29.5" draw length.

Any info/feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[wihill]

I shoot 4x 3" parabolic cut at 90deg fletched and have fantastic flight with both field points and broadheads.

I've got both 5", 4", and I went with the 3" as they're availible locally at a shop for $0.13 a piece, every color in the rainbow.  I like to change up colors every now and then, so it works for me.

[tradtusker]

iv seen guys using 4x3" feathers on there high FOC shafts with very good results.

[ArrowAtomik]

Higher FOC will allow for smaller feathers, even if you use only 3 feathers.  Ashby has a thread on this somewhere.  Fairly extreme FOC is probably best if you look towards 3-inch or smaller.  However, even with extreme FOC, I personally still like big feathers for close range hunting to maximize forgiveness and ensure a stable arrow on impact.

[Mike Mecredy]

I pretty much exclusively use 3 little 3" shield cut.  I put them about an inch forward of the nock.  I found I get a little faster flight with smaller fletching. I also use 5/16" shafts when ever possible, I just have to use a heavy wood, like birch of ash to keep my arrows about 500 gr.

[robtattoo]

I switched to 4 3" parabolics this year. They are noticeably quicker & quieter than my old 5" shields. I have no trouble staiblising a big Magnus 1 two blader, but as always, tuning is everything  
I'm running 20% FOC so not ridiculously extreme. I just make 100% sure that my shafts are tuned as well as I possibly can for the best possible flight.

[Matty]

Are you all fletch ing them about 1" forward?  I was Hoping to give this a try this coming year as well

[tradtusker]

why 1" forward the further back the better i would have thought.

[wihill]

I fletch mine about an 1" forward, just because I don't like to feel the feather on my face when I anchor.  I haven't noticed significant gains when fletching them further back.

[Dozer]

Originally posted by robtattoo:
I switched to 4 3" parabolics this year. They are noticeably quicker & quieter than my old 5" shields.

Why four instead of three. Is it just a personal choice or do you get better arrow flight? I hear a lot about people going with smaller feathers fletched at four 90 degree setting.

[Matabele]

I agree with robtatoo, even with a high FOC your arrows must be perfectly tuned (not just "ok" tuned) to fly well.

I've got 3 4" shield cut on some AD Trad heavies with a 100gr insert, 100gr adapter and 200gr FP, weighs about 750gr with a FOC of about 26%. At 29.5" long they are still acting a little weak, and you should see the acrobatics they do with even a half bad release!!!

I got the same thing with an Easton Axis shaft that I set up the same way as the AD Trad but put 4 4" low profile (0.4" high)banana fletch. They fly much better but still "waggle" if evrythings not perefct. But again these have not been tuned 100%.

If in doubt Id say go slightly bigger.

[Slasher]

EICST 600's with 4-3in parabolics here...
200 grn head and couldn't be happier! The flight is awesome and the broadheads fly with field pts...

The only thing is 4  fletching a helical on the skinny carbons is not that easy... Had to lessen the helical a bit...But I am a beginning fletcher...

Why 4 over 3? I've always done 4 as I prefer to have all the same and no hen/cock feather for ease while shooting and asethetics... Good logic, eh?

[Jim now in Kentucky]

As far as 1" forward, you need that much for finger clearance if you shoot split.

[katman]

I am shooting the Adcock fletch mentioned earlier, was in a thread by Dr. Ashby. 2.5"x.5" basically a right triangle, 4@90, excellent flight but more important the quietest fletch I have found. While experimenting with this fletch I did find it to stabilize the wide magnus very well in a well tuned arrow.

[Charlie Lamb]

Everything in moderation! Neither too much nor too little fletch is the key.

If you are sitting right on the edge of what is stable you are flirting with disaster. Better to build in a little insurance.

What are the real gains achieved by going to such a small feather? Are they worth it?

But that's just an opinion.

[tradtusker]

as for the SOUND i have found the height of fletch profile followed by the amount of helical to be the biggest factors in reducing sound, lastly followed by length of fletch.
my release is not good enough to shoot much under 4inch feathers in risk of inducing poor arrow flight.
so i get the decrease in sound and the slight increase in speed from my low profile (.5") 4x4" or 4x5" feathers without worrying about it not stabilizing my arrow on a poor release.

[O.L. Adcock]

All good stuff guys. Just got back from the Flight Nationals and Juli set a new unlimited American Longbow broadhead record. Wasn't as far as her 50# record but was enough to change the names in the book. Anyway you might find it interesting that the rules set minimum fletching size depending on the class. The men have to shoot 5" minimum and 11gr/lb while the ladies shoot 9gr/lb and 4". That means they typically shoot further!   ....O.L.

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

O.L., my congrats to Juli on crushing YET ANOTHER flight record.                      

Do you suppose we can get her a spot in the PALIN/McCain cabinet?        

Oh, I forgot to ask (and it just wouldn't be PC to discriminate because of sex), how did YOU, as a mere male member of the species, do at the Nationals?        

Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow

[katman]

Charlie, I agree that to little is BAD, to much is overkill robbing speed and adding noise. The short low profile is both quiet and does not lay down when wet. Per Dr. Ashby's nudging I soaked them in a bucket of water for 10 min. pulled the arrow out and shot the wide magnus numerous times out to 25 yards, flight was as good even with my occasional poor release. Of course this was with EFOC. I did not treat the fletch with anything. They also stabilize every broadhead I tried, but since the wide magnus is notorious for being hard to stabilize I worked with it. The fletch refuses to lay down. Did get my bow arm very wet but it was hot and felt good.

tradtusker, I also like the 4"x.5" bannana 4@90, very quiet and did not slow the arrow much more at 40 yards than the 2.5x.5, much better than the shields I used to shoot, they are very noisy in flight. I use these when not shooting EFOC.

[O.L. Adcock]

Good info Katman. I hadn't tried them wet yet.

Oh Ed, not much, Juli got the national target bow record and the unlimited longbow flight world record. She corected me, she was 6 yards short of the unlimited broadhead record. She was shooting 45# and the record was set with an 82#. FITA world record in the 18kg for me, that's those things with no useful function in life other then shoot far!   ...O.L.