anyone use a two feather fletch??

[otis.drum]

most of us fletch with either 3 or 4 fletches per arrow. but what about 2. i want to know if anyone has, or knows what will happen if(when) i fletch an arrow with only 2 fletches.

i will be using right helical fletches directly oposing each other. should i glue them to the shaft vertically, horizontally or perhaps diagnally? i ask this as it may interfer with the arrow during the archers pardox like a broadhead can. i would have thought horizontally oposed would be best for this, but then both broadhead and fletches are on the same plain (except that the fletchings are helical), so should it perhaps be opersite to the broardhead (vertical)?, and then how will it react during the arrow bending archers paradox? or should i put the diagnal so the miss the shelf and window?

i would imagine that two straight fletched feathers oposing each other would cause the arrow to plain in flight, but do you think the helical will give enough rotation and therefore quick enough stabilisation to stop plaining?

has anyone tried it? i'd love to hear about it, or see pics.

does anyone have any reasons it won't work? tell me what you think.

thanks.

[trapperDave]

Thats all I shot last year, woodies and carbons. Used a two fletch cedar tipped w zwickey no mercy head on this fella
 

[otis.drum]

thanks dave, are they helical? i take it the are directly oposing each other. did you have them verticle, horizontal or otherwise?

[trapperDave]

5" shields helically fletched, set at 10 and 4 oclock when nocked.

 

[trapperDave]

had no trouble controlling broadheads  :D

 

 

[otis.drum]

awesome...

i must thank you for telling me what i wanted to hear  

that gives methe ability to fletch 50% more arrows with the same amount of feathers. excellent.

thanks dave

[otis.drum]

are you a right hander? why set at 4 and 10 oclock?

i was thinking 2 and 8 oclock or 1 and 7 oclock to clear the shelf. i'm right hander with right helical jig.

[2fletch]

I have tried (I believe what is called) Southeast Indian style and conventional style with right wing helical. Sometimes with POC and sometimes with shafts like dog fennel, rose, or rivercane.

my opinion is that you can get good results with two fletching, but you can also get good resuts with bare shafts under ideal conditions. I still go back to two fletching on occasion, and forward to four fletching as well, but I believe that three fletching gives the best results. It flies truer under a wider variety of circumstances.

[trapperDave]

im a righty, thats just what flew best for me. your bow side fletch is in the same position it would be in a 3 fletch configuration. youre milage may vary

[Pat B]

I have used two fletch for the last few years. If set up correctly they fly as well as any other configuration.

[otis.drum]

pat, you said, 'if set up correctly'.

can you give some detail on things that cause problems.

what needs to be done to make them 'correctly set up'?

[trapperDave]

they have to spined/tuned right, not as forgiving

[otis.drum]

ok, thanks. i'll have a go.

can't hurt  

[Pat B]

Mine are on either cane or hardwood shoot arrows. The ones below are from my last year set. Two are modified Cherokee Two Fletch; modified by cutting down(burning) the feathers width so it has a smaller profile. The other is just 2 fletch ground turkey feather burned with my design. I put 90 deg helical in 2 fletch and that helps to stabilize them.   All the feathers do is steer the arrow by causing drag. I've seen fletching made with pine needles wrapped like a flu flu that worked fine with a cane or horseweed arrow and stone point.
 
 
 

[Tater John]

The cherokee two fletch are nice! I have to learn how to do those

Rusty

[otis.drum]

thank you for the pics guys. i think i will try for something similar to the ones on the right in your photos pat.

[Pat B]

We have found that if you lay the feathers inside out on the shaft the feathers lay better for the two fletch.
   You can also use 3 smaller feathers to form a simple 3 fletch. These are just tied on front and rear also. They fly quite well also.
 
 
 

[otis.drum]

gee thats simple!

what do you tie on with pat.

[Bowferd]

Pat B, now thats interesting. I'm heading to the workbench shortly. Thanks for your input.

[Pat B]

generally sinew or silk thread. This one was for demonstration so it ain't too neat. I think I used artificial sinew for it.