Feather length??

[LKH]

Until this winter I'd always used 5", then I fletched a couple dozen GT 35/55 blems with 4".  I'd bareshafted them and flight is great. I've got 100 grains brass with 125 grain tips.  Draw is 26".  Arrows are 28.2" long.  

I've acquired some 3" parabolic and still have 3 dozen of the blems left.  Have a couple questions.

I hunt in open, often windy conditions.  I think the smaller feathers will reduce the crosswind effect on my arrows.  Does anyone have any thoughts on this and what's your reasoning.  

I'm not worried about taking care of a bad release.  Just the arrow flight w/wind.

[lpcjon2]

I don't know if this helps,I had 4" plastic vanes on carbon for the wheels,Then I switched to blazers which are 2" and high backed like 1" high.I noticed that they would recover faster and spin (IMO) faster and were more accurate(IMO).I still feel with heavy arrows I prefer a 5" feather to help recover it quicker and stabilize it more.IMO of course

[raideranch]

I use 5’’ feathers but its probably a little over kill.  I don’t think half the people shooting compounds know anything about tuning their arrows and they get away with 2 in. vanes.  We spend half our time tuning arrows and then we put 5’’ feathers on them after the bare shafts are flying perfectly.  Our arrows usually weight a little more though.

[lpcjon2]

I believe the difference with smaller 2" vane compared to the 5" feathers is speed of the arrow and weight of the arrow and point and how well the arrow will recover.And for the record some of us do know how to tune both types of bows.  

[Orion]

The smaller the feathers the less the wind can play havoc with them.  If you get good flight with a four-inch feather, go for it.  Don't need much fletch to stabilize a field point.  Usually need a little more for broadheads.

[OS]

All of my hunting arrows are fleched with either 3-5.5 inch feathers or 4-5inch feathers.  if you bare shaft tune your bow and arrow you wont have much problem with any leangth feather BUT with a good release and form.  When I hunting and cold here in Michigan I like more feather because its more forgiving.  With bitter cold fingures my release isn't the greatest add wet conditions and the bigger feather helps straiten that arrow out quick.  I have worked in archery shops for over 16 years and have seen it all, IMO I hunt with the most forgiving set up I can heavier arrow and bigger feathers.

[JARHEAD1371]

I have been using 4" shield cut feathers and have had very little, if any, problems shooting in the wind. They are slightly higher profile than parabolic cut and they handle broadheads very well. I also like that they have a different look than what everyone else is shooting.

[Shooty1]

For me, 4" feathers always seem to give me cleaner flight with less wind interference than 5". I've gone back and forth enough to confirm that it's not my imagination.

[Rob DiStefano]

if yer unfletched arrows fly well at your hunting distances, it would make sense to use a smaller fletching.  i use 4" lo pro banana 4-fletch on all my arrows.

[The Whittler]

I did one with 4 3"fletch, and did not notice any diff. I also shoot 4", 5", and 5.5" and see no diff. in any. Try it, it can't hurt.
 
What it comes down to is, if the arrow is flying good with no fletch, then with feathers it should fly great.

[centaur]

Some of my stump shooters start out with 5 inchers, but after a hard life, they may have half the fletch torn off, and they fly just fine. I have been using 5 inch feathers for years, but just got some 4 inchers that I am confident will be plenty to stabilize the arrow.

[trapperDave]

something to think about, alot have said if your bareshafting fine ya dont need much feather. True...till ya put a broadhead on there. I want enough fletch to override any input coming from the broadhead.  

[Bonecracker]

I noticed in the past that my 5" and 5 1/2" shield cut feather played havoc our West in the wind! I will be down-sizing this year for my elk hunt!

[Rob DiStefano]

a few years back, on really windy/gusty day, i did some fletching tests @ 35 yards, 29" carbon arrow, 55# mohawk, several shafts fletched each (slight offset only) with 5" parabolic 3fletch, 4" lo profile banana 4fletch and 3.25" lo profile banana 4fletch.  as expected, the 4fletch carbons were less affected by the wind than than big 3fletch.    

even if a arrow bareshafts well, the thing about larger and/or more fletches is helping to recover after a bad release.

[Don Stokes]

Smaller feathers work fine with field points, but broadheads under less-than-perfect hunting conditions should have plenty of feather for insurance. It seems reasonable, however, to cut back if you know the wind will be high or gusty. It definitely has an effect.

[LKH]

I'll fletch a couple and shoot w/broadheads. God knows I have plenty of wind to test in.  Last week it blew the gravel off the road in front of the house.  Neighbors are all fixing their roofs.

[Predator Man]

For me the 4" is the sweet spot.  I have tried 3", Blazer feathers, 5" and they all are second chair to 4" feathers.  Even if you get a perfect bare shaft... I still like 4" the best

[Greg Skinner]

One of the benefits of EFOC is that it takes less feather to stabilize the arrow.  Most of my arrows are in the 25% or higher category and I use (3) 4in parabolic even with broadheads.  I don't bareshaft much; I just put on the big Ace broadheads to tune.  In fact when I am tuning I use 3 3" parabolics.  I figure if the big broadheads fly well with that amount of fletching they should be fine with the 4 inch.  The little 3" feathers acually fly very well under most conditions and especially so in a cross wind.  The real downside to the small feathers is that they are harder to see in flight.

[chad graham]

rob, do you burn your lo-pro 4" or do you have a chopper? also what broadhead do you use? i use 5" shield w/el grand heads and i was thinking of trying banana i looked at choppers but they cut such long feathers.i own a burner so i could burn em.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Greg Skinner:
One of the benefits of EFOC is that it takes less feather to stabilize the arrow.  Most of my arrows are in the 25% or higher category and I use (3) 4in parabolic even with broadheads.  I don't bareshaft much; I just put on the big Ace broadheads to tune.  In fact when I am tuning I use 3 3" parabolics.  I figure if the big broadheads fly well with that amount of fletching they should be fine with the 4 inch.  The little 3" feathers acually fly very well under most conditions and especially so in a cross wind.  The real downside to the small feathers is that they are harder to see in flight.

my findings exactly.   i like 4" lo pro 4-fletch.