Feather Question-Real or Synthetic?

[gudspelr]

So I'm finally in the last stages of my first bow getting finished and am off to thinking about arrows.  I'm planning on getting the cheapest decent carbons I can find (not sure what arrows those are yet...) and have been thinking about fletching them myself.  I have a guy from work bringing in 2 or 3 tail fans from past turkeys that he doesn't want, a line out to some guys for wings if they get a turkey this year, and another buddy going to collect some more feathers from various birds he has on his farm.

With all that, I should be good on feathers, but someone told me synthetic's the way to go.  He mentioned real feathers getting wet in the field can cause problems-never thought about that.

1. Am I dumb to think about putting real feathers on carbons instead of wood arrows? (Would like to do wood in the future, but wife is not going to be working soon, so money will be tight, don't have some of the tools, etc.)

2. Are there more problems with using real feather fletching while hunting instead of synthetic?


Thanks for the help.


Jeremy

[americanhunter7]

Hey Jeremy,

The answer to your first question IMO is do what YOU think will work...If it doesn't work try something else. There are always people on here that are happy to help. (i haven't been here long but feel like part of a big family when I am here). SO to amswer the question are you DUMB!!? NOOOOO! Do what you want. It's your set-up.

The answer to queation #2 my answer is not that I've noticed. I've shot real and synthetic, but I still waterproof both...why because they are feathers and apt to not fly as great when wet. However, a quick fix for wet feathers is to get a can of the spray on waterproofer from Wally World, (it's in the hunting/fishing area) it has an orange lid. Lightly spray your feathers either prior to or after fletching, (I do it after fletching), it will help keep the feathers dry in most conditions.

I hope this helps and good luck in you hunting adventures.

[Earthdog]

Well,,,that depends a lot on weather your shooting off the shelf or off a rest.
If your shooting off the shelf,at this stage of your game your pretty much going to need feathers,,,,and the geting wet affecting your arrow flight is well over played anyway.
I just don't worry about shooting wet feathers,because my bow/arrow tune is well up to it at the ranges I hunt at,,between 0 and 30 odd yards.
If your shooting off a rest,plastic vanes will shoot as well as feathers,are often more quite in flight,and cost less.
I guess the cost of feathers in your case ain't going to be an issue though.
I shoot both off the shelf and with a rest,so I use both when it suits me.
I have shot vanes off the shelf and with cock vane in I get good shelf/strike plate clearance,but it's not something I would recommend to new archers,simply because it adds complications they don't need during that part of the learning curve.
Basicly, you can do anything you like with real feathers as their very forgiving.

Good luck.

[gudspelr]

Thanks for the help guys-Earthdog, once I have the finish on my bow, I have a bear hair rest I got from Bingham's that I plan on sticking to the shelf.  Are you saying that with a shelf like that, plastic vanes work just as well?


Jeremy

[Earthdog]

Jeremy,
What I ment is that "they can" work as well,but you really need to know more about tuning than you may do at this stage.

When I shoot vanes off the shelf,I'm shooting arrows that are on the lighter side of perfect dianamic spine for my bow.

That provides the paradox needed for the cock vane set up facing in to clear the strike plate.

The Hen vanes clear without any issue at all because the paradox has already moved them well away from the shelf.

You can't really shoot vanes off the shelf with the conventional cock vane out,because the lower Hen will still hit your shelf reguardless of the amount of paradox.

I shoot AAE Vanes and still see a little contact with the strike plate,but not enough to cause any problems,,,,,a slightly stiffer arrow and it would be a problem.

All that is why I said I wouldn't recommend it to new archers.

Another reason is that your arrow orientation is always going to be critical,and the last thing you need is to have a good animal in range,do all the right things but then nock your arrow the wrong way round without realising it,and then hit the shelf causing a miss,or wounded animal.

Mate,you just don't need the hassles while your learning to shoot and tune a bow,so really "feathers are just easier all round at this stage.

[Don Stokes]

Feathers!! I wouldn't even consider vanes on a traditional bow. An unnecessary complication, and if your arrows are properly matched to your bow, wet feathers are not a problem.

[Rob DiStefano]

trad archery means using feathered arrows.

plastic vanes are inferior substitutes for feathers in every respect save one - water resistance.

if getting yer feathers wet is a big concern, you have two choices (and one of them is NOT to use plastic fletching) - treat the feathered fletches with a waterproofing agent or use natural turkey or goose feather fletches.  

unlike processed commercial feathers, these natural feathers contain oils that really do shed water.  after a 10 minute dunking in water, guess which feather is processed, which is natural ...

 

i don't know if you can buy precut natural feathers. making your own fletches is too easy and a fun way to enhance your personal participation in trad archery/bowhunting.  

buy a feather chopper.  pick up FREE canada goose feathers during the may/june moulting season by visiting ponds, parks, lakes and golf courses.  or buy full length natural turkey feathers.  strip and chop yer own naturally waterproof fletching.

 canada goose feather fletching  

 making turkey feather fletches

[Ragnarok Forge]

I would say stay away from plastic vanes for two reasons when shooting off the shelf.  One it is not traditional.  More importantly for accurate shooting.  Plastic vanes do not shoot well off the shelf in most cases.  If any part of a plastic fletch hits the shelf or cutout on the bow it will throw your arrow flight off.

Use natural feathers and have fun making your own fletchings.

[Shakes.602]

In  MY  Opinion,  NO  Carbons when You can get Relatively Inexpensive Wood Arrow Shafts!! You made a Good Bow, why Skimp on the Arrows?? Wooden Arrow Shafts can get You Anywhere You want to Go,ex.Length,Weight,etc.
 Use  GOOD  Feathers On  GOOD  ArrowShafts!! You wont be sorry!! To put the Time into Making Your Own Bow, which I assume You are Proud Of, Shoot Some Class Arrows Out of that Class Bow!!       Good Luck To You!!  

[Rob DiStefano]

as it see it, the problem with woods is that a newbie will never realize whether the miss was the arrow or form.  woodies just aren't that consistent or durable.

[DesertDude]

Rob, do you really belive that if you shoot vanes on your arrows you are not Traditional?

[gudspelr]

Clarification:

This may be just a matter of semantics, but wanted to be sure I'm understanding everything correctly.  When you guys refer to using plastic vanes, I'm thinking you are talking about those solid plastic ones.  Perhaps I'm mis-informed, but do they make synthetic feather fletching?  I was at the archery shop the other day and the "feather" fletching on some of the carbons certainly didn't feel like real ones.  Are those real ones that have been treated/colored like you said Rob?  Or are they a manufactured type of plastic to mimic feathers?  Sorry for the dumb question.

And Rob-thanks for the links on making fletchings.  Hopefully they'll come in handy soon   .  Do turkey tail feathers (from the fan) have the same water resistent properties as the wings?  Looks like I'm going to have plenty of those pretty soon.

Thanks again


Jeremy

[gudspelr]

Shakes-

Well, you assumed right-I'm REALLY proud of making a bow that actually works...so far   .  One of the best things about trad is all the stuff I can make myself.  So far I made my bow, a leather arm guard (not great, but heck-I made it), got stuff for a quiver, and for a stringer.  I've got a friend willing to show me sometime about knapping obsidian arrowheads which I'd LOVE to put on some good wood arrows.  I'd like to be able to make my own wood arrows, but I don't have any of the tools for it and my friend has the stuff I can borrow to fletch in the meantime.  So, hopefully someday I'll be making some great wood arrows, too.  Thanks for the input

Jeremy

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by DesertDude:
Rob, do you really belive that if you shoot vanes on your arrows you are not Traditional?

my definition of trad is 'stick and string', so yeah, spin wings, plastifletch and kurly vanes are trad ... but u won't find them on my roving and hunting arras.  :D

[DesertDude]

Just messin with you...Board at work today.  

[mahantango]

I shoot carbons and wouldn't even think of putting vanes on them. Not aware of any synthetic "feathers" but, there's stranger things out there.

[Stone Knife]

Trad or not I like my vanes shot off an elevated rest, I do use feathers of of most of my bows but my go to bow has a flipper rest and I shoot vanes,when I get a pass through on a deer on a windy rainy day and my arrow ends up in the mud I just wash it off in the nearest creek or puddle touch up the head and it's good to go  

[Fletcher]

Plastic vanes will pretty much require the use of an elevated rest.  If you want to shoot off the shelf, stick with feathers.  I have heard of a plastic vane that is made to be like a feather, but I've never seen one.  I've been bow hunting and shooting for MANY years and have never used or needed plastic.  I like the feather powder for waterproofing.

[Rob DiStefano]

fwiw, i've test flown spin wings and kurly vanes off a trad bow shelf rest with no ill issues - the nock will need some rotation tweaking, as will the nock point.  still, to me, vanes and trad bows are like oil 'n' water, aesthetically speaking.

[Van/TX]

I've never heard of synthetic feather fletching.  Anyone have a pic?...Van