Feather length

[Bengal]

Any suggestions on length? 4inch, 4.5 inch, 5 inch?

[babs]

I like 5" but thats only my opinion

[m midd]

I like 5.5 they stabilize great but the do drag a little

[Encino Man]

The actual answer is "as little as you can get away with". But that all depends on your shooting situation. How well your arrows are tuned to the bow. Are you using broadheads for hunting or just target shooting. Only your setup can answer that question.

5" is probably the most common. Small feathers make less noise and less drag but do not stabilize the arrow well. Large feathers make more noise, create more drag but stabilize very well. pick your poison.

[Firstlight]

Mine are 5.25; better stabilization methinks.

[Michael Pfander]

I've become quite fond of 4" 4-fletch.  They seem to be less affected by the wind.  It never seems to give me a shot on a calm day.  It may just be that those are the only days when they don't hear me coming.
MAP

[magnus]

That's what I shoot as well. 4-4". I like them a lot for my hunting arrows. Quiet.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

[Eugene Slagle]

Originally posted by Encino Man:
The actual answer is "as little as you can get away with". But that all depends on your shooting situation. How well your arrows are tuned to the bow. Are you using broadheads for hunting or just target shooting. Only your setup can answer that question.

5" is probably the most common. Small feathers make less noise and less drag but do not stabilize the arrow well. Large feathers make more noise, create more drag but stabilize very well. pick your poison.

I'll second this note.
I use 5" on my arrows in my sig line because they are also my hunting arrows but I do have some G.T. Entradas that have 3" on em.

[lpcjon2]

I like 5" and a low profile,but it may differ for the type of set up you shoot.

[Night Wing]

I prefer 5" feathers. I think they tend to stabilize a heavy broadhead in a crosswind.

[Bowwild]

My arrow is short at 28" (draw of 26"). I use 3, 4" parabolic feathers. I regularly, for fun also shoot 2.8" vanes from my hunting bows with the same results.  If the arrow and broadhead are tuned to the bow and your form is friendly to the shot, you don't need a lot of fletch.  However, if I was shooting a long arrow, just from an aesthetic standpoint I would use 5" feathers.

[JRY309]

With a well tuned arrow you can use a smaller feather.I used to shoot 5.5" on my wood arrows,but shoot 3-5" and 4-4" now on my carbon and aluminum arrows.Larger feathers will slow an arrow down quicker and stabilze quicker.Unless you shooting past 25 or 30 yds,it won't make a big difference in what size of feather.

[drewsbow]

I love small feathers and if your setup is tuned you don't need much. I use small four fletch as little as 2.5 " and get great results. Drew

[Rob DiStefano]

it's all good, in the long run.  however, for best results, lots will depend on how well the arrow is mated to your bow and your shooting.

a good typical norm is 5" three fletch shield or parabolic or hi back banana with either goodly helical or some decent offset.

my fave and all i use these dayze - 4" four fletch lo profile banana with very slight 1 degree offset.

[Bengal]

Thanks everybody. I am leaning more towards 4.5 to 5 inches to start out and I will make adjustments from there. All suggestions are welcome and I especially appreciate the reasoning behind the different lengths used .

[J-dog]

Always used 5" for thirty years? aint broke?

[George Vernon]

I think everyone who has already replied has given good insight.  When I'm using good form and shooting often, almost any fletch will do with field points.  (think about the number of times you've been out stump shooting with less than your best arrows, for good reason, and got by).  For hunting situations, no matter how much I've practiced, I still struggle with the adrenaline rush of seeing a good deer within shooting distance.  In addition, the deer always seems to come into view from the direction I just knew they would never use.  So being out of position happens.  Net, I'm thinking I need every advantage fletching can give me.  So my hunting arrows have strong helical, 5-5.5" shield cuts.

[Timbuck2]

I like 4" and 5" three fletch.
I have mostly shot 5" over the years and I'm having positive results with the 4" as well.

[hova]

i have some that are 6" really low profile , no twist , and some semi sheild that are about 3"...

i prefer flu flu's cause i just glue and twist...


-hov

[smokin joe]

Arrow stabilization is very important. I use 3 shield-cut 5" feathers with all the helix my fletcher can provide. I want my arrows to spin and get stabile as quickly as possible.