feathers 4" or 5"

[daniel boon]

i am thinking of using 3 by 4" feathers on my arrows as opposed to 3 by 5" ones would it make a significant difference

[legends1]

If i were using 3 fletch i would stay with 5 inch.I think they stabalize better when used in say wet weather and using broadheads.I use 4 5 inch myself.I like the added stability.

[NBK]

I've gone from 3-5", to 4-4", to 3-4" and personally haven't really noticed a difference other than I can fletch more arrows.

[EHK]

I think that if you bare shaft test, any fletching is just the icing on the cake.  That being said, I like 3 x 5.  In theory, they stabilize better than 3 x 4 and while I have no data to back it up, I find it hard to believe it would make much of a difference in speed.  I'll take a truer flying arrow over a faster poor flying arrow any day.

[Night Wing]

I've been shooting 3, 5" feathers for 47 years. It has always worked for me and I see no reason to change.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I have been playing with everything from 2 inch four fletch thru the traditional 5 inch three fletch for two years now.  My experiences have led me to the following conclusions.

5 inch fletching gives a high level of flight control due to the laws of physics.  What it does not do is increase my accuracy in any way over 4 inch fletch.  There is a point where adding more fletching length stops being beneficial and just becomes extra surface area with no purpose.  For me that is at the four inch fletch length. Using four inch fletch saves money since I can cut two out of a single full length feather.

I prefer four fletch so I don't have to worry about how I nock my arrows.  I shoot 3 inch - 4 fletch.  This set up has the same surface control area as 4 inch - 3 fletch.  I get great arrow flight with broadheads and can often get three fletchings out of a single full length feather.

I think that five inch fletch excels for folks who have form errors, don't get obsessive about tuning, or hunt in heavy clothes / extreme cold that can affect your form.  If you bare shaft tune and have decent form the smaller fletching will work great for you.  I am a ground hunter and rarely stand hunt so I don't find extreme cold or heavy clothing to be a problem for me when hunting.

[cyred4d]

It depends on what you will be using the arrows for. 3 4" works fine with field points but depending on your broadhead you might want the 5" feathers.

[hockey7]

I was using 3 5", then switched to 3 4" with my same broadheads, the Magnus wide heads, and saw no difference in flight whatsoever...but I always paper tune first.

[cacciatore]

First and foremost: what do you do with your set up?If you hunt from a tree stand at 20 or less yards why you wanna save square inches on your fletching and risk a less than perfect realese ruin your accuracy?Plus sometime the rain can lower the surface of your now wet feathers.
If you go for 3D for sure you spend a lot of time bare shafting and use use field points as well, then you can use smaller feathers.

[kibok&ko]

I tried this season 3X4 " ... With heavy EFOC and EL GRAND2 GRIZZLY on the tips no difference at all ... and shooted a red deer with

With the Miller tuning thing i can get arrow flying well with broadheads and nude shaft ...

so the next step will be 3X3" !

WHY ? one thing only i'm sure they are perhaps going a bit faster, this i don't care but flying they are less noisy and i care about this !

[anchorman]

I was using 3-5" on fieldpoints and broadheads, then I tried 3-4.5" on the same set-up due to the economy factor of getting 2 out of each full length feather. Honestly I can't tell any difference. Just my opinion.

[greyghost]

Can't say I noticed much difference in speed or accuracy shooting 4, 5, and 5.5". Over the years I just prefered the 3 feathers 5.5" shield 3/4" high. I cut or burn.

I always liked using the choicest part of the feathers.

Another reason is feathers that are damp or wet. The 5.5" I feel is better. Of cource I would love using all wild turkey feathers but when one dye's a feather they lose their natural oils that repel water. Have tried some of the supposedly water repelents but was not very impressed with them.

And the big factor since I am only a hunter and stump shooter I may not have the perfect form and release all the time like a lot of others say they have. I do bare shaft and tune obsessively.

But try every thing you can and see what works best for you and your set up. Best to you.


Earl

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

I think Clay summed it up very well. In the end, what works best is an individual decision.

[Terry Lightle]

I bareshaft,then fletch with 3 51/2 inch.Probably overkill but just a little insurance for me in case I dont get off the string as clean as I would like.

[chanumpa]

Welcome to thefletching combination club Daniel.Sounds like you are our new member.I like 4" 4 fletch for all practical purposes and have tried them all.Looks good and you dont have to really look to nock one up.4 -5" is just as good and maybe 1 ft/sec or so slower with more stearing.So unless you are going for a flight distance competition,its all good.Technique/release/arrow spine is were to put your efforts.Oh,and i forgot practice.

[BigJim]

I shoot 3 - 5" on tuned shafts because I know it works and spend the rest of my time concentrating on my shooting and not worrying if I have enough feathers or what % efoc or if I'm wearing the corect underwear and the... yadayadayada. I get used to the speed of which my arrow flys and find that if I don't change around a bunch, then the consistancy helps my acuracy. I shoot a middle of the road weight arrow (9.5g perlb) and then I quit worying about my set up. If my arrows are noisy, you cant tell by the deer reaction. I must admit that I have missed several times this year on deer and hogs this year including 3 times on one buck but not one of them ran away from the noise.
Just my perosonal take on it. But I wouldn't take my advise on it. All that changing and testing is good for my buisness  
BigJim

[kibok&ko]

Originally posted by BigJim:
All that changing and testing is good for my buisness    
BigJim

   

[PeteA]

I shoot 3 4 inch with and without broad heads works great for me

[Covey]

I shoot 3x5"..always have I'm not much of one to change. I do like the look's of 4x4", and I figure that would work just as well. All this stuff mainly comes down to personal preferance. What work's for some won't work for others. Good luck on the choices! Jason

[GoBow]

Been using 5 1/2 inch for years and feel guilty for even thinking about dropping down to 5 inch.  Can't imagine going lower.  

Kinda neat to hear that some of you are experimenting with smaller fletches and finding that less is more.