feather dilema

[stickbow24]

I currently use 5 inch parobolic left wing feathers with helical.  I am considering 5 1/2" shield for better recovery and broadhead flight.  What does everyone here shoot.  And will I have a significant adjustment to change so close to the season.

[TAWL]

5 1/2 shields are fine. You wont need to make any adjustments. You might see a little more drop in your arrow on longer shots but that's about it.

[JohnnyWayne]

I'm shooting 5" parabolic at the moment  

[Terry Lightle]

Have shot 5 1/2 inch shield cuts for many years and will not even consider anything else

[zipper bowss]

3 4" parabolic with broadheads and field points.
Bill

[Shawn Leonard]

I like shield myself and find I get just as good of flight with 4 or 5". I also find the same with parabolic, as long as the bow is tuned with the arrow it should not matter. I can bareshaft out quite a ways, not with BHs of course. Shawn

[Night Wing]

All of my arrows are fletched with 3, 5" parabolic feathers. No problems with field points or broadheads.

[Troy Breeding]

Arrow tuning is the way to go. Not bigger feathers. I use three 3" and they carry my zwickey Deltas fine.

Troy

[mudfish]

I shoot 5 1/2" shields and swear by them.  the little bit of increased drag will not be a factor at hunting distances.

[Orion]

Five inches is great plenty for broadheads.  The extra half-inch won't make much of a difference.  If your arrows aren't flying correctly, it's probably not the size of the fletching that is at fault.

[Spectre]

5 1/2" Nanners...

[wooddamon1]

Tune those arrows. Feather size don't matter.  

[Kenneth]

quote:Originally posted by wooddamon1:
Tune those arrows. Feather size don't matter.          

I can see no difference at all between 4" and 5" feathers even when my form isn't so great.

[moose eye levi]

I like my parabolic "hybrid highbacks". Their 11/16 at their highest point I believe. True that well tuned arrows don't need much feather, but if you muff up a release or this or that happens it's nice to have a little more stabilization and insurance just in case.

[mookie]

I shoot 3-5" parabolic.

[Benjy]

3 4" shields for me with 200 grain VPA's.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I shoot 3 inch four fletch shields and have no issues with flight even on a bad release.  Take the time to tune your arrows perfectly and you will find that 3 - 5 inch fletch will handle any broadhead you want to use.  It is a really good idead to work on your release on the blank bale until it is smooth as butter.

[Bill Turner]

I shoot both 5" parabolic and 5.5 inch high back shields. Like the looks of the shields better, but they do not seem to be as durable and can be noisy if you develop gaps in the feathers. The shield do weigh a little more, but not enough to hurt you at 25 yds and in. Oh yea, the shields are also more expensive. If I'm fletching myself I'm normally using my parabolics. If I'm buying finished wood arrows I'm buying high back shields. Hope this helps.

[stickbow24]

Thanks for the replys,  what does tune the arrow exactly mean.  I move my brace height until I get low noise and I move the nock point up and down until the arrow seems to come out good.  Is there anything else.

[Bill Frederick]

Stickbow - there are a number of methods to tune your arrow.  I've tried several and prefer the bare shaft method.  

When you've done it right your bare shaft with field point, fletched field pt and fletched broad head should impact the same  point.

Some people claim "you have to use 5" fletch with broadheads and a trad bow".  I've gone from 3 5" to 3 4" and do not see a difference in consistancy on a tuned arrow. Recently I've tried 3 3.2" and at 25 yrds and under am not seeing a difference from the 4" in grouping (with broadheads of course).  I am noticing that the arrows with the smaller fletch are sinking into my foam target about a 1/2" deeper on average at 20 yds. I presume the lessor drag means a greater velocity at the target, hence a bit more penetration. I still need to experiment with the 3.2" before I take them hunting.  The feathers look awfully small.