Different size fletching

[bolo7735]

This morning I was shooting a new set of arrows. GT 5575 30" w/ 220 field point and 4" fletching shield. These arrows were fish tailing and did not seem to shoot well. My old set are the same GT 5575 30" w/ 220 field point but with 5" fletching shield. The 5" fletching arrows shoot perfect and spirals nicely. Does smaller size feathers make the spine arrow softer?

[Mike Vines]

More fletching makes up for minor tuning issues, and most likely this is what you are experiencing.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Sounds to me that the arrows are not spined properly for the bow. The 5" feathers hide how far off they are spined due to their ability to stabalize the arrow quickly. 4" or even 3" or 2" feathers will not "fish tail" if you are shooting the right arrow/point weight combo. Tear the feathers off one arrow and shoot it with fletched ones...see if it groups with them?

[Ragnarok Forge]

The smaller fletch weigh less which does make the shaft act just a tiny bit weaker.  Your 5 inch fletch have been covering up form or spine issues.  It ski ds like your overspined.  Try using heavier and lighter heads to find what works best.  Definately shoot bare shafts with fletched to see if they group.

[bolo7735]

So basically I get a bunch of different field points weight and shoot until it groups and fly well? Both fletch and bare? So what happens if I find the right combo bare shaft, will it fly different when you add your fletching? Also, if I drop in point weight wouldnt it affect my FOC and overall weight of the arrow? My current weight on both arrows is 550gr. It give good penetration.  So how do you tune for heavy point? Can you get away with lighter grain arrows to hunt big hogs?

[Fletcher]

I'd check with paper tuning before peeling the fletching off.  It will tell you the same thing as bareshafting, just easier , IMO.  Do you have access to a spine meter to check the consistency between the new and old shafts?

[JamesKerr]

I would strip the feathers off of one and shoot it along with a group of 2 or 3 fletched arrows and see if it groups with them. If it does not than you have tuning issues.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

if you bare shaft correctly your ultimate goal is to get a bare shaft to fly perfectly straight in to the bulls eye.

Then your feathers do not need to be large.  they only need to be able to correct the wind shear created by your broad head.  I suggest you read some of the ed ashby arrow setup reports available here on trad gang. I just recently was enlightened on the effect of large fletching and EFOC.

i now shoot  tiny 2.5 inch feathers.

Example

I shoot a CE heritage 150 shaft out of a 42 lb recurve. With a 100 gr brass insert and a 150 grain 2 blade the shaft weiighs 545 but has a
EFOC of 21.45 %! They fly like darts!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

shaft on the left is the 150 with 21.45 EFOC
SHAFT on the right is a CD Heritage 250 27.5 inches long with a standard insert and 200 grain head.
i shoot this out of my long bow. this shaft weighs 625 grains but has FOC of only 18%  it is still considered high FOC.

both arrows are just fricken darts

[bolo7735]

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