Wet Feathers

[TrainingWheelsOff]

I didn't let the rain here in Louisiana today keep me from practicing.  But practice quickly went down hill as feathers got wet.  Is the extra weight on the nock end of the arrow causing a spine change or does the flattening of the feathers make tuning and/or form issues more pronounced?  I'm just a novice and experience inconsistency at times but most days I get good flight.  

FYI, shooting a 45# Das DX5 Longbow and arrows are 30" Axis 340s with 200 gr. points.

[katman]

I would say the later. How's the bareshaft flying? Shooting field points?

[wetfeathers]

I also notice more problems when things get wet. I believe alot of things change.  Gripping a wet grip, releasing a slippery wet string, wet feathers off a wet shelf..... and so on.  I'm glad to hear that it didn't stop you from shooting though.

[Rick Richard]

Definitely the later. It is amazing what feathers/vanes can do to correct bad form or incorrectly spined arrows.   With that said, how are they flying when bare shaft tuning?  Need to get it close to flying well in this manner, which should minimize the issues you are having when feathers are wet.

[TrainingWheelsOff]

Everything seem to be shooting left.  Bare shafts are hitting in the same spot but always nock high.  I have a 3/8" nock height which I lowered in steps to just 3/16 off of shelf with deteriorating results.  So I set it back where it was.   I know that I'm spined a little stiff w/ the 340s...400 Bemans w/ 125gr points shoot better but I like Axis and I want more point weight - so trying to get 340s to fly w/heavy point...

A couple of experienced shooters have looked at my form and told me that it doesn't look like I have any serious form issues that they can see (doesn't mean perfect by any stretch).

[T Lail]

be VERY critical in your bare shaft tuning......I have shot broadheads from 20 yards with NO feathers, and they hit exactly the same as where my field points go.......It took a while to tune my bow this way, but now wet feathers do not seem to affect much if any at all......

[JimB]

340's would be way stiff with that weight bow and point weight.Fletching hides a lot of tuning flaws but it sounds like the matted down fletching,is losing it's steering ability and the tuning problem is showing itself.For my setups with a bow 52-55#,I need 400 grs,point and insert weight combined.At 45 # you would need more than that and would end up with an arrow way heavier than would be practical.

If you want a heavy arrow,I would try a 400 with app 250 grs on the front end but tune from there.Every setup is different.

[ghoster808]

I would imagine that the excess weight from the water would drastically alter the FOC

[Easykeeper]

I agree with the idea that you are shooting an arrow setup that is too stiff and when the feathers are dry they can make up for the tuning issue but the tuning issue shows up with wet feathers.  The arrow you are shooting is 1" shorter and your point weight is 50 grains lighter than the .340 I shoot with my 50@29" recurve.  

All my bows in that range shoot well with a .400.

[gringol]

A wet string can slow down the bow and make shafts appear stiff.  Medievil archers knew this and kept their strings rolled under their hats in the rain.

[Tajue17]

Originally posted by T Lail:
be VERY critical in your bare shaft tuning......I have shot broadheads from 20 yards with NO feathers, and they hit exactly the same as where my field points go.......It took a while to tune my bow this way, but now wet feathers do not seem to affect much if any at all......

this guy is right on,,, bare shaft tune and when the feathers get wet and lay down,, or even if one falls off everything will still fly perfect.

[rlc1959]

Broadheads hitting with field points at 20 yards with NO feathers. I am impressed. I could use some tuning tips. I cannot even hit a pie plate at 10 yards with my field points with NO feathers.

Thanks, Randy

[SuperK]

Be very, very careful bareshaft testing with a broadhead on that shaft!  I would not do it unless I were in a gravel pit by myself with no one around for 500 yards.  If your arrow tune is just a tiny bit off or you make a bad release, IT AIN'T NO TELLING WHERE IT WILL GO!     :eek:

[Tajue17]

that's true and a good safety tip because you cannot stop an arrow in flight,,, my broad head's only strayed about 10 to 12" but I make sure I start at 5yds and work my way back as the flight gets better.

[T Lail]

do not get the wrong idea here......I bareshaft with field points MANY arrows before ever going to a broadhead....make SURE that the arrow broadhead combo spins absolutely true (no wobble at all)....then and only then start with bareshaft tuning of that arrow.......I tune ALL my hunting arrows to fly where my field points fly to.......DO NOT DO THIS IN AN UNSAFE AREA and I shoot at a 4' x 4' foam backstop.......  

[dink]

bare shafting is the key. My arrows fly with my broadheads but i never tried bare shaft broad heads to  much danger they say.but in the long picture i dont worry how my broadheads fly in the rain.i lost a good deer once, lost blood trail to the rain.water and rain dont mix no longer hunt in the rain bow that is.even know by best huntin is in the rain gun and smoke pole. but you have  draw the line somewhere.

[TrainingWheelsOff]

Thank you all for the good tuning and form advice.  I was using 3Rivers' spine calculator for the setup and it shows it close.  It's not very forgiving though.  When I loose a really good arrow, flight is very good.  I'll continue to work on release and push but also slowly work up point weight w/400 shafts to see if they're more forgiving.  All in all it was good lesson on release and tuning, thanks!

[GANDGOLF]

I bare shaft all my carbon arras til they fly where I'm looking out to 25+ yd.s. Then I fletch!
You can see what your arrows are doing by wetting them down..essentially a bareshaft. If your feathered shafts aren't hitting where your bare shafts are .You have tuning issues.

[gringol]

I did an experiment with this yesterday.  I dunked a woody in a bucket, swished it around until it was good and wet.  Nocked it up and let it fly.  No problems.  These woodies bareshaft about 5-10# weak.  My conclusion is that a perfect bareshaft tune with a woody is over rated because even soaking wet fletching is a lot more fletching than none.  I can't think of a situation where I would be hunting with an arrow with essentially no fletching at all.

[JamesKerr]

It sounds like your tuning is off. A 340 spine shaft is way stiff for a 45# longbow.