Flu Flu

[Elkman1985]

Hi everyone, I'd like to ask some questions about flu flu arrows.

1. What kind of tip do you use on them?

2. What is your main use for them?

[LB_hntr]

Tip depends on what you are using them for. Blunts and judos I use mostly.
Purpose is to limit flight. Fluflus depending on how they are made will fly fast for first 20 yards and die off quick. They rarely go 75 yards. You can customize distance by how you mount feathers and how tall feathers are.

[Car54]

Field points only...I made them just for fun.  Boy, do they make some kinda noise when flying thru the air. Their fun just to get out and shoot them sometimes.

[LB_hntr]

Tip depends on what you are using them for. Blunts and judos I use mostly.
Purpose is to limit flight. Fluflus depending on how they are made will fly fast for first 20 yards and die off quick. They rarely go 75 yards. You can customize distance by how you mount feathers and how tall feathers are.

[dhermon85]

Shootin aerial targets, or at least trying to.

[Jesse Minish]

I use them with Judo tips or blunts mostly for grouse up in trees or when they are on a steep point/ledge where I dont want to chase an arrow to far.

[Elkman1985]

Would you ever want to use a field point while trying to shoot grouse or rabbits, or should I stick to blunts?

[Gdpolk]

1) The tip used varied depending on purpose.  I use one of three points as follows:
A) field points at the range or back yard when shooting at stuffed animals because they tear up the targets less,
B) RFA Talons (hunting blunts of choice) for hunting where there is not a high likelihood of loosing arrow because they are the best squirrel head I've found yet,
C) Judo Points for stump shooting (because they are the best for this) or shooting into areas with a high likelihood of the arrow burying under leaves or grass because this point reduces chances of loosing arrows in this situation.

2) The main purpose is to slow the arrow down faster in flight by creating more drag than a typical arrow.  This is useful for a variety of reasons including:
A) aerial archery (target practice or shooting birds on the wing) where you don't want to loose an arrow
B) small game hunting when shooting UP into trees (again to reduce length of flight and improve chances of finding arrow
C) stump shooting to reduce wear/tear on shafts and points
D) (secondary benefit) They are also helpful to improve visibility when stumping, small game hunting, practicing aerial shooting, etc due to a larger surface area of fletching.  As a result, I'll often grab a flu-flu for shorter shots when stumping or small game hunting where the arrow might be in tall grass, briars, etc when it comes to rest because they are much easier to find.
E) (secondary benefit) They are fun and novel.  Often women and children or compound shooters find them unusual due to their appearance and want to try them out.  Then, when they shoot them and make the WHOOSH noise, it's fun for the shooter.  So, I usually always take them to the range or when introducing a new shooter to traditional archery because they almost always enjoy the novelty of the flu-flu and I love having the improved visibility and shorter flight in case they shoot crazy.

You can alter the braking effect that they have on the arrow by how you build them.  Longer and/or taller fletching creates more drag, more fletching creates more drag (3 vs 4 vs 6 fletch), helical is more drag than straight, and spiral is more drag than helical.  My favorite is a very tight 6-fletch helical.  Out of my 50lb bow they shoot just like my regular arrows out to about 20 yards and almost like my regular arrows out to 30-35 yards depending on the angle of the shot.  After that, they slow down QUICK, almost like there is a tiny green army man parachute dragging behind them.  Pink is my color of choice due to improved visibility year round:

Hope this helps,

IN QUIVER:
 

UNDER 6-8" GRASS:
 
 

SHOT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO FIND IN THE MUD UNDER THAT BRUSH PILE IN THE BACKGROUND IF I MISSED, BUT I DIDN'T MISS:
 

[Gdpolk]

Originally posted by Elkman1985:
Would you ever want to use a field point while trying to shoot grouse or rabbits, or should I stick to blunts?

Blunts are much better hunting tools.  They create much more blunt force trauma and tear up the insides significantly more than a simple piercing wound from a field point.  Field points are really only the best tip of choice for target practice and tuning because they create minimal damage to the target and are the easiest to tune a bow with.

[Elkman1985]

Thanks for all that great info guys!

[Bear Heart]

I am a lazy spiral Fletch flu flu man

[Fattony77]

I also use them fairly often on the 3D range, cuz if I miss (which happens all too often) they are easier to find, and it doesn't effect the flight at the short distances set by the local club for trad shooters. Also for the aerial shootin' when I get a chance to do that.

[reddogge]

My flu flus don't match in either spine nor length because I use a lot of arrows people give me that have had the tips broken off or carbons that mushroomed a little. I fletch them up and use them for shooting aerial targets with the grandkids. They love it. I keep 6 with old Bear Razorheads on them for shooting (at) geese. Right now I have two flu flus stuck in the top of a large muhlberry tree from the session last Sunday.