How long does your Fletching Last?

[Archer Dave]

Just curious how long your fletchings last. Seems like mine wear out pretty fast along the edge near the shelf.

I am used to shooting off my knuckle on selfbows and didn't seem to have them wear as fast.

Is this just the way it is shooting off the shelf, or is it something to do with the way the bow is set up?

Thanks,
Dave

[T Mowery]

My feathers broom off the edges,but have not noticed any impact on accuracy.Little bit more noise when broomed,but nothing to serious.

[bigbadjon]

Mine last for a least two years assuming no incidents. If your fletch is contacting the shelf you have 3 things to look at. Your arrow may be too stiff and is not clearing the riser. Your fletch is way too tall, it only needs to be wider than your broadhead. You may also be able to rotate your nock to get better clearance. One of these is likely your problem and on a properly tuned arrow it will bend around the riser without contact.

[McDave]

I don't know that I've ever replaced the fletching on an arrow from being worn out, even after hundreds, maybe even a thousand shots.  Sometimes the arrow gets lost, one of the feathers will fall off, or it gets damaged.  Other than that, I've had fletching get a little frayed on one of the hen feathers, but not enough that I think it affects arrow flight.

I'm not really sure why that is. As a 3 under shooter, I nock a little higher than a split-finger shooter would, and maybe that results in more arrow clearance from the shelf.  I try, as I'm sure we all do, to get a clean release, which also helps with arrow clearance.

[KentuckyTJ]

Arrow isn't bending out far enough to clear your riser. I had a bow that frayed the feathers like that. All other bows don't do that though so mine stay good until they impact something that tears them up. I have any had many arrows that have gone through 2-3 deer each and lived through the washing of them and were still going strong.

[Archer Dave]

Thanks guys. I think for one the feathers might be too tall. I cut them myself with a template, and while they are uniform, I made them taller then a standard 4" parabolic and then they ended up even taller because of the quill.

Some of you said yours last years, but is that just shooting a few times a year? The reason I ask is because I shoot nearly every day, each arrow getting shot probably 30-50 times each. But I also usually only shoot 3 arrows at a time so each arrow get shot a lot more.

[Archer Dave]

By the way I am shooting a standard 3-4" factory cut parabilic, and a 4-4" taller modified parabolic that I cut myself. The 4-4" are 90x90 and they seem to be taking more abuse then the 3-4". Not sure how I feel about the 4-4" as this is the first time using them.

[VA Elite]

mine have been wearing out quick. could be any number of these things I assume. I shoot 5" shields, maybe to high?

[McDave]

I shoot just about every day.  I carry 6 arrows in my quiver, and shoot maybe 4 at a target before going to get them. I shoot about 50-100 shots a day, so each arrow probably gets shot 15 times a day on average.  As I said, I don't remember ever having to replace the feathers from being worn out from use.  Maybe all that says is that I damage or lose a lot of arrows!

[VA Elite]

I would be interested to hear from those who shoot with 5" shields.

[Stump73]

I usually refletch my arrows at least once a year whether they need them or not. Thats with 5" or 4". Usually get tired of the same color scheme or something. Plus I love fletching arrows up.

[smokin joe]

Interesting.
I have found that arrows that bare shaft tune perfectly end up having feather contact after they are fletched, and the lower hen feather gets worn after a while. I know that bare shafts need to show "just a little weak" because the weight of the feathers stiffens them up a bit. Figuring out exactly what "just a little bit" looks like is difficult. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't. When I don't, the lower hen feather gets some wear.

[Archer Dave]

Thanks guys. I am not going to worry too much about it right now, I am just curious. You know, I am one of those types! Hehe

[Kingstaken]

I don't shoot tight enough groups to worry about it.          

I wondering if it's your nock positioning having the fletch too high up the wall or on shelf.

Also what hand r u and what hand are your fletching?

I only shoot 5 1/2" shields and those big beautiful giants of a yellow feather from Ron La Clair "Autumn Legends" -man are they the best- and find if I'm shooting too tight a group I space my shots out. Even on 3 d targets. Saves the arras and da target. Honestly I've had more issues with broken nocks then fletching issues.

[Bjorn]

I shoot 5" shields on wood shafting fletching lasts years and I shoot a lot. If your fletch is wearing out especially the feather that rides the riser you need to revisit tuning-most likely too stiff.

[Kingstaken]

Remember when tuning woods is different then tuning carbons or aluminums which have no spine positioning needs.  Woods do based on location of the woods grains.

[VA Elite]

I will need to look at that. I have GT Trads 3555 cut to 29" with 5" shields, 145 gr point and 50 gr insert. recurve 50# @28 i pull to 27". I just always put one feather pointing away from the shelf out to the side. Is this not right?

[njloco]

Many people say to put the odd feather in  with carbons, I have tried it and it does work. I actually position the odd feather to the corner between the rest and the riser for better clearance.

[sheepdogreno]

My 5 in shield cut shooting cock feather out seem to have slight wear on the hen feathers but nothing that I'd think to replace them. 4in parabolics are not wearing like the shield cut

[VA Elite]

what about one straight up and two down?