I've always run 3x5" LW helical fletchings on all my parallel and tapered 11/32" arrows (taper to 5/16"). Easier to get the helical fletching to lay perfectly on the parallel shaft w/ Bitz jig than on the tapereds (for me).

I'm getting ready to fletch up a bunch of Wapiti tapered cedars and was thinking about going 4x4, especially since these will be for my lower braced longbows. So, does anyone else fletch 4x4" helical feathers on 11/32 tapered to 5/16" shafts? And is it any more difficult than fletching 3X on the same shafts?

I have never used 4 fletch, but sometimes fletch with 3x 4" on tapered shafts with good results. I use a old JoJan multi fletcher.

Hopefully aromakr is awake with some great advice for me. I am ready to start running some Duco :)

Thanks Bentstick. was typing before I saw your post. How do you find 3X4 with broadheads? Do the arrows stabilize well in flight? Never used 4" feathers on my woodies before. Always 5.

My broadheads are 2-blade.

I use a straight clamp with 5" and little off set works good. if you got one give it a try.

As a former custom arrow maker the best advice I can give you is to fletch each feather as you would any feather on a 3X fletch. Have four feathers on all my skinny carbons and it is no problem to fletch.

zonic -

This is one of those questions that keeps coming up and really shouldn't. Use whatever looks better (to you), because as far as the arrow is concerned, it's just not going to matter. You need remarkably little fletch to stabilize an arrow and any more is just window dressing - until you get to flu-flu proportions.

Viper out.

Thanks Bill.

I like and prefer 4x4 fletch on all my arrows,even fletched 4x4 on some of my Axis FMJ which are a bit smaller then 5/16".Theonly arrows I haven't done 4x4 fletch on are my Easton Injexion.

The major problem is that some try to put more helical than needed, don't offset the clamp, just let the clamp put the twist in the feather. That's all you need!

Bob

I straight fletch my 4 fletch arrows. No helical

I also shoot 2 blade broadheads. If broadheads are mounted so they spin true, and arrow is spined reasonably to the bow, it takes very little fletching in my opinion. Like aromas said, keep feather quill straight and flat with arrow shaft and let helical clamp twist the feather.

Thanks guys - great info for me. I only have helical clamp. So set jig w/ 0 offset top and bottom? Gonna set the jig for 4-fletch and grab the Duco from the fridge. Steve

I four by four on tapered woods all the time. When I do three fletch I like to target which hand I will be shooting. Left wing for right hand shooting. This puts a hen feather straight down with my jo-jan, I hate that and do the nock rotation, tack it, fletch then rotate the arrow to re-align to the grain. With four fletch, I do not rotate the nock. If one wanted to get fancy I suppose, but no need.

What aromaker said: "Don't offset the clamp. Just let the clamp put the twist in." That's exactly how I set mine up, and it gives plenty of rotation without excessive drag or noise.

It seems like I always have to offset the top just a wee bit to get the leading edge of the helical quill to line up on the tapered shafts. Should I not have to do that? I'd rather not offset them.

I guess they coming out ok.

Pay attention to what aromakr said. Regardless of fletching pattern.

Shot a million 4" 4 flecth. You can't tell the difference except you can't nock it wrong. I use my blitz with the wider spread but I don't think it means a hill of beans

I have used either 5 or 4 inch feathers on 5/16 carbons & have no problems. Like stated by someone else a small amount of helical is used.Fletch up one & give it a try.

My first group with the new 4-fletch arrows. 20 yards zero tuning. Two on the right were my first two shots and they are going to get broadheads right now. Love these Wapiti tapered cedars!

I use Wapiti tapered shafts and fletch them with 3 , 4" shield cut feathers, left wing helical, they fly the same as with 5" fletching. Can't speak re, four fletch.

Now, when you guys say don't offset the clamp… Do you mean that you are using the "straight" setting on something like a Jo-Jan, or??

That would definitely take the challenge out of switching back-and-forth between right and left wing feathers and clamps, wouldn't it?

GF - this is a mystery to me. I hear guys say don't offset the helical clamp or don't use too much offset. But I swear I cannot get the top and bottom of the quills to lay perfectly on the tapered shaft with out some amount of offset on my Bitz. I'd prefer to minimize the offset for helical but can't make it work with none at all.

I offset mine a little on the tapered shafts, I made certain that the quills were sitting flat on the shaft. One can get carried away and have the edges of the quills lifting. I like to put some spin in the arrow, just for fun. I sailed one of these through a deer this year, found the deer, lost the arrow. If you find it, I would like to have it back.

Hey dean, does it have a Grizzly or Hinter's Head on it?

Dean - thanks for sharing that info. So, I'm not going crazy then, right? If that arrow made it here to PA from Iowa, then I want to know what that stickbow is you are shooting! Congrats on the pass-thru.

Steve

An original Schulz Hunter's Head. File sharpened, they are deadly, but whitetail deer, fluffy snow and long Johnson grass will not slow them down and they just go off to bloody arrow heaven. I have killed a number of deer with them, but the arrow loss is terrible. I have only found two back that have gone through deer. I have start picking a better background to hunt by, but I like hunting the brush and weeds better than the woods.

A JD Berry protype with no sight window. I am ambidextrous and change sides all of the time. On that particular day, I walked in lefty sat down and changed to righty to match the first place that I sat. The wind current shifted so I went back to lefty to match my back quiver, the deer cam in on me while was moving. I got into an argument with my arrows crossed in my back quiver, I need to add a bottom separator in that quiver, the little buck held until I got things sorted out jumped a couple of strides, then messed up and went back to his horny young buck thing at about 30 to 35 yards, that was his mistake and my meat.

I'm shooting the same tapers as you guys… This was my second attempt at fletching. Ever. But I think I got this one pretty close to down the center. Only problem is that it looks like this fletching job is providing so much stabilization that I'm shooting an arrow with effectively 20 pound spine out of a high- performance #50 longbow.... and it's not showing weak. At all.

Sooooo confused!

Pardon the typing, I hit send without doing a proof readination.

Yep! You were thinkin' about your meat and that buck was thinkin' WITH his.

There's nothing dumber than a horny young buck. And I should know, because I used to be one. But at least I find myself in ample company!

It's amazing any of us ever made it.

Dean, I'd love t see a pic of that Berry prototype. You've inspired me to attempt shooting off both sides of the riser now. It does feel like ambidextrous bow shooting would be not as difficult as other ambidextrous activities. Gonna spend my summer working on that skill. Thanks man.

Just realized I owe you guys a pic!

It was a bit of a carnival with my wife running her ipad and people going by being comedians, so forgive my form. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=JvpRnMcViYw&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uve6WZMOcRk&feature=youtu.be

the first one is a fast shot, and the second is a more normal tempo for me. I did spot a tendency to move the bow hand with these so i did learn something from them. My photo bucket is not working this morning so. I did these instead.

oops https://youtu.be/U8Y0Kztj6Dc

Thanks for the pics and vid Dean. Very nice bow.

GF - great fletching job! Those trad cut yellow bars look fantastic.

I use 3" 4 fletch on all my arrows. Works great. Dont need as much fletch when you have more weight forward.

Stephen, if you look real close you can see the line where the cap wrap overlaps. I try to center the quill as close to center of shaft that I can for best glue contact. My JoJan helical clamps then puts a "twist" to the feather itself. I believe this helps spin the arrow without adding to much additional drag.

Thanks, Zonic - but I really can't take much credit... I got those - along with a bunch of other odds and ends - in a trade here a while back, so I just stuck on three that matched each other and not much else. LOL... Good trade with Wojo... That one is a spine testing arrow, so I wanted the same color for all three, because a contrasting cock feather makes it harder for me to tell what's going on

I'm just glad that they glued on tight. First arrow I set up with so much offset that its kind of surprising that the fletchings haven't blown off yet. I'm wondering, though, if I should cut back a bit more on the helical yet, because this arrow seems really unusually noisy in the air. That and the fact that this arrow is spined about 30 pounds too light for the bow and shows no appreciable sign of being too weak.

Thinking my next tester is getting 3 straight-fletched 2 1/2"- 3 inchers...

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