I recently got my bow back I had to part with it temporarily due to financial difficulties. The arrows I had are feather fetched and I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with them. Hense I needed new arrows, the only ones I could afford had vanes on them and I had a bear weather rest that I put on my bow so I could shoot the vanes arrows. My accuracy immediately improved. The problem is that I feel I have broken a trad law so to speak. What do you guys think? I only shoot in my yard so tournaments aren't a problem. Help. BigJohn is confused

There are no trad laws, sorry for the bad news. Shooting vanes is not a sin. Lack of accuracy in the name of trad is. PS If you will shoot feathers from elevated rest your accuracy will improve too - less tuning problems. The vanes are not the reason, the elevated rest is the culprit for your improved accuracy with of the box arrows.

Archery has always been about hitting the mark with a well aimed arrow, sounds like you're good to me.

Shoot what works best for you and with the price of feathers skyrocketing, vanes are looking better all the time.

James

John -

Sorry, you won't be allowed to post here anymore. Unfortunately, that means you'll have to spend more time shooting.

Where does this stuff come from???

OK, there are some arbitrary rules in some orgs/classes that "require" feathers for "trad" divisions. The key word was arbitrary.

Viper out.

If you like the results, keep doing what you are doing.

Plasti Fletch has been around since the 50's. How far back do we need to go to be traditional? Shoot them and enjoy the sport.

Did you go "third person" in your post?? Now that's a sin, vanes not so much.

It's neither a sin, nor the reason you weren't shooting feathers accurately. Apparently they vane fletched arrows are a better match to the bow.

FYI....plastic vanes were used in the 1952 NAA Nationals, and shot from an elevated rest. Oh my! ;)

I agree that the feathers were not the culprit, nor was the fact that you shot off the shelf. The problem was the arrows were either not matched to your bow or the bow was not set up correctly. I mean feathers have been used to stabilize arrow flight for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Bob

MAN!! hitting what you're shooting at is the name of the game. All equipment choices are only preferences to meet that end.

Not a mortal sin, for a hit is a lovely thing and a delight in the eyes of the Lord.

If it is, then I've been doing wrong since vanes became available, maybe back in the 70s? There's nothing better than having a plastic fletched arrow in you quiver next to those soaking wet feathers on the rainy day that big buck finally walks by!

Ahhh,,,,um,,,,ya need some feather fletchings John??

Is your post a troll? If your previous arrows didn't shoot well, it wasn't because of the feathers. And, if your current arrows are shooting better, it's not because of the vanes. Might do well to brush up on spine.

Indeed, good point.

exactly if they didn't shoot good with feathers then it wasn't because of that and vanes are just as traditional or whatever you want to call it as feathers.. people need to quit worrying about what's so called Traditional and just shoot their Dang bows.

Hi.

My name is Rick, and I'm a "Trad Sinner".

Although, I like to call it "Trad Enlightened", as in "Being In The Know".

"Trad Jesus" loves everyone, especially those "who don't miss their mark".

8^)

Rick

Right; only feathers on carbon (or aluminum, or fiberglass) is true traditional. Got it.

Trad law are only for those stupid enough to follow them!!!

Aren't you curious why the feathers didn't shoot and the vanes did, if both arrows are the same spine. I would be. And if they are the same spine, I'm getting your broadheads won't fly with vanes.]

Bowmania

Pretty sure the Trad police will not show up in your backyard..

Yes if vanes are better birds would have plastic feathers !

If there’s a list of traditional laws, I’ve yet to see them. Among the guys I shoot with, the unspoken rule is to only shoot wood arrows that we each make/assemble. If any of us broke with that unspoken rule, and brought carbon or aluminum arrows on the days we shoot together, they would be instantly mocked for breaking our almost 20 year tradition. I plan on making some vaned wood arrows for shooting on rainy days. I refuse to shoot my fletched arrows in the rain.

Paul Schafer. That's all I am gonna say

Long b/4 compounds many used vanes when they started popping up in the 60s. I think my 1st ones were Arizona's & they had no flex like todays.. We have no sins in Archery.

Timbukto beat me to it.

...but if you were shooting carbon out of a selfbow...:) Jawge

There's really only 2 criteria that apply.....

1. Does it work for you?

2. Do you enjoy it?

Everything else is irrelevant.

archery sin lol

Ah ill probably go to Trad hell anyway might as well enjoy the ride ; )

At least we'll be around friends!

Lol, I guess I'm an atheist in everything I do.

I shoot vanes or feathers whatever the situation calls for

Like some of the others have already said, shoot what works for you. I'd probably shoot them as is and then re fletch with feathers when needed, just because I prefer them. No judgement here, you folks are all welcome in my camp.

If you look in the classifieds i have listed arrows that were fletched around 1965 with vanes, before anyone thought of trad police.The guy who fletched these shot field archery and to me it doesn't get any more trad than that. Or maybe these were the sins of our forefathers :)

Carbon out of a selfbow? Hey man, I don't even think Viper could 'splain that.

So! You thought you could shoot vanes and get away with it? Perhaps you will change your mind and recant, once we bring out "the Rack"!

Shoot what you like and what works for you and don't care what others think.

crookedstix " trad inquisition ". Now that is funny. "LOL"

No, not that rack!!

YES that rack! What a rack indeed.

I could care less what people think. I am experimenting with vanes this year because of their durability and weather resistance. I still can't get my tune right but I'm working on it.

When the weather turns wet, a lot of people have a few arrows fletched with vanes to go a-hunting! I guess that modern vanes have a enough flex to shoot very well off the shelf?

It is actually relatively easy to get vanes to clear the shelf. It has been shown here many times by many people, including Rick Barbee and Kevin Cummings...even on video.

Rick Barbee showed ya all how you can shoot vanes off a shelf If you havent seen his video,,youtube it

I personally have no interest in vanes but,,,run what ya brung,i see no wrong in it

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