On one of my previous posts, I asked about using turkey feather rest for bowhunting. I bought a Kodiak 59 reproduction and have been shooting it for a couple of weeks now. I'm convinced the turkey feather rest will be quite suitable for hunting. Now my question...

Since the turkey feather rest is essentially an elevated rest, would I be able to use vanes? Any direct experiences?

Thanks much,

Ted

Of course you can. You can shoot vanes off the shelf. It's all a matter of tuning.

And yes, I've had direct experience.

However, you have to tune the bow to YOU. It doesn't matter where anyone else has their string nock set, or anything like that. Thet aren't shooting your bow you are.

No one can really tell you how to do it. Other than just to have a conversation. You have to play with it until you get the flight and clearance that suits you.

You can shoot vanes anywhere you can shoot feathers. Above comments are on the mark. It's part of dynamic tuning.

I have off my 62 Kodiak repro. But I use a low profile vane from NAP. It’s like a banana cut, maybe 3/4” high. I found I needed to really make sure bow is tuned with bareshaft first. The vanes an’it cheap but work well. I first saw them on a wheel bow guys arrows. He was also concerned about clearance issues.

Everyone seems to be saying yes you can, it's a matter of tuning, but can you be more specific to how YOU do it? Otherwise, it's not a very helpful response.

Are you shooting the cock vane in or out? Are you rotating the nock slightly in some direction to get better clearance? I was trying to shoot vanes off the shelf the other day both ways and cock vane in would cause a kick left coming out of the bow and cock vane out would cause a kick upwards. Neither was terrible and the arrows went on target, but it was noticeable. Even off of a bear weatherrest I'll see a slight kick occasionally. Specifics?

I have a couple of Jack Howard’ bows with feather rest. I’ve used vanes many times no problems.

Sounds like vanes aren't a problem IF you're spine tuned.

So, how perfectly matched do you need to be? On the money? Seems like feathers will allow a degree of mismatch. Is the same true for vanes?

Ted

My buddy this last weekend showed me his answer to the question. He puts 2 vanes and 1 feather on his arrows and doesn't have any re tuning at all. Just make sure you shoot the feather off the rest.

To shoot vanes off the shelf you have to actually have your arrows tuned. Just like broadheads are less tolerant of tuning, vanes are as well.

If you are getting "kick" as the arrow leaves the bow, you don't have a good tune, and the vane is making contact. Feathers are soft enough to some times mask that issue. It's likely the arrows are a little stiff, but we really can't say, because we aren't there. So, you have to tinker with it yourself and find out. And you may not be able to do it with brace height. You may have to decrease, or incresae (depending whether your arrows are stiff or soft) to get the clearance right.

Also, you MAY or not have to raise your nocking point. Not everyone does, but some folks do. My dad shot vanes, or feathers, whatever he pulled out of the quiver. And having your bow tunes to shoot one type of fletching, should have no affect on shooting the other type of fletching.

I believe that Rick Barbee does the same thing, but I'll wait for him to come along answer that.

That's the basics of how to tune for vanes.

I believe a vane will contact the rest or shelf even if it is properly tuned (for spine) just as a feather does on a properly tuned arrow. The feather is just more forgiving because it compresses, that's why we use them. I suspect that some folks have figured out how to raise their nocking point and possibly turn their nock slightly to allow the bottom hen vane to clear the rest or shelf better.

Interesting thread. I have some vanes I’ve wanted to try on my woodies, for when it’s raining. I hate getting my feathers wet.

Easier to just waterproof the feathers ;-)

Use products made for fly fishermen.

Rick Barbee shoots Vanes off the shelf, you can search that topic to find pictures and description of his set up. On another note, if you have ever bowhunted in Alaska where everything gets wet to the core, it won't take you long at all to see the wisdom in having arrows with Vanes in your kit.

You guys are forgetting the most important thing. You will probably have to enter a different class in competitions for vanes because it will be considered that you have an unfair advantage.

These Dragonflights shoot off shelf well, I think they were developed for stickbow shooting. Also good in flight and light-weight, not to mention tuff as nails. Can you tell I like them?

It's all in the tuning, and setting up for clearance.

Once you get that done it's a piece of cake.

Cock fletch in at 90 degrees to the strike plate is the absolute best position for clearance, assuming good tuning.

If you are getting contact with cock fletch in there's only two reasons for it: (1) your arrows are to stiff, (2) your shelf is to wide, and you need to raise the arrow up off of it some.

A feather rest on a fairly narrow shelf should work like a charm. On a wide shelf the feather rest may not hold the arrow high enough for the fletching to clear. If that's the case, just raise the feather rest up until you get clearance.

Rick

"I believe a vane will contact the rest or shelf even if it is properly tuned (for spine) just as a feather does on a properly tuned arrow. The feather is just more forgiving because it compresses, that's why we use them. I suspect that some folks have figured out how to raise their nocking point and possibly turn their nock slightly to allow the bottom hen vane to clear the rest or shelf better."

With a "properly" tuned arrow the fletching will clear the shelf without contact. But... since most of us shoot arrows that are too stiff our fletching makes contact and we have to compensate for it by rotating the fletching or raising the nocking point, or something else to minimize the contact.

Here's a video of what a properly tuned arrow does at it passes the shelf:

https://youtu.be/CO102jz8sFM

Nice video. Thanks for the discussion everyone.

Shot hard Plasti-Flex vanes off a Bear red feather rest that came on my '63 Tamerlane with no problems. Lots of folks shot vanes over feather rests then.

Shot hard Plasti-Flex vanes off a Bear red feather rest that came on my '63 Tamerlane with no problems. Lots of folks shot vanes over feather rests then.

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