From: Butch
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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There was an interesting article in a recent issue of Trad Bowhunter regarding the case for straight fletching for arrows.
I have been fletching my arrows with right helical feathers for the past 60 years and thought I was getting good results with this setup. According to the article, straight mounted feathers lie better on the shaft; produce less drag; fly faster and the feathers last longer.
What design of fletching do you use and why?
Butch
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From: SeminoleBob
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Right helical fletch in my Bitz.
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From: Orion
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Left helical. The difference between performance and durability between helical and straight is so small as to be unnoticeable to most people.
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From: Brian waters
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Straight. Ive tested all, and straight just works best for me. I use 30lb bows, i need as little drag as i can get,lol. Plus with straight fletch it doesnt matter whether you use left or right wing feathers, i can use whatever i find the best deal on. Which is usually rw.
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From: Flash
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Helical, I need all the help that I can get! Left wing, only because that's what jig I have.
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From: Nemophilist
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Left helical, and straight slightly off set.
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From: aromakr
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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I disagree with Brian. you still need a slight amount of offset even with a straight clamp, you want the under side of the feather to catch the wind.
Bob
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From: 76aggie
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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I use left. The article in Trad Bow was compelling and I thought about purchasing a straight jig but I honestly do not think I could tell any difference between the two for my shooting.
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From: M60gunner
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Been doing my feathers (99.9%) left wing helical since 1979. I do vanes straight with a little bit of offset. My main reason at that time was right wing fletch was hard to come by. Personally the only difference I ever saw in performance was when I tried some high cut Bananas fletched helical. Those suckers flew like flu- flu’s and made enough noise to wake the dead.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Well, even straight, the arrows will spin because the feathers have a friction side that catches the wind and spins them. LW will still spin to the left, and RW to the right even when mounted with a straight clamp. The amount of spin is what other orientations resolve.
Tom Jennings tests in the 1960's show that straight offset versus helical only had about five yards difference in flight at distance shooting with a shooting machine...that's out to 200'ish yards. I doubt anyone on the planet can tell much of a difference at hunting yardage. What's best is what has worked over the millennia that archery has been practiced.
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From: Therifleman
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Right helical right wing--- its all I'll ever use--- unless someone gives me a bunch of left wing feathers and a jig--- then thats all I'd ever use. I just don't believe it matters much.
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From: David McLendon
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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The last dozen carbons I fletched I bare shafted and shot the dozen bare shafts for nearly a month out to 35 yards. Probably wouldn't matter what they were fletched with but I use Left wing helical.
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From: okiebones
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Vanes with a tad offset .
Wanna see some interesting arrow flight dynamics ? Say , shoot facing east with a stout south wind , arrows fletched with high profile RW feathers.
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From: George D. Stout
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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I guess I really didn't answer the question. I use a mild LW helical put on with a BPE fletcher.
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From: Babbling Bob
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Think my straight Multi Fletcher (an old six shooter JoJan) must be somewhere in the woodshed or in the attic in FL, so bought two JoJan right wing'ers in the last few years. Used to like the straight a lot when many of us shot with those real short hard stiff plastic Hamilton Plasti-Flex vanes, and really liked my hunting arrows cheap woodies and red anodized Swifts fletched offset with the straight jig.
Those newer right wingers JoJans do fine with 4-inch feathers for all my arrows now as I don't shoot those target arrows any more. No reason why I like right wing now, as I really don't give a hoot, but just thought I would try right wing jigs for a while.
Suppose those newer right wing jigs I use do have one advantage over the older stright jig I have. Don't have to adjust the jig as much between fletching different size shafts now or for hard 1.75-inch vanes now. As far as shooting, bet it don't matter unless you shoot so fine that you could win an Olympic metal, then one verses the other might make a difference. There's more difference between the various shafts I shoot and arrows lengths, point weights insert verses brass insert weights, etc than in the air drag of those feahters at my house. Both right wing and offset striaght (on old arrows) kill those paper plates a short 3-D shooting distances 'bout as good.
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From: Jim
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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LW helical with 3x5” parabolic feathers forever.
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From: jaz5833
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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All the above
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From: badgerman
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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LW helical with 3x4" parabolic feathers.
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From: grizz
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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LW with a mild helical mostly. RW mild helical if I catch a good deal. Fletch some stumpers occasionally with my old Cabelas straight fletch with corresponding offset. Not much difference.
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From: Bootaka
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Helical, they look cool
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From: rallison
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Three Bitz jigs, all with right wing clamps, so..... :^)
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From: SB
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Right OR left helical,whatever I have for feathers. I have Bitz jigs for both.
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From: Ron LaClair
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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For the best feather clearence, right hand LW, left hand RW..some things never change.
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From: Nybubba1
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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LW shield. That's what I started with. That's the only clamp I have for my bitz. Nybubba
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From: PECO
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Right wing heli. Tips don't spin loose when arrow is launched.
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From: timex
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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iv used right for over 35 years & the reason is for a right handed shooter the lead (front) of the feather is to the left & back to the right so the feather comes onto the rest or shelf gradually as opposed to left helical which is opposite & comes onto the rest - shelf abruptly and just never considered straight fletch
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From: fdp
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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RW straight offset.
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From: 2 bears
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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You got a whole bunch of right answers. As George said there is virtually no difference in helical or straight off set. Now straight with no offset there is more difference. Light weight bow and target shooting don't require the same as heavy bows and hunting. The bigger the feathers the more wind and rain affect them. Vanes laugh at water. As said big feathers more noise. Soooooo it really depends on what you are doing and expect from the arrow. I use 3" to 5". Sometimes just two feathers are more than enough. I usually slip a shaft with vanes in the quiver, if on a deer hunt and may get caught in a down pour. I wouldn't invest in an out of state hunt without a couple of selections. Ah, variety the spice of life. >>>>------> Ken
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From: Desperado
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Shoot right handed...Always fletch left helical...as big a twist as I can get.
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From: Butch
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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Good stuff! Thanks for your input.
Butch
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From: Dry Bones
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Date: 12-Apr-19 |
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I like my 3" feathers in straight pattern. I have some woods that are right helical 5" fletched and they shoot just fine as well. Lots of things can work, you just have to find what you like. I am told OFTEN that my 3" straight fletch will not correct my arrow as well, and not be as forgiving of a bad release. That is all probably true, but I still like what I like, and make it work for me. I also do not compete on target. I shoot for fun and hunt.
-Bones
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From: JayInOz
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Date: 13-Apr-19 |
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My old fletching jig came with left and right clamps. I use turkey, goose, pheasant, duck and crow mostly- kill all my own and use both wings. And as I mentioned on another thread, I recently made some spiral wrapped flu flus using turkey tail feathers- both halves of the feather on the same arrow. Happy with them so far. JayInOz
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From: DanaC
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Date: 13-Apr-19 |
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Ken, I always have a bow (or two) set up with an elevated rest, for shooting with wet feathers! I don't like how they shoot off the shelf at all in the rain.
It's raining right now, supposed to stop by 8 AM, and I have to shoot off the shelf today - them's the rules!
PS anyone here use 'Frog's Fanny' dry fly powder on their feathers?
Oh yeah, re the OP, straight with a slight right offset.
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From: NY Yankee
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Date: 13-Apr-19 |
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I shoot 5.5" high back left helical fletching. Why? because I LIKE IT and it really ticks off the 2-inch-feather guys.
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