To the people who bare shaft tune. I hear many on here bare shaft tuning at 25, 30 and even 40 yards. When you get it tuned out to these yardages, when you get done and make up your arrows, do you use small feathers like 2 inches or so since there isn't a need for big feathers for stabilization?

I only bareshaft to 20-25 yards, and I went from 5” down to 3”, but not as a result of bareshaft tuning. I was looking to reduce noise because I shoot in a very small back yard with a fence, so the noise is/was amplified. I think once you have your tuned shaft, you could then experiment with feathers length, height and shape. Good luck and have fun!

Some years back I went from 5" feathers to 4". I'm not sure that was a good idea.

I haven't really had any trouble but my goal is hunting (broadheads) and fletching is for recovering from imperfections (mistakes?).

It just seems to me that hunting can potentially introduce all the worst stuff...less than perfect shooting angles and positions, weather and maybe nerves. A little extra fletching might not be the worst idea.

I use 3" feathers but usually don't go under 4" for hunting. You have fixed all the arrow errors but there is still the human factor. A less than good release or the bow string brushing your chest or arm. I want every edge I can get & that includes quiet arrows as well as the bow. >>>>-----> Ken

I don’t usually go less than 4” because…. I don’t like ‘em any smaller.

LOL

It’s kinda nice knowing that my low-profile, 4” shields are virtually overkill, rather than wondering if they’re up to the task.

I bareshaft to 30+ yards and I shoot 4x3”. Way more fletching than I need but if I have a bad release, it’s more than enough to get the job done.

If I am going to be shooting broadheads, no less than 4" even on a well tuned set-up. Within hunting range, small fletch will give negligible speed gains but possibly unpleasant stability losses.

I shoot 2" Blazer vanes and cut feathers down to low profile 2-1/2" and bareshaft out to 40 yards.

Like some here I worried about guiding broadheads with less than 4 inches but I shoot into a bank out at 70 to watch the fieldpoints and broadheads fly and they look great and hit close.

I do shoot high FOC, not positive how much I benefit from it, but no negatives at all.

3 or 4 inch parabolic or shields look absolutely huge to me now.

I don't typically bareshaft and still often make and shoot feathers from 2.5" to over 5" if the mood strikes me.

I make my own fetching from full length feathers so change profiles often.

And arrow flight is excellent with any size.

crtazy -

For fletching to be adequate, you need more air resistance on the back of the arrow than on the front. Even with broad heads, that's usually a lot less than most people think.

I use 1.75" - 2.25" plastic vanes on my target arrows, and they group the same as the 5" helical feathers I used to use (and are way cheaper).

Bottom line, use whatever you think looks best, in most cases it's not going to matter.

Viper out.

3 inch parabolic for field tips and 4 inch parabolic for broadheads. Still likely more than needed but it works.

I don't have target arrows and hunting arrows because I use the same arrow for everything. That arrow of choice is fletched with 3x5" parabolic LW helical feathers.

John, sent you a PM.

Thanks everyone

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