Helical question
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
Helical question
More helical means more spin....means more control right??
So how severe is the helical arangement of your vanes or feathers??
I just read an article that says shooting broadheads should be done with 8 degree helical and a drop away rest. I also talked with a guy at Muzzy recently about some issues I had with flight last year and the first thing he asked me was if I shot straight vanes or only a slight helical. He said anyone shooting a Muzzy head would get the best performance out of a strong helical vane or feather.
What do you guys shoot and where do I get strong helical setups from??? All I see available at shops is straight and 1 degree.
Thanks
So how severe is the helical arangement of your vanes or feathers??
I just read an article that says shooting broadheads should be done with 8 degree helical and a drop away rest. I also talked with a guy at Muzzy recently about some issues I had with flight last year and the first thing he asked me was if I shot straight vanes or only a slight helical. He said anyone shooting a Muzzy head would get the best performance out of a strong helical vane or feather.
What do you guys shoot and where do I get strong helical setups from??? All I see available at shops is straight and 1 degree.
Thanks
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,862
RE: Helical question
Atlas
Not always, and not that simple. There are many factors that differ from shooter to shooter e.g., shooting form, bow speed, accessories, setup, etc, to say that what works for one shooter will work for all. Before I started buying and installing accessories that might not work for you, and increases maintenance and probability of failure in the field, I suggest you check your sparkplugs before you overhaul the engine.
I do not know what your " flight issues" were, but I would have asked you many other questions before I asked you (only) what vane/feather angle you shot, and told you that you need to shoot helical if you shoot a Muzzy head; and that is that. Too simplistic, and definitely nothing more than a product-promotion piece of advice.
Until last season, I have always shot a straight fletch (feather) and always had great flight. I pumped my peak about 5 lbs. to 67 lbs. last season, increased shaft spine, and I started getting some erratic (broadhead) flight and hitting lower left. After checking and rechecking form and gear setup, I finally cured the problem by a 1-degree offset on my fletch.
Several years ago, I tried a full helical when I was in a hurry and had some arrows made for me. The person who fletched the shafts apparently did not read my order thoroughly, and put a full helical on the fletch. They were too noisy and I could not get good and consistent flight. There are other shooters who swear by helical and get superb flight.
Tried vanes one time. Could not get them off my shafts fast enough.
Hope you are not making the mistake of judging your shaft flight and accuracy by believing that your broadheads are supposed to fly and hit exactly as your fieldpoints do. Some do. However, it has been my experience that most do not. When I hear or read that a shooter is complaining that his broadheads do not fly as his fieldpoints do, and do not hit where his fieldpoints do, I always ask: ' What do you use when you hunt, fieldpoints or broadheads?'
More helical means more spin....means more control right??
I do not know what your " flight issues" were, but I would have asked you many other questions before I asked you (only) what vane/feather angle you shot, and told you that you need to shoot helical if you shoot a Muzzy head; and that is that. Too simplistic, and definitely nothing more than a product-promotion piece of advice.
Until last season, I have always shot a straight fletch (feather) and always had great flight. I pumped my peak about 5 lbs. to 67 lbs. last season, increased shaft spine, and I started getting some erratic (broadhead) flight and hitting lower left. After checking and rechecking form and gear setup, I finally cured the problem by a 1-degree offset on my fletch.
Several years ago, I tried a full helical when I was in a hurry and had some arrows made for me. The person who fletched the shafts apparently did not read my order thoroughly, and put a full helical on the fletch. They were too noisy and I could not get good and consistent flight. There are other shooters who swear by helical and get superb flight.
Tried vanes one time. Could not get them off my shafts fast enough.
Hope you are not making the mistake of judging your shaft flight and accuracy by believing that your broadheads are supposed to fly and hit exactly as your fieldpoints do. Some do. However, it has been my experience that most do not. When I hear or read that a shooter is complaining that his broadheads do not fly as his fieldpoints do, and do not hit where his fieldpoints do, I always ask: ' What do you use when you hunt, fieldpoints or broadheads?'
#3
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Blossvale, New York
Posts: 21,199
RE: Helical question
I think 8 is a bit severe. Your arrows in a tuned bow should shoot fine with straight fletchings. You will get a little more foregiveness with a slight helical with broadheads. I really don' t think you want 8.
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Austin, TEXAS!
Posts: 124
RE: Helical question
From my brief experiences, anything past 20-25 yards for my bow and the more helical, the better. This is with field points.
What about broadhead blade alignment with the fletchings.
Shooting a prong rest, I can see the difference in the shot placement difference between the straight/1ยบ and the radical helical arrows I have. The helical hit the prong as they go through, with cock down. Today I will try cock up and see what happens as this tread got me brain storming.
What about broadhead blade alignment with the fletchings.
Shooting a prong rest, I can see the difference in the shot placement difference between the straight/1ยบ and the radical helical arrows I have. The helical hit the prong as they go through, with cock down. Today I will try cock up and see what happens as this tread got me brain storming.
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ks.
Posts: 87
RE: Helical question
Tru Flites test said as close to eight as you can get. Spin does indeed equal stability. Theve been doing what the do for many years with great success, so thats who I trust. Eight does get noisy, especially with feathers but since feathers grab more air and stabilize quicker, you dont need that much with feathers. True Flites test was geared towards vanes.I use an Arizona ez flex pro or alluminum model at six degrees heli, which was originally 8 degrees heli that I heated and twisted and also another one that was one degree offset that I heated in the oven, twisted and made five degree offset. The alluminum model will work on carbons if your really carefull and prepare the shaft.Arizona also makes their carbon model in 6 which would have saved a hell of a lot of time, but I got the others at a sale for next to nothing so worked with what I had. Its taken some doing over time but b.hds. should always hit very close to f.pts. If they dont you may have a tuned bow, but you dont have arrows tuned precisely to the bow. Using perfect form while paper tuning you can get acceptable tears with a horribly over or underspined arrow but bare shafting and b.h. tuning will tell the truth very quickly.If you can get within a couple inches at 40, thats pretty good but there is absolutely no reason why b.hds. shouldnt hit with f.pts. even at 300 f.p.s. It just takes time, energy, and experimentation with finding the proper arrow spine,vane lenght, f.o.c., arrow length, etc. Thats one of the main reasons, when I find a bow arrow combo that works for me, Ill shoot it till theres nothing left and then find a bow with specs close or equal to what I had. I couldnt do what PA Bowhunter does. If I got a new bow every 6 months and had to worry about all that tuning, Id be a quivering mass of worthless flesh.Finding the proper setup is usually a long drawn out process. Getting close and just moving your sight pins for b.hds. will of course work, but you can still go farther.
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
RE: Helical question
I do not know what your " flight issues" were, but I would have asked you many other questions before I asked you (only) what vane/feather angle you shot, and told you that you need to shoot helical if you shoot a Muzzy head; and that is that. Too simplistic, and definitely nothing more than a product-promotion piece of advice.
Ask away
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
RE: Helical question
So we seem to have people from both sides here.
Do you guys shoot straight or 1 degree??
or
Strong Helical???
This article I read (Peterson' s I think) made it sound like if you didn' t shoot strong helical you were crazy.
I want to know before I order my new arrows.
Do you guys shoot straight or 1 degree??
or
Strong Helical???
This article I read (Peterson' s I think) made it sound like if you didn' t shoot strong helical you were crazy.
I want to know before I order my new arrows.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Staffordsville KY USA
Posts: 254
RE: Helical question
I shoot helical fletching, it does help to stabilize the arrow, check out the report with the JOJAN Fletcher, they sell straight or helical fletchers and they give you the facts for whatever use you want. For broadheads, I have great success with about 8-10 degree helical and use it for 3-D too, yes to need to tune the blades to your feathers or vanes but it does help a lot.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fall river wi USA
Posts: 113
RE: Helical question
I was shooting a heical with feathers on a 2314 shafts just bought carbon express cx shafts premade with vanes and an offset. the cx are or close to the weight of 2314. I did nothing to the rest or bow. I belive the pertsons artical was close.
I didn' t notice much flight differance at the 3d shoot( i literaly grabbed them and went to the shoot.) though i still preferrr feathers and i will be going to a straight fleched arinzona ez fletch. the question i have and i got enough feathers laying around to see if the 4" feathers will stablize the 100 grain thunder heads or should i shoot 5" . good luck this may have helped a bit.
I didn' t notice much flight differance at the 3d shoot( i literaly grabbed them and went to the shoot.) though i still preferrr feathers and i will be going to a straight fleched arinzona ez fletch. the question i have and i got enough feathers laying around to see if the 4" feathers will stablize the 100 grain thunder heads or should i shoot 5" . good luck this may have helped a bit.