10-a-c-huntr

supraarcher

Ijust switched back to feathers a couple of mounths ago. I shoot fingers and the feathers stablize the arrow better,not as much of a problem if you are shooting a realease. They seemed to slow the arrows down compared to vanes for me. The ones I am using now are
offset which means that the rear of the feather is off center from the arrow by a small amount. Ialso have some old left helicals I shoot and I think I like them best.

Hope this helps good luck

Jason N

I'm a bowhunter, not a target archer. I want the most stabilizing and forgiving fletching I can use. Feathers fit the bill. When you're contorted around a tree and shooting at odd angles a forgiving setup can mean a whole lot.....feathers are without a doubt more forgiving.....I use a powder on my feathers before the season starts and then about once every two weeks thereafter. I've hunted in heavy rain and never had a feather lay down.

EDIT: Feathers are much prettier on an arrow too....they make an arrow look like a tool instead of a toy!

c903

During a conversation with a 76-year old archer, a previous record setter in flight shooting and a former 295 indoor shooter, we happen to discuss feathers vs. vanes. He said (paraphrased):

If vanes are better than feathers, why do 9 out of 10 of the top shooters at Vegas have every trick piece of gear on their bows but still shoot feathers?"

DannyinGeorgia

Like Rob said, Feathers are louder than vanes.
Go down range and stand behind a tree while a buddy shoots both. You will make up your mind real fast that the dominating factor is NOISE!
If you don't think noise matters. 'Slow mode' a shot at a deer on a taped hunt and notice how much a deer will drop when he hears the shot.

Luckybuck

What type of rest makes a difference, if using a wisker biscuit go with feathers if practicing alot, vanes tend to get wavy. But that is just my humble opinion.

Arthur P

As I said before, feathers make more or less noise, depending on how much helical/offset they are fletched with and how new they are. That's not to even mention what cut they've got (to my ear, banana cut is louder than shield; shield is louder than parabolic), whether they're high profile or low profile, or how long they are! The longer and higher profile the feather, the more surface area it's got. The more surface area, the greater the stabilizing quality, but also the greater air disruption. The greater the air disruption, the greater the noise.

The guys who swear feathers are louder than vanes never seem to get around to specifically talking about exact condition, size, cut and profile of the feathers they've used in their 'tests'. Also - and no offense meant to anyone, just stating a fact - someone with a prejudice can hear exactly what he wants to hear. When you 'know' feathers are going to be louder, then your ears will wind up telling you that feathers are louder, no matter what the readings on a decibel meter might say.

Besides, standing off to the side and listening to the arrow come down the range is poor scientific method. The only way to know exactly what a deer hears at the shot is to be station yourself directly in front of the arrow in flight. Personally, I think I'll allow someone else to conduct THAT experiment.[:-]

shishkabob

Gotta go with rob on this one.Although to each his own.Some of my vanes look pretty bad and we shoot out to around 55 yds. on some targets at our club,
i still shoot good with those crappy vanes. HOwever i do refletch them every now and then,just so i dont look too out of place.

c903

Ditto on Arthur's comments. I use straight and offset feathers and my shafts are silent in flight. This weekend while shooting in, my hunting bud was shooting carbon shafts ([X(]) with straight fletch and his shafts were whisper quiet.