CG

Yesterday I refletched some arrows with 5 in. feathers. I took them out and shot them with my 4 in. vanes. At 20 yards, they hit the exact same spot. At 30, feathers 2 in. low. At 40, feathers 6 in. low. Will feathers slow up an arrow enough to make that much drop? I put a decent amount of helical on all my fletching but this really surprised me. I shoot one pin set at 30 yards so this amount of drop at 40 definately is a concern to me. Anyone else notice this?? Also since int he past I've either shot vanes or feathers and never at the same time, I was really surprised how much noisier they are than vanes.....thinkit will affect the game you are shooting at???

"What we do in this life echos an eternity"

hunter9022

Feathers cause more drag on the arrow, which is what makes them stableize an arrow so much faster(like a matter of feet instead of yards compared to vanes)They also stableize broadheads much better. This increased drag however will cost a little bit out further. But i wouldnt think they would drop that much. Is your bow tuned? I know a buddy who went from vanes to feathers and had more drop, but was so much more accurate at farther ranges(like 90 yards!!!!) My feathers dont drop that much either and i also shoot one pin. I would check the tuning on your bow, cause if its off a little, your arrows will drop dramatically. As for the noise, it doesnt matter if the deer hear the arrow go past them. :-) If u stand downrange and have someone shoot a vaned arrow and a feathered one, all u hear is the arrow go past. And vanes make lots of noise too, its just lower pitched and tougher to hear. They sound like little rockets.

Sorry bout the long post, hope this stuff helps.

CG

Not the bow....bare shafts group at twenty yards also.

"What we do in this life echos an eternity"

Big Country

Feathers will slow down faster than vanes, but the results you are seeing is not normal.
I have used the same arrows for hunting for the last five years...Beman ICS 400`s 28" long with a 125gr. thunderhead. I set up six arrows with 5" feathers, and six arrows with 4" vanes. Out to 50 yards they impact the same. The only difference I can tell is when I make a marginal release, the vanes will miss my aimpoint by more than the feathers.

When you shoot arrows with 5" feathers you can see them open up down range. Pretty hard to tell exactly where they are opening due to the speed, but I have chronographed arrows out to 50 yards, and at 30 yards the feathered arrows are still slightly faster. Probably due to feathers being so much lighter than vanes. By 50 yards, the vane arrows are faster, but not by much.(6-7fps)

NRA,UBP,BASS Member
New Stanton,PA

Rack-attack

Your results are also not like mine. My feathers will actually hit slightly higher out to about 40 yds. The 30 grns. of weight difference really make up for any extra drag IMO

pdq 5oh

CG, are the feathers contacting your rest? Being longer, and possibly higher, it's possible they are. This could kick the back of the arrow up, causing them to hit low.

Phil.
&quot;Could you guys be quiet, my dad's trying to shoot.&quot;<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

CG

I'll do a little more checking......I don't think there is any contact but I'll mess with it. I just put some snuffers on and they impacted exactly with my field points w/feathers and vanes so I'm going to stick with the vanes....I don't care what anyone says....Feathers are louder than vanes..... I just never realized it until they were shot side by side....IF you stand down range when the 2 are shot, you can tell the feather EVERY time. Very distinct and VERY loud.

&quot;What we do in this life echos an eternity&quot;

timbow2

I noticed a drop with feather compared to vanes I doubt there is anything wrong with your bow or set up. If you are not shooting at blazing speed the drop will be more definate. Just last night I shot a 2216 with 3 5 inch vanes and compared to a 2317 with 4 5 inch feathes. Granted Im not exactly compring apples to apples but at 10 yds there was a 7 inch drop. I have shot the same 2216's with 3 5inch. vanes compared to 3 five inch feathers and with the feathers my 30 and 40 yd pins were way lower in my pin gaurd.

BOWFANATIC

I'm confused!<img src=icon_smile_question.gif border=0 align=middle> I'm gonna try goin to bed and reading this when I get up.<img src=icon_smile_dead.gif border=0 align=middle>

<---Doug---<<<

TECbownut

i definitely agree that feathers are louder than vanes, i can hear a major difference when my son shoots one and then the other while i am standing safely to side. but with that said i shoot feathers all the time and nothing else. the benefits far outweigh the noise factor. better arrow stabilization, more forgiving if any contact, and the lighter weight than vanes. yes they don't seem to last as long as far as durability but everyone should learn to refletch their own arrows anyway.....