OutdoorMissouri.com

I'm going to go with feathers this year and I'm going to also use the wisker biskit(sp?) arrow rest. What I was wanting to know is if I was to put 4 feathers besides 3 like usual then would that help me in anyway at all with arrow stability? I'm buying a new bow (PSE firestorm lite) and I'm wanting to build this thing right from the start and not have to worry about it when I get in the woods. So any imput would really be thanked.

Thank you
DoniphanRedneck

DNR...I tried the 4 feather thing one time on a launcher rest, and the results were not very good...so back to the old tried and true 3 feathers. I would think that a whisker biscuit would work fine, though. With four feathers, you can use a much lower profile and still have as much, or more, surface area than three standard height vanes, and feathers by their very nature have considerably more surface area than a plastic vane the same size. I found over the years that a three fletch or three feathers worked fine,however. Feathers are quiter than even the softest vanes, and if you use the proper adhesive they go on the shaft just as easy...remembering to use the correct wing to go with your clamp. A four feather fletch job would really crowd the shaft and make it extremely difficult to repair a broken or torn feather...just something to keep in mind as you put the project together. If you want some really good looking arrows, get yourself some vinyl cresting in whatever design you like, apply that to your shafts, then put on a set of barred feathers cut in the shield design.....that is pretty much what all the tv show hunters use, not only because it looks sharp, but also makes it easier to track a pass through. Good luck with your project. BTW, feathers do not perform well in the rain. You might consider some kind of waterproofing to keep them from "laying down on the job" if you hunt in rain or mist.

Out here where I hunt you are very likly to run in to a rainy hunty day. So would the fletch be better for me or is there a way to water proof the feathers?

The vinyl cresting, will that slow my arrow down or will it be unnoticed? I don't want to heavy of a setup. I'm wanting to go light to low mid weight and a flight path as flat as possable. I've shot slow and heavy arrows before and I really don't like the high arch flight that I have seen in them. Is there a fletching the is like the feathers but they aren't feathers? And what are the up's and downs of them?

Thank you for the 3 or 4 feather/fletch info. I'll probable go with the 3 from what you said. Thank you for the info and for what ever else you can provide.

DoniphanRedneck

SHooting 4 feathers over 3 will stabilize your arrow faster than three. As stated by yotewhacker, they do hold a lot of water. My wife shoots feathers (synthetic) for 3-D. We shot a shoot at Moberly last year in the rain, and after a few targets, she started hitting low, and getting a lot of water kicking back in her face upon the release of the arrow, however, she had no waterproofing on the feathers. Another point fo consider is how mouch you plan on shooting. It is well documented that a Whisker Biscuit will wear down feathers much faster than it will were down vanes, if I was going to go with the biscuit, I'd shoot vanes, but then again, I shoot more than the average bear. As long as you get your bow tuned properly, you should have no trouble shooting 3 feathers over 4. Just my 2 cents. Good luck, and hope you get all the kinks worked out.

Thank you for your thoughts on this.. I don't know all that much about bows just yet. I'll probably try the vanes first and see if I like that since I'll be shooting alot because I really enjoy to shoot my bow and get better at it.
One more question.. whats the differents between the fletching lenghts and the left,right and straight turn on the fletch?

Thanks once again.
DoniphanRedneck

The length of the fletch is just that. Anymore, you see folks going to shorter and shorter vanes or feathers and they are doing just fine.

Right or left helical will assist the arrow in straightening the right/left trajectory once it comes off of the rest by adding additional spin to the arrow. Much like rifling does for a bullet. Straigh fletch will not do so to any great extent, or not to the point that helical fletching will do. Most folks shoot a slight right or left helical.

I would suggest shooting feathers. They are far more forgiving than vanes. I shoot the biscuit with feathers and yes it does some wear and tear on the feathers. However, I can shoot a shaft with a single feather and still hit the bull out to 30 yards where even the slightest tear on a vane will screw you up. I would go with feathers and not vanes.

Now, as far as the water issue, it isn't that big of a deal really. I would never add Skotch Guard or any other water-proofing to my feathers ever. If you do, then you had best be adding it to all practice arrows just to be on the safe side although the additional weight will be quite negligable. Chances are, you are not going to be hunting in a torrential downpour anyway. I have shot wet feathers and they fly just fine out to 30 yards. Beyond this I have no proof, but I would think you might see some degree of drop like Limbshot has suggested.

Thank you all for you advice. I'ts very much appreciated(sp?). I think I can get my arrows setup like I would like now. If I've got anymore questions I'll be sure to be asking again.

Thanks
DoniphanRedneck

DRN,

If you are going to try to stay light or mid wt, 4 feathers are going against that. Stick with 3, and like others said, make sure they are helical. Plus, I assume if you are going light, it will small diameter carbons which will make it hard to 4 fletch.

I never worry much about waterproofing them for normal hunting. If they get wet, I just shake them out once in a while. But, I went to Newfoundland a few years ago where it rains every day. I used the waterproofing powder with excellent results.

If you haven't bought that bow yet, I have a bow I hunted one season with for sale I will make you deal on. I held it for someone but they had some things come up.

You want to know that funny thing..I just bought the bow before I got on here and seen you post. If I hadn't done that I would take you up on your offer in a hart beat! Thank you though.

Thats one thing I was thinking about in my head but never asked about was the heaviness of 4 feathers. I'm going to shot probly a mid range shaft since I really don't like them little pin sized arrows very much. They just seem to me that they would be to small. But yes you are right I"m going to go with a smaller dia' shaft. Do you have any thought as to the size that would be strong enough and light enough but also not so small that it's like a pin being shot through my bow? I was also thinking about getting a pindalum sight for my bow also. What do you think about them. I hunt for the tree and the ground about 50/50 so I thought that this sight may help with the differents between the two.

Thank you for your thoughts
DoniphanRedneck