Going to switch to 4 fletch

[butts]

#7531

I have done the paper tuning with various arrows from 50-75 spine. Found what I thought was more than adequate, 3 fletch 5″. Read the book by Mitten (sp) and received various other ideas from him. Tried 4 fletch at 90 w/5″ feathers and I thought they corrected themselves much quicker. My Trad shop told me to try the 4″ and it would also increase my FOC. After 2 weeks of shooting after work, a 3 fletch(5″) a 4 fletch (5″) at 90 degrees and a 4 fletch 4″ at (75-105 I believe). I am going to go to the 4 fletch 4″. Yeah I am probably going to change a (bunch/group/couple dozen/alot)to that configuration8) Oh yeah, my trad shop always gives me grief ( 😉 )that I always am tinkering with my setup. Time for you to alter ….something??:P

[SteveMcD]

#62979

Butts… I posted a similiar story a few months back. You will find there are many of us who love the 4 fletched arrow over 3 Fletch. Four fletch does stabilize quicker coming out of paradox. I believe (although I have nothing chrono’ed to back it up), but I believe the lower profile of 4 inch 4 fletch also reduces drag, as well. Regardless, I do see noticeable positive feedback from arrow flight with the 4 inch 4 fletched arrow. And I plan to stick with it. Good Luck to you.

[Hiram]

#63139

It works!

[Jason Wesbrock]

#63608

butts wrote: My Trad shop told me to try the 4″ and it would also increase my FOC.

There’s theory and then there’s reality. 😉

I’ve read that theory numerous times recently, so I decided to check some numbers. On my digital scale, four 4″ parabolic feathers weigh a total of 12 grains. Four 5″ parabolic feathers weigh a total of 17 grains. That’s only a five-grain weight difference. Assuming one could even measure the FOC difference created by five grains, I highly doubt it would even be one tenth of one percent — a complete non-issue.

I can’t think of any possible scenario where that FOC increase would make any difference at all. But I can think of numerous instances where the added stability of a little more fletching could mean the difference between good arrow flight or not (bad release, bowstring hits your sleeve, short drawing etc.).

Does that mean we should all be shooting flu flu arrows at deer? Of course not. As with most choices of this nature, it’s all about finding an acceptable balance between risk and reward. And decreasing fletching size in the name of increased FOC seems like creating a real possible risk for no tangible reward.

By the way, I primarily shoot four 4″ feathers. They work great for me.

[kingwouldbe]

#63695

Butt, they said the same thing to the first Indian who put feathers on the first arrow…….. why are you always tinkering……… we have always shot our arrows with out feathers…………….etc.

I am so thankful for the tinkerers….. we have our best stuff because some people could not stop tinkering.

Oh, about 20 years ago, I tried 4×5″ it worked fine, went back to 3×5″, then last year tried 4×3″.

As J said, there is no noticeable difference in the efoc between 5″ & 4″,

However I just made up a dozen 4×2″ on a 705 grain arrow and WOW!!! they fly as straight as an arrow and are silent in the air, I love it.

What do I love?

#1 The arrow fly’s almost silent through the air, this is vary important to me as a hunter. (I have done vary scientific study’s with sound 😯 lol ) I stood behind a big tree while my hunting buddy shot a 3×5″ arrow past me, I could hear the arrow coming the whole way and it sounded like I could of smoked a cigarette buy the time the arrow came past me, sloooow is the word that comes to mind.

Compared with the speed of sound, the arrow does take all day to get to it’s target, my 4×2″ arrow was a noticeable difference in sound.

At some of the trad 3D shoots you can hear some guys arrows 3 targets away flying like a floofloo with 5 1/2 nanners.

Giant fletching only covers up a badly tuned arrow, if it is tuned, then it only slows it down after it lets everything know it’s coming.

#2 Most and my self included shoot way more fletching than we need to get the job done, I went from 15″ of total fletching to 8″ total fletching surface and I did not sacrifice any thing but sound.

#3 With EFOC you need less fletching to guide the arrow as the fulcrum has changed, you have greater leverage on the feathers, in other words you can get the same guidance with less.

#4 The little 2″ feather is almost impervious to water, because it is closer to the quill it has more natural oils in it, it does not take on water.

With a well tuned arrow you don’t need much to guide it.

Just my 2 cents

[butts]

#63815

2″ fletching is really tiny 😯
When i get home from work, most days I shoot 6-12 arrows and thats about it. My spouse usually asks how I shot knowing that for the next half hour if I had shot poorly I may be in a sour mood, or not.
When I tell my spouse I am changing my setup up, my black Lab covers her own ears with her paws to overcome my wives shrieking:wink:

[Fallguy]

#64078

I have been shooting 4-4″ for 10 years now. I started doing it because I could get 2 fletch from every feather. 4-4″ gives 16″ of fletch per arrow. 3-5″ gives 15″ so the arrows should recover a little faster.

[Author]

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