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Feather Fletchings w a Compound

TinyTucky

TinyTucky

Active Member
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The Flatlands
So last year I spent a lot of time putting together my hunting arrows, but for whatever reason (mostly because I’m an idiot) did not consider the weight I was adding to the back with a wrap, 4 fletch and lighted nock. Essentially I hate them and want to redo them and increase my FOC and reduce my overall arrow weight. Has any one used feather fletchings with their compound setups? I have some 2” Rayzr fletchings sitting at home, but I’m not sure if they will be enough to steer a fixed head with a 3 or 4 fletch? My buddy is letting me borrow his chopper, so I can make some 3” shield cuts if need be. I’ll likely fletch some with the 2” and try to tune them, but I guess I’m asking if that would be a waste of time or not 😂
 
I only shoot feathers out of my compound.. Call me old school if you want, but they seemed to just always flew better... I sent a 1/2 dozen carbon arrows with feathers out to the get together... Don't know what happened to them, might still be thrown in a corner at Giles... See if they are available and get them to try if you can....
 
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Fletch said:
I only shoot feathers out of my compound.. Call me old school if you want, but they seemed to just always flew better... I sent a 1/2 dozen carbon arrows with feathers out to the get together... Don't know what happened to them, might still be thrown in a corner at Giles... See if they are available and get them to try if you can....
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What length and cut are you using? After shooting a stick bow for the first 3/4 of my archery career, I certainly have a soft spot for feathers. I’d like to assume a 4 fletch 2” could steer a Magnus Stinger fine with a well tuned setup.
 
I shoot 3" shield cut feathers out of my Elite Ritual 30. I prefer them over vanes for the lighter weight and better flight control. My next batch of arrows will have wraps on them. The wraps make it easier to fletch the arrows, plus I like the visual in flight. :cool:

I'm shooting a 29" DL at 57#. The arrows are Gold Tip Hunter XT 300 spine at 27" with a 100 gr. brass insert, 125 gr. tip weight and 3" feathers for a TAW of 500 gr. This setup flies perfect with a bare shaft at 20 yards and will handle any fixed blade broadhead. Typically, I shoot a 4-blade Magnus Stinger, 4-blade Magnus Killer Bee, Grizzly single bevel (2-blade, left bevel) and Magnus SS Snuffer and they all fly to the same Point Of Impact as the field tips of the same weight. (y)
ER 1.webp
 
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Bowhunter57 said:
I shoot 3" shield cut feathers out of my Elite Ritual 30. I prefer them over vanes for the lighter weight and better flight control. My next batch of arrows will have wraps on them. The wraps make it easier to fletch the arrows, plus I like the visual in flight. :cool:

I'm shooting a 29" DL at 57#. The arrows are Gold Tip Hunter XT 300 spine at 27" with a 100 gr. brass insert, 125 gr. tip weight and 3" feathers for a TAW of 500 gr. This setup flies perfect with a bare shaft at 20 yards and will handle any fixed blade broadhead. Typically, I shoot a 4-blade Magnus Stinger, 4-blade Magnus Killer Bee, Grizzly single bevel (2-blade, left bevel) and Magnus SS Snuffer and they all fly to the same Point Of Impact as the field tips of the same weight. (y)
View attachment 210593
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That’s very similar to what my setup is/will be. I’d like to have more than 175gr up front, but I think I’m already maxing out my 300 spine with my 29.5” draw @ 60lbs. If I didn’t stock pile the 300 spines I’d consider going stiffer, but I don’t really see the need in my experience.
 
@TinyTucky
If it helps, I recently dropped from a 150 gr. tip weight, to the 125 gr. The previous setup had 250 gr. up front, including the 100 gr. brass insert with a TAW of 525. I've never had any penetration problems with this setup.
The current setup has 225 gr. up front, including the 100 gr. brass insert.
I was shooting the 525 TAW setup, when I shot this buck at 14 yards with a Magnus Killer Bee. The hit was ahead of the right front shoulder and the exit was behind the left front leg.
A6.webp


I've considered trying some 5mm Easton Axis shafts for my compound and my recurve. I like the smaller diameter for better penetration and the smaller carbons seem to be tougher too. I'm always tinkering with arrows, but just haven't made the switch yet.
 
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Hunter, you get the FOC high enough and you will not need much on the back end at all. I’ve got a bit over 20% FOC on the arrows set up for my compound. Dr.SS can bear witness, my bare shaft and fletched arrows impact the same at 50 yards. I sent him down the FOC rabbit hole a few years ago and I am certain he would enjoy giving you his input. You do not need much on the back if you get the front right.
 
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brock ratcliff said:
Btw, I shoot 2.5” of feather, three fletch on those arrows w broadheads.
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I was texting him yesterday about it. He is running a 3” 3 fletch shooting Iron Wills no problem. I’m trying to make my ass end as light as possible. I was around 65 grains on the back was just ridiculous. I didn’t check how heavy those AAEs were and here we are lol
 
TinyTucky said:
I was texting him yesterday about it. He is running a 3” 3 fletch shooting Iron Wills no problem. I’m trying to make my ass end as light as possible. I was around 65 grains on the back was just ridiculous. I didn’t check how heavy those AAEs were and here we are lol
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Yeah, he lost some FOC with his back end set up, but it is still much better system than he was shooting prior I think he said he is around 18% now, but the 200 grain Iron will out performs those junk mechanicals he was shooting off a more balanced arrow. Doesn’t hurt to have a 35” draw length either. 😀
 
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when i did shoot compound i shot mathews Icon and a Rival Pro with acc 3-4" LW chartreuse feathers and all different fixed 3 blade broadheads,,, my favorite being a big rotharr snuffer,,,,the key to this set up was i used an original vital gear drop away wity the rubber grabbers trimmed,,,, many deer fell to that set up..

Maybe 10 yrs ago i got a mathews helim after shoulder surgery, that bow was set at 48lbs, I shot the same acc/339's i used with the other bows except a 125gr G5, Slicktrick Mag or thunderhead,, dropped fletching size to 2 1/2" and i shot 3 deer all pass thrus and no deer dropped hard BUT my shots were 20yd max from the ground.

I did try some helical vanes but they didnt tune good for me, if anyone isnt using lighted nocks then the high visible fletchings look the same going towards the deer,,, but some colors like chart are hard to find if the blood drys and your looking for the arrow
 
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Never gave FOC,,BOC,,ZOC any thought... Got arrows from a local archery shop that were spined to my draw length and poundage I was shooting.. Shot the big Anderson broad heads (who remembers them) down to the small Slick Tricks .. Always spun my arrows with the broad heads on... They better have spun like a top or they came off... Sometimes just rearranging the blades cured the problem... I killed a couple of deer so something must be working... But then again I always setup in thick stuff so shots are limited to under 25 yds.. So do whatever floats your boat and enjoy the time afield.... Oh... One thing I was very anal about .. My feathers.. Always careful about them walking in or out and always had a baggie to put over them if it rained...
 
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Fletch said:
Never gave FOC,,BOC,,ZOC any thought... Got arrows from a local archery shop that were spined to my draw length and poundage I was shooting.. Shot the big Anderson broad heads (who remembers them) down to the small Slick Tricks .. Always spun my arrows with the broad heads on... They better have spun like a top or they came off... Sometimes just rearranging the blades cured the problem... I killed a couple of deer so something must be working... But then again I always setup in thick stuff so shots are limited to under 25 yds.. So do whatever floats your boat and enjoy the time afield.... Oh... One thing I was very anal about .. My feathers.. Always careful about them walking in or out and always had a baggie to put over them if it rained...
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Its funny you mentioned feathers,,, i used always keep my hunting arrows separate from practice arrows,, the fletching stayed mint BUT after spooking a couple deer because of the new fletching scraping against something i now only use well broken in fletching where you can pull the arrow thru a lightly closed hand and not feel the fletch, now theres no noise from the fletch no matter what it touches,,,, shoot the crap out of those hunting arrows..... cover is still good to keep fletch dry and covered.....many will say white feathers will flag a deer you didnt see off to the side when drawing back on the deer you do see,, that deer out there will snort and blow your shot..
 
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Anderson 245, yeah I remember them. I used to worry a little about wet fletching… until I paid attention to FOC, which you just said you never did. You were also likely shooting aluminum shafts, you definitely were when shooting the Anderson heads. Aluminum is a much heavier material than carbon. FOC w aluminum was usually around 10%, and would weight 500+ grains, minimum. I shot a 740 grain arrow for a few years, 2419 Aluminum with an original Phantom head on tge front. I could and did shoot deer successfully regardless of angle. In order to get a decent hunting weight shaft (particularly with carbon shafts from a relatively slow traditional bow), it is wise to figure out what FOC is all about. It’s pretty simple to add 100-150 grains of total arrow weight to the front of a carbon shaft these days. And the benefits of penetration and flight characteristics is evident on each shot. Wet feathers and a reasonable fixed blade head are no longer an issue. That is fact.
 
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Brock... Yeh... Was shooting aluminum arrows also shot carbon... Just to be clear : Not knocking anyone's style of shooting or setting up of their arrows... Everyone has their own ways... Just commenting on my own experiences... Heck in the day I used to come home from clubbing and jump right in my camo... And I smelled from cologne and women's perfume... And I shot deer... God forbid you do that today ... So do what you believe in ... Oh .. I still have a few packs of Anderson's...
 
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