Anyone wish they didn’t fletch their own arrows?

[Wolf13]

It sucks to fletch. Rewarding but sucks while doing it. I just ordered some ez vanes from Australia and hope they work awesome. I shoot a lot and my targets get worn out and I ruin a bunch of fletching shooting through them.

Quik fletch wraps are awesome also, I shot them for years and honestly don’t know why I stopped. They work awesome and you can reflect in less than 5 minutes.

I have been tempted to try the ez vanes. Only thing holding me back is I wanted two colors, but I don’t really enjoy fletching. I don’t dislike it, but I’d rather be doing something else. I equate it to reloading, except more annoying.

 

[fatlander]

Get yourself and mini max, arrow saw, and squaring jig.

They’ll pay for themselves after a couple dozen arrows.


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[dtrkyman]

I have Zingers for one set of arrows, probably switch to them for everything at some point?

Back in the day I worked at a pro shop, started there fletching arrows, no thanks!

 

[mobohunter]

Get yourself and mini max, arrow saw, and squaring jig.

They’ll pay for themselves after a couple dozen arrows.


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I second the squaring jig and fletching yourself!

 

[nphunter]

I have been tempted to try the ez vanes. Only thing holding me back is I wanted two colors, but I don’t really enjoy fletching. I don’t dislike it, but I’d rather be doing something else. I equate it to reloading, except more annoying.

Totally agree about fletching, I reload too. I have two boys that shoot, my wife shoots and I also shoot trad so I fletch way more arrows than I want to. It made since to buy an arrow saw and a coupe blitz with all of us shooting. I really hope the ez vanes work well. They have 4 fletch too if you’re worried about orientation.

I shoot an Ackley with the original chambering so I have to reload. I love shooting it and shooting my own reloads but only do it every couple years and load up a bunch.

 

[AZhunting22]

I ordered a AZ EZ jig and now just have to track down some vanes, glue and arrow wrap. I ordered the right helical jig so hopefully that’s the pattern that flys best.

 

[Lowg08]

I absolutely love building arrows. I build mine and for allot of other people too. I will tell you. Just buy a last chance archery vane master pro. Makes its very simple. Also don’t buy into the whole glue primer thing. Just get the gorilla glue gel pen and be done. Also. Find a vane you like. I use TAC vanes and have had no issues. Bohning heat vanes are great too. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[roosiebull]

Well that pretty much settles it then, I’ll order the stuff this week. It’ll be a fun learning experience if nothing else.

What are you planning on ordering?

Fletching your own is absolutely the way to go, gives you the option to fix arrows and you can build them however you please, and square everything. Fletching your own is one simple way to save money long term and when you get dialed in, you can build a better arrow unless you are paying a lot

 

[Gualdoni99]

Love fletching my own. Super easy

 

[Valkyrie]

Funny this came up. I just built a dozen target arrows yesterday. I’ve been building my own arrows for about 15 years or more. I can build the exact arrow I want and I don’t have to run around to the shop to have them cut etc. There is an initial cost of entry. Some things I would pass along if you want to go this route.

Buy a decent saw. You don’t need a $500 commercial unit but get a good 100-200$ saw. Don’t try to rig one up with harbor freight parts, BTDT and in the long run they suck. Cyanoacrylate adhesives are basically the same across the major players so you don’t gain anything over using a brand name rather than good Gorrila cyano. I use the blue cap. And lastly, prep the surfaces to be bonded. Acetone is your friend. I have found that no matter what the manufacturer says, you need to prep the vane base otherwise you will not get great adhesion. It might be good but if you prep the shaft by wiping with acetone and the same for the vane base, the vane will tear before the bond will fail. And my personal technique, I use accelerator. I spray Bob Smith Industries accelerator on the shaft then when I mount the vane to the shaft in my Bitz, it’s five seconds and done. I keep a mason jar of acetone also to dissolve residual glue when I reflect an arrow. Just put the shaft in the jar and five minutes later the glue is gone.

I find the personal touch to your gear is something you can’t get from a third party or factory fletched arrows. I like being able to try different components.

 

[Archerichards]

Never.

I only fletch about 2 to 3 dozen arrows a year. All for whitetail hunting and practicing for hunting.

The entire time I am building them I am thinking about hunting, and I am building a very specific arrow for my bow and my personal requirements. It is custom, and I am building it for me. It's never work, and I find it therapeutic and it always makes me hopeful for my next hunting trip.

At this point I cannot imagine paying someone to build my arrows for me.

 

[5MilesBack]

I only fletch about 2 to 3 dozen arrows a year. All for whitetail hunting and practicing for hunting.

That's a lot of arrows every year. What do you do with them all? I bought three dozen RIP TKO shafts a few years ago, and two of those dozen are still new in the package. That first dozen may last me awhile.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

these are my go-to now.

Arrow vanes and fletching

Archery product arrow vanes arrow fletching

easyvanes.com.au

 

[Archerichards]

That's a lot of arrows every year. What do you do with them all? I bought three dozen RIP TKO shafts a few years ago, and two of those dozen are still new in the package. That first dozen may last me awhile.

Maybe you should share some with me (LOL)!

I suspect you are a better archer than I am. I seem to kill off about a dozen a year due to busting nocks, losing them in the shrubbery, hitting the shed wall behind my target, losing/breaking them while hunting...stuff like that. That, and I end up selling a half dozen to a dozen a year because I have a new setup I like a little better.

 

[Wolf13]

these are my go-to now.

Arrow vanes and fletching

Archery product arrow vanes arrow fletching

easyvanes.com.au

Broke down and ordered a three and four fletch package. If these work, can get rid of a the jig and save some “free” time. No reason they shouldn’t work…

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Broke down and ordered a three and four fletch package. If these work, can get rid of a the jig and save some “free” time. No reason they shouldn’t work…

I've been using them for 4 years now with zero issues

 

[doc holiday13]

I have an old Jo-Jan 6 arrow deal. I can have 18 vanes glued up in about 10 minutes. By the time I get to the 6th arrow, the glue on the first has dried enough to remove the clamp and glue up the next vane

 

[mighteywhitehunter]

 

[nphunter]

these are my go-to now.

Arrow vanes and fletching

Archery product arrow vanes arrow fletching

easyvanes.com.au

Mine just showed up, I haven't had a chance to shoot with them yet but they fit perfectly on the shaft. I don't think I will ever fletch any of my arrows again.

 

[flyfisher117]

Last year I had my local archery shop put together some arrows for me (Easton Axis 5mm with AAE Max vanes.) After about a year of shooting I’ve ended up damaging about 1/2 of the fletchings.

I’m thinking about getting a jig and doing it myself but wondering if anyone regrets going that route? The initial set up to DIY would be similar to just getting the damaged ones fixed.

They did put the shafts in a jig to bend them to see where the best place to put the vanes would be but that is over my head and I’m wondering how necessary it would be if I did go the diy route. Any input is appreciated!

I wish I didn't get into it. For me it's turned into an addictive side hobby and I just enjoy playing around with various color, size, and orientation configurations.

I personally don't mess around with Spine aligning my shafts. I can't shoot good enough for it to matter, maybe when I can shoot like John Dudley I will try again.