Arrow fletchings: Straight, Offset, or helical?

[slowelk]

I shot some Tooth of the Arrows this year and the blades got damaged shooting my foam target

Sounds like a personal problem. I had no issues with the tooth of the arrow in terms of durability or flight - great head that will be reused after passing through two animals.

 

[Bbell12]

im personally not much for 4 fletch unless you absolute NEED to run the lower profile vanes for cable clearance (some hoyts) and need that 4th vane to make up for the loss of surface area. 3 fletch blazers(my preference) or other vane of your choice is sufficient to correct any form deficiency should one arise at the moment of truth from a properly tuned bow.

as for straight/helical/offset... straight is basically useless. offset is better, but i prefer helical. the arizona ez mini jig is an awesome tool and does a great iob. puts a nice helical on the short 2" blazer style vanes.

im not of a fan of the valkyrie system. its too constrictive, you cant use normal stuff.

im not too big on the micro shafts, i prefer standard shafts as the components are stronger, lack the weakness near the insert and generally have a better gpi distribution, but that part is mostly personal preference.

i build my arrow systems around 100gr heads so i can easily swap heads for the target creature. plenty of great 100gr offerings. i build the arrow mass with insert weight for the benefits of FoC. youre leaning this direction, thats good!

the vipertrick is a good head, but its not a great head. i would put it in a group with the muzzy trocar, the wasp heads, and thunderhead, but below the group of iron will, magnus black hornet, stinger and vpa.

Very good info here, thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MattB]

Helical. Don't over think it. And IMO you are definately overthinking it.

 

[Trial153]

Three fletch, helical... its been working for me for years and despite everything else I tried I havent found better.
I used to run just an offset when I would shoot mechanicals heads however if there was any benefits I couldnt see it. Same with four fletch.
Now I set my blitz with a modified helical clamp and an offset and forget it.

 

[Gumbo]

I like 4 fletch with 2-3* helical. I'm shooting 2.5" Vmax vanes and get good flight and penetration with Ramcats out to 72 yards (which is as far as I've shot them). One big plus for me of 4-fletch is that you can nock them either way.

 

[jaximus]

I like 4 fletch with 2-3* helical. I'm shooting 2.5" Vmax vanes and get good flight and penetration with Ramcats out to 72 yards (which is as far as I've shot them). One big plus for me of 4-fletch is that you can nock them either way.

nocking either way forgoes the benefit of any nock tuning or spine indexing you can do to improve your arrows performance. i buy .003 arrows, cut them short and spine index, then make minor adjustments by nock tuning with bareshafts through paper at 10yds.

arrows can react quite differently at 180* nocking positions. it matters much less if you use .001 arrows and cut them short. if you use .006/.003 arrows and/or shoot long arrows, there can be a rather large difference. add fixed broadheads to the mix and shoot at 50yds and youll see what i mean.

be careful with advice like this. 4 fletch has exploded in recent years because of the ability to 'nock either way.' in my multi decades of bow hunting, i cant think of a time when i was rushed that much where i couldnt put the cock vane the correct way with the nocks indexing tab on my thumb. practice a few extra 'rushed shots, its not that hard.

 

[Gumbo]

nocking either way forgoes the benefit of any nock tuning or spine indexing you can do to improve your arrows performance. i buy .003 arrows, cut them short and spine index, then make minor adjustments by nock tuning with bareshafts through paper at 10yds.

arrows can react quite differently at 180* nocking positions. it matters much less if you use .001 arrows and cut them short. if you use .006/.003 arrows and/or shoot long arrows, there can be a rather large difference. add fixed broadheads to the mix and shoot at 50yds and youll see what i mean.

be careful with advice like this. 4 fletch has exploded in recent years because of the ability to 'nock either way.' in my multi decades of bow hunting, i cant think of a time when i was rushed that much where i couldnt put the cock vane the correct way with the nocks indexing tab on my thumb. practice a few extra 'rushed shots, its not that hard.

Thanks for the critique. I shoot 0.001 rampages right now and have not had to nock tune at all. I do shoot relatively long distances with small fixed blades a lot, practicing mostly at 70 yards. My bow is tuned to the point that my field tips hit with my broadheads at that distance, sub-MOA when I do my part, with no nock tuning required, which is good enough for me. Maybe I am lucky, or maybe I just build good arrows because I strive for perfection, pay exceptionally close attention to details in my build, cull bad arrows to use for field practice, and use top quality shafts to begin with. Maybe it is partly because I shoot every day and focus on strong form and have learned how to tune my bows and shoot a happy medium set up. Am I an expert? No, that label is reserved for folks like Dudley who have devoted a lifetime to this. Am I a more knowledgeable bow tech with the gear I use than the overwhelming majority of archers? Yes. Do I experiment with different setups, configurations, and tuning techniques? Yes. Am I absolutely OCD about my gear and shooting? Yes, other than my family it is all I think about.

I shot three fletch for 25 years or so and if I thought it shot better for me I'd still do it. I simply stated one big plus was the ability to nock either way, and I never said that it was because of being rushed, nor did I say that it was the determining factor in my choice of fletch configuration. I chose it because in head-to-head comparisons with several other configurations it shot the best groups for me using my setup. There are lots of ways to skin a cat. I don't presume that my current setup is the best, but it is a well thought out system based on an enormous amount of research, experimenting, and practice. In the future, I'd suggest being careful not to read to deeply between the lines in other's posts. I am guilty of it too, and have made some posts I am not particularly proud of here.

One last point, practicing rushed shots is not something I would ever recommend. Rushing shots is a great way to ingrain bad habits, induce target panic, and learn to rush shots in the field. I know because I used to do exactly that, then spent years relearning how to shoot. If I feel rushed in a shot I want the discipline to relax, take my time, and let up if it isn't right.

 

[IaArcher]

I fletch my arrows with helical using Arizona ez fletch mini. I also have Last Chance Fletcher but the Ariza just works better at 1/4 the cost.

 

[njbowhntr]

Helical using a Bitz. Fletching is 2.6" AAE Plastifletch 3 fletch.

Arrow wise I bounce back and forth from Gold Tip Hunter Pro and Easton Axis 5mm Match. I have both built to weigh within 5 grains of each, 10 grains with the BAR installed. Tune wise I just have to adjust my rest for the smaller, or larger, diameter arrow.

I have a tuning obsession. I consider my bow and arrow combo tuned when I can put a field point and broadhead in the same dot of a Vault target at 60 yards. We owe it to the animals that we chase to make sure our gear and our shooting abilities are at their best.

 

[jaximus]

Thanks for the critique. I shoot 0.001 rampages right now and have not had to nock tune at all. I do shoot relatively long distances with small fixed blades a lot, practicing mostly at 70 yards. My bow is tuned to the point that my field tips hit with my broadheads at that distance, sub-MOA when I do my part, with no nock tuning required, which is good enough for me. Maybe I am lucky, or maybe I just build good arrows because I strive for perfection, pay exceptionally close attention to details in my build, cull bad arrows to use for field practice, and use top quality shafts to begin with. Maybe it is partly because I shoot every day and focus on strong form and have learned how to tune my bows and shoot a happy medium set up. Am I an expert? No, that label is reserved for folks like Dudley who have devoted a lifetime to this. Am I a more knowledgeable bow tech with the gear I use than the overwhelming majority of archers? Yes. Do I experiment with different setups, configurations, and tuning techniques? Yes. Am I absolutely OCD about my gear and shooting? Yes, other than my family it is all I think about.

I shot three fletch for 25 years or so and if I thought it shot better for me I'd still do it. I simply stated one big plus was the ability to nock either way, and I never said that it was because of being rushed, nor did I say that it was the determining factor in my choice of fletch configuration. I chose it because in head-to-head comparisons with several other configurations it shot the best groups for me using my setup. There are lots of ways to skin a cat. I don't presume that my current setup is the best, but it is a well thought out system based on an enormous amount of research, experimenting, and practice. In the future, I'd suggest being careful not to read to deeply between the lines in other's posts. I am guilty of it too, and have made some posts I am not particularly proud of here.

One last point, practicing rushed shots is not something I would ever recommend. Rushing shots is a great way to ingrain bad habits, induce target panic, and learn to rush shots in the field. I know because I used to do exactly that, then spent years relearning how to shoot. If I feel rushed in a shot I want the discipline to relax, take my time, and let up if it isn't right.

much better post and i appreciate the insight. my comment was not meant as slight of you or your skill. your original comment of 4 fletch being good for nocking either way was not qualified with any sort of backing of what arrow specs you use or how you formed that conclusion. someone that isnt detail oriented or knowledgable about arrow construction, such as yourself or myself, make unknowing take that advice and cause themselves issues. now that youve given that idea supporting reasoning, they can make an educated choice.

i shoot .003 arrows and go through the extra steps of spine align/nock tuning because of the variety and volume of animals i shoot, plus i build for a bunch of friends on that arrow shaft. Needing a large amount of arrows, cost plays a role to me. i can get that particular .003 shaft in volume for very cheap. i shoot daily, so the extra 'time and effort' is of no consequence, its a labor of love. i currently have 6 1/2 dozen spine aligned and nock tuned bareshafts (we all have very similar setups) awaiting to be built.

shooting .001s its generally not necessary to nock tune, unless the shafts are long and there is a lot of weight up front.