What vanes should I run?

[Bump79]

You can fletch up a dozen arrows with a dozen different vane setups and they will all fly to the same group at 50yds out of a well tuned bow.

Invest the research time into some garage blind bale work.

This is also true.. I have had 8 different configurations I've been testing. It's all a wash. Some are louder, some stick better, some are more durable. Etc. Get to a .45" or higher in height and it's a wash.

You would notice cutting a lighted nock, wrap and going to a lighter vane though. That's a solid amount of weight, like 25 grains.

 

[GreggB]

We've tested a dozen or more different vane/fixed head combination over the years in my shop and outdoor range. With that said, my arrows have 3 helical Blazers on them.

 

[NMJM]

I have a similar arrow set up, Easton Axis 5mm 300 spine, 511gr. I have tested many different vanes, 3 and 4 fletch. There is no difference inside of 50 yards and sometimes more like 60 yards. After a ton of testing different configurations I settled on 3 fletch helical AAE Max Stealth. I enjoy trying different set ups and will continue to test because I like the process but in reality there is very little difference until you get out past 60.

 

[ndfb35]

DCA Super Sabres are awesome for steering large BHs and quiet. If you don't plan on using anything but mechanicals get the Mini Sabres.

 

[Zac]

Really this whole thought process is a waste of time for the distance and game your hunting. Anyways I understand being bored with something. If you want less weight just go to a RIP TKO. I’d make it simple and run 3 Blazers with your lighted nock. I’d use a HIT insert as well.

 

[MattB]

If you just want to tinker, go ahead. But if you are trying to improve the performance of your arrow, this is very likely an exercise in futility as you will not be able to see or measure any benefit that may come from dropping 10 grains and adding 0.x% FOC.

 

[Bump79]

If you just want to tinker, go ahead. But if you are trying to improve the performance of your arrow, this is very likely an exercise in futility as you will not be able to see or measure any benefit that may come from dropping 10 grains and adding 0.x% FOC.

In my mind the FOC isn't really relevant. However, since he's running a lighted nock I don't think this irrelevant.

If you picture a deflection scenario - the tip is no longer in plane with the mass & associated momentum of the rear of the shaft is still going the original direction. The is more force at the same distance on the lever arm. The physics works that if you have less mass in the rear of your arrow, in theory your reducing the magnitude of the deflection and the shaft isn't driving straight. Losing penetration as well.



Secondly, on a hard impact where the system is coming to a near complete stop in a extremely small distance and time. Causing a large impulse and dispensing of KE & M. Picture it like setting up the spine of your shaft at launch out of your bow. The larger the force in the draw force curve, the stiffer spine you'll need. An aggressive cam at 70# might need a stiffer spine than a normal 70# etc. Key here is thinking about it like going from a 125 to 150 grain head. It might cause you to be weak in spine.

Now on hard impact - the mass of the rear of the shaft and mass of the shaft itself is what is going to cause deflection. Opposite of at launch. The 30ish grains he sheds losing a wrap, lighted nock, and going with slightly lighter vanes is reducing the magnitude of the deflection and keeping that arrow driving home.

Same goes for a mechanical when it deploys. It's dispensing a lot of energy at impact to deploy the blades. If you've got a stiffer shaft if's going to deflect less and keep driving. If you have less weight out back it's going to reduce the magnitude of the shaft flex.

In my mind, keeping the rear shaft weight low to increase penetration is easier to logic my way through than increasing FOC. I just stick with normal weight nocks, minimal wrap if any and 6-7 grain each 3 fletch for this reason.

 

[Jake Larsen]

I’ve had great luck with 4 fletching hybrid 26s with the axis 5mm 300s. I shoot Sevr 1.75s, so I could probably get away with less vane BUT it’s nice to have more correction rather than less when hunting. Much more forgiving when you rip one off, which you will eventually do. I’ve been down the rabbit hole time and time again, messing with components in order to chase the FOC or whatever else numbers I used to think mattered. Now I just keep it in the 6 grains/pound ish range, about 175 grains up front, and tune the arrow. Typically produces about 280fps, bucks the wind well and are as forgiving as possible for the inevitable grip and rips.


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[Matt G.]

I have been down this road a lot in the last 3 years or so. Always tinkering and it has consumed a ton of time. I played with the same vanes. I didn't like the 3 or 4 fletched 2.25 TAC. I settled on the 4 fletch 2.75 TAC for fixed blades. I have now stepped back and going back to aae max stealth. I can get better stability for fixed blades as I do with the 4 fletch tac.

I am also not hearing a difference. I would set my phone about 20 yrds from target and shoot over. Sounded the same to. The thing I will say is that TAC glue/pen are awesome. I need pliers to rip the vanes off the wraps.

I also would not get to overly wrapped up in the FOC. I would rather have faster and straighter trajectory then high FOC. I sit at about 12.5% and 480 grains.

This is an 80 yard 4 arrow group with 2 TAC and 2 AAE....

Enjoy the process

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[TheColorCamo]

Your TAC vanes are going to be the best option for your application. Those 2.25 Drivers are lighter than pretty much any other vane that I have found. Ive been shooting a 3 fletch of them on RIP TKOs and they are phenomenal for field tips and my Sevrs. My beef with blazers is how high profile they are, as well as how floppy/soft they are. TAC vanes are the stiffest vane by far, and as such are a little quieter than other vanes that I have tested, as well as start steering your arrow sooner than other vanes. When I saw your thread title I started coming here to reccomend the TAC Drivers and then saw you already had them! For sure lose the wrap, they are practically worthless and really only look pretty in my experience, at the cost of slowing your arrow and reducing FOC. I you are worried about weight, I would recommend finding a lower GPI arrow and then stacking your weight in the front until you hit your target overall arrow weight/bow speed. Id imagine you would want a faster bow for whitetails that might try and jump the string, so lighter/quieter might be better. Also, the Halo nocks seem to be the lightest weight ones that ive found, if you go down to a standard nock, that would drop a decent amount of weight... but they are pretty fun to shoot, so feel like they can be worth the loss in FOC, especially if you get a lower GPI arrow, and redistribute overall weight to the front instead of wasting it in the carbon.

 

[Marshfly]

Really this whole thought process is a waste of time for the distance and game your hunting. Anyways I understand being bored with something. If you want less weight just go to a RIP TKO. I’d make it simple and run 3 Blazers with your lighted nock. I’d use a HIT insert as well.

Or even lighter with regular RIPs.

I use RIPs for practice all year and then TKOs for hunting. With very similar weight up front the RIPs are ~30 grains lighter than the TKOs at the same 26.5” length.

 

[WCB]

Like others...I've tried others and went back to the standard 3 Blazers with a Helical. I've shot 3 and 4 fletched AAE Max Hunter and Stealths and Quick Spins (a long time ago). At leas in my experience no issues with Blazers sticking and are a lot more durable it seems than the AAEs.

But honestly if your bow is tuned I don't think you are going to have any noticeable difference. If you you were to drop wraps and fletchings ...for me it would be more of an ease and time things when building arrows. Only reason I entertain wraps now is because I don't use lighted nocks. And same set up wrapped vs unwrapped I notice ZERO difference to 80 yards.

 

[jbelz]

You’ll never find a bow or an arrow/wrap/vane configuration that’ll offset the difference between a whitetail jumping your string or not. There is math to that. I know guys who have shot more whitetails than 99.9% of hunters will shoot in 10 lifetimes and they’ve used trad bows or, at the very least, bows without any consideration for FOC, FPS, GPI, BMW, ABC, ABV, A&W, GMC, NBC or any other measurable. It can be fun to geek out about vanes and wraps and inserts and outserts and any other thing, but if you’re not chasing perfect arrow flight and putting the arrow where it needs to be, frankly you’re pissing in the wind and will likely end up embroiled in a thread telling folks how broadhead “x” doesn’t fly/kill/wound channel as well as broadhead “y.”

Put whatever vane on that steers your broadhead well and go put some critters down.