Feathers

Horizontal Hunter · Post by **Horizontal Hunter** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 10:14 am

Anyone shoot feathers on their crossbow arrows? Why did you chose feathers over the usual vanes?

I was thinking that feathers would be more forgiving in the event that you hit a small twig.

Thanks,

Bob

shafferm · Post by **shafferm** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:05 pm

I am shooting feathers on nearly all of the arrows I build. Currently I am shooting aluminum 2213, 2216, and 2219's. I am using 4 inch right wing parabolics with about a 4 degree offset. I prefer the feathers over the plastic vanes since they are lighter than vanes which shifts my FOC forward a bit more and gains me a few fps in the velocity department as well. Generally I get tighter groupings with feathers over plastic vanes.

The bad sides are the cost and durability, feathers are quite a bit pricier than their plastic counterparts and they are quite a bit more fragile than plastics. Plastics will generally hold up to being shot through a target, with feathers they rarely survive going through without some damage occurring and requiring you to go and refletch.

That would be an interesting experiment to try, set up your target behind some small twigs and see which performs better, vanes or feathers. Interesting, although it sounds like it could become very expensive.

-M

Limbs and Sticks · Post by **Limbs and Sticks** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:44 pm

shafferm wrote:I am shooting feathers on nearly all of the arrows I build. Currently I am shooting aluminum 2213, 2216, and 2219's. I am using 4 inch right wing parabolics with about a 4 degree offset. I prefer the feathers over the plastic vanes since they are lighter than vanes which shifts my FOC forward a bit more and gains me a few fps in the velocity department as well. Generally I get tighter groupings with feathers over plastic vanes.

The bad sides are the cost and durability, feathers are quite a bit pricier than their plastic counterparts and they are quite a bit more fragile than plastics. Plastics will generally hold up to being shot through a target, with feathers they rarely survive going through without some damage occurring and requiring you to go and refletch.

That would be an interesting experiment to try, set up your target behind some small twigs and see which performs better, vanes or feathers. Interesting, although it sounds like it could become very expensive.

XX2, VERY FORGIVING. a 4'' feather to me handles wind better than plastic, tried vanes and blazers off and on, neither to me have benefit's to make me hunt with them, love my feathers

Wes

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:01 pm

Here's a bit of reading for you.
http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/facts.htm

onebigskittle · Post by **onebigskittle** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:20 pm

only problem i have with feathers is that i cant shoot more than one arrow/bolt at a time because i keep cutting the feathers off when shooting broadheads

I just tryed the new zeon vanes and i think they are awesome to.

cmawdsley · Post by **cmawdsley** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:28 pm

OK, I read the article, sounds good.

In the meantime, are the vanes on a stock Excal Firebolt straight or offset ?
Hey, I'm new at this

cevans · Post by **cevans** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:25 pm

When I got my Firebolts,,they are slightly offset.

diesel · Post by **diesel** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:29 am

Limbs and Sticks wrote:
shafferm wrote:I am shooting feathers on nearly all of the arrows I build. Currently I am shooting aluminum 2213, 2216, and 2219's. I am using 4 inch right wing parabolics with about a 4 degree offset. I prefer the feathers over the plastic vanes since they are lighter than vanes which shifts my FOC forward a bit more and gains me a few fps in the velocity department as well. Generally I get tighter groupings with feathers over plastic vanes.

The bad sides are the cost and durability, feathers are quite a bit pricier than their plastic counterparts and they are quite a bit more fragile than plastics. Plastics will generally hold up to being shot through a target, with feathers they rarely survive going through without some damage occurring and requiring you to go and refletch.

That would be an interesting experiment to try, set up your target behind some small twigs and see which performs better, vanes or feathers. Interesting, although it sounds like it could become very expensive.

XX2, VERY FORGIVING. a 4'' feather to me handles wind better than plastic, tried vanes and blazers off and on, neither to me have benefit's to make me hunt with them, love my feathers

Wes

X3
The only 2 things that are a down side with feathers .
They don't like the rain so I use Goose feathers when hunting in the rain.
They make a lot more noise when shot than vanes do. All my shots are 30yrds or less so does not matter with an Excalibur Exomag .
Do my own Turkey feathers and goose feathers so cost is not a problem.

Horizontal Hunter · Post by **Horizontal Hunter** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:47 am

Thanks for the article Don and the to all for their thoughts. When the weather gets nicer I will fletch a few with feathers and compare to my Blazers.

Bob

footed shaft · Post by **footed shaft** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 10:09 am

Diesel, shoot me a PM with your address, i have just what u need to kep your feathers from soaking in ANY water

Bill
P.S
I shoot feathers exclusively on my recurve and my sons' x-bow bolts will only have feathers on them. All natural barred turkey feathers, dyed bright colors.

footed shaft · Post by **footed shaft** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:22 pm

Natural turkey feathers have a very wide oil line in them. Alot of time you won't even need to coat them with any thing. Bill

NHmsj · Post by **NHmsj** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:53 pm

Feathers for me. I'm old school, been using feathers for years and years. I've used vanes, too, but they just don't provide me the "feel" that I get with using feathers. Function-wise, vanes obviously do the job well enough. But, of course, feathers do the job just as well, ahhhhhhhh...if not a bit better in my humble opinion. The added work? Well, that's part of the fun of it all, no? I mean this bowhunting thing is a hobby, correct? I like fletching my own shafts, building my own arrows. I like fixing things when they need fixing. Like I said, I like building my own arrows. True, it's not like when I use to make cedar arrows, cutting to length, tapering, staining (I preferred staining and sealing) cutting the feathers and playing around with different configurations of fletch, but I still build my own even though I went to aluminum XX75 long ago and still employ them today.

Feathers or vanes, both work nicely. It's just for me that feathers are nostalgic, and I just feel a connection to them. They are simply a part of archery for me. Whether it was a recurve, a compound or, as presently, a crossbow (another recurve) feathers just seem right.

msj

Tennessee Tom · Post by **Tennessee Tom** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:34 am

where can equipment be found to cut ? make your own flecthing from turkey goose or maybe even a mallard duck feather ,, I like building my own also ???? thanks

Limbs and Sticks · Post by **Limbs and Sticks** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:57 am

Tennessee Tom wrote:where can equipment be found to cut ? make your own flecthing from turkey goose or maybe even a mallard duck feather ,, I like building my own also ???? thanks

Pull up Gateway feathers, they will have everything you need, have fun

Wes

diesel · Post by **diesel** » Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:11 pm

Tennessee Tom wrote:where can equipment be found to cut ? make your own flecthing from turkey goose or maybe even a mallard duck feather ,, I like building my own also ???? thanks

Look at Bow Hunters Super Store or Three Rivers Archery, Many others are out there as well.

Bill
That was fast shipping got the stuff today . Will give it a try .

Thanks

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