# Fletching: Best vanes for Recurves?



## c3hammer (Sep 20, 2002)

Good last name there, hehe!  You don't happen to be related to the Carneys from Rockford Ill. by chance?

Flex Fletch are the toughest vanes I've ever seen. I'd stick with the 1.875" version for outdoor recurve.

In most cases spin wings or the like seem to give the best groups at 70m and 90m, but they are horribly fragile and a pain to constantly replace.

Cheers,
Pete Carney


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## Jim C (Oct 15, 2002)

Ditto what Pete says

I use FF 1.87 for Field-and sometimes FITA on ACE
I use the K spinners for FITA on X10


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## RecordKeeper (May 9, 2003)

Ditto again what Pete said.....with one exception.....

In my own personal testing, the Flex Fletch vanes did produce tighter groups at 70 and 90 meters that did my Spin Wings or Kurly Vanes.


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## Jorge Oliveira (Aug 13, 2004)

The Vanetecs vanes are very resitent (I only shoot indoors), much better than Duravanes.

They have the Super Spines kind of 3D Duravanes.

http://www.vmaxvanes.com/products.aspx?header=1&vmax=sizes


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## anson (Nov 24, 2004)

FF187's all around, virtually indestructable.


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## InKYfromSD (Feb 6, 2004)

I picked up 150 2" FlexFletch vanes on ebay. I've cut some down to approximate a 1.87 shield cut. Combined with a 4 grain wrap, they definitely stiffened my ACEs. Having shot one into the mud (forgot to move my sight to 50 when I went back outside) and two most of the way through an excelsior bale, there was no damage at all. One trip through the bale usually strips the Spinwings right off. They group a little lower at 50, about an inch or so and a bit left. Haven't shot them any farther than that yet.


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## AKRuss (Jan 10, 2003)

I guess I should try Flex-Fletch vanes. I've heard you have to clean the base of each one. Is that true? Where is a good place to get them?


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

AKRuss,

I think F/S Discount is a few cents cheeper than Lancaster but I find I place more orders with Lancaster so I just order my vanes from them with the rest of the stuff.

Dave


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## c3hammer (Sep 20, 2002)

I got my Flex Fletch vanes from Spott Hogg. I also sand the bases with 400 grit paper by bending the paper 90 degrees on a sharp corner, then a film of CA glue and they are good to go.

Cheers,
Pete


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## AKRuss (Jan 10, 2003)

Wow, so to do a dozen arrows, you're sanding the bases of 36 vanes? I assume you wipe them down with something after sanding too. Are they really worth all that trouble?


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## acarney (Jan 20, 2006)

Thanks the feedback on FF & Vanetec. But why 1.87" fletching instead of the 1.5"?


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## palmer (Sep 23, 2003)

I use FF175's. I clean the base with acetone and use vinyl wraps and fletchtite platinum. 1.50" is getting a little on the small side for stabilization. Most FITA 'curvers that use vanes use 1.75" or 1.87".


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## acarney (Jan 20, 2006)

Thanks Palmer. Put another way: It's a trade-off between stability & drag, going down to 1.5" sacrifices too much stability.


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## palmer (Sep 23, 2003)

For me personally, yea, I'd agree with that. You might get alot of different answers on that one. Just like the debate between spin wings and vanes, and just like the debate between regular spin wings and spin wing elites.  Best advice is experiment for yourself. There's so many variables that it's hard to give "absolute" advice when it comes to arrow setups, but 175's and 187's seem to be the norm when it comes to vanes.


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

AKRuss,

Not sure why he goes to the trouble of sanding. I just wipe the bases down with denatured alcohol when the vane is in the Bitz clamp. Already cleaned the shaft with alcohol before putting it in the jig. Oh, and I use Flex-Fletch's own brand of glue. They even hold up when I shoot one into the desert, not an arrow friendly environment. (LOL)

ararney,

I use the 1.75" Flex-Fletch on my Navigators. They are parabolic while the 1.87" are shield shaped. I think it's just a matter of appearance between those two. Pick the shape you prefer.

Dave


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## acarney (Jan 20, 2006)

Thanks Dave,

And it comforting to know that you have use the FF vanes on Navigators. Cannot understand why the archery shop said that the 2 would not work together?


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## c3hammer (Sep 20, 2002)

A couple swipes over the sand paper and 30 seconds on the jig with CA takes a lot less time than any of the other adhesives. Alcohol and CA doesn't keep them on the shafts in any way from my experience.

Cheers,
Pete


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

Pete,

Not trying to start an argument. My experience is just different. Maybe it's from using the propriatary Flex-Fletch glue?

Dave


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