# Fletching Target Arrows



## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

I am gathering the stuff to start making my own arrows. Have a question about target arrow fletching. Is straight alignment considered the best to reduce drag, or will some degree of offset stabalize better? This is with a straight clamp and I need to know about both vanes and feathers.

Thanks, Dave


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## Boltsmyth (Nov 16, 2002)

a little offset is best with straight vanes and feathers


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

Is there a preferred number of degrees, or is it a matter of experimentation?

Dave


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## >--gt--> (Jul 1, 2002)

In order for any answers to this question to be meaningful, one would need to know more details such as:

-Primary use for the arrows (indoor target, outdoor 3D, FITA, etc.)
-Diameter and weight range for the shafts
-Desired FOC balance
-shooting style (recurve or compound, fingers or release)
-type of arrow rest (flipper, springie, launcher, prongs)

That will help people give you more specific advice- asking about degrees of offset is putting the cart before the horse.


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## c3hammer (Sep 20, 2002)

I think you'll find that most everyone use 2 degree or so offset with a straight fletching jig for both vanes and feathers on indoor target arrows of larger diameter.

The only exceptions seem to be the newer Spinwings and Kurly vanes, which are most often, if not always applied straight and have the offset built in.

For outdoor target arrows, most everyone use Spinwings or the like. One notable exception would be Limbwalker who used vanes at the Olympics to fine tune the dynamic spine of his rather gargantuan ACE's 

For 3D and field, most everyone uses smaller vanes at 2 degrees or so. This is mostly because spinwings get torn up too easily with other arrows in the bails.

Cheers,
Pete


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

I am a recurve shooter. First interest (love) is field archery. I am getting into some FITA Barebow target (the American and FITA 900 rounds). So far I am shooting carbons and my draw length is the same as Limbwalker's - 32.5". I want to try NFAA Indoor but have not done so yet. That will probably be a different set up than for Field or FITA. I have arrows with 3" and 4" feathers and intend to try Flex-Fletch vanes.

Dave


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

C3,

Tweaking the dynamic spine was only part of the reason. Quite frankly I was looking for an excuse all season to try the flex-fletch vanes. I was just tired of messing with the spin-wings, and I noticed several top archers using vanes (Joe McGlyn, Mark Williams, Jay Barrs and others). When I increased point weight (to tungsten points for the ACE's) I offset that by going to 2" flex-fletch vanes about two weeks before the trials. They seemed to group just as tight for me as the spin wings, and they are much lower maintenance. They did reduce the FOC by about 2% however.

Now I'm back to spin wings for the moment on my X-10's, mainly to keep the FOC up there, but I may go back to 1.87" flex fletch vanes if I increase draw weight back up to 50#.

John.


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## c3hammer (Sep 20, 2002)

That's an interesting story John. I said the same thing last spring about the AAE Speed Flyte mini vanes. I just had to try them. They turned out to be great shooters. I had my best 70m double with them by 12 points or so.

What I did notice with the Speed Flyte minis was that individual arrows stuck out of the group by a greater distance. In other words I could see which arrows were different than the others quite easily. 

With the spin wings I've been using since, I can't tell a marginally different arrow from the group. They all seem to group around the red at 70m but never way out or all of them right in.

In the end of the day I think the spinwings are more forgiving but not as accurate with my arrows and set up just as it is now.

The question is how to get the forgiveness of the spinwings and the tight groups I could get with the Mini's.

I figure after about $1000 worth of limbs, arrows, vanes and points I might be able to make some sense of this whole tuning rigamarol 

Cheers,
Pete


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## Leighton (Aug 24, 2004)

The only advantage spinnies have over fletchings is that they are lighter.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

> I figure after about $1000 worth of limbs, arrows, vanes and points I might be able to make some sense of this whole tuning rigamarol


That just sounds like a good excuse to spend money to me... ha, ha, ha. Does your wife buy that? Mine wouldn't!

Seriously, I shot my best double 70 in Texas with the spin-wings and pin nocks, but in less windy conditions I have seen tighter groups with the vanes.

Here's the only thing that worries me about spin wings... I tend to notice varying amounts of helical (is that the correct word?) or curl in the vanes on different arrows. What I mean is, that if you looked at a full dozen arrows fletched with spin-wings, you would notice some arrows with less curl in the vanes, and some with more. To me, it seems like that would produce varying amounts of drag and your groups would open up a bit. 

Whenever I shoot spin-wings, I am constantly checking this.

With flex-fletch vanes however, once you set the helical on your fletching jig, all of the arrows fletched with that jig will always maintain the same amount of drag.

Anyone else have an issue with this? 

John.


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## palmer (Sep 23, 2003)

limbwalker said:


> *Here's the only thing that worries me about spin wings... I tend to notice varying amounts of helical (is that the correct word?) or curl in the vanes on different arrows. What I mean is, that if you looked at a full dozen arrows fletched with spin-wings, you would notice some arrows with less curl in the vanes, and some with more. To me, it seems like that would produce varying amounts of drag and your groups would open up a bit.
> 
> Whenever I shoot spin-wings, I am constantly checking this.
> 
> ...


Yes. I thought I was the only one.  I always wondered how hard I should be pressing the spin wing onto the adhesive. The more you push and engage more of the adhesive, the more the "curl" disappears and flattens out. I have no idea how much affect it has. I have been shooting flex fletch lately and my groups appear to be the same as they were with spin wings, but I don't think I'm good enough to discern the difference at this point if there is one. I do like the durability though of the flex fletch; even better than the Easton diamond vanes.


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