# Best Vanes for Field/ Fita



## D-I-Y Bowhunter (Jun 28, 2007)

I finaly broke down and got a set of Easton Navigators now I need to get them some vanes so lets here it..

WHAT THE BEST VANE OUT THERE FOR BOTH STYLE SHOOTS??

Should I offset them?

Use Helical?

Should I use a wrap?

My set up is a Pro Elite, TT rest with a ramp..


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

187 Flex Fletch is about the #1 vane for field and FITA.


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## D-I-Y Bowhunter (Jun 28, 2007)

*Flex fletch*

SHOULD i use a helical or just off set them?


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## Dave T (Mar 24, 2004)

Brown Hornet said:


> 187 Flex Fletch is about the #1 vane for field and FITA.


DITTO!

I also shoot the 212 FF Shield vanes, but then my arrows are 33" from the groove to the back of the point. (smile)

Dave


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

I know people that do helical and I have done it before....but I prefer to use a straight clamp with some off set.

Don't ask me how much though because I have no clue....i just give it some and then make sure the vane is sitting flush on the shaft


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## Hinkelmonster (Oct 25, 2004)

If you are using Navs I'd wrap them, just helps protect shaft as you remove vanes.

I'd put as much offset and helical as I could get while maintaining full base/shaft contact.

The 1.75" sheild cut from Bohning is the best vane I've ever shot, and a hell of a lot easier to deal with than Flex Fletch


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## bowhnter7 (Dec 6, 2004)

Brown Hornet said:


> 187 Flex Fletch is about the #1 vane for field and FITA.


What he said.


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## D-I-Y Bowhunter (Jun 28, 2007)

*vanes*

This is great thanks guys


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## Twinsfan (Aug 9, 2007)

i will be using bohning X-vanes.


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## Hinkelmonster (Oct 25, 2004)

Smart man!


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## psargeant (Aug 1, 2004)

Brown Hornet said:


> 187 Flex Fletch is about the #1 vane for field and FITA.


:nod: Hornet speaketh not with forked tongue...


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## Jbird (May 21, 2002)

*Navigators*

I like the 1.75 Mini FITA Super Spines from VaneTec. I am a long time user of FF 187's and I think the 1.75 Mini FITAs are just as tough or tougher and they are SO much easier to deal with. No prep. Just put them on your wraps with Flex Bond and they aren't going to come loose. I use to use the helical clamp but I changed to a straight clamp with slight off set. I think I get tighter groups at 65 yards and out and I think straight off set is very slightly flatter shooting than helical. Experiment. Its all voodoo.
Jbird


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## PA Dutch (Jan 27, 2003)

*VaneTec Super Spine 1.75" Mini Fita*

I used to shoot the FF 187 shield cut. Great vane. The VaneTec 1.75" Mini Fita is even better. More durable (both in resisting a tear and in recovering shape after a pass through) and even easier to get them to stick well to a wrap. VaneTec all the way.

Greg


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

PA Dutch said:


> I used to shoot the FF 187 shield cut. Great vane. The VaneTec 1.75" Mini Fita is even better. More durable (both in resisting a tear and in recovering shape after a pass through) and even easier to get them to stick well to a wrap. VaneTec all the way.
> 
> Greg


That's kind of hard to believe.....I haven't shot the new ones personally but have shot with SEVERAL people that do shoot them....They aren't any more durable. I actually put a Nano through someones a couple weeks ago at 50 yds....and in my 8+ years of using FF I have yet to have one get damaged in ANY WAY from burying in the target other then some targets marks left on a vane. In fact I shot the same arrow into my target from 18 ft the other day and it buried past the nock about 8 times and other then the vanes being darker now they still look just like it did the day I put it on the arrow....and it did each time I pushed it out of the target.

I know FF isn't the only good vane out there...and some people have problems getting them to stick....but let's keep it real :wink:


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## jing1117 (Jun 17, 2006)

Brown Hornet said:


> 187 Flex Fletch is about the #1 vane for field and FITA.



I'm with you, Flex Fletch all the way. Got to love this product.


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## Jbird (May 21, 2002)

*Hornet*

Don't get me wrong, FF is a great vane. I have a dozen nav's fletched with 187's and a dozen GT 600 UL's fletched with the 1.8 Super spines. I have shot both of these sets extensively. I am going to refletch my Nav's this week with the 1.75 Mini FITAs but last week I wanted to see if the smaller diameter Nav's would add anything to my score and I shot them at Pequiod
Bowmen's Field shoot. I was shooting through the targets (compressed sound board) (nock only showing) quite often. Two of the shafts lost vanes and the rest wrinkled up and straigtened out pretty well after a couple of targets. I have noticed that the Flex Fletch seem to get nicks in the outer edge (1/8" to 3/16" tears) worse than the Super Spines. I use Flex Bond and know and use the routine to get the FF to stick but they still don't stay as well as the SSpines. I don't think for a minute that there is a GREAT difference in performance in the two vanes but what I do know is that the SS are a lot easier to use, hold up as well or better, and cost about 1/2 as much as the Flex Fletch. Not trying to change anyone's mind here, just keeping it real. By the way, for a few months DC was using the Vanetec Mini Fitas and told me he was really sold on them. Then Gold Tip bought Vane Tec and Easton couldn't bear to see him shooting anything GT owned so it was back to FF until Easton came out with their new vane. The fact remains that the SSpines are a great vane at 1/2 the price and easier to use. What's not to like?
Jbird


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## monty53 (Jun 19, 2002)

I am currently using the new Easton Tite Flight Vanes 200 (shield cut, 2 inches long) on my Protours.
Love them!


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Jbird said:


> Don't get me wrong, FF is a great vane. I have a dozen nav's fletched with 187's and a dozen GT 600 UL's fletched with the 1.8 Super spines. I have shot both of these sets extensively. I am going to refletch my Nav's this week with the 1.75 Mini FITAs but last week I wanted to see if the smaller diameter Nav's would add anything to my score and I shot them at Pequiod
> Bowmen's Field shoot. I was shooting through the targets (compressed sound board) (nock only showing) quite often. Two of the shafts lost vanes and the rest wrinkled up and straigtened out pretty well after a couple of targets. I have noticed that the Flex Fletch seem to get nicks in the outer edge (1/8" to 3/16" tears) worse than the Super Spines. I use Flex Bond and know and use the routine to get the FF to stick but they still don't stay as well as the SSpines. I don't think for a minute that there is a GREAT difference in performance in the two vanes but what I do know is that the SS are a lot easier to use, hold up as well or better, and cost about 1/2 as much as the Flex Fletch. Not trying to change anyone's mind here, just keeping it real. By the way, for a few months DC was using the Vanetec Mini Fitas and told me he was really sold on them. Then Gold Tip bought Vane Tec and Easton couldn't bear to see him shooting anything GT owned so it was back to FF until Easton came out with their new vane. The fact remains that the SSpines are a great vane at 1/2 the price and easier to use. What's not to like?
> Jbird


I know all of that for the most part....but for someone to say they aren't durable is just silly.:wink:

I have arrows that I have shot off and on for over 5 years that still look like I just fletched them....and I have NEVER...and I mean NEVER had a vane come off from a pass thru on a target. No matter what the target material is.


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## redman (Feb 22, 2003)

*bohning vanes*

the bohning 1.75 shield cut x vanes are a great vane working great for me and at a great price at lancaster for $4.99 100 vanes and the bohning blazer double lock nock is great to


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## PA Dutch (Jan 27, 2003)

Brown Hornet said:


> I know FF isn't the only good vane out there...and some people have problems getting them to stick....but let's keep it real :wink:


Hornet,

No problem keeping it real, and no problem with your opinion. I never said FF was not durable, I just said in my experience and opinion VaneTec was more durable. A question was asked, and I answered.

Keeping it real.:wink:

Greg


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## D-I-Y Bowhunter (Jun 28, 2007)

*Vanes*

Made up my mind Thanks for the help,
Going with 
Navigator 430's
Bohning blazer wraps (yellow)
Blue Pin nocks
110 grain points
and lastly FF187 (blue)


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## Stihlpro (Jul 19, 2006)

Hinkelmonster said:


> If you are using Navs I'd wrap them, just helps protect shaft as you remove vanes.
> 
> I'd put as much offset and helical as I could get while maintaining full base/shaft contact.
> 
> The 1.75" sheild cut from Bohning is the best vane I've ever shot, and a hell of a lot easier to deal with than Flex Fletch


Ditto


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## X Hunter (Jan 11, 2007)

Brown Hornet said:


> 187 Flex Fletch is about the #1 vane for field and FITA.


I knew you were good for something!!!!

I perfer the shield cut also..... It looks better IMO


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## Daniel Grundman (Feb 10, 2005)

PA Dutch said:


> Hornet,
> 
> No problem keeping it real, and no problem with your opinion. I never said FF was not durable, I just said in my experience and opinion VaneTec was more durable. A question was asked, and I answered.
> 
> ...


Compare durability/memory Click here>> http://www.flexfletch.com/stretch.htm


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## PA Dutch (Jan 27, 2003)

Daniel Grundman said:


> Compare durability/memory Click here>> http://www.flexfletch.com/stretch.htm


Interesting stuff. Thanks for the info.

Just wondering how much it correlates to real world, i.e. we don't stretch the vanes along the long axis since the base is fixed (glued) to the arrow. I am sure it does say something to the durability/memory of FF which I know is very good.


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## vaneinfo (May 9, 2005)

*Stretch test?*



Daniel Grundman said:


> Compare durability/memory Click here>> http://www.flexfletch.com/stretch.htm


Interesting test Daniel. You make a good product but is a vane allowed to stretch up 100% properly attatched to an arrow? You should know how results from a stretch test at slow speed vs. a pass thru will vary.
Not even similar.
Demand for a tough vane forces us as manufacturers to use materials that are similar with only slight differences.
Flex Fletch makes a urethane vane.
VaneTec makes a urethane vane.
FlexFletch vanes are very expensive and must be cleaned with toxic solvents to be fletched.
VaneTec vanes are very affordable and don't need cleaning.

As for Brown Hornets comment about putting an arrow thru a VaneTec vane...
An arrow will pass thru a lot tougher material than that. Do you mean I could not shoot a field point thru a FF vane? Almost seems like you get upset when people use something other than FF. I guess when you shoot an arrow that costs as much per dozen as a lot of bows out there you need to match it up with an expensive vane.

DIY Bowhunter, if you want to try some VaneTec products for field/fita send me an email and I'll get you some to try.
Chris Metzgus
VaneTec Inc.
[email protected]
541-572-5251


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## rock monkey (Dec 28, 2002)

i'm going to give the flexfletch flash vanes a try on my outdoor arrows. since i shoot a heavier point, 108grs, i think i can get away with the higher profile vanes in breezy conditions. we'll see in the real world.

i currently shoot aae ep23's on the outdoor arrows. while they are softer, they stabilize the arrow nicely......but, i've been punching holes in em more than i like. not saying it cant happen to other vanes, but being softer, they are more susceptible to 'wounding'. lately, on pass thrus on bag targets, the material isnt faring as well either. recovery of the ep23's doesnt take long, but it is not a total recovery. heat and the warm, moist air from a car's exhaust pipe does help speed the healing up.

yes, i know the vanetec's have a loyal following and their material used is durable and reasonably rigid by judging the samples i received. my experience with them was quite different. i posted about it and was raked over the coals by their users. some of the solutions offered for my adhesion problem was not what i feel should be needed to do on a 'no prep' vane. maybe there was a problem with the batches i received, but i am very hesitant to try them again. as an irony, the gentleman that purchased my remaining stock of vanetec's had absolutely no problems. like i said, not that they are not a good quality vane, it is just my experience with them that left a bad taste.

when i get my flexfletch flashes and shoot them for a bit, i will let you know how my feelings are about them whether good,bad or indifferent.


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