# Vanes contacting Spring Steel launcher



## MGB (Dec 21, 2008)

I'm stoked to try the local (Penn Dutch) field season! I got some ACC 3-39's and fletched them with Plastifletch Max 2" low-profile shield cut vanes with a pretty aggressive helical. I'm using a TT Spring Steel 2 with Dave's best 0.008 blade. When I eyeball it, there is no way the base of the vanes can get past the contact points of the launcher, they are just too wide. I will confirm this with powder tomorrow. Is there a way to cut/file the blade down to accommodate these smaller shafts?????


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

With the bow/rest setup correctly...even with helical you shouldn't have an issue getting clearance. I have shot some ACCs with a good bit of helical on them and didn't have any issues.....but you can grind a blade down with a Dremel tool.

But most vanes even with straight or offset vanes it is usually going to look like your going to get contact. When the blade is the right stiffness and the nocking point is right the blade is going to flex out of the way a good bit


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## MGB (Dec 21, 2008)

Cool, I will let you know about the results of the powder test tomorrow. Arrows seem to be grouping pretty good, but I'm pretty new to shooting, so it can be hard to sort out Indian vs. Arrow variations.


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

I shoot 3-28's with FF 187's in shield and parabolic off of a standard .010 ProTuner blade and have no contact issues..  (and no, it's not the skinny one) :lol:


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

IGluIt4U said:


> I shoot 3-28's with FF 187's in shield and parabolic off of a standard .010 ProTuner blade and have no contact issues..  (and no, it's not the skinny one) :lol:


at least they are turned right now they were looking kind of funny for a while last year :zip: :chortle:

but I also shoot Nano's from a standard blade


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## Spoon13 (Feb 20, 2007)

Another thing to keep in mind is that the arrow doesn't come straight off the rest. Once the arrow leaves the string it will begin to spin. That picks up a little extra on the one side if you need it. I'm shooting 3-28s off of a Trophy Taker blade and haven't had any issues. I usually line the nock groove up with the front of my fletchings. And I use those big ole nasty Mini Blazers.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

Mini blazers? :fear:  (I use em for huntin with fixed blades..  )

Here's a pretty good vid showing a launcher in high speed video. The one comment I'd make is... this arrow looks to me, by the way it's coming off the rest, that it's punching a bullet hole in paper. Normally I tune my bow to shoot a tad nock high. This allows the nock to rise a little as it approaches the rest, allowing for a bit more clearance on the rear of the arrow. I'll see if I can find another vid that shows it.


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

Here's another pretty good slo mo vid of a spring steel launcher on a couple different setups.. 






Pretty well shows ya what's gonna happen..


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## STUDENT-ARCHER (Jun 26, 2009)

I've always been told that the launcher was clear when the fletchings reached the rest, does not appear to be the case. Thanks for the footage! I would love to have a high speed camera to play with for a week or so...


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Those are good videos 

IMO the first video is great.....but the blade on that rest is too stiff for that arrow. There is no flex or movement really at all.

The second video you can see that their blades are flexing and actually dropping down right before the vanes get to the end of the blade.....the blades are also still moving and flexing after the arrow is gone. These are correct blade/arrow combos

a stiff blade will work of course....but a proper blade will give much better results and make your setup much more forgiving :wink:


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## montigre (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks for sharing them, Sticky. Those were excellent vids. Always good to see in fine detail how these machines really work!


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## field14 (May 21, 2002)

One thing to add....and it comes from ''past experience", especially with Shoot around arrow rests...typically the springie rest that was so effective years ago, and now the launcher rests...which ARE "shoot around" arrow rests!

I've shot and I've seen many a 60X indoor score shot by setups that have had CONTACT of the vanes/feathers on the launcher blade...I have seen many a mid to high 550 field/hunter score shot with a setup that had CONTACT of the vane(s) on the rest...but there is a KEY TO THIS...read on...

It is NOT absolutely necessay to have ZERO vane CONTACT or total and absolute vane clearance...as you can see from those videos, there IS contact.

What IS necessary when you have contact is CONSISTENT contact...that is the "same" amount and placement of the contact from arrow to arrow!

We have many shooters today that are shooting the shoot around launcher style arrow rests that pay little to no attention to a couple of MAJOR DETAILS...and those are:

1. their nock alignment, and also 
2. changing out nocks more frequently than they do.

IDENTICAL (and I don't mean eyeballing it either" nock alignment for each and every arrow you have, IMHO, is a very critical, but often overlooked aspect of shooting ANY of the shoot around arrow rests in use today. It was even MORE critical for shooting the springie rest. However, once you have taken the time to align every single arrow's nock the same in relation to the hen vanes, your groups will improve immensely! In addition, MARKING the nock alignment on each and every shaft will save you a lot of time and effort out in the field should you have to change a nock and/or bushing!

Changing your nocks more frequently should be a simple matter, but I know people that have been using the same nocks in their indoor arrows for two or more indoor seasons. I know others that haven't changed their nocks on their outdoor arrows either...and don't until they hit one and split it!

I know others that never CHECK their "nock alignment" EVER....they just keep shooting and shooting...never "numbering" their arrows, and never looking at the nock alignment on an arrow that seems to be away from the "group".

There used to be alignment tools out there..but they are few and far between. However, if you think about it, you can make your own nock aligner of all sorts of variants that get the job done. A little ingenuity can go a long ways, hahaha.

Not "knocking" any brand of nocks (pun intended), but some are "weaker" than others, some don't stay put in the bushings as well as others; and still others are extremely inconsistent with regard to throat size/fit on the string...all of which can cause slight differences in nock alignment...and throw that arrow's flight path off.

You are going to have CONTACT....so...get it CONSISTENT and don't be haphazard with regard to the most overlooked and important piece of equipment you have...the NOCK on your arrow...each and every one of them.

field14 (Tom D.)


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## Madlaz (Jul 4, 2008)

Field 14 great post learned a lot from that thanks Laz


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## LoneEagle0607 (Jan 15, 2008)

*amazing*

Thanks for the videos. It's always amazing how much vibration there is in our bows. It's a wonder they don't just fly apart


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## rock monkey (Dec 28, 2002)

about 2:27 in the second video has the lefty with some serious nock low flight.

the orange fletching does a great job at showing how quick the fletching starts grabbin air.


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## Indianbullet (Jan 18, 2003)

That is some really cool stuff


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## FoggDogg (Jul 9, 2002)

field14 said:


> What IS necessary when you have contact is CONSISTENT contact...that is the "same" amount and placement of the contact from arrow to arrow!



Great post, field14. You hit the nail on the head. Just think of it this way...look how many people are having great success w/ Whisker Biscuit rests. It doesn't matter how much or how little contact you have, it just has to the same every time.


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