# Helical Fletching...



## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

You are quite right offset or helical fletching causes the arrow to rotate in flight just like the rifling in a gun barrel causes bullet to rotate. However on vanes of that size and at those distances it really does not matter all that much what you shoot.


Here is a primer on the subject...

An offset vane or feather is just that, offset. The base of the vane is still straight but offset along the length of the shaft










Helical on the other hand actually curves the base of the fletching along the shaft similar to a boat propeller. 
(It also requires some degree of offset, which is entirely dependent upon the shaft diameter, to maintain proper vane-base to shaft contact.)










Helical fletching offers more stability than a simple offset. The only reason offset exists in my opinion is that it is an easy way to get some spin on the arrow without buying any more equipment, specifically a helical clamp. If a vane is only offset on the shaft then part of the vane's base is not in contact with the shaft, making for a weak spot in the bond between vane and shaft. Others will argue that it is not a big deal and that they have never had a problem but, I stand by my assessment of this technique. If you have the ability to use helical then in my humble opinion, you should.


For indoor distances you will get the maximum rotational benefits using a something between 3" and 5", natural feather, fletched helical.


Once you get outdoors, things get a lot more interesting and critical. But I shal not delve into that here, since it is not an area I feel I am competent enough to do so in.


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## Brad HT (Dec 9, 2006)

SandSquid said:


> You are quite right offset or helical fletching causes the arrow to rotate in flight just like the rifling in a gun barrel causes bullet to rotate. However on vanes of that size and at those distances it really does not matter all that much what you shoot.
> 
> 
> Here is a primer on the subject...
> ...




Thanks so much... does RH or LH make a difference either way for me...? and what about using a RH on Quickspins... appropriate use on a vane that already causes spin?


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

Brad HT said:


> does RH or LH make a difference either way for me...?



In my personal experince there is absolutely no differnce, when shooting a "fieled point" (with threadlock) if you go left or right helical using an elevated or drop-away rest once you get your nock rotation dialed in. Now, if you re shooting off the shelf or your thumb, or most broadheads, then yes it matters.





> and what about using a RH on Quickspins...


NO HELICAL. I had a pretty in-depth discussion with a real life design engineer at NAP (not a sales person or customer/tech support) 

He told me : "I'm not a sales person this is straight, no B.S... While you _can_ offset the quickspin vane 1° perhaps even up to 2°offset or get crazy and mount it Right Helical, I would not do so, there is absolutely no need to, that is not how I designed it to work. You are gaining nothing, except for drag, and loosing arrow speed and distance." 


Of course, I would always verify any advice gleamed off the internet ( even my own )with an authority on the subject.


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## Brad HT (Dec 9, 2006)

SandSquid said:


> In my personal experince there is absolutely no differnce, when shooting a "fieled point" (with threadlock) if you go left or right helical using an elevated or drop-away rest once you get your nock rotation dialed in. Now, if you re shooting off the shelf or your thumb, or most broadheads, then yes it matters.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Huge help... thank you! :darkbeer:


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

SandSquid said:


> Helical fletching offers more stability than a simple offset. The only reason offset exists in my opinion is that it is an easy way to get some spin on the arrow without buying any more equipment, specifically a helical clamp. If a vane is only offset on the shaft then part of the vane's base is not in contact with the shaft, making for a weak spot in the bond between vane and shaft. Others will argue that it is not a big deal and that they have never had a problem but, I stand by my assessment of this technique. If you have the ability to use helical then in my humble opinion, you should....


It seems to me that an 'offset' straight is just a light version of a full helical. The real difference being that the helical requires a significant curve in the vane contact, while offset does not. But, I remember when you said that the Bitz had a curved clamp for the straight setup, and you asked Bitz about it and they said they did so because most people offset their vanes, and as such, it was designed to do so. So, an offset is a slight helical.

I think it's definitely good to have some spin on the arrows, though as you've said, how much depends on your application, your bow, and your shooting.

If I understood your recurve testing at 20 yards indoor, it seemed like the vane didn't seem to have much effect on the shooting at all. My limited experience in playing with bare shafts suggests the same. At 20 yards with my compound, it really didn't seem to make much difference at all between vanes or no vanes.

So, I guess I'm trying to say that 'offset' vs. helical is really a matter of how much spin. More spin and drag means an arrow is stabilized faster, but also slows down faster, and where you want to be depends on what you're doing.

I don't think I'm really contradicting anything you're saying, but from a semantic standpoint, an offset is a helical, just not as visually obvious.

Info you got from NAP tech is interesting. I think I'll defer damaged vanes until I've got a few arrows put aside, and then refletch half the group with no offset, and see if there's a performance difference with the quikspins.


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

BarneySlayer said:


> It seems to me that an 'offset' straight is just a light version of a full helical.


They are indeed different. 

I can't really explain it other than in term of a ships propeller or "screws" as we squids call them. They have both an offset of some degree as well as a helical pitch or twist to them. while an offset would be flat and slanted but have no twist. helical is more curved and graceful screwing it's way through the air, while offset would be harsh and choppy, twist yes but doing so almost by slapping its way through the air...


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Maybe I'm not visualizing something.

Are you talking about the twist of the vane itself?

Looking at a helical clamp and an offset/straight clamp, it would seem like that's the main difference, other than the more extreme curvature. My helical is a Jo Jan, for whatever that matters.

Perhaps my confusion is thinking of it in terms of how it's attached to the shaft. If you draw a straight line with a 2 degree offset along a cylinder, or a 20 degree offset, they both create a helix, don't they? One just twists a lot faster.

I'm not familiar with propellers much, other than remembering that the blades are curved to 'scoop' the water, if I recall correctly, which maybe I'm not...

What's a Squid anyway?


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Squid, it dawned on me why you're right, at least I think it did 

An offset will create something that looks like a spiral for a short distance, but the path isn't a constant spiral around the cyclinder, it's the intersection of a plane through a cylinder. If you just made a straight clamp curved, if you went far enough with it, the vanes would be perpendicular to the path of the arrow...

Thanks for correcting me


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## dmr (Sep 9, 2009)

Brad HT said:


> Hey everyone...
> I am just starting to do my own arrows, and need to get some clarification on the Helical fletching. I have always had the shops do straight fletching for me on all my arrows, only cause I didn't know if there was an advantage to using RH or LH fletching... I know and understand that the Helical causes the arrow to spin accordingly, but what advantage for target use only, in a right handed archer, is there to using a helical style fletching.....? I am currently using 2" quickspins, but am considering going to Duravanes 3D, or even the Fusion vanes for both my indoor (GT Pro 22's), and outdoor (ACC's) arrows.
> 
> Suggestions, and help anyone?
> ...


As far as I know there are no "arrow flight" differences between RH or LH helical for a right or left handed archer. However there is an advantage of using RH helical... the spin induced by RH helical prevents the tips from loosening upon impact with the target. In fact, each shot actually helps tighten them. Since switching to RH helical, I've never had a tip loosen up on me like I did with straight fletch.


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## bfisher (Nov 30, 2002)

BarneySlayer said:


> Maybe I'm not visualizing something.
> 
> Are you talking about the twist of the vane itself?
> 
> ...



Squid......... any one of various 10 armed (tenticles) Cephalopods found in 
the oceans, often used for bait. Distantly related to Octopus 
and Cuttlefish.


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## SandSquid (Sep 2, 2008)

bfisher said:


> Squid......... any one of various 10 armed (tenticles) Cephalopods found in
> the oceans, often used for bait. Distantly related to Octopus
> and Cuttlefish.


Or the nickname for a member of the US Navy. The Sand Squid it the Sailor sent into a hot dry sandy combat zone in the Middle East.


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## stevewmn (Apr 21, 2009)

dmr said:


> As far as I know there are no "arrow flight" differences between RH or LH helical for a right or left handed archer. However there is an advantage of using RH helical... the spin induced by RH helical prevents the tips from loosening upon impact with the target. In fact, each shot actually helps tighten them. Since switching to RH helical, I've never had a tip loosen up on me like I did with straight fletch.


Really? It hasn't made a bit of difference to me. Putting some string wax or soap on the threads makes a big difference but a helical vane doesn't.


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

SandSquid said:


> Or the nickname for a member of the US Navy. The Sand Squid it the Sailor sent into a hot dry sandy combat zone in the Middle East.


Ah, okay. That's the squid I was asking about.

The other kind are yummy fried, so I know about them


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## skahunter831 (Mar 20, 2009)

i dont get the intersection thing...if the vane is glued to the arrow, then we're only talking about the surface of the arrow. 

if the vane is straight-fletched perfectly parallel with the arrow, then when you look from the side the base of the vane will be "straight" (i.e., the base is also parallel to the arrow). . however, i think if the vane is not perfectly parallel with the arrow (offset, helical, whatever), in order for the base of the vane to make full contact it must spiral around the arrow. it might not be all that noticable when using offset vanes, and the flexibility of the vane itself probably makes it seem "flat", but the rules of geometry require the spiral. 

offset is just helical-lite. 

unless someone's got a better answer...


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