# vanes or feathers



## TacticalCowboy (Oct 11, 2014)

Vanes, if you're not shooting off the shelf.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

I use 2 inch shield cut feathers by tru flight. I have used a variety over the past 7 years and I just prefer the two inch razors by gateway or the 2 inch shield cuts by tru flight.


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## hankw_2009 (Apr 2, 2009)

i always both type with me i prefer feathers but some time it is just to wet for for them so i have the vanes


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

I'll use for feathers only for indoor spot shooting. For 3D and hunting I use vanes. Fletching is time consuming and, in my opinion generally unrewarding, I know I'll fletch at least 3 feathers for every one vane by the end of a year.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

It's nothing but personal preference, just like color....


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

SonnyThomas said:


> It's nothing but personal preference, just like color....


It is personal preference just like every thing else but it is NOT like color. The difference between blue and green is appearance while there are significant differences between feather and vane fletching well beyond appearance. Personally I shoot vanes for everything beyond indoor spots because of those differences. Feathers in fact get damaged much more easily than vanes and simply wear out as opposed to vanes. I ruin feathers hunting simply by going hunting frequently in wet or dry weather and that is a non-issue with vanes. Feathers are noisier than vanes. Feathers are lighter than vanes. A feather will manage an arrow more and quicker than a vane of the exact same dimensions. If you have fletch contact with the rest feathers are much more forgiving and virtually required for archers shooting off the shelf (stick bows). Feathers slow arrows much quicker but unless you are shooting over 50 yards with larger fletch I wouldn't give it a second thought. Feathers can be a deal breaker in wet weather. I know there is stuff to make feathers less absorbent but that's another thing to remember to do.

I know pro indoor spot shooters that use vanes simply because they spend much less time fletching.............and their sponsors pay them to do so.

I'm quite certain Flex-Fletch vanes are the best primarily because they recover very well and quickly from being stored "bent". They are also more elastic than other vanes therefor they don't seem to get as torn up as other vanes. A big down side is that they can cost much more than other vanes. 

I believe they are 3 reasons to use feathers for hunting and/or 3D: 1. Less weight on the back of the arrow 2. Maximum arrow control 3. Feathers look "cooler".
There are a multitude of reasons to not use feathers for hunting and 3D. I do know folks that love feathers on their hunting arrows but they also have a pair of vane fletched arrows "just in case". I have bloodied many feathers over the decades but I can guarantee you that when I hike into the Flat Tops in September for a 10 day back country elk hunt all my arrows will be wearing vanes!

Soooooo, like most every thing in life it's "personal preference". I "prefer" having A/C as an option in the summer.........


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## Jeremy M. Harri (Dec 20, 2014)

2.1 is also good, but you should use 3 feathers.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Kstigall said:


> It is personal preference just like every thing else but it is NOT like color. The difference between blue and green is appearance while there are significant differences between feather and vane fletching well beyond appearance. Personally I shoot vanes for everything beyond indoor spots because of those differences. Feathers in fact get damaged much more easily than vanes and simply wear out as opposed to vanes. I ruin feathers hunting simply by going hunting frequently in wet or dry weather and that is a non-issue with vanes. Feathers are noisier than vanes. Feathers are lighter than vanes. A feather will manage an arrow more and quicker than a vane of the exact same dimensions. If you have fletch contact with the rest feathers are much more forgiving and virtually required for archers shooting off the shelf (stick bows). Feathers slow arrows much quicker but unless you are shooting over 50 yards with larger fletch I wouldn't give it a second thought. Feathers can be a deal breaker in wet weather. I know there is stuff to make feathers less absorbent but that's another thing to remember to do.
> 
> I know pro indoor spot shooters that use vanes simply because they spend much less time fletching.............and their sponsors pay them to do so.
> 
> ...


Come on, Kent. It's your personal preference. I prefer 4" vanes on my hunting arrows, but proven time and again is any of the 2" type vanes do just as well. Place and win I couldn't tell the difference between Mini Blazers to 4" vanes. I shot feathers also and no real discernible difference in accuracy. 
Bigger or I should say longer the vane the more it might get beat up, but if that's what I want that's what I'm going to use. And beat up, I went through 2 dozen arrows fletched with 4" vanes at a two day State Field Championship. Battered as the long 4" vanes were it didn't change my mind. I wanted them, used them.
Color, I don't the bird poop green.


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

brad91x said:


> Should I use 2.1" fusion vanes or 3" feathers ?





SonnyThomas said:


> Come on, Kent. It's your personal preference. I prefer 4" vanes on my hunting arrows, but proven time and again is any of the 2" type vanes do just as well. Place and win I couldn't tell the difference between Mini Blazers to 4" vanes. I shot feathers also and no real discernible difference in accuracy.
> Bigger or I should say longer the vane the more it might get beat up, but if that's what I want that's what I'm going to use. And beat up, I went through 2 dozen arrows fletched with 4" vanes at a two day State Field Championship. Battered as the long 4" vanes were it didn't change my mind. I wanted them, used them.
> Color, I don't the bird poop green.


Sonny please note that the OP is asking specifically about 2.1" vanes and 3" feathers. In my post I laid out some of the actual physical differences between his two choices. I do not believe it is merely personal preference. For example, I would prefer to use feathers for hunting but feathers just won't work for me and my style of hunting. There are significant differences between feathers and vanes as I mentioned in my post. 

Some of my LineJammers are on their 3rd 3D year with the same Flex Fletch Flash vanes. K45 (shot out of), K50 and now Senior Known have a lot of good shooters and we jam arrows together a lot. In fact last years arrows were what I used to win Senior Mens Known in Florida a couple weeks ago. I wouldn't put 4" vanes or feathers on 3D arrows on abet!!! The more fletch one uses the more area there is to get torn up. A 2" lower profile vane has a lot less real estate to get torn up than a 4" higher profile vane. I have some CXL 150's that have had the same Flex Fletch FFS-212's on them for some years and are still good to go except for some fading. 

I have no idea why someone would intentionally use 4" vanes or feathers for that matter on 3D arrows unless they are not shooting a compound. I would expect them to get seriously damaged fairly quickly at least twice as fast as 2" fletch............... I know of no serious 3D'er using 4" vanes.


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## brad91x (Jul 12, 2013)

I'm just trying to figure out what to use it didn't have to be the vanes or feathers I mentioned if smaller vanes would be better that's fine to that's why I'm asking you guys


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## Hopperton (Oct 30, 2005)

I have used blazers and the 2" feathers. Not knowing if it was me or the equipment I definitely shoot (shot) better with the feathers. I fletch my own arrows so I don't mind re-fletching a couple arrows a week.

I will be fletching my 3D arrows shortly with feathers. I can also say I have used quick spins and they work great but they are a real pain to re-fletch.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

I actually do less maintenance with my 2 inch shield cuts or razor feathers than I ever did with my vanes. Feathers are very durable and they get a personality as they age and the feathers start changing. The main reason some people have to fletch them all the time is they are neat freaks and they have to have everything perfect looking so as a feather starts to get its little fluffed up look they have to strip them off and change them. I shoot them and shoot them and shoot them until I am plucking little sections out of them and they still shoot perfect.

I have way less feathers come loose from the shaft than vanes and if a feather comes loose a little on the front or rear end I can put a small dab of super glue under it and glue it back down and it is perfect, why? Because a feather is flexible and you can put it in a helical clamp but the moment you put super glue on it and it soaks into the feather base the base retains that shape and hardens. If a plastic vane comes loose it is really hard to simply glue it back down in the middle of a tournament where with a feather it is very easy and absolutely perfect.

I did get a bad batch of feathers recently and they are really fragile, they just aren't holding up very well compared to the ones i had in the past but the feathers that tru flight gets must have been a weak batch for some reason.


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## straight2it (Nov 30, 2010)

SonnyThomas said:


> Come on, Kent. It's your personal preference. I prefer 4" vanes on my hunting arrows, but proven time and again is any of the 2" type vanes do just as well. Place and win I couldn't tell the difference between Mini Blazers to 4" vanes. I shot feathers also and no real discernible difference in accuracy.
> Bigger or I should say longer the vane the more it might get beat up, but if that's what I want that's what I'm going to use. And beat up, I went through 2 dozen arrows fletched with 4" vanes at a two day State Field Championship. Battered as the long 4" vanes were it didn't change my mind. I wanted them, used them.
> Color, I don't the bird poop green.


Just shoot bareshaft! No hassle re-fletching! Ha! I would like to see someone shoot bare shaft at 50yds and see how far off they are! Ha


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## Mark1976 (Apr 12, 2012)

I have used both. Currently shooting vanes, but feel like the feathers are a tad bit better! I have found that wet feathers (completely soaked and laying almost flat) still perform fine! Feathers lay down upon enitially shooting them and fan out as the air passes through them, the water seems to come off of them within the first few yards! I can also tell you that a damaged feather (3/4 of it completely missing) will fly almost perfect! A damaged vane shoots horrible! Feathers also adhere to the arrow better...I have never had a feather fly off.


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