Who has considered replacing their conventional fletching with FOB's? Has anyone here used them and if so can you give feedback on their performance. I am about to order a couple dozen or so.

www.starrflight.com

(This is a link where there is information as well as video footage - sorry, I dont know how to get it to open on the click so you will have to type it in.)

Very interesting. What kind of arrow rest would one need?
Peter.

full drop away rest.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/

There is a lot information and users at the link here I pasted. In fact, the inventor of them is on the site all the time, and answered a lot of questions for me in PM's. Good guy, and his name is Paul Morris.
If I currently had a drop away rest, I would get some myself right away to try out.
Take care.

I saw some guys on tv hunting with them one time. They popped off when they hit the game. I wonder how many get lost when hunting.

Neat concept but, I don't think they'll be that popular.

I wonder what happens if the plastic gets slightly warped.

Reloader

I would think that you want them to pop off on an animal so it didn't impede penetration.

There is a video at Starflight.com that explains that it drops off. Makes sense.
Unit5A any idea which forum the thread on FOB's was on?
Peter.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=518462
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=512915
This is the first couple I came to, but there have been numerous threads on them. I think most often in the bowhunting section, and with a little checking I'm sure you can find them. I'm not sure, but there may be a way to search all of Paul's posts some way as well?
And yes, the idea is to have them "pop off" to aid in penetration as well as mark the spot of impact to aid in tracking. They supposedly hold up better than vanes normally do, reusable, actually help arrow flight by providing lift or something; and he is talking about having a line that will even glow in the dark if you want.

Well heck, I went from a recurve to a Mathews Drenalin with a fall away rest...might as well try another gadget!

Looks like the back of a submarine or something. I wish they would work on my recurve, they look interesting.

the chef

Looks pretty neat. May have to try a few out when I get the chance.

gd

You have to have a drop away to shoot them. They wont work from a whisker biscuit or conventional I am told. What really interests me is the reports that they allow for better arrow flight than conventional fletching does. I have ordered two dozen and am going to try them out - if they work, end to fletching for me.

What I am going to do is to put a white cresting at the back of my arrows now as i used to use the 5 inch yellow fletches to check for blood detail - with the FOB popping of as the arrows passes through, this will be a problem for me.

Paul Morris is a very nice guy, he gave me plenty of usefull advice.

I tested the FOB on arrows designed for buffalo hunting. A big bloody stupidity.

Never had I realised such tight groups @ 20m. Fantastic, but a couple of FOBs were blown because of the tight group.
When exercizing with FOBs, always use a multifocal target, not a single bulleye but one for each arrow.
On my setting, 925 gr Easton axis arrows, no fletchings beat the FOB. The stabilisation is fast and solid.
An other drawback is papertuning. The impact of a FOB is less readable than one made by feathers or vanes.
The FOBs might detach themselves when a arrow is ricocheting on the ground. Lucky they are brightly coloured and easy to retrieve.
I am so pleased with them that today I ordered Paul Morris 12 FOBs again.
It's worth trying them.

quote:

On my setting, 925 gr Easton axis arrows, no fletchings beat the FOB. The stabilisation is fast and solid.

Perhaps this is a stupid question (yes, I do have a doctoral degree from Texas A&M ), but do you mean no fletched arrows grouped as well as the FOB arrows, or that arrows without fletching grouped better? Nevermind, I'm in a bit of a goofy mood today...


So on a serious note, if my bow is properly tuned for vaned arrows, switching to FOB's shouldn't require retuning? Right?

I have been speaking to Rob Schneider and my FOB's are on their way. It good to continue hearing such positive reports about them. Shooting at one target is always a problem, especially the 20 yard spot shooting, fletches are always going to be damaged. I make up a three spot with only the 9 & 10. smaller and easier to use.

Hi Andy - from Stick and String to Compound, now from Feathers to round disc's, I hope that you are enjoying and I am looking forward to you sharing your first "new setup" bow kill with us.

Forgive my broken English.
I never test unfletched arrows. I mean that FOB rigged arrows group bether than vanes's rigged ones, in my case.
By the By, what means A&M?
I should fletch my shafts with vanes just to compare the flight vs FOBs…….
But it’d be surprising that the opting for FOB spares You any tuning.
I’ll do it next week. I am waiting for carbon tubes to be inserted in the Axis shafts in order to gain some spine and some weight and then I’ll tune this new project.
Another advantage of the FOBs is that they can be removed. They are tough and a dream when travelling..
I hate discovering in the field that my feathers have been ruffled or the vanes crumpled due to improper packing.
With the FOB, one has at hand a permanent new perfect “fletchingâ€. No risk to be forced to hunt with dubious fletching leading to erratic flights and missed trophies.
Good luck

For interest sake jbderunz, why do you shoot 925 grain arrows? i am also intersted in what bow you shoot/setup you shoot?

I shoot 660 grain arrows and use aurtube inserts to get the big game 100's or easton realtree 300's to this weight.

quote:

Originally posted by jbderunz:
Forgive my broken English.
I never test unfletched arrows. I mean that FOB rigged arrows group bether than vanes's rigged ones, in my case.
By the By, what means A&M?
I should fletch my shafts with vanes just to compare the flight vs FOBs…….
But it’d be surprising that the opting for FOB spares You any tuning.
I’ll do it next week. I am waiting for carbon tubes to be inserted in the Axis shafts in order to gain some spine and some weight and then I’ll tune this new project.
Another advantage of the FOBs is that they can be removed. They are tough and a dream when travelling..
I hate discovering in the field that my feathers have been ruffled or the vanes crumpled due to improper packing.
With the FOB, one has at hand a permanent new perfect “fletchingâ€. No risk to be forced to hunt with dubious fletching leading to erratic flights and missed trophies.
Good luck

That is something I hadn't thought of before either; the storage and transportation issue. Good point! I have often had to replace vanes because they lost shape in storage, and it can be a bother trying to keep all my arrows separated when not in use; plus the space savings.
I hope you guys keep us up to date on the performance etc., when you use them more.
Again, the only reason I haven't ordered any yet to try is the expense of a new drop-away arrow rest...(sigh)

I understand they need to pop off for penetration but, what happens when they get warped?

I would tend to think they would fly terrible after they were warped or deformed slightly. You probably wouldn't be able to tell they were out of line until you practiced with them. I could be wrong, just wondering.

Also, are they noisy during flight?

Reloader

quote:

By the By, what means A&M?

Texas Agricultural & Mechanical University. In the US, many, many jokes are made about TAMU graduates, aka "Aggies." The jokes are usually quite disparaging and quite funny. My favorite is, "what do you call an Aggie who graduated over a year ago?" Answer: "BOSS!"

I have been using FOB's exclusively for the last three plus years including a trip to South Africa and the usual whitetail and turkey here. They do excactly what the manufacturer says they will do. There are a number of advantages over conventional fletching and, in my experience, no significant disadvantages.



a

Soroco

I am using 925 to 100 grains arrows. Easton axis shaft, an inner carbon bar diameter 5mm 1/5 inch) carbon tube (about 290 gr), a Stos or Eclipse broadhead, a homemade insert + adapter (120 gr) lathed from an inox steel bar. And one inox steel cylinder (45gr) to balance the back of the arrow.
These arrows are designed to hunt buffalo in Africa. They eluded me in 2006 and 2005, I hope that I’ll succeed this year.
Africa 2005

Africa 2006

Reloader

Warped FOBs are easy to detect. FOBs are smooth and shiny, very symmetrical ; so any defect is clearly evident. They would hardly be out of shape, because they are flexible. They can only be broken or slit and that is extremely apparent, no way to not detect it.


AC Recurve
Aggie : thanks for the information, I like Your sense of Humour.

Soroco

I am using 925 to 100 grains arrows. Easton axis shaft, an inner carbon bar diameter 5mm 1/5 inch) carbon tube (about 290 gr), a Stos or Eclipse broadhead, a homemade insert + adapter (120 gr) lathed from an inox steel bar. And one inox steel cylinder (45gr) to balance the back of the arrow.
These arrows are designed to hunt buffalo in Africa. They eluded me in 2006 and 2005, I hope that I’ll succeed this year.
Africa 2005
Africa 2006

Reloader

Warped FOBs are easy to detect. FOBs are smooth and shiny, very symmetrical ; so any defect is clearly evident. They would hardly be out of shape, because they are flexible. They can only be broken or slit and that is extremely apparent, no way to not detect it.


AC Recurve
Aggie : thanks for the information, I like Your sense of Humour.

I've been using them fopr three years now. First of all,to Reloader: THEY DON"T WARP.

These things will absolutely spin a broadhead. The tightest groupswith broadheads I've ever gotten, were with these things. I met one of the developers of this dohickey where I used to work in Sonoita AZ. He gave me a few to try and I've used them ever since. The idea doesn't really seem to be taking off but at least they're marketing them via the internet.

As mentioned earlier, a fallaway rest is required. I'm using a trophy taker. Paper tuning is out of the question but if your bow is properly laser tuned they should work fine.

Yes they do pop off when they pass through game. That's a good place to start your blood trail.

The only disadvantage I can see to these things is that they do whistle a bit, but I don't see game "jumping the string" as a result of the whistling.

Bottom line is, I like these things, I've been successful with them and I'll continue to use them.

Migra

Thats a good point Migra makes - where the FOB has popped off would be where your animal would have been standing on impact.

OK, I have my FOB's and have shot them this weekend past. They are as accurate and as good as they have been punted to be. They are definitely an alternative to fletching. The service and delivery from Starflight was great as well.

1. In my post above I said that where the FOB has popped off would be a good place to look for where your animal was standing - WRONG, they pop off a lot further than I anticipated and in various directions as well.

2. Shooting groups with them is NOT a good idea - use a three spot target, not a one spot.

3. Overall they surpass the fletches in all aspects except these two: They dont look as good to the eye as the 5 inch yellow vanes do and I had to become accustomed to their feel against the nocking point on my chin. (they feel more "there" than the vanes do.)

One more hunt to go and then I am going to make the permanent conversion to these guys.........

Soroko, thanks for the experiences post. How did you decide which "model" to get? There seem to be a bunch of different ones. Do you use them only for broadheads? I was planning on using 100grain mechanicals and shoot a Matthews Switchback.
Thanks, Peter.

You have a good setup Peter - my hunting buddy shoots a Switchback set at 70# and a 500g Goldtip with a 125g mech - (Spitfire or Steelhead) - all he did was put the FOBs on and "BINGO" - his arrow flight was exactly the same as the fletches.

I have used them for my target spot shooting as well as for three D and they fly great out to 80 yards.

They come in two sizes I understand, the ones for arrows such as easton 300's, goldtips etc and then the ones for the axis. You specify this upon order.

I must say that I like the look of the fletches but cannot deny the ease of FOBbing in place of that.


Happy hunting..

Just ordered a 12 pk to try. If you have any questions. Just call Starflight. I called yesterday and Paul (inventor) spent about 1/2 hour with me on the phone going over my set up and any ?'s I had. Will post after I try them.

I never did get to find out what FOB stands for - it stands for "Fletching, Only Better"

Soroko, I am with you on the look of fletching. Somehow I cannot imagine Henry's archers at Agincourt using FOBs!
Peter.

Update on the FOB's.

Sadly, they have not worked for me. They do stabilize the arrow really well and they are definitely an alternative to fletching. The problem that I have is that I have a deep anchor point behind my ear - this brings the rigid, round FOB into contact with my cheek. As it has no "give" like fletches have and also cannot be rotated to offset as it is round, its contact with my cheek has a very adverse effect upon my arrow flight.

What would work though is if Starflight could design a FOB that does not only fit between nock and arrow, but one that would fit an inch or so lower down the shaft.

I am not prepared to change an anchor point that has become insinctive/automatic over many years of hunting.

So my FOB's - RIP.