Gentlemen, I am back in shooting after a lay off of quite a few years. What is the current thinking about fletching (length) and type. When I was around previously, 5" or so fletching was common for hunting arrows. Obviously plastic was in. However, I have seen hunting arrows with quite a bit less than that. Also, what about flexibility of the vanes? Some seem to be quite stiff and others are quite flexible. I am not using a helical twist on my fletching jig (Arizona).
Thanks, Peter

It definately depends on what type of rest you are going to use. Personally I shoot a Trophy Ridge DropZone on my Bowtech 101st Airborne and use 4" AAE Vanes on my Carbon Express Maxima 350 arrows. They seem to be tough and yet pliable enough to last. That being said I just finished fleching some Maximas with Blazer vanes which are small and stiffer than the AAE 4" just to see how they perform. The reason I decided to try these is for less drag when shooting longer distances.
PS: I straight fletch all my vanes but have also shot vanes that were slight offset also and haven't noticed a diference
Ben

The new trend seems to be to use the smallest vane that will stabilize the arrow with your broadhead. I shoot Crimson Talon broadheads and they seem to stabilize no matter what size fletching is used.
Ben

I also recently started bow shooting again after a few years.
Some of the reasons for the fletch size change I have seen are

Overall lighter arrows for more speed,flatter trajectory

Arrows now are wanted to have a weight forward bias,so far that some carbon arrows have tapered wall thickness ,to effect balance,needs less stabilization.

advance in fletching ideas,a tall,short fletch with a steeper leading edge seems to work as well as the older,longer,long taper leading edge fletch profile,with less drag,and the next benefit,
the short fletch works better through the new type of rests.
add to all that, the newer bows are 50- 100 fps faster .
I havent shot any of the newer bows yet,I have been studying for awhile first,to see what all the new stuff is,and which items I want.
I chronyed my old bow with 520 gr aluminum xx75 2314 ,(including a 125gr broadhead) at 220 fps @ 62 lbs draw weight.Newer equipment,with everything matched together,should be around 300-325 fps.

I caution anyone trying to get over 280 from a fixed blade arrow, tuning becomes very critical for good arrow flight.

Fletchings? Some of the new vanes shoot very well but I'm old fashion and shoot 4" feathers set straight but slightly offset. I just like the way they look.

My Mathews Ultra was just restrung yesterday with a Proline string (best in the industry IMO). WEBSITE

I pull 70 pounds, 28" draw, my 5575 Gold Tip Hunter arrows shoot 299fps. They are fletched with three 4" white vanes, 6 degree right helical. I shoot 3 blade fixed Muzzys, 4 blade fixed muzzys, and 3 blade thunderheads. All 100 grains. I shoot a drop away rest. My broadheads hit where my field points do.

I just ordered an Elite Archery bow. WEBSITE.

I ordered the GT500. Elite archery was started by Kevin Strother as I know it. He was the engineer behind the Bowtech bows when it began in 1999. He left Bowtech to start Elite Archery in 2005 which has been a rather quite company. I think there is a lawsuit involved.

Regardless, I do a lot of research before I buy a bow, and there are many great ones out there, but Kevin designed one hell of a bow when he developed the GT500. I should have it in 3-4 weeks.

I will be shooting the Easton Lightspeed arrows with the short 1 degree offset fletch. There was a right handed bow set up to my spech, even though I shoot left handed. The right bow shot the arrows at 316fps. So, I will assume that my bow will do about the same. The new fletch is the higher profile but 1.5-2" vane.

ncboman, those feathers look great!
Peter.

Been using 4in Duravanes w/helical and fixed blade heads for some time and they work great. Shooting at 287 fps and I get great arrow flight with my CX 350s.

thanks Peter,

trueflight barred yellow

http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/

I like duravanes in 3 or 4" They have proved to be tough vanes.

My jig is set up for 1 deg offset.

Good Luck

Reloader

3" right helical feathers on my 3D/target bow and 4" right helical fethers on my hunting bow.
Got 3" right helical's on Mrs. Smed's bow too.

Just like them as they leave the front of center a little more towards the tip. They won't stiffen the spine as much as a vane either.

But like anything else, what I like you may not...

I use 2" blazers on mine. I use Gold Tip lazer II 22" bolts with the 100gr brass inserts with the 145gr Steelforce Phat heads. This setup has an excellent FOC and I still achieve 318 fps out of my Excalibur Equinox X-bow.

These shoot to the same POI as my field tips with absolutely no arrow tuning at all.

I realize you're a compound shooter, but I used the same setup but with the longer arrows when I shot compound.

Gentlemen, thank you for all your responses. I decided to order Arizona Plastivanes (I believe that is what they are called) in 3 7/8". I decided based on the fact that they look like what are already on my Axis 400 arrows, and the brace height of my bow allows fletching of that length. My 5" vanes left over from before are just too long for my bow. At the same time, to link with a previous post of mine, I dumped my Trapdoor arrow rest and got a Trophy Ridge DropZone fall away rest. I have not tested my newly fletched arrows, but my other arrows show VERY promising results with the new rest. I just cannot shoot multiple arrows at the same target at 20 yards anymore, not without ruining the fletching! In this case, this is a GOOD thing!!
Peter.

If you happen to be using a drop away rest take a look at www.starrflight.com and the "FOB". I've been using them exclusively for going on five years now and they do everything the maker says they will. Also makes fletching arrows a very simple process

SD47. I had heard about the FOBs on this forum about a year or so ago. I have not used them yet, but may give them a try. There are several videos on YouTube about FOBs.
Peter.

All I use are FOB's or 4" feathers.
The FOB is great but I dont hunt with them cause I use a ground blind alot, and you cant shoot them through the mesh.

xm15e2m4...
If you use a fixed broadhead of 1" diameter or greater the FOB will fly through mesh on a blind window just fine.