Arrow Fletching
 Glued
near the rear of most arrows are 3 (sometimes 4) feathers or plastic
vanes, arranged in an equal pattern around the circumference of the
shaft. These parabolic-shaped pieces of material (sometimes
collectively called the "fletching") serve to help steer the arrow during flight. If the tail of the arrow is precisely following the
tip during flight, the fletching slices cleanly through the air without
changing the arrow's path. But if the arrow's tail isn't perfectly
following the tip, friction occurs between the air and the fast moving
fletch - pushing the fletch (and the tail of the arrow) back into proper
alignment with the arrow's tip. So the fletching helps to
stabilize and correct the arrow's flight. Easy enough!
Of course, all fletching materials aren't created equal either.
Arrow fletching is available in a number of different shapes, colors,
types, thicknesses, lengths, etc. And they can be applied in
different configurations: straight, offset, or helical (spiral).
So how do we know which ones to pick? Should we go with feathers?
Or vanes? Would a bigger fletch do a better job than small ones?
Is one more durable than another? What are the trade-offs? Well,
let's start with the easy ones. |
Feathers or Vanes?
 Vanes
are made of soft flexible plastic and are the popular choice for today's
archer. They're inexpensive, easy to apply, quiet in flight,
available in almost any size/color, and they can be easily fletched in a
number of different patterns (straight - offset - helical). Since
vanes are impervious to water, they make an excellent all-weather choice
for hunting. In addition, they're also relatively durable.
Vanes can be crumpled and abused (up to a point of course) and they
still pop back into shape - not nearly as delicate as feathers.
However, compared to feathers of the same size, vanes are quite heavy -
as much as 3X the weight of a comparable feather. And since vanes
have a smooth surface area, they don't "dig-into" the air as well as the
rougher surface of feathers. So all other things being equal,
vanes don't stabilize arrow flight quite as well as feathers.
 But
feathers have their ups and downs too. Firstly, feathers are
rather expensive. Basic 4" feathers can cost up to 4X as much as
comparable vanes. Feathers that are barred, or have intricate
patterns/designs, or feathers that have specialized shapes can be as much as 10X
the cost of standard vanes. And feathers must generally be
fletched in a helical (spiral) configuration. Since feathers
aren't flexible enough to be manipulated easily like vanes, they usually
come pre-formed in either a right spiral (called right-wing) or left
spiral (left-wing). Feathers typically cannot be fletched in a
straight or offset pattern. And of course, feathers don't hold up
well to weather or rough-handling. BUT, many archers swear by
feathers for good reason. Feathers are very light. Three 4"
Gateway feathers weigh just over 8 grains - compared to 24 grains for
three 4" Duravanes. This means your arrows fly faster with less
loss of trajectory downrange. And when it comes to design, you
just can't deny that mother nature knows best. Feathers do a
tremendous job at stabilizing arrow flight - but they're not for
everyone or every application.
Think you know which one is best for you? Well hold on just a
moment. This is an important decision. There are a few other
factors you should consider before you jump to your conclusion about
feathers vs. vanes. |
Straight - Offset
- Helical?
Another factor that
determines the effectiveness of your fletching is the TURN of
the fletch. If your fletching is arranged in a helical
(spiral) pattern - like a boat propeller - your arrow will
rotate in flight. Much like a football that's thrown with a
perfect spiral, an arrow will fly straighter and be more stable
if it rotates in-flight. Aerodynamically, a helical
configuration is clearly a better choice. However, a
helical fletch may not always be appropriate or necessary for
your particular bow setup. For example, some arrow rests
will not provide enough clearance to allow a helical fletch to
pass thru without contact. In this case, many archers use
an offset fletch, where the vanes are still straight, rather
than in a spiral pattern, but they are slightly turned on the
shaft to promote some rotation in-flight without compromising
fletching clearance. For very unforgiving arrow rests with
limited clearance, or for competition target setups that don't
require much stabilization, the straight fletch may be the best
option. Take a look at the diagrams below and the
corresponding pro's and con's associated with each fletching
configuration. When you order your arrows, you'll need to
select one of these options.
|
Straight Fletch |
4º Right Offset Fletch |
Right Helical Fletch |
|
Does Not Rotate in
Flight |
Rotates Slightly in
Flight |
Rotates Dramatically
in Flight |
-
Fastest Flying Vane Configuration
- Least Amount of Air Resistance
- Works with Any Arrow Rest
- Minimal Fletching Clearance Problems |
-
Provides More Stabilization for Broadheads
- Only Some Air Resistance in Flight
- Works with Most Arrow Rests
- Stable Flight to Moderate Distances |
-
Superior Stabilization for Broadheads
- Best Overall Arrow Flight at Long Distance
- Increased Overall Accuracy
- Arrow Corrects Attitude in Flight |
- Less
Stable at Long Distances
- Provides Less Stabilization for Broadheads
- Best Used in a Well-Tuned Bow |
- May
Cause Fletching Clearance Issues
- Some Loss of Arrow Velocity
(Most
Popular Choice) |
-
Notable Loss of Arrow Velocity
- Fletching Clearance More Problematic |
|
|
Right or Left?
If you
choose to go with an offset or helical fletch, the arrow
will rotate in flight. But which way should it rotate?
Right or left? Feathers, which come in right-wing and
left-wing shapes, can make the arrow rotate either direction
depending upon your choice. And vanes can be fletched
right or left as well.
An arrow with a right
turn will rotate clockwise (as viewed from the nock) during
flight. An arrow with a left turn will rotate
counterclockwise. So what's the big difference?
With most modern setups........nothing. One is as good
as the other. The only major
difference is that left-turn (counterclockwise) arrows tend
to impact the target and loosen your tips, while right-turn
(clockwise) arrows tend to impact the target and tighten
your tips. Otherwise, it really makes no difference.
Of course, this wasn't always the case. The
traditional wisdom is for RH shooters to shoot a right turn
fletch and LH shooters to shoot a left turn fletch.
And if you shoot a traditional bow OR you have an old-fashioned flipper or
plunger style rest, this is still good advice for achieving
the best vane/feather clearance. But for shooters with
modern equipment and center-shot cutaway risers, if you have
to pick one or the other, we suggest you choose a right
turn. Or you can flip a coin. :)
Fletching Size:
How Big to Go?
Most vanes and feathers are available in several different sizes.
The most common are the 3", 4", and 5", with the 4" being the industry
standard for most applications. However, you may decide a little
larger or smaller fletch is better for you, but there are a few things
to consider.
Weight: If you're concerned about your finished arrow
weight or your F.O.C. balance (more on this in a moment), it's worth noting that
your choice and size of fletching material will have a significant
impact on both of those attributes. Take a look at the chart below
to see how much your fletching choice will add to your finished arrow.
Since all of that weight is going to be concentrated in the
rear of the arrow, heavy fletching material means a you'll
also need more tip weight to maintain a good F.O.C. balance.
| |
Three 3" |
Three 4" |
Three 5" |
|
Feathers
(Gateway) |
+6.12 grains |
+8.28 grains |
+10.9 grains |
|
Vanes (Norway/Duravanes) |
+18.9 grains |
+24.0 grains |
+34.5 grains |
Surface Area: In addition to
the TURN of your fletching, the second factor that determines how much
stabilization you can expect will be directly related to the total
amount of surface area of the fletching material you select.
Larger fletching will have more surface area, small fletching will have
less. The more surface area, the more resistance the fletching will
have with the surrounding air and the more effective the fletching will be at
correcting the arrow in flight. Compare the total surface area
(both sides) of the standard 3", 4" and 5" fletch.
| |
Three 3" |
Three 4" |
Three 5" |
|
Approximate Surface Area |
6.42 sq-in |
9.64 sq-in |
13.23 sq-in |
Three 5" vanes will have
over twice the surface area of three 3" vanes. So
a 5" fletch would arguably be better for stabilizing the
arrow, right? Perhaps. Just remember that
archery is all about trade-offs. If you go with a
huge fletch, you'll also have more weight, less FOC, and
the larger fletchings may or may not clear your arrow
rest properly. A heavy load of vanes also
decreases your arrow spine (though only slightly). |
Fletching Choice:
Recommendations
First and
foremost, your fletching choice should be what yields the
best accuracy. So before you choose your fletching
type, it's important to consider how difficult your arrows
will be to stabilize in flight. If you only use your
bow for recreational target shooting with field points or
target nibbs, a 3" fletch will probably be sufficient.
Field points are easy to stabilize. But broadheads are
another story. If you shoot broadheads (particularly
large fixed-blade broadheads) which often tend to fly
erratically, a larger fletch will be essential to achieving
good arrow flight and consistent groups. If you shoot
mechanical broadheads, you can get by with a little less.
There probably isn't a true right and wrong here, as
fletching material is essentially a personal choice.
But here is general chart to help you select a reasonable
fletching option for your setup.
|
Fletching
Options
(Suggested) |
I use a containment style arrow
rest with limited clearance: Whisker
Biscuit, Whisper Disc, Bodoodle Zapper, GK
Shoot-Out, or similar. |
I use a shoot-thru style arrow
rest: TM Hunter, Golden Key Rover,
Bodoodle Pro-Lite, Quiktune 800, Quikset Hunter,
or similar. |
I use a drop-away style arrow
rest: Muzzy Zero Effect, Trophy Ridge Drop
Zone, Trophy Taker, QAD Ultimate, Trap Door or
similar. |
|
I'm careful with my equipment.
Inclement weather and fletching durability isn't
really an issue. |
|
Field Tips or Nibbs Only |
3" Str. Vanes |
|
Mechanical B-Heads |
4" Str.
Vanes |
|
Fixed-Blade B-Heads |
5" Str.
Vanes |
|
|
Field Tips or Nibbs Only |
3" R-Hel Feathers |
|
Mechanical B-Heads |
4" R-Hel Feathers |
|
Fixed-Blade B-Heads |
4" R-Hel Feathers |
|
|
Field Tips or Nibbs Only |
3" R-Hel Feathers |
|
Mechanical B-Heads |
3" R-Hel Feathers |
|
Fixed-Blade B-Heads |
4" R-Hel Feathers |
|
|
I'm a little rough on my
equipment, so I need fletchings that will take
some abuse and hold up in all weather
situations. |
|
Field Tips or Nibbs Only |
3" Str. Vanes |
|
Mechanical B-Heads |
4" Str.
Vanes |
|
Fixed-Blade B-Heads |
5" Str.
Vanes |
|
|
Field Tips or Nibbs Only |
3" Offset Vanes |
|
Mechanical B-Heads |
4" Offset
Vanes |
|
Fixed-Blade B-Heads |
5" Offset
Vanes |
|
|
Field Tips or Nibbs Only |
3" R-Hel Vanes |
|
Mechanical B-Heads |
4" R-Hel Vanes |
|
Fixed-Blade B-Heads |
4" R-Hel Vanes |
|
|
Front of Center Balance
If you've ever
played a friendly game of darts, you've surely noticed that
the dart is designed so that it's heavy in the front, and
light in the back. If the dart were weighted the
opposite way, with the tail being heavier than the tip, it
would literally spin around and hit the target tail-first.
Obviously the ballistics of a dart and an arrow are a bit
different, but the underlying concept is similar. A
projectile's flight is most stable when most of the
projectile's mass is positioned Front (or Forward) of Center
[FOC].
As such, an arrow should be heavier in the front than in the
back. But how much? Where's the "perfect"
balance point?
This is another hotly debated issue among archery
enthusiasts. Some claim that FOC makes little or no
difference, others swear that FOC has a profound effect on
accuracy. Even the industry experts don't seem to agree, as the
ballistic physics for FOC include some rather elastic variables that
make finding an "mathematically optimal" FOC very difficult
to declare and prove.
To make matters worse, we even see a variation in how FOC
itself is calculated, depending upon which "expert" you ask.
So while we have no interest in the fine points of the
debate, we will agree that the tricky issue of FOC is at
least worth considering when
purchasing a new set of arrows.
 With
all that said, it is generally believed that an arrow with a high FOC
will fly well, but with premature loss of trajectory (nose-diving).
While an arrow with a low FOC will hold it's trajectory
better, but it will fly erratically. So again, another
trade-off for you to consider.
While there doesn't seem to be a magic number to aim for, it
is generally agreed that the optimal FOC balance for an
arrow is somewhere between 7% and 15%. In the example
on the left, the 30" long arrow has balance point that is 3"
forward of the arrow's actual center (15"). So it's FOC is
3/30 or 10% - a reasonable FOC balance.
So when you order your custom arrows, keep FOC in mind.
If you choose heavy 5" vanes and an anorexic 50 grain tip,
you'll likely have an FOC that is too low. On the
other hand, if you choose 3" lightweight feathers and a
jumbo 175 grain tip, you'll likely have too much FOC.
Choose an arrow setup that will give you an FOC balance of
roughly 7-15%.
|
FOC Calculators:
To find the
approximate FOC balance of your finished arrow, simply
balance your arrow on some kind of fulcrum such that the
arrow sits on it's own without tipping forward or backward.
Mark this position on the arrow where it balances perfectly.
Then measure the entire arrow (from the crotch of the nock
to the end of the point), divide the arrow length by 2, and make
a mark that indicates the exact center of the arrow.
Now just measure the distance between your marks. If
you divide the distance between the marks by the total arrow
length, then multiply the result by 100, you'll have a
reasonable estimate of your arrow's FOC percentage.
There are also a number of FOC calculators available online.
Here is a sample of one FOC calculator, a simple program to help you predict
the FOC balance of your custom arrows. This particular calculator uses 2003 Gold Tip specifications, but
the concept is the same regardless of which brand of arrow
you ultimately choose. We suggest you take a little
time to experiment with the calculator, and learn how each
variable affects FOC balance. The 4 boxes highlighted
in green must be used. The other boxes, though
functional, represent custom options not commonly used.
For the purposes of this exercise, you can just ignore
grayed-out boxes.
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