Choosing Fletching - What Makes a Difference and What Doesnt

[@NUSensei]

Great info. Thanks for presenting your expertise clearly.

[@vieuxacadian9455]

Well done Sir . The trailing edge feathers I know them as swept wing . They are great at giving a light tickle " notification location " when anchored . I use them mostly .

[@MONKLJ]

Your clear and precise information has answered all the questions that rattle around in my mind, about fletching. There are way too many thoughts out there, on arrow precision with micro weight, this and shape of that that can just boggle the mind. Thank you for this excellent video.

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

You are very welcome. Glad the vid helped 👍

[@Starlingchaser]

..Marvellous... After all these years, I've finally found your channel...

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

More videos to come 😊

[@Starlingchaser]

@@RobinhoodarrowsRHA ....Well, jolly good.... I'm an old guy... Discovered archery too late, so now, I'm making up lost time...

[@CampfireKodiak]

I did a test at 35 yds shooting 5" parabolic and shield cut feathers with a 50 lb recurve. I was unable to detect any sound difference however the shield cut had more drag so impact was lower. At 25 yds there was no noticeable difference. I stopped using helical because it's too noisy and harder to use with 5" feathers however even my straight jig has a tad bit of twist to it so the arrows do spin. Thanks for making this video.

[@kaptn_kapton]

Is there any more amazing sound than an incoming arrow?

[@davidburgess741]

I like the AAE Tradvanes because they're pretty flexible and the lower profile has more clearance on a rest to the shelf. Perhaps my 600 spine shafts are a bit weak with a 40 lb recurve bow, but 40g tips has helped with that. More arrow speed, and less parachute effect. Accuracy at 20 and 30 yards vastly improved over high profile feathers .

[@chrismatthews228]

Makes really good sense. More sense than others who try to explain the topic that total surface area should complement how in-tune your arrows are.

[@sjohnson4882]

Thanks. That really gives me something to think about. I have been using heavier arrows that are a bit more rugged than I would use normally. I do a lot of stunping and the lighter arrows don't seem to take as many hard hits as heavier, thicker walled arrows. I have been four fletching them and they are pretty slow. I might try to cut down on fletching length and number to see if I can speed them up a bit.

[@alanbeaulier5783]

Kev, you did an excellent job. I agree on the length as I was told 5" and shot that for years now I use 4" and they shoot great. As for 4 fletch I was told it will stabilize an arrow quicker then 3 fletch, I have shot them and could not tell any difference. I would like to see a slow motion video to o see if this true.

[@patfitzgerald5696]

Really useful video! Thank you. Can't wait to see how the Ottoman low profiles perform.

[@TheDukeBoxer]

I use twin fletches on 32" shafts. Initially I was a bit sceptical as I'd never even heard of twin fletches. But they seem to fly pretty straight, with less parabolic dip and they're quiet.

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Twin set up can work really well. Shot like that for a few years. The only downside I found was it punishes bad form more that a standard 3 fletch setup

[@tomh7708]

Thanks for sharing this information. It's great ot hear this from someone who knows arrows.

[@8ballali]

Thanks for the info Kev. Explained in simple enough terms, that even an idiot like me has a basic idea now.

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

I would contend that fletching size does matter with an increase in bow poundage. Naturally, the arrow itself is going to weigh more the higher you go in poundage (ie tapered 1/2 shafts for 150# war bows), so the fletching needs to work harder to stabilize all of that weight. Using the same size fletching on a heavier arrow means you get slightly less stabilizing effect, so using slightly more fletching is necessary to compensate for that. The increase in ballistic coefficient you gain with a heavier/denser arrow offsets the drag induced from the additional fletching, or to put it another way, keeping the same fletching with a heavier poundage will net less stabilizing drag. All other things being equal, the slight difference wouldn't be terribly obvious between something like a 35# bow vs a 55# bow anyway...but it would be there, however marginal it is. One other note that gets into fluid dynamics is how the shape affects the efficiency of the fletching. Looking at it aerodynamically, the fletching can be viewed as an aircraft wing, and when it develops lift, it causes the shaft to spin. The most efficient shape for a wing in subsonic flight is a high aspect ratio (very thin and long, like a sailplane or a wind turbine blade), this gives you the most lift (in this case, spin) for the drag it produces. Obviously we can't glue little airplane wings on our arrows due to clearance considerations, but it does demonstrate why certain shapes tend to do better than others. A long, low profile fletching like the trailing rear edge you've shown would be considered low aspect. A short, high profile fletching like the exaggerated parabolic shape found on modern carbon fiber arrows will lean more toward a high aspect ratio. If you want to get the absolute most out of fletching shape, more sticky outy and less lengthy lengthy.

[@richardhucker3577]

Lots of great information. What size fletchings would you use for a medieval style arrow

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Id go long but VERY low profile. Maybe 6 or 6.5" plus the rear trailing edge

[@joracer1]

Old hunter, now shooting 3d. 40 unknown which in my case is the hunter class... You are the man to answer my questions. When i hunted way back. I always used feathers. 1) does wind effect strait vanes more than left or right spin vanes? If so by how much? 2) does wind effect feathers more or less than vanes? If so by how much? 3) will feathers fly faster than vanes? If so by how much? 4) how much does feather deterioration effect arrow speed and accuracy. Assuming 50% deterioration? 5) I'm thinking of switching from vanes to feathers. Shooting through a WB..so far 3" groups at 30yds. 17 down my best 3d score so far. I'm not going to shoot in rain. And I will tend to my fletchings. Do you think switching to feathers is an ok move or a detrimental move. I shake a little on hold, maybe moving my pin around 4" to 5" at 30yds in every which way.. it maybe my age (60). Idk. Hasn't improved in the 2 months since I've started shooting again. Probably flung 1500 arrows. Its possible your answers could save me a lot of time (testing) and ($). Is it possible that feathers could improve my 3d score by a smidgen? Having trouble judging yardage from 30yds on.

[@carlduncan8462]

Well done Sir. in this video you recorded a shot using a trailing edge feather and it was loud. I have experienced that sound out of 5 " feathers. Could you record some shots with different fletching and compare the sound. I enjoy your videos and the British voice. Here in the state of Texas we don't get get those accents.😊

[@PBS-nm1uu]

great presentation, thanks for your input.

[@RobertaBruce-mo4mg]

Love your video's. Do you have a book like your video's? I am a beginner and want to learn as much as I can on archery.

[@Australian_Made]

· HISTORICALLY SPEAKING .... where did 105° 75° 4 fletching begin ?? ?? ?? 50+ YEARS AGO, I once read an old archery book, which mentioned the 75° 105° 4 fletch pattern. (( HENCE, I know that this pattern existed for AT LEAST 60 years. )) ################## ALSO ...... Is there an advantage ?? 🏹🎯

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

No idea when and where it began to be honest but Id wager it was way longer than 60 years ago. When it comes to advantages the jury is definitely out. Ive shot with twin fletch, three fletch and 4 fletch setups. Twin is great but can REALLY punish poor form. When it comes to comparing 3 or 4 fletch setups its really just a matter of drag. For instance, a 4" 3 fletch setup will have the same drag as a 3" 4 fletch setup (assuming same shape etc) My personal favourite is either a very long but extremely low profile setup or 2.5" to 3" fletching on well tuned arrows. I tend to stick to the tradition 3 fletch option these days as its simple and efficient

[@Jeebe3]

Thank you so much for the clear video. I do have a question. I want to make arrows out of bamboo material (I shoot a horsebow with thumb release). The shafts when you 'bend' it, there is a 'stiff' side and a side that bends pretty well. On what side do you place the cockfeather? And should I use fluflu feather if I want to make a whistling arrow, or would normal feathers be ok?

[@lucianohenrique1595]

Thanks for the great and very informative video.

[@glennbayley5863]

a question for Robin Hood archery.how far up the arrow shaft do you start fletching your arrows.feathers.

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Good question. It differs slightly depending on a number of factors. No.1 is personal pref. Id usually start at around 10 to 15mm unless its trailing edge fletching or fluflu. In this case you'd need to move the fletching further down the shaft

[@vicinitydigitaldesig]

I’m trying 500 spine @ 31 inches carbon shafts with 100 grain tip and 4” fletching for my 29” draw, 35lb traditional bow with a shelf. Sound right? And fletching will be straight shield (we’ll fairly straight being my first arrows :) for straw target 🎯 at around 20 meters away. I have a few different arrows now. 350spine, 400spine, 500spine, and I really don’t notice much difference 😉

[@malditomigue]

I prefer shield 4" because the higher profile than parabolic. And I taper my arrow shafts from 11/32 to 5/16. More F.O.C. and less drag.

[@sprk11]

Loved the vid. Been making my own arrows and fletchings for a few years now. And as you say tuning is so much more important than any other aspect of the arrow making. Yes proper placement of the fletching is important as well but tuned arrows make a bigger difference. When it comes to woods what do you prescribe as the best tuning method, or better phrased, which is your preferred method? I build my arrows less the point . I tapper for the point and shoot the arrow into softer foam target till the arrow shoots slightly stiff then add the points which usually has them shooting straight. I do this with the feathers on, because after breaking two bare shaft woods I wanted something less destructive.

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Glad you liked the vid :) Wow, theres so much to tuning its where to begin. Ive got several thousand arrows under my belt so for me Im leaning on years of experience. Different bows for instance may need a different tune even though they have identical weight and draw length. Riser design, sight window cut-out, speed etc all make a difference. In essence I build wooden arrows once Ive calculated what spine is correct and whether the archer is looking for a heavy or light arrow (taking into account intended use). At this point I already know the make/model of bow, bow weight and draw length. I also know rough finished length. At this stage tho Im leaving everything long. I bareshaft test my own arrows with points on. Youzre right about snapping shafts though. I stand no more than about 5mtrs away for the firs trial. Thats just to make sure theyre not going in half sideways. Once im confident they are straight(ish) I start moving back. Now, I always work from weak to hard, that means shortening the shaft as I go until they fly minimally weak at say 20mtrs. The fletching tends to stiffen the dynamic spine fractionally so once theyre on it takes away that fractional weakness. Phew, next time ask me an easy one! lolololol

[@sprk11]

@@RobinhoodarrowsRHA LOL ya sure,, the easy ones I can usually figure out myself. And thanks for your description of tuning. It's pretty standard from what I've been told, all the math for string type, center reference , Matches what I've been told in the past Thank you again for your response.

[@shellymorrison6150]

Well explained, thank you!

[@jjpso]

great video, thanks

[@jimmydesouza4375]

I am curious, you say don't mix right and left wing fletching. Are you meaning feathers from the right and left wings of a source bird? If so, why can't you mix them? Do the feathers form differently on different sides of a bird?

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Yes, thats exactly right. The left and right wing feathers curl in opposite directions

[@jamesdurrett3827]

Good discussion.

[@BFGNZ]

Thanks, just the info I was looking for👍

[@darrynworthy7129]

trad Archery did a test on 3 4 5 inch feathers, the most common ones, speed tests and over different distances, he found hardly any difference in speed, as in none that would make a difference. only thing he found was 3 inch at 70 ish yards had a different trajectory as in flatter, but not many shoot that distance, the 5 inch kicked out a bit more though on release, so between the 3 size feathers he found no difference in our normal shooting range. this was a test done well too.

[@l.ashleygarr6537]

I have a question, can you use full length feathers that are meant for spiral wrapped flu-flu for creating regular fletching? I’m looking to cut out a “Sting” shaped fletching but will have enough feathers to cut other designs. I did an internet search and all I’ve managed to find is that the feathers meant for flu-flu have a thinner spine to make them more flexible. Does it really matter? I may try splicing too, I don’t want to get the wrong thing. Love the videos. Thank you.🏹❤️

[@mickusable]

Another interesting video Sir 🤘

[@timmeisburger3808]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@muhammadafandyabdullah7852]

Does spine of arrows have any effect on sizing of fletching eg 800 spine with 5 inch fletching bow weight 30lbs. Tq

[@gillesprevost9975]

Is any of the different shapes out there is better for stabilising a broad head? Ex: shield vs banana?

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Got to be honest with you and say I dont know. My experience of using broadheads is very limited However.. If an arrow is well tuned the fletching only plays a very small part

[@gillesprevost9975]

@@RobinhoodarrowsRHA thanks Kev. Your videos are brilliant. Carry on please

[@YoureSoVane]

Not a whole lot. The total drag of the vane is a function of it's frontal area and drag coefficient added to it's skin friction. If you look at what the air hits as it moves over and around the vane, it's not that big of a deal. If there's a difference between the two cuts it's because the cut created a poorly supported section that ripples more in the wind, causing more drag and more noise. That's about it. The rest is based on the degree of offset and size of the vane. If anything, go with parabolic. Look for a slightly more gentle slope on the back end, and not just a straight up and down line. It's more mass on the back of the vane, which you want, and without the sharp corners of the shield cut. Think like a rearward biased banana cut. Another big factor for broadheads is the overall height. It gives you great leverage but also makes the arrow super loud.

[@scamperstephen4811]

Hmmm that’s mate it’s back to the drawing board for me now 😱

[@bugmouthready529]

What happened to those new designed fletching templates? Available again?

[@KanchoStar]

What about how far down the shaft you place the fletchings? I would like have 4 inches of space between the tip of the nock to beginning of the fletchjngs, would that make a massive difference?

[@matthewy8923]

Thank you very much! Very helpful!

[@beardedfellow5868]

Have you ever used staggered fletching? Offsetting the each by 1/4”? I felt it was a good go between when using 3” fletchings but wanted a bit longer fletched area but not the slowing effects of 4” feathers? Am I an idiot or anyone do this?

[@j.m.w.5064]

Yes, very nice Video. Yes, I am utterly confused. Cheers.

[@LifeisGood-ye8rl]

If I shoot horsebow thumb release, my arrow comes out of the bow sideways because arrow has to move around the bow handle before recovering and fly straight, would shield cut 5 inch better than 4 inch parabolic in terms of flight recovery?

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

Several years late, and hopefully you've figured this out by now...but the release is what's causing the arrow to fly so far away from your target. Focus on improving your release rather than using fletching as a bandaid fix. That, or you just weren't used to shooting on the other side of the bow yet...most archers have a difficult time with the arrow on the opposite side of the bow because their sight picture is so different.

[@TheLastLancer]

Thank you. Very informative video.

[@mrpickles3479]

Great video, however info on plastics would be good…

[@richardwallace6026]

thankyou

[@tri-seeker2753]

Great! Smart person needs explanations what causes what, not definitive solutions, that by nature, can't fit everybody. 👍

[@esnevip]

Arrowsmith? I thought it was Fletcher?

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Nope. A fletcher just does the feathers 😊

[@esnevip]

@@RobinhoodarrowsRHA Thanks for going over and above with the info :)

[@nachtschattenmacher]

where to get long flat osmanian fletches?

[@RobinhoodarrowsRHA]

Coincidentally I will be making some for a customer order very soon!

[@nachtschattenmacher]

@@RobinhoodarrowsRHA so, that sounds interesting :-)i will need around 60 too :-)

[@bugmouthready529]

Robin Hood Archery are the templates back in stock?

[@royalecrafts6252]

helical is not an offset

[@nathansmith6098]

Size does matter :)

[@garybrewster4988]

Thanks, great Information and some really useful points