2" vs 4" vanes

[Dave in Idaho]

I shoot 5" feathers at 67lbs. The main reason is that they stabilize my 28" arrows and 125gr Magnus Snuffer broad head's. I have found the Snuffer broadheads seem to require a longer feather to stabilize and settle down the groups.
I have found that for me the broad head is my first priority then arrows, feathers or fletching and finally bow and poundage.
I have been shooting the exact same set up for 3 years now. I am so glad that my constant tweaking and fiddling appear to be over.
For now.
Dave

[cva54]

Originally Posted by dirtball

I have tried about every fletching combination there is. What I have found for my set up, 65-70lb speed bow with a Shakey Hunter drop-a-way rest, is a lot depends on the broadhead you shoot. If you shoot a fixed blade broadhead you will be better of with a helical fletch. I shoot Thunderheads and Steel Force, so I use a helical fletch.

The last test I did was with three arrows each fletched with four 4" Arizona Plasifletch Elite, four 2" Blazers, and four 4" feathers. At 40 yards the 2" and 4" vanes hit almost identical point of impact.
The ones fletched with feathers hit 5" to 6" LOWER than the others. Feathers stabilize an arrow faster because they have a LOT more drag, and they hate rain.

BUT because the 2" Blazers are MUCH stiffer that the Arizona's they were VERY LOUD going down range. I got behind a Styrofoam block and had a buddy shoot past me, about 10' to my left, into another Styrofoam block so I could listen the the different arrows going by, and the Blazers were so much louder that I decided then and there I would not hunt with them.
Now if you shoot mechanical broadheads and can use a straight fletch this should not be a concern.
But then why would any one shoot mechanical broadheads, it just adds to the number of things that can break, fall off, or otherwise go wrong.
Just my 2 cents

Dave

I am with you on them blazzers thay are noisey did the same thing and thay flaged real bad to out of my mathews with a drop away shooting at 264 fps

[Ol'Gator]

I've been shooting 2" Blazers for several years and haven't had any issues shooting several different type broadheads. Until last year I was shooting Razorcaps with excellent results. Now, I'm into Slick Tricks with same results. Only changes when going to 4" vanes is the need to move to a heavier broadhead. Going from 100 grain heads when shooting the blazers to 125s using 4" vanes keeps FOC at an acceptable value. BTY, all setups are with 3 vanes.