So now that I have a bitzenburger on the way, I was going to buy some vanes/fletching but there are so many different kinds out there. My local archery shop decides which vanes to put on an arrow according to to what broadhead you plan to use. 4" vane for fixed blade and 2" for mechanical. I feel as though there has to be a reason for this, like better steering of the broadhead but more people than not seem to prefer a 2" regardless of what they shoot. Does the type or style of vanes you use really matter that much? I personally don't like the look of a 2" vane. I was looking into the 3" fusion duravane. One website noted that these were intended for xbow bolts but the next says they are a good all around choice. Being I am not a competitive archer and my focus is bow hunting, do vanes really matter that much. Do I pick what I like or is there some guidelines I should follow to pick what I ultimately end up using? Thanks. This post probably should of went in the tech section, sorry. I put it here out of habit being I check this section more often. Mods, feel free to move it if that's where it needs to be.
I've been using the AAE Max Hunter vanes. They are just over 2" in length, different profile than the Blazers. I've been quite happy with the way they perform with fixed blade broadheads, 1 3/16" & 1 1/4" cut. Haven't used them with a mechanical head, however field tips shoot great with them.
IMO you can't beat blazer. I actually watched a video the other day where they shot them through wood a 1x4 I believe but that doesn't really matter, but the point was that it didn't rip the vain or even distort them. Yesterday I had the unintended chance of proving that. I shot through one of my targets and had to pull the fletchings through the other side and I was very surprised to see that they were still in perfect condition.
Yes, vanes do matter. The shape, size and stiffness all help control fixed blade heads. The Blazer vanes and some of the other higher profile, super stiff and short vanes are specifically designed to steer broadheads better. Combine them with as much helical as possible and you will get a lot of stabilizing spin on an arrow, helping accuracy.
A few years back I tried maybe a dozen different vanes: Bohning killer (4"), Blazers, AAE Max hunter, Duravane, VaneTec, Easton, NAP Twister, Norway, Flex-Fletch and more. The best for me are FlexFletch FFP-360. They are very consistent, very quiet, durable, stick like heck and Made in the Midwest. I have a bitz, use Zing Primer and AAE FastSet Gel and you can't pull them off with a pliers. But with that said, IMO 4" Truefight feathers will guide your BH best. They are more forgiving, but they will be louder in flight.
Imo, blazers are the best for a hunting arrow regardless of bh style. I shoot them with a slight helical. I shoot feathers for indoor with a heavy helical
Blazers were actually designed for use with containment rest for less drag through the rest and durability. They offer less flight correction than your typical vane.
I like AAE max hunter pro's. Slightly lower profile, but I'm shooting a 4mm diameter shaft and Hypodermics. I fletch my vanes with a 1.2 degree offset. More than that doesn't affect the timing of the spin on your arrow whatsoever. If you go with fixed blades, you want something larger to assist in steering your broadhead. In short, yes. Vanes matter. The length matters, the height matters and your offset matters. I usually take a dozen arrows and try different broadheads and vanes on sets of 3 arrows to see how they group. Best of luck
I will only be shooting fixed blades as my DW and DL will never produce enough kinetic energy to allow a mechanical to work. With said, reading these comments and still doing some reading online, I still have no more deciding factors than I started with. Everything I read is different than the next and last things I have read. I plan to play with offset and helical to see what works best for my set up so that isn't so much a question as is which fletching. Seems I just can't find any solid info on this that would lead me to lean one way or another.
What would be considered a high profile vane? What is the typical height of a "normal" 4" vane and what is the height of a 2" vane? Or do these numbers vary by the manufacturer?
2 inch razr feathers or Blazers in right helical have worked well for me with various 100 grain fixed blade broadheads.
I have been using the bohnning X vanes but in a 4 fletch. They have been flying really good fixed or mechanical broadhead. An this is out to 100 yards Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
I agree. But the batch I had looked like this if you stood them on a table. \ / / \ \ \ / \ / \ \ / / \ \ / / None stood up straight.
I shoot 2" blazers with mechanical broadheads with a hard left helical. They are very straight shooting. I did tune the bow before I started shooting any broadheads however. I've had great luck with them. They are tough.
I've shot a few blazers and torn them... I've never had one come off or tear though. Great fletching.
