This has probably been asked, if so send me in right direction. Buying arrows, beside the length what is the difference between a 2 inch and 4 inch vane will one fly truer or it all depends on DL/DW. HELP!! Thanks doublea17
Arguably the 4in vane has more surface area which results in more drag. This will help to stabilize the arrow faster. If you shoot a big cut fixed broadhead you might get better results with the 4 in vane. On the flip side the 2 inch vane has less surface area but is usually taller than the 4 in vane which allows it to adequately stabilize an arrow with a broadhead. The taller height increases chance of clearance issues but is usually manageable in most bows. The decreased drag results in less drop at longer ranges. When that comes into play is determined by your setup ultimately. Within 40 yards in most cases its not a large delta. Does that help?
From what I've been reading, use the longer 4" vanes on arrows with big fixed blade broadheads and the smaller 2" type with mechanical broadheads. Do I have that somewhat accurate, as a general rule?
I use both but prefer the 4" especially when hunting. I want my arrow to stabilize as soon as possible and then send it's energy to it's intended target.
I switched from 4" to 2" a few years ago. I shoot a mechanical broadhead. I can say the only difference I noticed was that I have less drift with a strong cross wind using the 2" than the 4".
I've been shooting for over 25 years. Started out with 4" feathers, been using 2" Vanes for appx 4 years, with both fixed (3 and 4 blade) and mechs. Only difference I've noticed is 2" vanes seem to be less affected by cross breezes. But even that is negligible.
Your 2" vane ( blazers) were actually designed for use with the whisker biscuit. The idea being shorter and stiffer , resulting in less drag through the rest and less deformation of the vanes. If you're shooting a drop away I'd go with a 3" or a 4".
I use 4" vanes because I shoot big fixed blades outta my recurve and they stabilize the arrow a little faster. My 3D arrows are fletched with 2" vanes though. Less drag than the 4" which equates to less drop out at 40-50 yards.
