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Anyone building their own bolts?

MAHunter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Messages
261
Hi All,

I got a couple CE Piledriver bolts that need to be re-fletched. Im looking at picking up the Arizona EZ Fletch.
Im looking for some Vane suggestions from anyone here with experience. Im shooting a 150grain 3blade fixed broadhead.
Length?
Stiff or flexible?
Helical, offset, or straight?
And specific brand vane suggestions?
 
Most my of my bolts have straight 3.5 Bohning vanes.100 pack on Amazon for $23.

Funny, i was looking at those exact Vanes. Im curious if offset/helical improves accuracy out to 40yards. Where I hunt, there arent many open lanes over 40yards.
 
Funny, i was looking at those exact Vanes. Im curious if offset/helical improves accuracy out to 40yards. Where I hunt, there arent many open lanes over 40yards.
I don't build my own blots, those are just the vanes that come on the brands I use. I haven't had any issues with them. My bolts fly perfect, though I don't shoot past 30 yards. Never tried offset or helical vanes. If you are buying a Fletcher you could give it a try.
 
I don't build my own blots, those are just the vanes that come on the brands I use. I haven't had any issues with them. My bolts fly perfect, though I don't shoot past 30 yards. Never tried offset or helical vanes. If you are buying a Fletcher you could give it a try.

I think i will. Ill need to strip one of my bolts to clock it so i know which direction the helical needs to go. Im not sure they may a left offset.
 
I have some that need new vanes. The blood eagles I got seems like they where running out of glue when they put the vanes on. Not sure with the rail if you can put a lot of helical twist in it. Seems like you would get contact. This spring I was gonna mess with it some. But my guess is the most you can add is a slight OS because of the rail. Wonder if a two vane configuration would fly... But the 3 works. So may not be worth changing.
 
I have some that need new vanes. The blood eagles I got seems like they where running out of glue when they put the vanes on. Not sure with the rail if you can put a lot of helical twist in it. Seems like you would get contact. This spring I was gonna mess with it some. But my guess is the most you can add is a slight OS because of the rail. Wonder if a two vane configuration would fly... But the 3 works. So may not be worth changing.

From the videos Ive watched, Helicals will work fine in modern crossbows. The benefit of the helical is that it start spinning the bolt as soon as it leave the rail. Which gets the arrow stable faster. I would think that would be very beneficial to shooting closer ranges (30-40yards). To much spin can slow the bolt down at longer distances, but most guys arent taking 80yard shots while hunting.

I did just clock one of my bolts, and as luck would have it, it naturally turns clockwise. I purchased the Arizona EZ Fletch right helical and will use the 3.5in Bohning Bolt vanes. Ill put them on the 20in Carbon Express Piledriver bolts that have shed their vanes in target practice.

I will fletch the cock vane on the strong side of each bolt so they all come off the rail the exact same and nock tune if needed. If i had to guess, this alone will yield much better accuracy.

Ill compare the ones i build to a stock Piledriver with its stock strait vanes that has been nock tuned.

If anyone here is interested in the results let me know and ill post them here.
 
Hi All,

I got a couple CE Piledriver bolts that need to be re-fletched. Im looking at picking up the Arizona EZ Fletch.
Im looking for some Vane suggestions from anyone here with experience. Im shooting a 150grain 3blade fixed broadhead.
Length?
Stiff or flexible?
Helical, offset, or straight?
And specific brand vane suggestions?
I've got pile driver bolts, mission and black eagle executioners. I think you'd be fine fletching with a slight offset with the AZ EZ fletch jig. You could also go with a bitzenburger jig and a straight clamp and then just set it offset. A lot of options out there. CE makes a nock just for fletching you slip onto the bolt if you're using the flat nocks. Otherwise the bitz should be fine with the crescent or half moon nocks. I've noticed most vanes for xbow bolts are lower profile so although the blazers may be fine, it all depends on the depth of your xbow rail. I know the BE Executioners use a fusion vane.
 
I stand corrected, the BE Executioners use 3" Bohning X Vanes
 
I make all my own now ..or should say "again"... I've actually converted back to using either 2" RAZR feathers or 3" right wing parabolic feathers...they work great
 
I make all my own now ..or should say "again"... I've actually converted back to using either 2" RAZR feathers or 3" right wing parabolic feathers...they work great
How are the feathers holding up? Do they seem to get extra abuse from the crossbow?
 
How are the feathers holding up? Do they seem to get extra abuse from the crossbow?
I'm interested as well. It seems I lose a fletching every deer I shoot. The silent knight sk200 I'm using either get pulled off or get torn on a rib. Is anyone else losing fletching each time?
 
....I tried them many years ago (10 or so) with my Excalibur Exocet 200...they didn't hold up all that well...I started using them again last season with my Mission Sub One Lite and they're holding up just fine. If they get folded down or flattened, I just turn on the tea pot to boiling and steam them...they seem to bounce right back up. I also "water proof" them with a dry white powder, the name escapes me at the moment..Fletch dry maybe or something similar...I'll look at when I get home from work...
I shot 3 deer with the same arrow n feather fletching last season..just rinsed it off, let it dry, used steam to bring the feathers "back to life" and she was good to go...after the 3rd deer, that's was it ...had to refletch... Nice thing about feathers, they don't lie about what part of the animal you hit...I generally use two white hen feathers and a red cock feather ..white shows all
 
....I tried them many years ago (10 or so) with my Excalibur Exocet 200...they didn't hold up all that well...I started using them again last season with my Mission Sub One Lite and they're holding up just fine. If they get folded down or flattened, I just turn on the tea pot to boiling and steam them...they seem to bounce right back up. I also "water proof" them with a dry white powder, the name escapes me at the moment..Fletch dry maybe or something similar...I'll look at when I get home from work...
I shot 3 deer with the same arrow n feather fletching last season..just rinsed it off, let it dry, used steam to bring the feathers "back to life" and she was good to go...after the 3rd deer, that's was it ...had to refletch... Nice thing about feathers, they don't lie about what part of the animal you hit...I generally use two white hen feathers and a red cock feather ..white shows all
Could you expand on your technique? Tape, glue, tip & tail, etc.? I've got a Bitzenberger and plan on building a set of bolts for next season.
 
I really like my Bohning Pro Fletching Jig (or something like that). It’s a heavy duty red plastic jig. Clips available for straight, RH, and LH. I also like Bohning Fletchtite glue. Not the fastest cure but I’ve never had a vane come off in like 9 seasons of fletching. I’d personally go straight with a low key offset if at all, just due to the rail being so damn straight already and not wanting to increase drag down said rail. I have not had good luck with fixed blades above 30 yds and 300 fps, so I shoot Grim Reaper mechs with a “pro tip” (SHARP!) and I don’t see a need for more than 4” of vane. I might if I was shooting fixed blade, OR I might try again with low profile vanes 4” or less.
 
Could you expand on your technique? Tape, glue, tip & tail, etc.? I've got a Bitzenberger and plan on building a set of bolts for next season.

I have a Bitzenburger single/mono jig.
I have both straight and right helical clamps. Most times I use the straight clamp and put the feathers on at a slight offset.
I bought an adapter to fit my crossbow arrows. Or glue a regular archery nock (old style that would go on a swaged aluminum shaft) onto a field point, then screw it an insert. I cost the insert with some wax and push it into the shaft to keep the shaft from accidentally rotating during the fletching process.
I use Goat tuff glue to adhere the feathers to the shaft.
 
I have a Bitzenburger single/mono jig.
glue a regular archery nock (old style that would go on a swaged aluminum shaft) onto a field point, then screw it an insert. I cost the insert with some wax and push it into the shaft to keep the shaft from accidentally rotating during the fletching process.
That's a really good idea that would have never occurred to me. I bet a dot of cool melt would serve a similar purpose to the wax. Thanks! Can you estimate how much offset are you using? I don't think I'd want to use too much, given the width of my rails. I picked up one of those DCA Vane Angle Tools so I can try to be repeatable with my setups.
 
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