Vanes. What are you running?

[MattMan81]

Not happy that it seems most of my feathers are coming apart on my arrows after one season. Thinking about re doing them for next season. Plus gonna try to scrub off some weight. Need low profile to clear the QAD drop away. Durable seems a must. Probably gonna stay with a 4 fletched small.
Anyone try something other than a blazer?

 

[Exhumis]

I use AAE Max Stealth as they were recommended to me by my arrow builder. I explained to him what broadheads I was using and weight and that’s what he recommended. FYI I run about 650gr arrows. I run an hha virtus drop away without issue

 

[baz77]

Bohning heat...or AAE max stealth if you go with the aae make sure you use their primer pen on the base of the vane prior to fletching.

 

[Bowtie747]

AAE max stealth are some I play with other than Blazers. I can’t complain about Blazers though just wanted to try something else. I have a set four fletched for my heavy setup.


What brand feathers are you using now?

 

[MattMan81]

They are 3" Ozarks I got from Lancasters. I have a few spots the feather bent out, and I swear they almost make a fluttering sound when I would shoot them.
I was looking at the AAE max stealth. Good to know you guys like them.

 

[Bowtie747]

Ik you asked about veins but if you don’t want to get away from feathers I use TrueFlight. The shop I go to doesn’t use anything else. I’ve had some fletched up for years with no issues.

 

[MattMan81]

Ik you asked about veins but if you don’t want to get away from feathers I use TrueFlight. The shop I go to doesn’t use anything else. I’ve had some fletched up for years with no issues.

I just went and checked. Two years ago when I jumped into the FOC hole, my arrows I built for my old bow were 4" true flights. They held up way better than these Ozarks I used. Plus I never remember hearing a "flutter" when shooting them. I'll check the size on the true flights.
Have yours survived multiple years in and out of the woods?

 

[SnakeEater]

Aae pro max. Similar to the aae pro hunter but a little smaller and lighter.

 

[Bowtie747]

I just went and checked. Two years ago when I jumped into the FOC hole, my arrows I built for my old bow were 4" true flights. They held up way better than these Ozarks I used. Plus I never remember hearing a "flutter" when shooting them. I'll check the size on the true flights.
Have yours survived multiple years in and out of the woods?

That idk, I used a set for a full season but I have probably 5 to 10 sets of either half dozen or a dozen. The set I used for a full season looks perfectly fine. I ended up switching back to a compound for now but next year I’m gonna use a trad bow too hopefully. That’s a good point to ask tho, I can’t honestly say I’ve used them for multiple seasons in and out of the woods. I will say I’m not careful at all with them and their all jammed into a quiver and they always come out fine.

 

[Bowtie747]

I just went and checked. Two years ago when I jumped into the FOC hole, my arrows I built for my old bow were 4" true flights. They held up way better than these Ozarks I used. Plus I never remember hearing a "flutter" when shooting them. I'll check the size on the true flights.
Have yours survived multiple years in and out of the woods?

Oh I just thought, I used a cat quiver when I used a recurve. So they were all protected. You may try that. You can still reach behind you and grab an arrow if you see a deer walking in. I didn’t like having a quiver attached to my bow

 

[woodsdog2]

Zingers for the last two seasons. Z3's with 6 degree helical original formula not the newer ones but I may go to those this year. I Love them. They seem to stabilize my 150grain 3 blade VPA;s just fine. My Bitz is getting a long rest. I also have used Blazers and the Q2i's. I've been bowhunting for a long time so I've used a lot of other kinds, types and sizes of fletching over the years. Gateway feathers have been good in the past for me and so have the Trueflights. Because I wanted to increase my FOC to reach EFOC, I wanted the zingers on the back and standard nocks to get my FOC up as much as possible. I don't shoot anything very fancy either as I'm cheap. I have an arrow saw so I buy the GT Hunters or XT's and cut them from both ends to get to my 28" length. Then I use 100 grain ethics inserts with hot melt. I add my 150 grain VPA's up front, zingers on the back with standard GT nocks. 532grains TAW. 21.7% FOC. I shot through the shoulder "knuckle" of a small 8 this year and it completely devastated that buck's shoulder and still managed to go through the lungs and scrape the bottom of the heart and poke out the other side. I have pics of the carnage on another post on this forum on the CSI Saddlehunter post by @Nutterbuster. The deer died within sight at 40 yards. I love EFOC and beefy broadheads. I have a short DL so my arrow weight is under 600 because I don't want too arcing of a trajectory. I think I'm shooting these at about 245fps with a 60lb Darton Spectra E and my back up bow is a Chill R. The Darton is about 7 to 9fps faster than the Chill R. I know you just asked about fletching but thought I'd expand a bit. Hunting season for me is over so now I have to pontificate about it to everyone instead of doing it.

 

[MattMan81]

Zingers for the last two seasons. Z3's with 6 degree helical original formula not the newer ones but I may go to those this year. I Love them. They seem to stabilize my 150grain 3 blade VPA;s just fine. My Bitz is getting a long rest. I also have used Blazers and the Q2i's. I've been bowhunting for a long time so I've used a lot of other kinds, types and sizes of fletching over the years. Gateway feathers have been good in the past for me and so have the Trueflights. Because I wanted to increase my FOC to reach EFOC, I wanted the zingers on the back and standard nocks to get my FOC up as much as possible. I don't shoot anything very fancy either as I'm cheap. I have an arrow saw so I buy the GT Hunters or XT's and cut them from both ends to get to my 28" length. Then I use 100 grain ethics inserts with hot melt. I add my 150 grain VPA's up front, zingers on the back with standard GT nocks. 532grains TAW. 21.7% FOC. I shot through the shoulder "knuckle" of a small 8 this year and it completely devastated that buck's shoulder and still managed to go through the lungs and scrape the bottom of the heart and poke out the other side. I have pics of the carnage on another post on this forum on the CSI Saddlehunter post by @Nutterbuster. The deer died within sight at 40 yards. I love EFOC and beefy broadheads. I have a short DL so my arrow weight is under 600 because I don't want too arcing of a trajectory. I think I'm shooting these at about 245fps with a 60lb Darton Spectra E and my back up bow is a Chill R. The Darton is about 7 to 9fps faster than the Chill R. I know you just asked about fletching but thought I'd expand a bit. Hunting season for me is over so now I have to pontificate about it to everyone instead of doing it.

I think I am up around 19-20%. Mine are 28.5 My TAW is 685. The tape on my sight is set for 245 fps. If all my feathers were good I would shoot it again next year. I only have 9 ATM. And 4 of them have bad feathers on them. So I am gonna play with scrubbing some weight off and pick up a little speed. Gonna try 600ish and see how they fly thru paper. I was running 4 feathers. I am not the gentlest person on my stuff either. My last walk thru public I was clawing thru some thick stuff. Ruffled them pretty good. That's kinda why I am looking at going back to vanes. Not that they can't tear or rip. But if it rips thru them, it would probably wreck the feathers to.

 

[Weldabeast]

2 seasons in the swamps with gateway rayzr and they are dirty but have held up good, imo, with as many times as they have been rained on and dropped in the water



Feathers make more noise in flight to my ear

 

[Hunter260]

AAE max stealth is a good vane, but 4 of them are 40 grains.

I’ve shot bohning heat vanes and loved them in a 4 fletch, but they don’t handle big fixed blades well (by big I mean like 2” wide 2 blade with no vents). Mechanicals or something like a montec should be fine. Bohning also makes an X3 vane which I suspect will do about the same though I haven’t shot too

You shouldn’t have a problem shooting a traditional blazer vane with a qad rest, as that’s probably the most common thing goin. When you compare bohning blazers and Easton bully vanes I much prefer the bully’s, although they might not be as tough.

i will probably run the TAC driver vanes or the bohning x3 vanes next year in a 4 fletch

 

[Weldabeast]

When the feathers are wet and ratty looking vanes do have a certain appeal...hahaha ...I get it

Edit: so the reason I stick with the feathers is I practice shooting thru the palmettos in my back yard all the time and while it's not a huge difference, the feather do deflect less than the vanes from what I seen practicing....dealing with the wet and extra noise I think about switching back all the time but I think it's worth it for the little extra confidence...I have real encounters like that all the time... That confidence may be imaginary hahaha

 

[Camelcluch]

Four fletch, AAE Hybrid 23 and TAC Driver 2.25. Three fletch, AAE Max Stealth. Q2i also makes a nice vane that works well with a four fletch.

 

[raisins]

I use AAE Max Stealth as they were recommended to me by my arrow builder. I explained to him what broadheads I was using and weight and that’s what he recommended. FYI I run about 650gr arrows. I run an hha virtus drop away without issue

i'm using the same in a 3 fletch left helical, works well with an arizona ez fletch minimax....shooting with a hamskea dropaway rest

i'm considering going to these in a 3"

GRIFF-X - Q2iArchery - When Accuracy Counts

Available sizes:1.8” / 2.3” / 3.0” 1.8”: length 1.8” height .38” weight 4.7 grains 2.3”: length 2.3” height .43” weight 6.71 grains. 3.0”: length 3.0” height .43” weight 8.85 grains. Available colors: .......... ..

q2iarchery.com

because they don't require the prep kit and glue and are slightly longer and lighter

 

[Hunter260]

AAE max stealth is a good vane, but 4 of them are 40 grains.

I’ve shot bohning heat vanes and loved them in a 4 fletch, but they don’t handle big fixed blades well (by big I mean like a 2 inch wide 2 blade with no vents). Mechanicals or something like a montec should be fine. Bohning also makes an X3 vane which I suspect will do about the same though I haven’t shot too

You shouldn’t have a problem shooting a traditional blazer vane with a qad rest, as that’s probably the most common thing goin. When you compare bohning blazers and Easton bully vanes I much prefer the bully’s, although they might not be as tough.

i will probably run the TAC driver vanes or the bohning x3 vanes next year in a 4 fletch

Four fletch, AAE Hybrid 23 and TAC Driver 2.25. Three fletch, AAE Max Stealth. Q2i also makes a nice vane that works well with a four fletch.

how you like the TaC vanes?

 

[MattMan81]

AAE max stealth is a good vane, but 4 of them are 40 grains.

I’ve shot bohning heat vanes and loved them in a 4 fletch, but they don’t handle big fixed blades well (by big I mean like 2” wide 2 blade with no vents). Mechanicals or something like a montec should be fine. Bohning also makes an X3 vane which I suspect will do about the same though I haven’t shot too

You shouldn’t have a problem shooting a traditional blazer vane with a qad rest, as that’s probably the most common thing goin. When you compare bohning blazers and Easton bully vanes I much prefer the bully’s, although they might not be as tough.

i will probably run the TAC driver vanes or the bohning x3 vanes next year in a 4 fletch

I was actually looking at the those heats. What was going on with the bigger heads? I still plan to shoot my 200gr Massaias. They flew great with the smaller feathers I was running. Curious why you couldn't get them to fly???

 

[Hunter260]

I was actually looking at the those heats. What was going on with the bigger heads? I still plan to shoot my 200gr Massaias. They flew great with the smaller feathers I was running. Curious why you couldn't get them to fly???

Well I tried them with some 165 grain simmons landsharks. That’s a 2” wide kite on the front. Blazers kept my groups small with them and the heat vanes let it open up a little. I bet you could really set down and tune it out, but I just wanna be double sure I’ve got plenty of vane for the heads I wanna shoot.