Bitz fletching question

[Remps17]

Just got a bitzenburger jig a few days ago, until now I have just fletched with Arizona EZ fletch. I purchased a straight clamp and will end up getting a helical at some point to play around with it.

Questions are. How far from the nock are you fletching and are you measuring from the nock throat or the end of the arrow shaft?

Also how much offset should I be looking for and how can I tell how much I have?

Thanks

 

[Mighty Mouse]

When I first got my Bitz, I positioned the vanes the same as the pre-fletched arrows I was shooting at the time (about 3/4" from end of shaft to rear of vane). FWIW, the Easton tuning guide (pg 22) recommends 1" to 1-1/4" from nock throat to rear of vane. I'm a bit shy of this range with the short QAD Tune-a-nocks I'm shooting.


Since the Bitz doesn't have any angular markings, it's tricky to tell how much offset you have. I currently have my Bitz set with the lower dial about 1/8" left of center and the upper dial about 1/8" right of center (see pictures). The rotating assembly measures about 5" long, so best I can figure, I have 2.9° offset (calculated as arcsin[0.125" ÷ 2.5"], see sketch). For equal amounts of upper/lower dial rotation and a 5" long rotating assembly, offset in degrees would be approximately equal to the horizontal distance (in inches) between the center mark on the stationary housing and the reference mark on the rotating assembly times 23 (for the mathematicians in the audience, that's 180 ÷ [π × half assembly length], since the sine of a small angle is approximately equal to the angle itself measured in radians).


I've found that maxing out the offset dials on a Bitz makes it difficult to impossible to get full adhesion of the vane to the shaft. A shorter vane and/or larger diameter shaft would make it easier to achieve greater offset (and vice versa). I'm currently shooting 3" Bohning Ice vanes set at 3° right offset on a 0.293" OD shaft.

 

[murf45]

A 2 degree off set seems to fly quite well with fieldpoints/broadheads for me.

 

[RosinBag]

I would sketch them far enough down to eliminate any face contact. That number will vary depending on your anchor point. As for off set, the diameter of your arrow will dictate that to some degree, you still have to have the cane sit on the shaft when it’s in the jig. Bigger diameter arrows allow more than smaller ones.

 

[lumis17]

These are pretty useful:

Angle setters for Bitzenburger jig

www.archerytalk.com

 

[Remps17]

Thanks for the help guys.

I clocked a few bare shafts for shits and giggles to see. They turn counter clockwise. It would make sense to have a left offset then?

I can’t shoot well enough for this to matter but since I am starting with a blank surface, might as well

 

[Jahvette20]

I too just acquired a blitz but mine has a right helical clamp. I am running a straight offset with my bohning and 2” blazer banes on .203 shafts cut at 25.5” and a 100 gn fixed head. Does anyone do a slight offset with the helical or will that just create unnecessary drag.

 

[RosinBag]

On that diameter shaft and a short vane, you will probably not get much more than slight off set. You are only using two inches of the top part of the clamp and that couple with needing the cane to adhere to the arrow will be your limit