4 Fletch vs 3 Fletch??

[RDMAHAFFEY]

I’ve been shooting a 4 fletch this season. It just seems like I pick up a lot of cross wind. Nothing real bad but is this an issue others experience?

 

[Remps17]

why the switch to a 4 fletch?

 

[Arctic Hunter]

Compared to an identical 3 fletch, you will deal with more wind drift and drag.

 

[RDMAHAFFEY]

why the switch to a 4 fletch?

My bow shop guy thought it might give me more accuracy. Honestly I feel like I had more ducked arrows from antelope than I’ve ever had.

 

[NY12020]

If you simply added another vane of the same height it would make sense; the profile of the vanes would be taller than a 3 fletch no matter which way the arrow is rotated. Most folks when going to 4 fletch switch to a slightly longer but lower profile vane; like a shield cut.

 

[RDMAHAFFEY]

Compared to an identical 3 fletch, you will deal with more wind drift and drag.

That’s how it seems.

If you simply added another vane of the same height it would make sense; the profile of the vanes would be taller than a 3 fletch no matter which way the arrow is rotated. Most folks when going to 4 fletch switch to a slightly longer but lower profile vane; like a shield cut.

I started with higher profile. Guy at the range said he could hear those buzzing in flight. I’ve went to the lower profile.

 

[5MilesBack]

I started with higher profile. Guy at the range said he could hear those buzzing in flight. I’ve went to the lower profile.

Depending on what lower profile vanes you're using, you shouldn't see much change between those and a 3 fletch with high profile vanes. I shoot both and they both group together out to at least 80 yards.

 

[Jbehredt]

why the switch to a 4 fletch?

Because the cool kids…

 

[wildwilderness]

When I went 4 fletch I went lower profile- fits a lot better in my quiver than the blazers. Also don’t need to look when knocking the arrow.

haven’t noticed more drift, but in theory I would assume a 4 fletch would create more drag, and more stability for a broadhead. The trade off more deceleration of the arrow

 

[cvanman]

I switched from a 3" Vanetec 3 fletch to a 2.25" 4 fletch and then down to a 1.8" 4 fletch and didn't notice any difference in wind drift. But I did notice tighter groups at long ranges. Currently playing around with the Tac Driver 2.25". Really like them thus far. They are a bit higher profile than the Vanetec Super Spine, but the stiffness of the vane helps a bit.

 

[Page Master]

I've used 4 fletch the last couple of years, but this year I wanted to shoot a solid, fixed head and the lower profile 4 fletched vanes were not giving me enough drag to steer them. Any little bit of torque sent my arrow eschew. So I put on 3 AAE max with 3-4* of helical. Plenty of drag and less fletching.

4 fletch have their place, say, on a micro diameter you can't put on a ton of helical and you're shooting mechs. My trad vanes are 4 fletched with 3* of helical. I don't think I will do it on my compound arrows so much anymore.

 

[TX_Diver]

Last 3 years I've shot 4 fletch w/ max stealths.

If memory serves... @Bill V did some testing and had some interesting posts last year that showed significantly less drop at 100 (want to say he was measuring 1-2 feet?) with 3 max hunter vs 4 max stealth. That's from memory so maybe it was 3 hunter vs 3 stealth or something similar. I did a little testing last year and didn't get much difference to 50, but this year I'll test earlier and farther and likely am going to shoot 3 max stealths. It definitely makes sense to me that you'd have less drag and less weight back there while still having plenty to steer.

 

[Zac]

I used to use 4 fletch just for nock tuning. I listened to a podcast with some of the AAE guys that said run out on the back of shafts is usually much worse than further down the shaft. Thus cutting off both ends ended up giving them significantly straighter nock to shaft alignment. They said they haven't had to turn a nock yet on premium grade shafts after figuring this out.