# Back to feathers for good!



## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Yep...back to feathers. 

Since I've been shooting my recurve almost exclusively the past 6 months, I figured I'd put some feathers on my compound arrows and give them a try to see how they work.

Well...took 15 grains off the back of the arrow and moved it up front by bumping the point weight to 125 grains. Went from 9% FOC to 12%.

For giggles figured I'd throw one of my original Magnus Snuffer 125's on and see how they shot after tuning.

Well...wasn't much tuning that had to be done. Those big bad 1 1/4" cutting diameter broadheads flew right with my field points to 50 yards. 

Now I'm pretty sure I could get those arrows tuned the same with blazers...but that would actually take a little more effort...and an arrow with feathers and those long snuffers on it just looks really bad-****.

For my recurve arrows, I get the 125 grain screw in magnus snuffers, take out the aluminum ferule and put them on a 100 grain ferule to attach to my carbons. Makes for a 200grain broadhead...now, my broadheads can pull double duty going back and forth just requiring me to swap out the steel ferule for the aluminum one.

Not only that...but could there be a better ground blind arrow to use for shoot through mess?

The lead of that arrow effortlessly slices through the netting leaving a big gaping hole for those feathers to follow through, and if the feathers do hit the netting, they just fold out of the way having no adverse effect on arrow trajectory. 

Only thing is, I am shooting index fletch to the inside, as if it was up or down, I was getting some serious rub-age on the facial hair. 

Now I'm not.

So yes, feathers have won me back after all these years and chances are I'll have no desire to ever want to change back...

...at least until I'm stuck out in a rain storm and my water treatment decides to fail on them. 

Seriously folks, give feathers a try again. You'll be pleasantly surprised.


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## 454casull (Jan 6, 2005)

I never left! Welcome back!


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## don (Jan 20, 2001)

GVDocHoliday said:


> Yep...back to feathers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great choice. During fair weather I love em, foul weather I hate em....so I carry a couple fletched with Blazers, usually.......


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## sbooy42 (Mar 6, 2007)

GVDocHoliday said:


> For giggles figured I'd throw one of my original Magnus Snuffer 125's on and see how they shot after tuning.
> 
> Well...wasn't much tuning that had to be done. Those big bad 1 1/4" cutting diameter broadheads flew right with my field points to 50 yards.
> 
> ...


I bet those do look bad ass :evilsmile and fly good too
and magnus makes an awesome head


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## Tom Morang (Aug 14, 2001)

454casull said:


> I never left! Welcome back!



+1


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

I never have and never will shoot anything but feathers.


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

don said:


> Great choice. During fair weather I love em, foul weather I hate em....so I carry a couple fletched with Blazers, usually.......


I was gonna say. Chances are I'll keep at least one Blazer fletched arrow with a grim reaper in quiver just in case. 



> magnus makes an awesome head


That they do. My fiance shoots the stingers and I've transitioned completely over to the 100grain glue on snuffers for both my recurve and compound. Just using different threaded adapters to get the weight where I need them.

Since starting the Dave Ramsey thing I've really consolidated most of my archery equipment. My stable of bows has gone from a dozen down to 2. My Monster Bow Phoenix and my Hoyt Gamemaster II. I use the same CX Heritage 250 arrows cut to 29" for both of them...just requires a point weight switch. We decided on Magnus because of their warranty. We figure that as long as we don't lose them, a half dozen per should last us quite a while. 

I've sold nearly all of my other broadheads with the exception of 4 Aftershock Maniac fixed blade heads that I have. I'm keeping those ones in security box along with some 25 grain boosters just in case. 

I've had collected nearly a couple thousand blazers/predators/vmax/fusion vanes over the last 8 years and I also sold all of those with the exception of a couple hundred flo yellow and hot pink blazers. 

I have no other sites, rests, or stabilizers other than what is on my fiance's and my bow right now. Which is weird because I usually have a drawer full of each.


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## Bowslayer (Aug 29, 2005)

Damn you Dave Ramsey!!! Isn't it amazing how much useless stuff you can find laying around when you start to follow him! Not really useless, but not needed. I sold 4 bows and my favorite truck! 
I might change back to feathers as well, I need to get back to the basics!


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Bowslayer said:


> Damn you Dave Ramsey!!! Isn't it amazing how much useless stuff you can find laying around when you start to follow him! Not really useless, but not needed. I sold 4 bows and my favorite truck!
> I might change back to feathers as well, I need to get back to the basics!


Werd on the not needed. I still have my fletching jigs, sharpening jigs, and bow press. Basically I still have my full functioning shop even though I'm primarily trad now, and my compound doesn't require a press. 

But I've collected ALOT of of random arrows over the years. I'd buy a dozen, use half, and the other half would just sit. Or throughout the year I'd lose a few and end up with like 8/9 arrows. I cleaned up all the random sets I had, wrapped them, fletched them, and have started selling them. 

I still have a half dozen Terminator lite hunter 4560's at 27.25" that are in good shape. One of the arrows was responsible for three kills in winter of 2008.


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## anonymous7242016 (Aug 16, 2008)

Feathers are where its at. I tried blazers and didn't like them, too hard to tune. I notice that all the old schoolers shoot feathers on the hunting shows, there has got to be a reason.


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## mikieday (Jan 20, 2004)

I made the move back to feathers a couple years ago after having some issues with blazers and a fallaway rest...I dont see going back to vanes


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

I've decided that small vanes for hunting is a fad. Great for field and for 3d shooting...but for broadheads...not so much.

Add that to the fact that there are literally no more clearance issues...I didn't have any to begin with, but now I pretty much turn the index fletch to whatever position I want. 

I've fletched nearly 4 dozen arrows with feathers in the last couple of weeks for a couple of my friends who I've demanded go back to feathers. 

They've been stoked so far.


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## Sabre03 (Sep 24, 2004)

My Blazers fly great, but now you have me wondering. I have not shot feathers in 15 years. any particular length or brand you suggest. I'll give feathers a try.


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Sabre03 said:


> My Blazers fly great, but now you have me wondering. I have not shot feathers in 15 years. any particular length or brand you suggest. I'll give feathers a try.


I've got a bunch of gateway and truflight feathers.

I'm liking the truflight feathers better...the bases are 99.9% consistent from feather to feather. Gateway...well, kind of like snowflakes...ain't no 2 alike.

I've also fallen in love with 4" shield cut.


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## Sabre03 (Sep 24, 2004)

How do i know what length to use? Which cut do you suggest?
Thanks


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

For general purpose I'd recommend:

4" RW Parabolic Cut.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

I recently switched to recurve as well and am shoting the CX heritage 150's with 5" shield cut feathers. They fly awesome and look better. Heritage series can take a beathing too.

Ganzer


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## Bonz 54 (Apr 17, 2005)

I was having trouble with my grouping with my recurve with Cedar arrows.:rant: I've been a strict Traditional shooter since 1995. But for whatever reason I just couldn't get this bow to group. So, I bought a set of Carbon Arrows that had vanes of course. I stripped the vanes, cleaned the residue off, dipped them, crested them, and then put my Banana Cut feathers on them. This tightened my grouping so that I'm comfortible out to 30 yards or alittle better. The feathers are a full 5 1/2", but I think the Banana cut seems to stabilize the flight quicker and longer than other cuts. Just my experience. FRANK


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## smokeyDan (Jun 17, 2010)

most guys having trouble with consistent arrow flight after switching to short vanes have forgotten to adjust their point weight to achieve proper FOC. Make sure you refigure your component weights.
Dan


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