Contributors to this thread:
While out moose hunting with feathers and visualizing them blizting through a bull the thought came to me about blazers and penetration. For all the guys that do everything in their power to increase penetration do you ever give a thought to the vanes on your arrow? I imagine feathers would out penetrate a hard blazer or something like that quite a bit. I mean personally, I think the whole thing is fairly moot, but I wonder about those arrows hanging out the far side of a critter, if it's the blazers or like thing holding them up.
I disagree. Feathers drag the arrow a lot. Robbing it of potential energy. I’m sure it is moot. But, I’m certain at longer range there is a noticeable loss since trajectory.
I’m with WV. I imagine the FPS that feathers lose offsets any added penetration.
Correct, at longer ranges. On shorter ranges, I believe feathers are faster cause they are lighter than vanes. In my opinion, the speed of feathers vs vanes at reasonable hunting ranges is irrelevant. On penetration, there may be a little advantage to feathers in that they should pass through an animal easier than vanes. That’s because they collapse as they are passing through. I shoot both feathers and vanes, mostly feathers, but penetration through an animal and speed inside of 40 yards have nothing to do with my choice of fletching b
What about shooting a Rage with feathers vs vanes?
One of the reasons I shoot feathers!!! I've seen arrows hang up to many times.
I think you guys need to take some the energy used on this thread and GO HUNTING!!!:)
Mark
My experience shooting blazers is that sometimes the arrow stops short of a complete pass through because the vanes get caught up on exiting the far side. That may make the arrow easier to find or get broken, not sure it alarms the animal. I also think upon impact when the vane contact the entrance that take momentum from the arrow. But at that point there is already at least 25" of penetration. For me it has not been a negative factor.
Blazers can get hung up on the far side
I agree at most ranges inside 40 yards feathers will pass through easier.
Now that you mention it, my Blazers was the only thing sticking out of the moose entrance hole.....maybe the Blazers prevented or stopped the arrow from going in further. The broadhead was sticking out few inches on the other side. TH
APauls is correct. Stiff vanes like Blazers will give you more hangups than softer vanes. This was brought up a few years ago on Bowsite and after looking back and paying attention forward I have had a few hangups on deer with Blazer type vanes. I don't remember it happening prior to shooting Blazers unless there was a bone hit.
It has minimal impact due to the fact that the broadhead has punched 2 holes but it is real.
Arrow retrieval device! Saves you losing that arrow blowing out the other side!
I don't know what type of setups y'all are using but at 50 lb draw and blazers I have only had only 1 not complete pass through, it hit the off side shoulder, died in 70 yds.
I always figured I would get more penetration if only I had a longer shaft ................
haha well said Jack
On that note, I love feather fletching!
He one correct person not you made was he point is moot. Good chat room fodder but irrelevant in the woods
"He one correct person not you made was he point is moot."
TBM - is that you hijacking Bou's handle?
Security breach?
Much ado about nothing or close to it.
One of the favorite pictures my father-in-law had was of fletching and broadhead almost side by side behind the shoulder of a big AK bull. One was from 45 yards as the wounded bull crossed the creek. The other from a few yards as the bull tried to rise.
Shot from a 55 lb recurve.
Bou, what are you drinking? LOL!
"Much ado about nothing or close to it."
Don't we as bowhunters parse everything to the nth degree? Why should this be any different? It is no different than worrying about standard diameter arrows and small diameter arrows when both are sticking in the ground after a shot.
Feathers and rages on the same arrow.. might as well use a crossbow!
Obviously blazers are not going to go through anything as well a feathers. Blazers are stiff plastic and feathers just lay down with almost no resistance. This is pretty simple stuff. Don't over think it.
Good Lord. If you’re worrying about a little piece of plastic inhibiting penetration, you have more to worry about than said little piece of plastic. I can’t believe the absolute minutia we concern ourselves with.
I think somebody is going hunting, but they are not seeing any deer. Too much time to think about things.
Wy, I can assure you not everybody worries about this nonsense.
When I first saw the title, my first thought was...."Penetration,....I dimly remember that......."
Anyone shooting rages are fine with just the tip.....when comes to penetration ;)
Lol....you Rage haters. If you can't pull enough bow or shoot a heavy enough arrow, just keep shooting your Slick Tricks. It's ok....I see men using the ladies tees while golfing sometimes too. ;-)
I have 2 very bad shoulders but still manage 67#s. Never shot a rage but I shoot coc 3 blade heads, rarely not a pass through. Even with my recurves of 45-50 #s I get pass thrus most of the time. Shawn
Yeah, I wouldn't worry about fleshing being an issue in penetration.....though I've seen it happen on a water buff.
I think Pat shut off my old vid "Australian Buff" on bow site videos....but when I shot that buff my arrow was sticking straight out the side of him about 2 feet. The blazers were hung up on something...but on those critters you have to shoot through bone so thats probably the case.
Hard to see as the video quality was reduced when uploading way back when...but the bull took a few steps on the shot and then stopped to look around. Well he turned 180 and was standing there 20 yds away with that arrow sticking straight out of his side. He noticed it, twisted to sniff it and it spooked him smelling his own innards.
Nice Beendare!!
Yes, "worrying" or more aptly wondering about the fletching hanging up is basically completely inconsequential to killing and I realize this. But let's face it, 99% of what we talk about it inconsequential because frankly 95% of us have read everything there is to read and really don't need to change anything about our setups to kill animals. We spend the reminder of our time tinkering on that 1% of our setup that may be the difference maker for some odd strange reason one day...
Like that extra 1/4" of cut on your broadhead, or the type of steel your broadhead is made of etc etc. 99% of the time what we have is all good. But whaaaaaat if that 1% happens and it happens to be on that animal of a lifetime that I had a 1/1000 chance of seeing?
