Nothing but TruFlight feathers-------they have the best bases
Full left Helical for me
Been using them exclusively on all my arrows for several years
VERY, very forgiving I can have half a feather destroyed and it still flies and groups
Expense-----yes they cost more to fletch and maintain but IMHO worth every penny because I can shoot them longer than vanes before refletching. Tear a vane the arrow is normally done shooting until it is repaired, damage a feather I can keep on going.
Besides they look way cooler LOL.

 

I use Gateway feathers but mostly due to cost. They are not quite as good as Tru-Flite feathers but they shoot just as well and hold up just has well. Some of the bases vary some but I also have never really had a problem fletching them up.

I shoot as much right helical as my Bitz will provide and get very good arrow flight even with the largest of fixed blade bh.

In terms of how well they hold up; well that will depend entirely on how well you take care of them.

However, all feathers are fragile compared to plastic. As much as I like feathers, I would not shoot them if I didnt have a jig and fletch them up myself.

But the advantages are many and well worth it.

Feathers are:

Lighter.

Faster.

Provide a higher FOC.

Are very forgiving of contact with anything.

Are more accurate generally speaking.

And I cannot prove this but I am sure it's easier to get a pass through with feathers due to the fact that they lay down.

Disadvantages are; they will lay down on you in wet conditions. Treating them with Gateway powder helps a lot.

More spendy.

Skeet.

 

awesome thank you for the input people i will be using these on my spot arrows and was just wondering what people had to say about them.

how do they work while shooting distances like 50+ yards?

Eric

 

If one can shoot tight groups @ 50 yrds with plastic vanes they can do the same with feathers. Usaly if using feathers for outdoors you would want to shoot the shorter ones for less drag.

I have always used TrueFlight feathers & just fletched 1/2 dozen with Gateways 2 see what they are like. Their bases are not as consistent as the other

 

TruFlight are the nicest, with the best bases for working with and the most consistent bases. With that said I have to say I haven't had any issues with Gateways, and they're less expensive with many more colors to choose from. I chop my own and usually get full length Gateways, then I have QC on my side.

 

what did you buy your own die cut machine? and also what do you use for your bases?

Eric

 

For the wild feathers you need a way to sand/grind the bases to a uniform size. I built a jig/clamp and sand the bases on my combo belt/disc sander. You can buy a setup that uses a drill press to do the same thing.

I bought a few "mini-choppers" from 3Riversarchery.com. They're super simple and inexpensive, plus you can turn a $20-some bag of full length into a big pile of fletchings to reduce the cost.

http://www.3riversarchery.com/product.asp?i=4398X

 

I have no problem fletching my gateway feathers. That said its nice to use the truflights when I have them.


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i shoot gateway 4 in for spots. I dont shoot feathers outdoors cuz they have so much drag downrange and slows the arrow down way to much. If there is any rain good luck with feathers. If you really want feathers get 2 inch razrs.

 

I have found this to be completely untrue. I have seen no differnce in POI out to 70yds with 3" feathers. As far as gateway vs. truflite,I've really seen no difference in quality between the 2.

 

I don't see any big difference in downrange drag either, but you will with HUGE feathers. 5" high profile will parachute a bit and of course fluflus will. But 3" don't drop any more than a similar sized vane. They're just faster and steer better. :wink:

 

Truflight all the way for me.

I shoot right hand helical.

They fly and group just fine.

Not as durable as plastic.

 

They do when you put a lot of helical on them. Shoot them through a chrono and you will believe me. i might just show you some results of this.

 

i've decided on trueflight :nod:

 

Gateways with right helical for me.

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This was @70yds. You can see the 2 blazer equipped arrows,and the 3"full helical feather. Nevermind the 2 flyers

 

You will not see much difference with blazers because they stabilize the arrow by slowing them down, im not going to argue with you guys anymore because your already set in stone on your opinion. Sorry but simply testing your pattern isnt very accurate, feathers are 9 grains lighter than blazers 3fps, you need to shoot through a chrono and you will see the exact difference at 10ft then shoot at 60 yards then look at the difference in initial and downrange. Im strictly talking about speed and downrage speed. When your shooting 3d at unmarked you dont want to lose speed when want all the speed you can get.

 

Gateway feathers are ok for lengths under 3". If you are particular about consistent bases or shoot longer feathers, stick to TruFlight.

If you want the least expensive, Bowhunters Superstore has AMG feathers that are even cheaper than Gateway.