Fletching Arrows

February 19, 2009 by admin

By Andrew Gegelman

It might be spring, even though it does not feel like it. I mean come on, snow in the middle of May? Not a lot of hunting to do right now, but soon we will be back in the field in search of what ever game we choose. While there might not be any hunting to do, there are some things to do that will make you more confident when the moment of truth arrives. If you are shooting your bow all winter, like me, the fletching on your arrows are probably in pretty tough shape. In this article, I will give you the down-low on re-fletching arrows.

The first step in the process of fletching arrows is getting the supplies you will need. First, you need to have access or purchase a fletching tool. There are many good brands and different price ranges. I have no personal favorite, but I would recommend purchase one that you can buy different clamps for. The clamps are either; straight, left wing or right wing. Arrows off the shelf are normally straight fletched. But there are some advantages of shooting a left or right helical. When the fletching is placed on the arrow with a twist it causes the arrow to spin, like rifling of a barrel. This is an advantage when hunting in windy conditions or shooting longer range shots, by making the arrow more stable, thus leading to more accuracy. The disadvantage is it makes it tougher to tune with traditional launcher style rests.

Next, it is time to decide what type of fletching to put on your arrow. There are two types; vanes and feathers. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Feathers are more durable, but they are louder in flight causing problems in hunting situations, especially where deer are jumpy. Vanes are not as durable, but are quieter in flight. Another plus (for some) with vanes over feathers is more color selection. You also need some glue to adhere the fletching to the arrow shaft. Again there are many different brands of fletching glue, and finding the right one is mostly trial and error. You will also need rubbing alcohol to clean the shafts after you remove the old fletching. Another cheaper option if you re-fletch your arrows is by getting a cresting kit. The easiest are the roll-on cresting kit available at most sporting goods stores, it gives your arrow a unique look and when you are ready to re-fletch them you can just peel off the cresting and roll another one on.

Before you begin taking off the old fletching measure how far the end of the fletching is from the end of the arrow to keep everything in line and the same between arrows. Next, start by removing the existing fletching off of your arrow shafts. The easiest way to do this is take a knife and peel the fletching off from the bottom up, being careful not to scuff the shaft of the arrow. Pay careful attention to getting all of the old fletching off. Next, you need to clean the shaft with rubbing alcohol to allow the glue to stick to the shaft. Now take the fletch and place it in the clamp at your desired location and run a thin line of fletching cement along the entire base of the fletch. Place clamp and fletch on the shaft pushing it down from the back to the front until the fletch makes complete contact with the shaft. Hold in position until the glue dries, timing depends on the type of glue used. Continue by placing the rest of the fletching around the arrow.

Fletching arrows is very easy and will help keep your arrow flying true and hitting the ‘X’ ring.

In conclusion, there is never “time-off,” in the true hunter’s world because there are always things to be done in the off season. So if you have some time on your hands, waiting for the warm weather, grab your tattered fletching and get to work.

Contact Andrew, if you have any questions on fletching.