Any reason not to use Trad Vanes instead of feathers?

[ImBillT]

Gonna do some trad hunting this fall. Is there a good reason to use feathers instead of Trad Vanes? I’m fairly new and ignorant.

 

[Bullshot]

Offset/helical they stabilize an arrow faster, which is best with heavy arrows and large fixed heads. They are more forgiving generally, and if there is some contact on the shelf/riser.

Feathers ARE traditional, plastic vanes are not.

But you also have to take care of them in bad weather, maybe waterproof them, steam them back into shape, or replace more often when beyond repair.

 

[BAKPAKR]

If you are going to shoot off the shelf, use feathers. If you are using some sort of raised rest, you could use vanes.

 

[mtmiller]

Feathers ARE traditional, plastic vanes are not.

The question was about "trad" vanes.

Made from AAE's proprietary Plastifletch material, these vanes can be shot off the shelf and have the same flight characteristics as your favorite feather fletchings.

 

[BAKPAKR]

The question was about "trad" vanes.

Made from AAE's proprietary Plastifletch material, these vanes can be shot off the shelf and have the same flight characteristics as your favorite feather fletchings.

Oops - missed that. I might have to try them. I hate dealing with feathers when it is wet.

 

[Bullshot]

The question was about "trad" vanes.

Made from AAE's proprietary Plastifletch material, these vanes can be shot off the shelf and have the same flight characteristics as your favorite feather fletchings.

Got it. Thanks for correcting me. I had never heard of them before, so I definitely can’t address them from experience but it seems they are marketed as “soft” so they won’t bump off shelf and of course weatherproof. I am sure both are true but I would still be skeptical that they have the stabilizing ability of feathers. Of course a perfectly tuned bow with no form
issues shot in no wind probably doesnt need any fletching at all! I’d still stick
with feathers for traditional and maybe even considering a SWITCH to feathers for compound. I think they shoot the best and are most forgiving.

 

[mtmiller]

I think most of the benefit is hunting in wet conditions. I have no experience using them, but have read positive. I am interested to hear from others that use them.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Cody Greenwood of "Trad Lab" recommends Trad Vanes (especially in wet weather) based on his testing.

The Push - A Traditional Archery Podcast: Episode 105 - Trad Lab 002 - Fletching and Vane Configuration

Welcome to The Trad Lab on The Push Podcast, where the scientific method, statistical analysis and robust testing is applied in an effort to discover the truth. Join us as we challenge our theories and predictions with resident scientist, Cody Greenwood.

thepushpodcast.libsyn.com

 

[Redman]

Personally with traditional archery set up for hunting I have never had an issue with rain and feathers. On whitetail deer I never shoot past 25 yds with traditional equipment. I have never tried plastic feathers either.

 

[Fire_9]

If you like the nostalgia of feathers then go with them but trad vanes are legit. Off the shelf or an elevated rest they fly as good or better than feathers and are much much quieter

 

[ImBillT]

The shelf will be my hand.

My number one interest was that I heard they were quieter.

 

[Fire_9]

They are substantially quieter and less effected by the wind than a 4“ or 5“ feather

 

[TheTone]

If you use trad vanes are you then banned from wearing wool and plaid while hunting?

Sorry I just couldn’t resist a little poke at trad hunters

 

[ImBillT]

If you use trad vanes are you then banned from wearing wool and plaid while hunting?

Sorry I just couldn’t resist a little poke at trad hunters

Jab away. I’m not exactly part of the traditional crowd. I also find a lot of things in the archery and muzzle loader communities to be a bit comical. Too many things for me to cover here, BUT I’ll start with one. What on earth is traditional about your carbon fiber takedown limbs on a riser cut completely center shot? I get it. It’s not a compound. I’m going to say “trad” and “traditional” when I’m not talking about a compound because it’s convenient. But 99% of “trad” bows have nothing traditional about them. Same goes for calling it a “stick bow”. I’m not going for pure trad either. I’m using a board, modern string materials, and modern arrow materials. I might be one or two steps closer to traditional, but I’m still a long way from scraping a split tree trunk with stone, copper, iron, or even non-electric tools.

I’m not trying to be traditional, and I find it funny that the majority of bows we(myself included) are calling traditional are modernized designs utilizing materials that didn’t even exist until the 1950’s(myself included. If I back a bow with flax, I’ll be using a modern glue).

 

[bisblue]

Trad vanes rock

 

[tjones]

Not to derail the thread but is there any reason to use the word “trad” if you’re not a millennial?

Carry on.

 

[JLS]

If you use trad vanes are you then banned from wearing wool and plaid while hunting?

Sorry I just couldn’t resist a little poke at trad hunters

No fedora either.

 

[Cheesehead]

If you go trad vanes you’ll need to wear this to atone for your trad sins

Asbell Wool

 

[TheKnigit]

I hunt in western Oregon for the most part.....it rains a lot. Most of the time it isn't so much the rain falling from the sky that will matte feathers, at least in my experience. It is all of the water dripping off of all of the brush, tall grass, low limbs, etc. I refletched some of my arrows with trad vanes for that reason and they are awesome. They are quieter, as a couple of people have stated, and they seem to shoot off of the shelf just fine. I love the look and feel of the feathers though so I typically bring both along on a trip now and will alternate between the two depending on the weather.

 

[Howie]

Work on tuning your arrows. If you find no negative effect from vanes or feathers then use your preference. The name of the game is a correct FOC arrow that flies true.
Have fun and good luck