Feather orientation?

[XB I GO]

Yesterday I made an interesting observation. As you all know the Excalibur is loaded with the Guide or Top vein down. Some people call that feather something else but my school computer keeps blocking out the word.

Anyway, I noticed at 20 yards that when I had a very accurate shot the Guide vein was always about 2 O'clock as the bolt stuck out of the target. One bolt seems to shoot a little off and I noticed that bolts Guide vein was at 3'O clock as it stuck out of the target.

I tried this on another target and figured out something else. If the target is worn out the bolts penetrate to different depths and the vein positions are all over the place.

So with a fresh target the accurate bolts all end up in the target with the Guide vein at 2 O'clock. Does that mean the bolt rotated from 6 O'clock to 2 O'clock or did it rotate more than one turn? Also, if I could figure out why the less accurate bolt ends up at 3 O'clock maybe I could fix it and it would fly like the others. What would make one bolt rotate different than another when they are same brand, tip, everything the same?

[nchunterkw]

There is a lot more to it than that, but you are on the right track towards really good accuracy. Try shooting the less accurate bolt, one time each using a different vane each time as the Guide vane. You should see that its POI will vary with each one...and that is generally due to how the spine of the arrow varies, or where it is in relationship to the rail. You can usually dial in a group of arrows so they all group well by doing this. Number each vane or mark them with dots or something so you can tell which one you put in the rail and not get confused. Then mark each arrow with which vane should go in the rail when you are done.

[W.Miguire]

X2
W.M.

[Timbrhuntr]

Please excuse my ignorance but what exactly are you calling the guide vane all of the arrows I have purchased for the micro (quills) have 3 identical vanes. Are you saying it is the guide vane because it points down ? I have done the marking each vane but they all seem to shoot very close no matter what vane or fletching I use. I should state that I weigh all my arrows, points etc and try to keep everything within a few grains of each other.

[Horizontal Hunter]

Please excuse my ignorance but what exactly are you calling the guide vane all of the arrows I have purchased for the micro (quills) have 3 identical vanes. Are you saying it is the guide vane because it points down ? I have done the marking each vane but they all seem to shoot very close no matter what vane or fletching I use. I should state that I weigh all my arrows, points etc and try to keep everything within a few grains of each other.

Commonly referred to as the cock feather. It is the odd color arrow fletch and is intended to go into the grove on the rail.

Bob

[gerald strine]

Please excuse my ignorance but what exactly are you calling the guide vane all of the arrows I have purchased for the micro (quills) have 3 identical vanes. Are you saying it is the guide vane because it points down ? I have done the marking each vane but they all seem to shoot very close no matter what vane or fletching I use. I should state that I weigh all my arrows, points etc and try to keep everything within a few grains of each other.

Commonly referred to as the cock feather. It is the odd color arrow fletch and is intended to go into the grove on the rail.

Bob

Cock feather is the correct term but it comes from vertical bow terminology it is the odd color feather that is supposed to face away from the riser so as to create less kick off the riser and shelf , the opposite feathers are parallel to the riser.
Cross bows with their channel cut for the fletching to pass through in theory do not need a cock feather but I always fletch my bolts with a cock feather and also number them.
Excalibur has done away with the cock feather but as mentioned by other forum members the spine and other factors such as spine, the cut, squaring of the cuts does not mean all bolts are going to fly the same.
Buy the way in this day and age it is best that you have but a filter on your computer other wise your search may have come up with some shocking pictures that have nothing to do with archery.

[nchunterkw]

I never really understood why one would put 3 same color fletchings on a crossbow arrow. Nothing wrong with it I guess, but makes it far easier to put the wrong fletch in the rail. And makes it much harder to know which fletch was put on the spine of the arrow. K.I.S.S. I always fletch 3 different color feathers on my arrows. When I build arrows, I always put the same color on the spine and always put them in the same order on the arrow. That way I can try all arrows with "red in the rail" or whatever it may be. Then if I have fliers, I adjust which color is in the rail and mark the arrow with a silver sharpie. This also lets match the 3 feather colors to my 3 color string.