Is fletching/riser contact inevitable with recurve?

[LeanMachine]

Shooting off the shelf. I've shot the same bob lee for almost 15 years. I shot feathers forever and my inside feather always wore. I've shot trad vanes for 2 or 3 years now. Originally i shot 3 fletch but have since moved to 4. I get ripples on my bottom inside fletch eventually and the vanes leave some residue on the riser. I have shot a wide array of spines and point weights and it never changes. I am getting good arrow flight (as long as my release is good).

I read up on it briefly and people suggest that it is a weak/stiff issue. I understand that thinking but if contact could be avoided it seems everyone would just shoot regular vanes.

It isn't causing any real problems. Just wanting to make sure i'm not overlooking an issue.

[DRT]

Well, your premise about vanes makes sense. That said I don't have an issue with feather wear.
I shot c.ock feather in for years. I shoot it out now as I use it as an anchor check against my nose.
It's all about the tune.

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[LeanMachine]

Well, your premise about vanes makes sense. That said I don't have an issue with feather wear.
I shot c.ock feather in for years. I shoot it out now as I use it as an anchor check against my nose.
It's all about the tune.

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And you aren't getting wear on the inside feather?

[DRT]

No sir. No wear.

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[Bisch]

No feather wear here either!

Bisch


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[Trumpkin]

With a perfect tune you won't get feather wear for a long, long time. Assuming you're a really consistent shooter... I can wear feathers or vanes down quite a bit with just one bad week of target panic shooting!

As for the trad vanes, I notice a tiny bit of wrinkling, even with a dynamite tune. That's on me though, because I guarantee I don't shoot a perfect shot every time. The better I'm shooting, the less they wear.

If you're getting residue on the bow, that tells me your tune is too stiff or your nock height is too low. Had that issue with the trad vanes last year. They were louder at the shot too. Slapping off the riser.

[RickBarbee]

No, it is not inevitable.

Good tune is a must, but it also depends a lot on the shape, and size of the shelf.

The narrower the shelf, the easier it is to get total clearance, but flat, and wide shelves can be difficult.

Most Flat/Wide shelves are going to require some modification, such as a pretty good hump built up on it.

Narrower, and more radius shelves will usually only require (if anything) a small bump. Example: I can shoot even stiff vanes, and get complete fletch clearance at pass from a Blackwidow recurve by only placing a 1/4" bump under the shelf covering.

Due to their narrow shelves, standard old Hill style longbows have always been the easiest to achieve fletch clearance with. Even with vanes.

Rick

[LeanMachine]

Ok cool thanks for the info. I have done some file work on the shelf in the past to minimize it and radius it off to further promote clearance. I don't think I am contacting much, if at all, on that outside vane. From what yall are saying, I feel like it is all of my bad releases that are causing the contact. I am definitely getting the nock end kicking left and then correcting on bad releases. With good releases, i can watch the boat propeller spin the whole way. These arrows are definitely on the stiff side based on charts. Limbs are 52 @28 and I am drawing them 29. Arrows are 30" axis 340 trad shafts. 4 fletch 3" trad vanes. 125-150 point weight. Both seem to fly the same. All of my bad releases are trying to let go of the string rather than using back tension and letting the string slip away. Will probably be that way until i die.

[Trumpkin]

Don't be scared to bump up to a 175-200 grain point and see what happens! Might be just the ticket.

[CEpperson]

No sir, I shoot 4 fletch tradvanes from both an elevated rest and off the shelf with no contact and no issues. If tune is good you won’t have contact.


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[2rsquared]

I shoot cock feather IN (3 o'clock for right handed shooter) and no contact what-so-ever.

[Ttechhunter]

I concur, you are likely stiff or too low on your nocking point. I had wear on my shelf but was getting a weak spine indication when I shot bare shaft (Kicking off the shelf)After many hours tinkering and lots of money, I put together a perfectly tuned arrow (bare shaft and broad heads) and have no shelf contact.

[LeanMachine]

I ended up building new arrows. What ended up tuning was 400 spine axis with a 75 grain steel half out. 125 grain points. I would have said that would be way too weak but they fly like darts. I am still getting minimal fletch contact but way less than before. And no nock slap. I shoot a fairly thick glove and I wonder if it is part of the problem. It is the old style alaskan bowhunting glove with the thick finger cover material. They do not make it any more. I bought a couple off a member here years ago to stock up when they quit selling them.

[Trumpkin]

I ended up building new arrows. What ended up tuning was 400 spine axis with a 75 grain steel half out. 125 grain points. I would have said that would be way too weak but they fly like darts. I am still getting minimal fletch contact but way less than before. And no nock slap. I shoot a fairly thick glove and I wonder if it is part of the problem. It is the old style alaskan bowhunting glove with the thick finger cover material. They do not make it any more. I bought a couple off a member here years ago to stock up when they quit selling them.

Tuned is tuned, and bareshafts with a broadhead confirmation don't lie (usually). I always shoot weaker arrows than guys think I should for my 32" draw length. I suspect it's something in my bowhand, and where I press through the grip.

[DRT]

That's why there in no standard in traditional. No pick a point and it just works.
Yes the Stu Miller and 3Rivers calculators can get you close. But you still have to shoot the bow. It's not the bow or the arrow or the broadhead. It's the monkey pulling the string. Our grip, our anchor, our release. So many variables per individual that you cannot know until you do the work. It can be frustrating and costly. I also think that close is good enough for many of us who hunt close up and personal. However the closer to perfect you are with your set up the less little variations in anchor or release or draw length you will have in hunting situations will affect your results.
So it boils down to what one finds as "close enough". For me it's a constant work in progress thing. Always seeking that perfection I know I'm not really capable of.

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