Drop away arrow rests and compatible vanes

[Big Lew]

Recently I purchased a 2011 70# PSE Dreamseason EVO and had a drop away rest with thumb cock installed. My older PSE has a whisker biscuit rest and my arrows have 4 " plastic vanes. The combination works quite well and is accurate and consistent on the older bow, including long shots. With the 6" brace height on the EVO, after loading an arrow, and then cocking the rest, the front portion of the vanes sit on the rest until the bow is drawn. I am considering either going to a 3" duravane style similar to my 4" vanes, blazers, or 3" zeon fusions. Currently 2 1/4" zeon fusions are available....does anyone know if the 3" zeon fusions are now available? With the slightly faster speeds expected from the EVO, would the 2 1/4" zeon fusions give as accurate and consistant performance as 3" or 4" vanes, provided they all were helixed?

[Ruger4]

Recently I purchased a 2011 70# PSE Dreamseason EVO and had a drop away rest with thumb cock installed. My older PSE has a whisker biscuit rest and my arrows have 4 " plastic vanes. The combination works quite well and is accurate and consistent on the older bow, including long shots. With the 6" brace height on the EVO, after loading an arrow, and then cocking the rest, the front portion of the vanes sit on the rest until the bow is drawn. I am considering either going to a 3" duravane style similar to my 4" vanes, blazers, or 3" zeon fusions. Currently 2 1/4" zeon fusions are available....does anyone know if the 3" zeon fusions are now available? With the slightly faster speeds expected from the EVO, would the 2 1/4" zeon fusions give as accurate and consistant performance as 3" or 4" vanes, provided they all were helixed?

My Evo is shooting 1.5'' fusions with a pse phantom drop away. Nano's with 100 grain field tips for 3D and now shooting 100 gr muzzy's with the nano broadhead insert. Have only shot with broadeads out to 30 yards but with superb flight and accuracy, no plans to change fletch, no need to. Installing my new Leupold Vendetta tonight to give that a whirl as well.

[Ruger4]

My PSE Vendetta XL shoots the same setup , again no need to change ;)

[Bow Walker]

The fact that your vane tips are sitting on the arrow rest until you draw the bow is neither here, nor there (imo). The important fact is whether or not the vanes clear the rest when you shoot.

Is there any contact? How are your groups out to 40 or 50 yards, even beyond?

When you shoot the rest will drop away before any contact is made by the fletching. Or at least it should drop away. I don't see the need to change fletching unless there is contact.

If so, 2" Blazers will solve the problem real quick - or any fletch that is of similar size.

[Big Lew]

I realize it's not a problem providing there isn't any contact once the bow begins the draw cycle, and the drop away is working properly. My concern is with the ease of loading the arrow, and preferring the arrow shaft only to be resting on the rest rather then pinching the vanes together for lengths of time such as while stalking; and also the possibility of dislodging the nock when beginning the draw. There is also the added benefit of less side wind interference and a little more speed if using a shorter vane, providing accuracy is not compromised.

[Bow Walker]

..... I am considering either going to a 3" duravane style similar to my 4" vanes, blazers, or 3" zeon fusions. Currently 2 1/4" zeon fusions are available....does anyone know if the 3" zeon fusions are now available? With the slightly faster speeds expected from the EVO, would the 2 1/4" zeon fusions give as accurate and consistant performance as 3" or 4" vanes, provided they all were helixed?

"Change is good, donkey"

You're asking about the smaller vanes being as accurate as the larger? It's been my experience that the smaller vanes are usually stiffer than the 4" or the 5" vanes. Stiffer because the smaller profile has to be able to stabilize and begin to rotate the arrow just as quickly as the larger vanes. If the smaler vanes were as flexible as the larger ones you wouldn't get near the level of accuracy out of them.

So, in answer to your question(s), Yes - the 2.25" Zeons will work just fine out of your speed bow. I don't see any reason to go bigger at all. I've yet to find vanes that are higher then .5" in profile, just vanes that are pretty stiff once you get under that 3" mark - which is a good thing.

I've noticed that 3D'ers who shoot speed bows mostly have the shorter Blazer-type vanes, that is to say vanes that are under the 3" length mark. So buy with confidence, or at least get one arrow fletched that way and do some experimenting.

[Big Lew]

I'm like a kid in a candy store! Now I'm considering the flexi-fletch 360 glow in the dark vanes. Three and a half inches will just fit without resting on the vanes. Choices, choices, so many choices! I talked to Wayne at Big Game Archery, and he said if I got him to bring some in, maybe both he and I would go together to try them out....so far they have good reviews.

[Rusty Shackles]

I'm like a kid in a candy store! Now I'm considering the flexi-fletch 360 glow in the dark vanes. Three and a half inches will just fit without resting on the vanes. Choices, choices, so many choices! I talked to Wayne at Big Game Archery, and he said if I got him to bring some in, maybe both he and I would go together to try them out....so far they have good reviews.
i just started shooting my new Omen that i got from big game, first day shooting it today, I have 3 inch vanes that do not hit my drop away when static, but my cock feather is geting black burn marks on it, I think its from the top entrapment bar, not sure if this is causing arrow flight isues, they seem to shoot ok, but I cant put groups together yet like my Bowtech.going to shoot more later. the omen at 80lbs gets tiering after 40-50 Rounds. I will check in later.

[Bow Walker]

i just started shooting my new Omen that i got from big game, first day shooting it today, I have 3 inch vanes that do not hit my drop away when static, but my cock feather is geting black burn marks on it, I think its from the top entrapment bar, not sure if this is causing arrow flight isues, they seem to shoot ok, but I cant put groups together yet like my Bowtech.going to shoot more later. the omen at 80lbs gets tiering after 40-50 Rounds. I will check in later.
Try shooting with the 'cock' vane down instead of up. Sounds like a bit of vane contact for sure.

[Rusty Shackles]

Try shooting with the 'cock' vane down instead of up. Sounds like a bit of vane contact for sure.

i will try that bow walker, Wayne told me to put it up, but i think it is definitly contacting, i shoot some more and varified that. I will try down tomorrow and back the yardages out to hopfully past 80. I think 3 inch vanes should be fine even in fast bows. thanks

[allan]

I have a Pse vendetta XL, 70lb. QAD utra Rest. I have tried both the 1.5 Zeon Fusions and the 3" Duravanes with as much helical as I could get the shop to put on them with great success on acuracy for both. HOWEVER,

[allan]

however, the Zeon Fusions cock vane up are contacting the top containment bar and turning black as well. While the Duravanes are not. I've also noticed that the hissing sound of an arrow in flight seems to be a bit louder with the Zeon Fusions.
The hissing noise is noticed by by buddy who would stand at the 40 yard line behind a wall while I shot at the 60 line. He would not look at the arrows only listen and he could pick out which vane I was shooting.

[Big Lew]

A shop Pro advised me that the Zeon Fusions were a bit too stiff, and that he had noticed separation issues between the glow tubes (were not separating from the shaft though)

[Bow Walker]

i will try that bow walker, Wayne told me to put it up, but i think it is definitly contacting, i shoot some more and varified that. I will try down tomorrow and back the yardages out to hopfully past 80. I think 3 inch vanes should be fine even in fast bows. thanks
How's your nocking point? Is it a tad high? Or a bit low? Could be the culprit.

[Rusty Shackles]

How's your nocking point? Is it a tad high? Or a bit low? Could be the culprit.
shot some more today with way more sucses, if I put the cock vane down the other vane hits my face to hard and would probably start to damage my cheak after a few shots. Groups were much beter today, top pin at 15-35 yards makes a 1.5 inch group.second pin out to 50yards about a 3 inch group, short vanes (3 inch) do not seam to be a problem. Cock vane contact also does not seem to be a problem.

[Bow Walker]

I'm curious as to how the fletching can be hitting your face? The pic below is an example of correct shooting form with the proper draw length for the guy in the photo.

Notice that the nock is below his "aiming eye" and that the fletching cannot possible contact his face when he shoots.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/Keepemsharp_WristReleaseForm_1_.jpg

[Bow Walker]

Not that your shooting form isn't correct - it's just I'm curious...

[Ruger4]

however, the Zeon Fusions cock vane up are contacting the top containment bar and turning black as well. While the Duravanes are not. I've also noticed that the hissing sound of an arrow in flight seems to be a bit louder with the Zeon Fusions.
The hissing noise is noticed by by buddy who would stand at the 40 yard line behind a wall while I shot at the 60 line. He would not look at the arrows only listen and he could pick out which vane I was shooting.

are you shooting a ripcord rest ?

[allan]

are you shooting a ripcord rest ?
QAD Ultra rest

[willyqbc]

Rusty....you don't neccesarily need to go all the way to the cock feather down position. Try this.......get yourself a can of spray on foot powder and spray your cock vane. Now turn it about 10 degrees off of straight up and down....either direction. Check the spray to see if it has been smeared off during the shot, if it has try 10 degrees the other way and repeat turning in very small increments until the powder comes out untouched. My guess is you won't have to urn it much to eliminate the contact.

As to the original question....2" blazers. Easily the toughest vane on the market I have shot them completely through 3d targets and youd never know it. If you like re-fletching go with something else, if you want to only fletch arrows once.....go with the blazers.

Chris

[Rusty Shackles]

Not that your shooting form isn't correct - it's just I'm curious...

I'll try to lode a pic of me at draw in my normal anchor point. as you can see the vane is against the side of my jaw/cheek. (short release and short loop). I stand 5'6'' My DL is set at 26.5'' on the bow. 1/4'' longer than my bowtech...??? cant seem to load pic?? I seem to pull back about an inch farther than the pic above I anchor with my thumb behind my neck. Plus my vanes start 1/4 inch or less from knock.

[Rusty Shackles]

Rusty....you don't neccesarily need to go all the way to the cock feather down position. Try this.......get yourself a can of spray on foot powder and spray your cock vane. Now turn it about 10 degrees off of straight up and down....either direction. Check the spray to see if it has been smeared off during the shot, if it has try 10 degrees the other way and repeat turning in very small increments until the powder comes out untouched. My guess is you won't have to urn it much to eliminate the contact.

As to the original question....2" blazers. Easily the toughest vane on the market I have shot them completely through 3d targets and youd never know it. If you like re-fletching go with something else, if you want to only fletch arrows once.....go with the blazers.

Chris thanks Willy all good info. I'll try it out. I'd like to get rid of all flight conserns before I spin on some real tips. (the kind with Blades)