Arrows flying like corkscrews

[geoffretired]

When my FMJ's arrived, I was shooting indoors and was impressed even at that close range. Now I am outdoors, some (two in particular) fly with the tail going round in a circle about 10 inches across.
The low lighting indoors has masked this, I feel, so it may have been there from the start.
Paper testing gives bullet holes, Bare shafts at 20y and 30m has the bare shafts in the group. Powder tests show no contacts. Exchanging nocks has no effect. I even took the trouble to make a new string with an entirely different sort of nock point and d-loop. No change! I have two quite different relase aids and get the same results with both.I have set up the timing and the synch on the cams; feels better but has done nothing to improve the flight of the two naughty arrows.They are straight and the nocks are one true.X nocks.
My last attempt is to put on different fletchings. I am hoping that the new ones will sort out the problem. I should get chance to test them tonight. If this doesn't cure the problem; is there something I have missed or do I put it down to the odd faulty tube?

[phil_r_58]

Originally Posted by geoffretired

When my FMJ's arrived, I was shooting indoors and was impressed even at that close range. Now I am outdoors, some (two in particular) fly with the tail going round in a circle about 10 inches across.
The low lighting indoors has masked this, I feel, so it may have been there from the start.
Paper testing gives bullet holes, Bare shafts at 20y and 30m has the bare shafts in the group. Powder tests show no contacts. Exchanging nocks has no effect. I even took the trouble to make a new string with an entirely different sort of nock point and d-loop. No change! I have two quite different relase aids and get the same results with both.I have set up the timing and the synch on the cams; feels better but has done nothing to improve the flight of the two naughty arrows.They are straight and the nocks are one true.X nocks.
My last attempt is to put on different fletchings. I am hoping that the new ones will sort out the problem. I should get chance to test them tonight. If this doesn't cure the problem; is there something I have missed or do I put it down to the odd faulty tube?

Geoff, did you buy them ready fletched or fletch then yourself. If two shafts seem to be worse than the others I would be suspecting a fault in the shaft or fletching.

By the way Geoff, did you see Poole on the Coast program the other night ? 4th most expensive property prices in the world. The house with the twin hydraulic lift boat docks looked good.

[geoffretired]

Thanks for that Phil. I am ashamed to say I fletched them myself. I found they were quite tricky to make stick. They were not my choice, they arrived by mistake and I took a chance with them. I can believe I made a mess with the fletching but the size of the circle they scribe is bigger than I would expect. I've had arrows fly better with only two fletchings on. Perhaps there is something about the way I got the fletching wrong that is making such a difference.

I didn't see the "Coast"programme you mentioned but there have been others showing the prices of property. Now we are a four boat family, the twin hydraulic lift boat docks aren't enough so we moved somewhere bigger!
My wife says we bought something called QM2; I'm useless with names.

[geoffretired]

Hi Phil again.
tested the same shafts with different fletchings and straight arrow flight was the result.I'm glad it was something simple;surprised that the fletchings could do so much damage to the flight!!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by geoffretired

When my FMJ's arrived, I was shooting indoors and was impressed even at that close range. Now I am outdoors, some (two in particular) fly with the tail going round in a circle about 10 inches across.

Do they group with the rest? If they do, who cares how they fly? You don't win anything for pretty arrow flight. All that matters is where they land. If they group, quit playing with your kit and shoot it instead.

Adam

[geoffretired]

Hi Adam,
I know you are right.Thanks for the reminder. I need knocking into shape from time to time; or should that be-all the time?

[dino1300]

its proably that the old fletches were contacting the rest, etc and the new ones are just missing.

[geoffretired]

Hi Dino,
I have a home made drop away rest. It does need checking out from time to time. When arrows start to fly worse than normal, I usually look there first.
On this occasion it wasn't at fault; it was behaving as it should.
I still have some arrows fletched with the older ones and some with the new ones.They all clear the rest I am thinking now that it was the way I had fletched some of the arrows. I had problems with them and some must have been better fitted than others. The differences weren't visible to me, but it seems the arrows could tell the difference. And what a difference! Tails making one foot circles in the air.

[pwiles1968]

Originally Posted by geoffretired

Hi Phil again.
tested the same shafts with different fletchings and straight arrow flight was the result.I'm glad it was something simple;surprised that the fletchings could do so much damage to the flight!!

Geoff don't keep us in suspense can you tell me which were the old and which were the new fletchings were they different makes styles or just more of the same fletching? may be useful info especially for others who shoot FMJ's

[geoffretired]

Sorry Paul, I didn't realise there was any one waiting!!
The fletchings I had on were Easton I think. They were rubbery and 2 3/8" long.
The replacements are shield shaped and 1 7/8" long. Both are low profile.
I think the longer ones were slower to dry for some reason and tended to skid on the shaft rather than stick where they were put. I would accept some of the blame for the poor fletching. Perhaps the shorter ones are working better because they were put on better as I found them easier to fit.
The difference still has me surprised to the point where I have a niggling feeling something else was at work as well as the fletchings.