Fletching Question

[Slackbunny]

So I've heard that turkey feathers and goose feathers are kind of top of the line feathers for fletchings. But I hunt a lot of partridge in the fall, and I'd like to use feathers off of something that I hunted. Are partridge feathers okay as fletching?

[Bevan R.]

How big are they? I would think it would work just fine if big enough.

[JW_Halverson]

If you learn to tune the arrows to the bow, you could use newly hatched hummingbird down for fletching!

Yeah, use them fartridge feathers.  (If you speak latin that is a freaking hilarious pun*)

And if you aren't fond of eating them, let me know and I'll come and fix 'em for you so that you will cry over your empty plate when they are gone!



*Perdix is Latin for partridge, it's also the Latin equivalent for breaking wind.  Ain't I a gas?!?!

[Slackbunny]

Thanks for the input guys. And I'm already a big fan of partridge although I'm always looking for new ways to prepare wild game.

[JW_Halverson]

Leave'em whole..Guts, feathers, feet, heads and all.  Place one each in a small paper bag and let them sit 48 hours in your fridge. Leave the end of the paper bag open to allow some air flow.  Pluck them, draw the guts, stuff with mushrooms, chopped onions, and walnuts.  Wrap with bacon and roast in the oven at about 425 degrees until the bacon is almost burnt.  Good to go!

Once you have tried an aged gamebird you will understand why the English were so crazy to do it.  I just can't go with the whole idea of aging until it gets "high", though. 

[Pat B]

Here is a type of fletching you can try with grouse feathers. I believe it is called a tangential 3 fletch. I use 4" feathers(these are goose) from further down on the wing. Probably any feather 4" or more will work and with well tuned arrows 3" feathers. You could also do a similar 4 fletch.
 Here are a few pics of how to do this type of fletch...

[Pat B]

The above example was set up for instructional reasons. Function over beauty! 
 Here is a similarly 3 fletched arrow that James Parker(Robustus) gave me...


...one I made a few years ago to hunt with...


...the arrows that were in my hunting quiver in Colorado this past September...


All of these examples are goose feathers. Other feathers will work.

[bowtarist]

I like the tangential style.  Works w/ smaller feathers like the dreaded chicken feather and secondaries.  Nice arrow Pat, I'd seen most before, but not all.

Fletch em up slackbunny and let's see some pics.

dpgratz

[Slackbunny]

Thanks Pat. Those pictures were very informative... worth a thousand words and all that.

[markinengland]

Pheasant feathers are used for fletching in Korea. I think partridge feathers might be a little smaller but similar so should work OK.

[JackCrafty]

Grouse feathers are OK if you can find one with a large tail.  I've used the tail feathers and they look great but are easily frazzled.  If you are practice shooting in the woods, you might want to use a more durable feather.  The wing feathers are too small for me, JMO.  Ringneck pheasant wing primaries are about the smallest wing feathers that I use for fletching.

[Birdman]

I use grouse tail feathers all the time on red osier shafts and I like it!