Lost a fletch and an 8 pointer

[Big Indian]

Friday morning during the snow, I get a text from my buddy. big 8 heading your way, no sooner do I put phone down, here he comes and gives me a broadside shot at the estrous I had at 25 yards from my ground blind. I draw and shoot and watch the arrow sail rite over him, and say to myself WTF??? Look down and there’s one of my fletches on the ground. I wanted to cry, but whatever.

I always check my arrows/equipment etc, so guess this was just bad luck. Anyone ever have this happen during practice or at a REALLY nice deer?

Thanks for listening to me complain and vent. It didn’t stop me from getting in the rest of the day or weekend, I had a few days away, but still sucks!

[turkeyfeathers]

@Fletch

Found him 

[Jeremy K]

Are you using a drop away rest ? Did the launcher not fall.

[Fletch]

Sorry I let you down man!


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[moog5050]

Glue or tape?   I don’t like the tape in the cold. 

[BowmanMike]

Must be rest contact,right? Anyway you slice it,that sucks. At least you didn't wound him.

[grampy]

Used to have fletchings fly off occasionally when I shot aluminum arrows. Not so much with the carbons.

Sorry you had such bad luck at the worst possible time! I've had some weird things cost me a few deer over the years too. 

[moog5050]

Be curious on the rest.  I have heard whisker biscuits can freeze up.   

[NonTypical]

I’ve had problems as well the last few years of using aluminum arrows as well.  Once I finally went to carbons, I never had another issue. 

[Big Indian]

3 hours ago, moog5050 said:

Glue or tape?   I don’t like the tape in the cold. 

Glue

[Big Indian]

1 hour ago, moog5050 said:

Be curious on the rest.  I have heard whisker biscuits can freeze up.   

QAD drop away

[moog5050]

Just now, Big Indian said:

QAD drop away

Wow that is bad luck.  Use a wrap and loctite super gel and you need pliers to pull a vane off.  

[Moho81]

Oh gosh that hurts to read. That’s bad luck and just wasn’t that bucks time to go.


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[nyslowhand]

Maybe we're onto something about using Alum arrows in varying temps, lot of expansion & contraction. Suppose after numerous varied heat cycles the vane adhesion might loosen!?! Or maybe a combo of arrow material and vane adhesive in varying temps!??!

Any other members frequent other bow sites and came across this issue?  I use Alum arrows with my Xbow when temps vary quite a bit, so I'm super curious also!!

Sorry OP, know you were looking for answers and I just added more questions?

Edited November 12, 2019 by nyslowhand

[NonTypical]

I was told that the glue was changed and that was the problem. But it must’ve been all types because I tried several different ones with the same result. It’s not the rest. The feathers would pull away over time. Using a wrap with the glue definitely helped. I shot aluminum for almost 30 years, until I bought a new bow last year. 

[ApexerER]

Can missing 1 vane throw the arrow off that far @ 25 yds? I can see if it hit the rest because it didn't drop. I shot a vane off an arrow at the range one day and tried it again at 20 yds just for the heck of it and at 20 yds it grouped with the rest of the arrows. I am just curious, I wouldn't knowingly shoot an arrow missing vanes at a deer but when I tried it at a target I was surprised it didn't matter at all....again this was only at 20 yds.

[Big Indian]

I have carbon arrows, with wraps, so as @Moho81 said wasn’t that deer time to die. Plus $h!t luck on my end. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

42 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

Can missing 1 vane throw the arrow off that far @ 25 yds? I can see if it hit the rest because it didn't drop. I shot a vane off an arrow at the range one day and tried it again at 20 yds just for the heck of it and at 20 yds it grouped with the rest of the arrows. I am just curious, I wouldn't knowingly shoot an arrow missing vanes at a deer but when I tried it at a target I was surprised it didn't matter at all....again this was only at 20 yds.

I have shot arrows missing a vane out of curiosity as well and they grouped fine inside 30. I would sooner think it was ready to fall off and ended up hitting something on the way past the riser. I could see the front peeling up towards the riser and causing the tip to come up in flight and sail over the buck. 

[biggamefish]

As Grampy said I used to use aluminum arrows too and had feathers glued on. I had one dozen arrows done by someone and the musta rushed the job. I would be standing in my stand and something would catch my eye on the ground and it would be a feather. I had 2 arrows in one day loose all but one feather!!!! 

That's when I started using tape and making my own arrows!