i've got some full length feathers and shafts on the way, and i am wanting some opinions on whether i should do a four or six fletch on my flu-flus. these will be for various moving and aerial targets. i have made a few in the past using six-fletch and i think it slows them down a little too fast for my liking, and so right now i am leaning toward four-fletch.

thanks

Sounds to me like you all ready know what you want to do. If you are going to make that many, try a few of each if you are not sure.

Plenty of game have been taken with four-fletched flu-flu's. They're cheap, easy to produce, and best of all, they work...

I have been using both. i like the six fletch for aerial target wok as the range is short and I don't have to run as far to get my arrows. I generally carry a couple four fletch when i hunt for the occasional squirrel of grouse.

could someone give an estimation as to how much further the four fletch will fly than the six? cause i really haven't shot a four fletch before

I'm not sure how far they go, the target keeps getting in the way!   :D  

The four fletch I make usually travel around 75 yds.

well molson, that's always what's supposed to happen but sometimes... well, the target suddenly jumps to the side or something  

one.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n103/feenicks72/bowpics3016.jpg

I like 4 fletch Flu Flus.... but the most bang, er...make that hiss and flutter , for your buck is a single spiral wrapped feather

I agree with Treeman on this. Feathers can get expensive and only having to use one full feather is a lot cheaper. I don't care for the looks of them but they do work very well.

Here's a tip.  When you chop feathers, save some of the ends and just splice them together in the clamp to get the length you want for flu flu's.  There's no reason to waste whole feathers to fletch a flu.

The flu flu on the left was made cutting whole feathers.  The one on the right is spliced feather scraps left over after chopping out some Raptor cuts.

well... when i fletch my flu's i just cut those feathers in half and glue 'em on! (but in fairness i've only made a few b/c i bought like 6dozen spiral fletched flu's on **** a couple years ago and i havn't lost or broke them all yet (i have about 15 left).

Did ya ever see Flu-Flus with "one" full length feather wrapped around the shaft? Stops arrows quick! Easy to make! Don't ask me to post a photo... :( ...Not set up for that.

... mike ...

6...Van

You really should try atleast once a flu flu like this. They are definately harder to fletch up but are worth every minute in my opinion. They are standard 3 5" shield cuts glued in the normal pattern the front two thirds of the fletch. The final third of each fletch is spiraled to your liking. The one in the picture is ALOT of spiral and will stop the arrow just like the standard full fletch spiral would.The advantages are the last longer(both in shooting and storage), don't require special fletching and they fit in a standard bow quiver without interfering. The only disadvantage is the length of time to make em. It's a real eye opener of how little feather and spiral it takes to slow down a arrow.

well, thanks for the replies, i have also tried the spiral wrap and i did not like how they flew, and i am still undecided on whether to do four or six, i am thinking using four 4.5" feathers fletched with helical and so that would give me two extra inches of feather surface area over the standard four 4" feathers and so it would be 18" of feather instead of 16 with the six fletch haveing 24" of feather

I like 6 my self.