Vane choice for drop away rest

[RadSav]

RAD, That is good enough reason for me!
Where do you all typically buy vanes, etc?
I am thinking an az ez-Fletcher mini in right helical and a few boxes of max hunters be a great starter kit..

I have the luxury of buying them direct.  But they are getting easier and easier to find on dealer shelves as well as online.  Perhaps Come Get Some can help you out better than I can on that.



For clarity sake, all three vanes listed are very good.  Some require more prep work than others.  Some require a bit more sorting for those with OCD.  But all three (Max Hunter, Flash & Blazer) will give you great results.  Each have a niche they fill better than the other.  Each has a weakness.

Advantages:

Blazer = Absolutely the best for the Hairy Hole.  Available everywhere.  Good weight.  Great adhesion if base primer is stripped.  Perfect for four fletch.  Works well with all fletching jigs.

Flash = Best colors.  Beautiful thin base.  Lightest of the three.  Great for four fletch.

Max Hunter = Most stable in three fletch.  No equal when shooting heavy arrows and proper FOC.  Easiest to Fletch (other than with the Helix Tower). No base cleaning required.  Most consistent in weight and shape.  Most Durable.  Stiffest of the three!

Disadvantages:

Blazer = Primer gets brittle with age and/or UV light.  Inconsistent shape and weight.  Average durability.  Requires base primer removal for best results.  Best four fletched when using heavy arrows.

Flash = Poor durability on target pass thru and Hairy Hole.  Color fades rapidly when exposed to UV.  Base must be cleaned with extreme care for consistent adhesion.  Does not like cyanoacrylate glues.  Base size does not work well with Helix tower or EZ fletcher.  Hard to find supply source.  Have a flutter at extreme speeds.  Hardest to fletch.  Best four fletched when using heavy arrows.

Max Hunter = Heavy.  Large profile can be problematic with Hairy Hole.  Four fletch requires special attention to FOC.  Arrows should be heavier than average when four fletched (9.5 GPI +).  Problematic when using Helix Tower.  Getting better but supply sources are limited.  Turkey feathers slice them apart like they're made of butter
 

[demontang]

So your telling me my ocd of cleaning my blazers was with good reason

[Band]

I'm a little afraid to ask but what do you mean by "hairy hole", Rad.

[stromdiddily]

Its an endearing term for whisker biscuit I believe 

Rad what kind of problems did you have with max and helix jig combo?

[RadSav]

Its an endearing term for whisker biscuit I believe 

Rad what kind of problems did you have with max and helix jig combo?

For some reason I can never spell "biscuit" right.  So it's much easier on my brain and fingers to type "hairy hole"

When AAE retooled to make the Max Hunter more automatic jig compatible they also added stiffening ribs to the vane.  While this improved the vane dramatically for speed freaks it did cause the vane to become thicker.  The Helix Tower is designed without a clamp like most jigs.  Fletching goes into a sweet little helical slot perfect for placing the vane perfect on just about any arrow shaft. But the slot is a little too thin for the ribs on the Max Hunter vane.  With a little effort they do fit.  And the vane does fletch amazingly well with the Tower.  But you can not easily remove the tower arm without applying force to the fletch.  Problem then becomes if the glue is not 100% dry and set you can pull the fletching off the shaft very easily.

I do use the Helix Tower with AAE vanes quite often.  But I only fletch two arrows a day when doing it.  Where with Blazers I can fletch three dozen a day and have time to spare.