FEATHERS from Abbey Archery

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For more years than we care to remember, Abbey Archery has proudly imported, distributed and sold the best feathers in the world - Trueflight Feathers from Trueflight Manufacturing Co of Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, USA. Trueflight Feathers are Fast, Forgiving and Accurate. For 11,000 years, natural feathers have been the choice for fletching arrows as they are extremely light weight, high strength with fold down forgiveness and aerodynamic "grip" and are ground and cleaned so no other preparation is needed before fletching. No man-made vane comes even close.

Trueflight Feathers have been the world leader for over 50 years and are the finest available anywhere. Every Trueflight feather has been hand processed and inspected at least 3 times before leaving the plant and are real, domestic turkey feathers (Melegris Gallopavo), gathered at U.S. turkey processing plants and processed entirely in the US. Feathers must be carefully cut with bases accurately hand ground and inspected several times during processing. Producing quality feathers is difficult, time consuming and labour intensive, but the results are worth it! Incredibly, Trueflight are only able to use 1 to 2 feathers from each turkey wing and a typical 5 inch feather may need to be cut and could end up as a 2.5 inch with the rest discarded.

Archers and bowhunters shoot with feathers because feathers work better. Using feathers results in higher arrow velocities, greater stability, better guidance, higher accuracy and more forgiving flight. Feathers are faster as they weigh much less than plastic vanes - as much as 700% less which means less mass to accelerate and less energy wasted. Feathers typically save 40 grains over plastic. This is a lot of surplus mass - 30% on a typical 125 grain steel head. Feathers produce less friction, as they travel over the arrow rest and that means higher speed. The superior guidance of feathers prevents yawing and fishtailing of arrows which adds drag and slows arrow speed. Independent tests have consistently shown feathers produce a 5 feet per second gain and feathers are still faster down range. Feathers give better guidance as the surface of a feather has a slight roughness which helps "grip" the air flow. When the arrow yaws, this added grip helps realign it quickly and efficiently and the huge weight saving with feathers also helps stability. Any weight added to the rear of an arrow (like plastic vanes), makes the arrow less stable. Add too much weight on the rear and the arrow will try to swap ends. As the feather crosses the arrow rest on release, feathers simply fold down out of the way, then pop back up. Plastic vanes bounce the rear of the arrow far out of alignment. This large deflection causes a substantial arrow "swing" which is only aggravated by the weight of plastic vanes and their lack of "grip".

Are there any disadvantages to feathers? Feathers do cost more. No doubt about it, it is easier and cheaper to mass produce plastic vanes. A feather gives you all the advantages. The whole object in archery is to hit where you aim. If you can't depend on that, then everything else is wasted. Compared with the costs of shafts, bows, licenses, travel, the cost of feathers is insignificant. There are other feathers out there that are, well, not Trueflight feathers. Why a Trueflight? Those bowhunters who shoot feathers will tell you there is no substitute for quality Trueflight Feathers.

Go first class and hit where you aim! Trueflight Feathers are the best in the world.

We only stock Trueflight Feathers in

Round Back or Parabolic shape
Shield Back shape
Full Length
Maxi-Fletch
Barred
Cut to length Flu Flu
in a large range of colours
and between 100-125,000 feathers are always in stock

Our stock range:

2.5 inch Round Back in 25’s and 100’s
3 inch Round Back in 25’s and 100’s
4 inch Round Back in 25’s and 100’s
5.75 inch Maxi-Fletch in 25’s and 100’s
5 inch Round Back in 25’s and 100’s
4 inch Round Back Barred in 12’s, 25’s and 100’s
5 inch Round Back Barred in 12’s, 25’s and 100’s
4 inch Cut to length Flu Flu in 25’s and 100’s
11 inch Full Length in 12’s, 25’s and 100’s
4 inch Shield Back in 25’s and 100’s
5 inch Shield Back in 25’s and 100’s

In Australia and much of Europe, arrows are fletched with right wing feathers, i.e. feathers from the right wing of the turkey. Feathers are featured in their respective categories below.

View more product information - click the product name

All Prices are in Australian Dollars

Abbey Archery: Australia's Largest Archery Company since 1975
Unit 10, 8 Victoria Avenue, Castle Hill, NSW 2154, Australia.
Phone: 61 2 8850 6400 Fax: 61 2 8850 6411

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