LimbSaver's Stealth Fletch from Sims are made of special Navcom II vibration-dampening material to help settle arrows faster after release, as well as assure quiet flight. They are designed to tighten groups and increase accuracy.

Return the arrow to the string and step about three feet behind the bow. Sight along the string (not buss cables) and cam flats, so that you see only the thinnest edges of the cams or wheels. Adjust rest center shot so the string sights down the shaft center, nock to tip. This is precisely double checked with Easy-Eye's new and more affordable EZE-Center LTA, a laser tool that mounts onto the riser with knurled knobs, adjusted to sight along the string, then to check alignment along the entire span of a nocked arrow. The smallest deviation is quickly revealed with laser-straight precision.

This laser can also be used to detect accuracy-eroding cam lean. Lay your bow on a flat surface and sight the laser along the flat of one cam, across to the opposite. The laser should shoot across both cam flats without interference. If a laser mark shows on one part of a cam, without touching the rest of the cam flat, it should be adjusted for lean. This is why modern bows hold split harness buss cable systems. Use a bow press to relax tension, twisting a single harness yolk to pull the cam straight. This can involve some trial and error, but assures bows shoot their most accurate; while also assuring longer overall bow life.

Today's drop-away arrow rests, such as this one from Cobra, allow archers to use more aggressive helical fletching to help stabilize fixed-blade broadheads and increase hunting accuracy. Combined with today's shorter, faster compounds they add forgiveness.

Now stand 20 yards before a target and shoot at a small mark. Hang a chalk line from one of those arrows and create a vertical line. Walk back to 30 yards and shoot another group, assuring arrows are flying clean. Arrows should group on the line. Consistent hits to the right mean the rest should be moved left, and vice versa (for right-hand shooters). Move back another 10 yards and try again, doing this until you have reached your maximum effective range. The aim is to achieve consistent groups on the center line at all ranges.

Battling Ends
Fletchings have one purpose--stabilizing arrows. They do this on two fronts; creating rear-arrow drag to keep the point out front where it belongs, and introducing spin to help arrows better stay their course.

Feathers are light and create more stabilizing drag. They also prove more forgiving around arrow rests, making for easier tuning. They are also noisy, less durable, and ineffective when wet. Vanes are extremely durable, impervious to whether, and more aerodynamic at longer ranges. Vanes are unforgiving around arrow rests, and heavier than feathers. Feathers give you faster initial launch speeds, due directly to lighter weight, yet increased drag means more aerodynamic vanes overtake them at about 50 yards, all other factors remaining equal. Put simply, feathers require less tuning, but don't last as long. Vanes require additional tuning skills, but last much longer.