Parabolic	Shield	Magnum	Cut Section

The most popular feather shape in the US is the Parabolic / Round Back. This lower profile shape provides quiet, fast and accurate results. The Shield / Shield Back provides a higher profile for increased stability, forgiveness and "Traditional" looking appeal. The Magnum / Banana Cut is even more feather for arrows tipped with larger / heavier broadheads. The Cut section / Full Lengths are made for Archers to design their own shapes and sizes by using a feather burner or chopper.

2. Sizes

3. Colors

Gateway offers a virtual rainbow of Unequaled colors starting with our 12 Vibrant Solid colors, 8 Affordable Imitation Barred colors and 7 Exclusive Camo colors. Using the Fluorescent colors enables archers to see their arrow fly in low light situations. Darker colors can be used for discreetness and contrasting colors in Spliced Feathers. Gateway's imitation barred colors provide beautiful contrasting stripes on solid colors. And our exclusive Camo colors will help break up your outline, hiding your arrows from endlessly searching eyes.

4. Left Wing or Right Wing

Inspect the clamps you use to build your arrows. Clamps marked with an RH indicates right wing helical, while LH indicates left wing helical. No marking on the clamp means you are using a straight fletch clamp and "wing" does not matter. Do not mix left and right feathers on a single arrow. One advantage to using right wing fletch is field points will tighten on impact with the target. If you're using left wing fletch, waxing the threads of your field points will stop them from loosening.

5. Identifying Left and Right Wing Feathers

Grasp the feather by its smooth, evenly ground base. Upon inspection, the "lip" on the base is on the rough side of your feather. Hold the feather so the rough side is facing away from you. Pull the feather web apart. Turn the feather, so when you stroke the webbing from the top down, the webbing comes apart. The direction the webbing is pointing, either left or right, is the wing of your feather. If the feather you are trying to identify is already on an arrow, hold the arrow and look down the nock end. If the base "lip" is on the left side of the webbing the feather is a right wing. Vise versa for left wing.

6. How to:

A. Select the Correct Size Feather - Decide what you are going to do with your equipment. Indoor Target archery is different from Outdoor 3-D. Hunting with thin diameter carbon shafts is different from hunting with cedar shafts. Start by using the recommendations in the Size Chart (Number 2a). Using a larger feather will give you excellent control over your arrow. The smaller the feather, the quieter and faster your arrow. Understanding the term Forward of Center (FOC) will help you understand the dynamics of arrow flight.

B. Understand FOC - Your arrow has a balancing point. On a bare arrow with no nock, point or inserts, the balancing point will be in the center of the shaft. On a completed arrow the more forward of middle the balancing point, the more stable and consistent your arrow flight will be. When you add a field point or broadhead, you move the balance point from the center of the arrow forward. Using feathers instead of plastic vanes allows you to move your balance point Forward of Center (FOC).

C. Splice Colors - Pick your favorite colors, as many as you like, using feathers of the same wing. Prepare your arrow shaft by scuffing the fletching area with fine grit sandpaper or steel wool. Clean this same area using a solvent recommended by the manufacturer, keeping in mind rubbing alcohol always works. Prime this area if you are using fast set gel glues. Decide how far down the arrow from the nock end you will place your feathers. Place a mark on the clamp at this point. Also, mark the clamp where the feather base will be cut. Always insert your feather on the same mark and make all cuts on the same marks. Place your feather in the clamp and cut the base completely through with an exacto knife. Repeat the process on the alternate color feather. Remove the alternate feather. In your hand, hold the pieces you wish to join. Upon putting them together, notice how the feather attaches itself and attempts to "heal" itself. Place the loosely joined pieces into your clamp and glue to the shaft. When you have finished this arrow and are dabbing a drop of glue on the ends of each feather, place a small dab along the base where you made the cuts. Even any height differences with a scissors cutting from the nock end down.

D. Attach Feathers to Arrows - Scuff the fletching area of the arrow with fine grit sandpaper or steel wool. Clean this same area using a solvent recommended by the manufacturer, keeping in mind rubbing alcohol always works. There are many fine glues and tapes to use. There are products available which have shortened the glue drying time to 1- 2 minutes for a helical fletch. A dab of glue on each end of a feather will keep them from peeling up or off on pass through shots. Always mark your clamp for consistent placement of the feather on the arrow.

E. Care for Your Feathers - Storing your feathers in zip lock bags will keep your feathers fresh, dry and ready to use.

F. Repair Your Feathers - Use steam and finger pressure to repair wrinkled feathers. You don't have to replace wrinkled feathers.

G. Add Feather Arrow Tracers - For added visibility, dab some glue under the nock and smear it around the shaft just above your feathers. Hold the feather tracer lightly in the glue and spin the arrow until the tracer is all used up. Hold the tracer in place until dry. Waterproof all feathers when the glue dries.

H. Waterproof Feathers - Only apply powder to fletched arrows. Place the powder in a zip lock bag. Shake the powder onto the feathers and work it into the web of the feather using your thumb and forefinger. Shake off any excess powder. Expect the powder to last for an entire tournament with target arrows and the hunting season with hunting arrows.

I. Get Tighter Groupings - Fletch your arrows with one clamp and jig. This eliminates any differences in degree settings between various fletching jigs. Weigh your arrows with a grain scale and match your components. Use heavier inserts, points and nocks with lighter shafts. Vise versa with heavier shafts. Group the shafts as close as possible in weight and mark this identification on your arrows. By knowing which arrows differ in weight, allows you to adjust your shot accordingly. A very attainable benchmark is to shoot arrows built within 3 grains of each other.