Flu Flu arrow

[stevetkd80]

I have been reading how to build your own arrows lately, and I stumbles across the flu flu arrow. Has anyone ever shot one?

ps. I shoot a compound does that rule it out for me?

[jamaltwy]

no i just used some on my trip to alaska and shot ptarmagin with mine flys great out of a compound just dies sooner brakes with so many feathers... I bought mine out of gander mountain..... carbon express sells them

[stevetkd80]

Right on, thanks for the info man!

[smj]

If you have a jig for fletching your own arrows, you can make any arrow a flu-flu. Let me know if you need help with it... I have found flu-flu's to shoot pretty good out to 20 yards, depending on the design. I have seen them made from several different layouts - I like longer, untrimed 5 inch feathers, roughed up to catch more air, 6 or 8 fletch per arrow, about as much offest as you can get with helical... I have seen them made by wrapping the fletch around the shaft in a spiral - I have never been able to get those to fly right for me, they tend to wobble around and I can never predict where the tip will hit. Which can be trouble if you are shooting grouse heads! Let me know if I can help.

[akdd]

Couple of grouse taken with flu-flu's. I fletched these arrows myself with an Arizona fletcher. Like smj said they shot well out to 20 yards. They do make it a lot easier to find you arrows.

[smj]

Nice birds! I keep meaning to get out for a couple grouse this year, but times have been tough as of late and I've not managed to get out yet. Now we have a bunch of snow up high... I am starting to wonder if I'll make it out this season! Good to see someone has!!!

Here is one of my flu flus, and the raw materials...



Note, the feathers are full length, but roughly split. This arrow shows 4 fletch, which shoots better through a standard rest (not a drop-away style). The feathers are cut to, in this case, 6 inch lengths. This allows the full length of my Bitz clamp to be used to mount the fletching to the arrow. Before mounting, I place the fletch in the clamp so it is held securely, and then grind it flat with some sandpaper. (I put the sandpaper on glass, then pass the clamp back and forth until the feather has a nice flat bottom, and a more uniform thickness. Then glue them on as you would with normal size, pre-cut, fletching. Put a dab of glue at both the front and back once off the jig to help hold the leading and trailing edges of the feather to the shaft - done! Rotate the shaft and repeat. This one was done with the 4-fletch setting.

Let me add to this - take great care that you don't sand the edge of your clamp while thinning down the base (quill or stem?) of the feather!
Also note the helix and offset I get on the fletch. This helps it to slow down quicker. I also usually rough up the feather to help with the drag, however, they will get roughed up with use! The one shown has not been roughed up or treated to badly as of yet.

[jamaltwy]

guys

with my mathews i shot good up to 30 yards and use a drop zone rest and my flu-flus did fine with sgh heads from g5... I do know the arrows slowed down quite a bitbut still penertrated birds real good, some lost their heads!!

[smj]

jamaltwy said:

guys

with my mathews i shot good up to 30 yards and use a drop zone rest and my flu-flus did fine with sgh heads from g5... I do know the arrows slowed down quite a bitbut still penertrated birds real good, some lost their heads!!

Cool! Everyone should collect a few grouse heads now and then!

Yeah, depending on the number of fletchings and the offset and the helical and the length of the fletch and if you trim the fletch at all or leave it full length - you get various degrees of breaking on the arrow once shot. With a drop-away rest, I could shoot a 6 fletch that would almost group perfect with a target tip at 18 to 20 yards. HOWEVER, it was dropping like a rock by 40 yards - sight pins no longer applied even at 25 yards. Still, once you figured out the drop it repeated very well out to about 50 yards, but it would not go much farther. What you are gaining is all the fun of accurate shooting to 20 or 30 yards, yet take enough energy off of it to where you can still pull it out of the stump you just shot - or still find it after zapping a grouse out of a tree. You probably reduce the overall flight range by 50% or more. I can shoot a grouse out of a tree top in northern Colorado and not have to look for my arrow in Wyoming! The lighter the arrow, I suspect the greater the flight impact.

[stevetkd80]

Really nice informations guys thanks alot I'm looking forward to making a flu flu arrow. Unfortunately there are no grouse around here : / I'm sure I can find some kind of small game.

[smj]

I would suggest rabbits and pheasants - with flu flu's and a longbow!