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It’s hard to believe that it has been less than two years, but at the 2010 ATA Trade Show NuFletch launched what it believed to be a better way to fletch arrows—and smart consumers have agreed en masse.
“Sure, there are a lot of other products on the market that will allow you to fletch arrows quickly. NuFletch products are very different, though, and feature benefits you simply can’t get with any other fletching system,” said Aaron McCaleb, director of marketing for NuFletch. “It amazes me how many arrows are returned to the manufacturer simply because the fletching is messed up,” explained McCaleb. Far beyond shipping logistics, NuFletch was specifically designed to be quick and efficient. “NuFletch designers looked for a way to allow archers to fletch their arrows in the field without the necessity of a catalyst such as hot water or glue. Let’s face it, if you are in the middle of a tournament or in the backcountry chasing elk, what are the odds that you will happen to have a cup of hot water or a fletching jig handy?”
With NuFletch, changing all, or a single, fletch is as easy as unscrewing the insert, sliding out one fletch and inserting the new one. “In a matter of seconds you can change a single fletch or all three,” McCaleb enthusiastically stated.
Quick and easy is great, but convenience is really a small part of why NuFletch is getting so much attention. Archers are meticulous and willing to put in the time, for the most part, if it will make them more accurate.
“What we noticed—almost by accident—was the increased accuracy we were getting by improving the flight of the arrow. First, to use the [NuFletch] Spectrum you’ll have to cut a couple of inches off the back of your arrow and that will stiffen the shaft a bit. The second benefit is the Spectrum’s ability to balance the arrow better,” McCaleb explained.
“Out past about 40 yards, an arrow typically begins to reach its terminal velocity and drops off at a faster rate. For instance, let’s say an arrow only had eight inches of drop from zero to 40 yards, but experienced 20 inches of drop from 40 to 60 yards. Basically, as the arrow loses speed and energy, it typically drops at a quicker rate. We’ve noticed two major advantages with the Spectrum that have been verified over and over by customers. First is the increased accuracy—because every arrow is fletched exactly the same on each arrow, your groups are generally tighter. The second advantage we’ve found is a flatter trajectory. Our customers constantly report hitting one to 1.5 inches higher at 50 yards with the Spectrum than with arrows without the Spectrum from the same setup,” McCaleb claimed.
The extra weight will also lead to better kinetic energy for increased penetration. “We’ve done some redneck testing here on a Glendel buck and seen increased penetration, but the most convincing results have come from the field. One of our customers sent us a video of a buck being hit in the rear hip and the arrow exiting from the chest [with an expandable broadhead]—that’s extreme penetration, caused by the increased mass weight and less energy loss, thanks to the improved flight profile,” McCaleb explained.
The NuFletch Spectrum comes in three different models. “The Standard fits most standard-sized carbon shafts. The Spectrum Light fits thinner-diameter shafts that seem to be all the craze in the industry right now, and the Spectrum X is designed for crossbow bolts [arrows]. All three models are available with either a straight orientation or two-degree offset,” McCaleb said.
Different manufacturers’ vanes will work with the Spectrum. However, NuFletch prefers Norway vanes. “For years, Norway has been saying that thicker, stiffer vanes would work better. The problem holding it back was how to attach more-robust vanes to the shaft. Glues simply wouldn’t hold well enough. Since the Spectrum does not use any glue, we were able to use thicker, more-rigid vanes. This benefit is really accentuated with the two-degree-offset models,” said McCaleb.
McCaleb also commented that a deal is in the works with Lumenok for a lighted version in the near future. “One of the cool things that will come out of this deal will be the increased product life. Currently, once a Lumenok’s battery goes out, there isn’t a way to replace it. With the Spectrum, you’ll be able to screw it off and install new batteries. This is going to be a real money saver for Lumenok fans,” McCaleb enthused.
“Fletching colors are only limited by your imagination these days it seems, but the NuFletch Spectrum is available in Lost camo, red, blue, pink, green and black.
“I am sure if a bow technician or salesman tries these, he will put them on every bow he sells. The Spectrum is the next evolution in archery technology. Bows may or may not have reached the pinnacle in performance, but arrows still have room for improvement and the NuFletch Spectrum is the next step in dynamics.”
For more on NuFletch call (877) 353-8244 - (8) 877-Fletchit or go to www.nufletch.com
