Components Testing Plots: Standard Speed Vanes

Aerodynamic drag, torque-induced broadhead drift from field point, and deer-weighted overall peak loudness for every vane build in this test. Dots that are yellower (quieter) and closer to the bottom-left corner are the best performers.

Calculated drag constant for each build, with 95% confidence intervals. Lower is better.

Human-weighted overall peak loudness (A-weighting) for every vane build, with 95% confidence intervals. A 10dB increase is roughly a doubling of perceived loudness. Lower is better.

Deer-weighted overall peak loudness for every vane build, with 95% confidence intervals, as it would be heard by a whitetail deer. A 10dB increase is roughly a doubling of perceived loudness. Lower is better.

Weighted (Z, A, or Deer), per-build 1/3-octave SPL spectrum for any subset of vane configurations.

Human-weighted overall peak loudness (A-weighting) with 95% confidence intervals. This subtest crosses the loudest and quietest vanes from the standard-speed vane test (FFP-360 and SK2) with the loudest and quietest fixed-blade broadheads. A bare shaft included as a no-vane reference floor. The matching SK2 and FFP-360 standard-speed field-point builds are also shown so each vane+broadhead pair can be read against its same-vane field-point baseline. Lower is better.

Deer-weighted overall peak loudness with 95% confidence intervals. This subtest crosses the loudest and quietest vanes from the standard-speed vane test (FFP-360 and SK2) with the loudest and quietest fixed-blade broadheads. A bare shaft included as a no-vane reference floor. The matching SK2 and FFP-360 standard-speed field-point builds are also shown so each vane+broadhead pair can be read against its same-vane field-point baseline. Lower is better.

Per-build 1/3-octave SPL spectrum for the vane-vs-broadhead sound subtest, which crosses the loudest and quietest vanes from the standard-speed vane test (FFP-360 and SK2) with the loudest and quietest fixed-blade broadheads. A bare shaft is included as a no-vane reference floor, and the matching SK2 and FFP-360 standard-speed field-point builds are included as same-vane field-point baselines.

Torque-induced broadhead drift from field point is the lateral distance between the torqued Gold Tip Field Point group and the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade group for each vane build. Both groups are shot with an induced lateral torque simulating shooter error. This is the 2026 restorative-lift measure; lower drift means the vane did a better job steering the fixed blade back to the field-point baseline.

Per-build total vane weight vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Lower-left is the efficient corner: less vane weight and less broadhead drift.

Per-build aerodynamic drag constant vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Lower-left is the efficient corner: less drag and less broadhead drift.

Per-build deer-weighted overall peak loudness vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Lower-left is the efficient corner: less noise and less broadhead drift.

Torque-induced broadhead drift from field point for the two-fletch Max Stealth build and a small set of conventional 3/4-fletch comparisons. Lower is better.

Group size (extreme spread) of the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade group for the two-fletch Max Stealth build and the same comparison set. Lower is better.

Mean radius of the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade group for the two-fletch Max Stealth build and the same comparison set. Lower is better.

Calculated drag constant for the two-fletch Max Stealth build and the same comparison set, with 95% confidence intervals. Lower is better.

Deer-weighted overall peak loudness for the two-fletch Max Stealth build and the same comparison set, with 95% confidence intervals. Lower is better.

Torque-induced broadhead drift from field point for AAE Max Stealth in right-helical vs. left-helical orientation. This test bow naturally clocked left, so the left-helical build is the matched-clock direction. Lower is better.

Group size (extreme spread) of the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade group for AAE Max Stealth in right-helical vs. left-helical orientation. Lower is better.

Mean radius of the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade group for AAE Max Stealth in right-helical vs. left-helical orientation. Lower is better.

Per-build vane height vs. aerodynamic drag. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane length vs. aerodynamic drag. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane length × height (a proxy for profile area) vs. aerodynamic drag. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane height vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane length vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane length × height (a proxy for profile area) vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane height vs. deer-weighted overall peak loudness. Lower overall peak loudness is quieter to a whitetail deer. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane length vs. deer-weighted overall peak loudness. Lower overall peak loudness is quieter to a whitetail deer. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane length × height (a proxy for profile area) vs. deer-weighted overall peak loudness. Lower overall peak loudness is quieter to a whitetail deer. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build vane geometry with deer-weighted overall peak loudness as color. Each point is one vane build; yellower (quieter) dots are the best performers for a given shape.

Per-build vane geometry with torque-induced broadhead drift from field point as color. Each point is one vane build; yellower (less drift) dots are the best performers for a given shape.

Per-build vane geometry with aerodynamic drag constant as color. Each point is one vane build; yellower (lower drag) dots are the best performers for a given shape.

Per-build mean radius of the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade broadhead group vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Tests whether builds that let the broadhead drift further laterally also produce looser groups. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build group size (extreme spread) of the torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade broadhead group vs. torque-induced broadhead drift from field point. Complements the mean-radius scatter with the extreme-spread view of the same group. Each point is one vane build.

Per-build mean radius shot with an untorqued Gold Tip Field Point. Measures raw grouping capability before any torque-induced displacement. Lower is better.

Per-build mean radius shot with a torqued Gold Tip Field Point (induced lateral torque simulating shooter error). Shows how well the vane corrects for the induced torque. Lower is better.

Per-build mean radius shot with a torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade broadhead (induced lateral torque simulating shooter error). Combines torque correction with the extra steering load of a fixed-blade head. Lower is better.

Per-build group size (extreme spread) shot with an untorqued Gold Tip Field Point. Lower is better.

Per-build group size (extreme spread) shot with a torqued Gold Tip Field Point (induced lateral torque simulating shooter error). Lower is better.

Per-build group size (extreme spread) shot with a torqued Iron Will Wide fixed-blade broadhead (induced lateral torque simulating shooter error). Lower is better.

Simulated, normalized wind drift at 80yds (450gr arrow, 280fps, 10mph crosswind). This plot is for comparative purposes between vanes.