Arrows without vanes are just pointy sticks, as any hunter or competitive archer knows. From the earliest days of shooting toy bows and arrows as kids, vanes help arrows fly more accurately toward a target. They’re vitally important for everything from carbon-fiber arrows to cedar shafts for traditional longbows or recurves.

TAC Vanes, founded in 2019, is part of the Kelly Outdoor Products Group that includes C’Mere Deer attractant and Swhacker broadheads. TAC Vanes isn’t just vanes; it also has arrows and accessories. The group is a subsidiary of the successfully and varied Kelly Products, founded 30 years ago by Keith Kelly in Covington, Georgia.

Employees of Kelly Outdoor Products Group are hunters and anglers, or are married to them, and embrace the outdoors lifestyle. We visit this month with Keith Kelly to find out more about the company and its top-notch products.

AB: Thanks for spending some time with us during a busy part of the year. Tell us about your background, when TAC Vanes was founded and a little about the company.

KK: TAC Vanes was founded in 2019. Our purpose in making better archers is that we, likewise,  make better hunters. We do this through superior equipment. There was a gap in the space of vane material that would ultimately fly consistently with precision, speed and a quietness we desire in hunting. We spent a lot of time working on our advanced polymer, which we believe is superior to any other vane on the market.

AB: With competitions going on and hunting season approaching, summer must be a busy time of the year. Is that true, or are you busy year-round since something’s going on with bowhunting and target shooters all the time? 

KK: Our lines stay pretty busy throughout the year, from the busiest late-summer/early fall hunting season and with springtime competition archery. We have a great pro shooting team that really keeps TAC Vanes top of mind throughout tournament season. With our newly launched LRP hunting arrow, we expect this year to be busier than ever.

AB: Archers today, whether for hunting or competition, are enjoying the ability to customize and accessorize their bows, arrows and gear. Are you seeing more demand for different colors or patterns of vanes? How are you keeping up with demand? 

KK: Part of the reason we have such a wide variety of vane colors today is due to the demand for more personalization and customization of arrows both at the professional level with big-name hunters and archers all the way down to the amateur level. Even newcomers to the sport want what their favorite shooters have and what they see them using via social media, so we always take that into consideration when producing new colors. We receive countless messages from customers to this day about new colors/designs, so we save those so we can see what will be of greatest value to those who use our vanes.

AB: Vanes definitely have come a long way in the last few decades. Without giving away any secrets, are you testing new materials and shapes that we might see down the road? If so, how’s that going?

KK: Vanes haven’t seen as much innovation as other equipment, which is why TAC Vanes came about! With bows getting faster and more efficient each year, the high acceleration of modern aggressive bows makes soft vanes flap even more, which increases noise and drag. Our concept creates spin to stabilize the arrow, instead of mostly drag. The material of TAC Vanes has a durability that is unmatched by any other vane on the market. They are extremely resistant to shooting a hole in them, or tearing them while you’re shooting groups. You can spend more time practicing, rather than re-fletching damaged vanes.

AB: How are the micro-diameter arrows changing the way manufacturers and archers look at vanes? Did vanes just shrink, or has this evolving arrow size created new ways of thinking among designers?

KK: Without a doubt, micro-diameter shafts have had an impact on the industry. The benefits are undeniable; delivering better penetration and being less affected by wind conditions. These benefits have given control back to the archer. When coupled with the right vane configuration, it enhances performance exponentially. Archers are educating themselves and becoming more aware of what the right arrow and vane combination can deliver, on the range and in the field.

In the past, people accepted whatever vanes came on the arrows straight from the factory. But they’re now realizing the right arrow and vane configuration is one of the most important decisions they can make affecting overall performance of the bow. This gives even greater motivation to our designers. Knowing that archers are understanding the value of choosing the right vane for them, whether it be profile, size, or material, is a huge motivating factor to push for continually improving products here at TAC.

AB: Describe the feedback you get from the hunters and competition shooters on your pro-staff in regard to design and improvements? 

KK: We continually receive positive feedback from our TAC Field Staff. But what’s most valuable is understanding just how different each shooter’s arrow and vane configuration is. Whether they shoot a Matrix or a Driver profile, a 2.25-inch vane or a 3.75-inch vane, whether they run three-fletch or four-fletch, they’ve each taken the time to understand what works best for their setup. They’ve recognized the importance of the right vane based on their personal style and needs.

It has made it very clear to us there is no one magic pill that works for everyone. That’s the beauty of TAC Vanes, our vanes are engineered to deliver personalized performance based on the shooter. Our field staff has proven that to us in spades. We think it represents the growing mindset among the archery community — vanes matter.

AB: TAC Vanes is a smaller company that is part of a larger group, Kelly Outdoor Products. Can you describe the company’s culture and tell us a little about your employees? 

KK: Kelly Outdoor Brands are a part of a new lifestyle brand, Flourish Life. Our goal is to provide you with the most wholesome, flavorful and high-quality products and authentic experiences to create healthier lives, families and communities. Our purpose is found in helping people eat healthier and achieve a balanced life by restoring their body, mind and spirit.

Like all Kelly brands, Flourish Life brands are faith-based and have a culture rooted in doing the right thing. If help is needed, you’ll find folks willing to jump in and offer assistance. Decisions at every level are made with our team’s best interest at heart. This sense and pride of ownership is especially apparent in the work we produce, striving always to act with excellence.

AB: You have an exciting new product, the LRP Arrow, which promises precision at long range. Can you explain how you came up with this and what it does?

KK: This patented, industry-first design offers the ultimate precision for long-range hunting. We all understand the benefits of the micro-diameter arrow for hunting — less affected by wind, better penetration, quieter. The frustration has been the strength of the connection of components with the broadhead, as well as the aesthetic of the design. It didn’t fit together smoothly and produced a major weak point in the arrow.

The new LRP Arrow is a game-changer. Seamless design offers ultimate strength and stability and it looks super sleek. While this system is built for long range, it’s the best system for any shot, short or long. It’s dead quiet, penetrates better, all the things you want from an arrow, even at short distances.

The LRP arrow system uses our patented broadhead technology with a hardened 17-4 stainless-steel center pin that precisely locates the broadhead to the inside diameter of the arrow shaft. This eliminates tolerance stack-ups for perfectly spinning heads, and creates an incredibly strong “broadhead to arrow shaft” interface. Our LRP interface is twice as strong as the traditional micro-diameter outserts.

Plus, it is precisely and meticulously tuned. We cut a quarter-inch off the nock ends, square the arrows, then spine-align each arrow before wrapping and fletching. The high spine will always be up when the arrow is nocked on the bow.

AB: I’m a retailer. Tell me why I should have TAC Vanes in my shop for customers to consider, and what I should tell them if they ask about TAC Vanes.

KK: Having consistently accurate equipment means there’s one less thing standing in the way of a win, whether in the woods or a shooting lane. TAC Vanes produces extremely consistent and durable vanes that shoot the same way each time and don’t quit. 

And, we stand behind our products and can ensure when used with TAC Vanes Primer Pen and Glue, these vanes will not fail. We even have an adhesion guarantee, for products purchased at www.tacvanes.com.

AB: I have customers asking about whether I can put TAC Vanes on their crossbow arrows. Is that possible?

KK: We have several vane models available for high-speed crossbows including our Matrix 2.25-inch, Driver 2.25-inch and 2.75-inch, and our Summit 2-inch.

AB: As a retailer, can I work with TAC Vanes and its sister companies at Kelly Outdoor Products Group on discounts and promotions? 

KK: We do sell all of our brands direct to retailers and offer a fair price to resell our brands. Once you’re set up with one of our brands, you gain access to all of them. This allows you to combine brands and save freight costs to stock multiple categories of your store. We also offer show pricing during the first quarter of every year at the trade shows. We attend the ATA Show, along with four to five different buy group shows for their members. That’s where retailers can capitalize on the best pricing of the year. They can program orders at that pricing to ship whenever they want.

For more information on TAC Vanes, visit www.tacvanes.com.