Okay, I know you always need to have your arrow fletches matched, all right wing or all left wing. But what I'm curious about is how much difference is there in flight from one to the other. If I was to fletch 6 right wing and 6 left wing, and shoot them all at the same spot at 20 yards, would I have two seperate groups, or is the difference negligible? Has anyone here ever compared this way? I don't have both types or I'd try it myself.
no difference. I have shot both. I'm RH .....Mark
There is only one difference. They spin different directions. Thats it.
Call me crazy, but I like the arrow to spin into the bow instead of away. I know, I know----it really doesn't make a lot of difference, but it just seem right to me.
Jeff
Jeff, don't forget that the string holds the arrow for a long time after your fingers release it. I seem to remember that high speed photography shows the arrow doesn't even spin until it's well out in front of the bow.
Guy
I know it----good point. I just like it that way, thats all. I guess I like to think my bow is helping my shot a little.
Jeff
I was at an event where someone had fletched either left wing fletching in right helical, or right wing fletching in left helical. I don't remember which it was, just that he had done it backwards.
Several of the guys who were there shot these arrows and said that they flew great. I was working that event and didn't actually see the arrows or the shooting, but everyone agreed that they flew well.
Has anyone else tried this or seen it done?
I've never seen it, but have also heard of it.
I've also fletched some arrows from the same batch both left and right, with no discernible difference in flight or point of impact.
I've never noticed a difference in flight or accuracy,the only reason I switched to LW awhile back was because the colors I wanted were only available in LW.There seems to be a better color selection at most places in LW rather than RW.
Some of the old timers held a right hand shooter should use left...I can't tell any difference
Only difference I can tell is left wing sometimes can loosen screw-in points.
It only matters if you shoot a single bevel broadhead such as the grizzly. In that case, the spin of the arrow can accentuate penetration. I believe you need to shoot right helical for grizzlies to perform their best according to Dr. Ashby.
Toxo,
My points still come loose with RW fletch to. dino
Thanks for all the insight! I suspected there was no real difference, just had no way of testing it at present.
Points unscrewing from RPS inserts, as Toxo mentioned, was all I ever noticed. Also I've heard claims that shooting off knuckle/hand that one is prefered over the other(rh/lw,lh/rh). Maybe some of the selfbow folks can verify that as my experience there is very limited.
Steve
I once fletched a dozen shafts using two shield feathers and a parabolic cock feather (partially out of curiousity and partially because I didn't have the cock feathers that I wanted). I sold them after they got a lot of curious looks. They seem to fly just fine.
As a joke I put three fletchings on backward. I don't think it would fly that well however.
If your points are coming loose. Try putting some string wax on the threads of the points. Keeps em locked in pretty good.
Hey I just ordered some feathers from Rainbow Feathers. They are going out of buisness so if you are looking for some cheap feathers, 8/100pk be ordering them soon.
I accidentally picked up a bag of rw feathers a while back. I was out of lw, so I fletched a couple arrows with them. My jig is left helical, so they were on backwards, upside-down, whatever. They looked a little odd, but they flew just fine. Supposedly, you can't get a right wing feather to twist left...well, that's not true. The only thing I did notice was that the fletching didn't seem to stand up as far. Maybe the wrong twist makes the fibers lay down a bit.
As far as flight, no discernable difference.
Was wondering about this so though I'd float it to the top. :archer2:
I also fletched some right wing with a left jig, out of desperation in prep for a hog hunt, with no time to wait for an order of feathers. As mentioned above the fletching has an "unhealthy" and laid down a bit, but the arrows flew as straight as I could shoot them. Straight enough to pass through two 100-125# hogs, in avatar. :bigsmyl:
Being LH I always shoot 5.5" bananas or shield RW on woodies and find there is a difference. Had arras built that were suppose to be RW. Shot a few when they arrived and they flew like crap. Noticed they were LW. The builder replaced them and they flew great. This follows what I was taught RH-LW, LH-RW.
For the carbons I tried doesn't make a difference because you can rotate the nock and move the feather nearest the shelf typically cock feather up if the arras had LW fletching.
I wonder for those who say not to see a difference what size fletch they are shooting & if they shoot from an elevated rest.
I have seen no different in either LW or RW, but I did slip up once and replace a single feather with one from the opposite wing. That one flew funky. Instead of a spiral, it flew straight, rocking back and forth but it never rotated. It reminded me of watching a knuckle ball pitch.
I recently read and saw a video that fletching should be determined by how the bow string rotates after release which is shown by the twisting of the nock obviously on a carbon arrow that can rotate after it hits the target. In the video the nock had rotated to the left to say 10 oclock and wondered if it actually rotated right all the way around to 10. Any thoughts?
Thanx for the replies. Just being reminded of what I knew and forgot. My avatar is at Granger TX in an archery only area, my friend Porky was along, but no one heard his scatter gun go off, so these are bow kills. :bigsmyl: MOAB really rocks, both piggies shot at less than 7-8 yards. Second, I chased into a briar patch and shot at @8 feet. Gotta love hog hunting in TX. KAP!!!
:coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Quote from: Kingstaken on March 20, 2019, 11:37:22 AM
I recently read and saw a video that fletching should be determined by how the bow string rotates after release which is shown by the twisting of the nock obviously on a carbon arrow that can rotate after it hits the target. In the video the nock had rotated to the left to say 10 oclock and wondered if it actually rotated right all the way around to 10. Any thoughts?
I saw that on a Jake Kamenski video as well and out of curiosity I tried it myself (I shoot right-handed). I marked 8 bare-shafts identical at the nock-end and proceeded to shoot them starting 3 feet from the target and stepping back 1 yard after each shot. I found that my arrows rotate counter-clock-wise. I don't know what I'm going to do with that information because I've always fletched my arrows with RH spinnies/feathers or used Right-Offset. - John
Right handers should shoot left wing, left handers shoot right wing. If you do the opposite the cock feather will turn into the riser and in some cases feather burn your index finger. If your RH and shooting RW fletch you can alleviate that by nocking the cock feather in and vice versa for left handers.
LW is best for me because that is the clamp that came with my Bitz.[emoji16]
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There is no versus....... No real difference.... Other than right wing will keep your points and your broadheads snug.......
Beyond that... make sure you can shoot accurate.... Much more important than any of this verses stuff.
People shooting off of a raised shelf aren't aware of what people shooting off their knuckle found out back in the 40's and 50's. As I explained in my post above if a right hander shot RW feathers the cock feather will rotate INTO the riser and index finger. I'm left handed and shoot RW feathers for better feather clearance. Right handers are better off using left wing.
It you don't go by this rule and a right hander used RW you can nock with the cock feather turned in and you will get better feather clearance.
With my Jo-Jans, I get a hen feather straight down if I go right wing for a left hand bow or a left wing for a right hand bow. With wood arrows, i rotate the nock 1/8 turn from square with the grain, fletch, and then rotate the shaft 1/8 turn to rotate the offending hen feather into the corner and realign to the arrow grain. Counter clockwise turns with left wing and clockwise turns with right wing. This splits the difference and I can then shoot either wing left or right handed without scarfing my bow finger too often. For many years I fletched right wing for my right hand bows, that put the bottom hen feather at an angle in and the top hen feather straight up. However, I also hand a scab on my left hand index fingerer 30 years. I like to feel the arrow slide on my index finger until it touches the back of the broad head when shooting ASLs. Not every arrow nicked my finger, but even though I did what I could to soften the edge, I did manage contact often enough freshen up the feather bone cut.
Thanks Ron I totally forgot about That..... And if I remember correctly the fletching can go into your hand.
I have a question about feathers spiraling into the riser. If you have three feathers on your arrow, the same degree of arc exists between the feathers regardless of rotational direction. That would mean that one feather or the other will rotate into the riser whichever way the arrows spins, wouldn't it?
TBM just had an article about straight fletching vs helical.
Very interesting and I shall soon be re-fletching some to see how it goes.
Quote from: Sam McMichael on March 22, 2019, 09:12:17 AM
I have a question about feathers spiraling into the riser. If you have three feathers on your arrow, the same degree of arc exists between the feathers regardless of rotational direction. That would mean that one feather or the other will rotate into the riser whichever way the arrows spins, wouldn't it?
No sir. The arrow doesn't start spiraling until a bit after it starts down range.
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Use 8th inch helical on 5 inch fletching.... I will never I repeat never use straight Fletch with broadheads..... off set ok too, same as helical...just no straight fletch...Been there done that, there's no advantage I repeat no ..advantage.... But there is a disadvantage. My Advice don't go there.
My first Jo-Jan was the six banger straight, back in the early 70s. I offset the rig as far as i could, it seemed to work okay. I have a left wing and a right wing helical now, it took a bit of precise measuring but I got them set the same. I kick the bottom over and and the top over and have them settee get the most helical i can and still seat the quill down flat. This fall from the sky like lead balloon because the arrow spins too fast is not relative in my world. Getting an arrow to recover fast so it flies down a cornrow is.