Just got done watching volumes 1 and 2 of "Masters of the Barebow" and found them highly entertaining with plenty of new ideas to try at the range! Today my father and I were shooting and I decided to try Fred Eichler's "cock feather turned in" towards the sight window as opposed to the old "tried and true" traditional cock feather out method I have ALWAYS done.It really worked well for both of us!! I suppose many of you have tried this in the past, but Fred started doing it when a European shooter quizzed him on why he insisted the cockfeather be turned out...then scowled at him! The idea being that when the arrow "paradoxes(sp?), the cockfeather facing "in" easily clears the bowshelf and sightwindow with only one feather facing them. With cockfeather out, the bottom hen feather can "drag" and cause minimal shot deflection...even with archers paradox! Pros and cons withstanding....we both tried it quite a bit and actually shot BETTER than the traditional feather out method! Coincidence?...maybe, but we're going to try it for a couple of weeks with some other bow/arrow combos and see what happens! Anybody else here shoot this way??? Curious to hear...Many thanks...John
All the time ....
I've noticed that it works better for people who's third finger is shorter than average.
I've short cock feather in for a while. It works great. I know it sounds counterintuitive but it works.
Sorry shot.
Look at how the feathers hit the SHELF. Cock feather in will clear the sight window during paradox and the hen will be at about 7:00 for a RH shooter,clearing the shelf. Cock feather out will put the hen feather in contact with the shelf all the way through the shot,This can depend on shooting style,release,shelf type,tune and many other things I guess. Cock feather out works for many people, has for many years.
Chuck
I accidentally shot one CFO at a jug shoot last weekend. It was a speed event and I flubbed in the heat of combat, misnocking by 180 degrees. The arrow flew way left.
I suppose I should try my hand at being a four-flusher.
Killdeer
Four fletcher.
Killdeer :laughing:
Been doing it that way for 20 years and have always got better clearance.
I shoot broadheads CFI and target points CFO.
It's mostly in my head but it seems like I get better flight that way.
Cock feather in, works just as good as cock feather out for me. My shooting style became better when I started touching the hen feather with my nose at full draw. In time the feather to the nose became second nature and with my good release, I was able to work on my bow push at release.
I don't know that I shoot well enough that I can tell any difference, but I started shooting cock feather in a few months ago. I really like it.
I've got one longbow that shoots better for me cock feather in. I tried different spines and point weights, but in the end, I get the best arrow flight out of that bow with cock feather in. All my other bows, I shoot cock feather out.
i keep my cock feather out, but the hen feather is in so its just a(color) visual reference, im used to seeing my cock feather out so i keep it that way.
Shoot what works.
if the arrow is properly bare shaft tuned, you will notice little difference.
For most people it will not create a bit of difference as no matter how the fletchings contact the shelf and riser they will (crush) out of the way.
I don't even look anymore, I just nock an arrow.
probably pure coincidence, but for the second day in a row....alternating back and forth between CFI vs. CFO, the CFI was our group-size winner!!! I'm right handed and had zero windage problems.......every now and then I would get them when I knew I got off the string clean. I'll try it for a month and see if I still feel this way. Maybe it's just like "new bow syndrome", where you are trying something different and consequently paying closer attention to all the fine points! (which you should be doing anyway!). thanks for all your imput....john P.S., I shoot left wing helical, 5" shield cut truflights......3 fletch. perhaps those "tall" shieldcuts deflect a little more than say a 4" parabolic????..hmmmm...
I may try this.
Don't know about the four flushing tho. Last time I did that, arrow flight was way down on the list of my concerns...
Joshua
I seem to shot better cock feather in.
Jack Howard shot that way over 50 years ago. He did many tests using a shooting machine with his Gamemaster bows to show it stabilized the arrow much quicker. It ended up with much tighter groups downrange at distance.
Four-fletch has always worked for me. I fletch them at what I guess is 80/100 degrees and align the nock so that the feathers lay in a wide "X" rather than a tall "X" when nocked. I've never had a fletched arrow fly funny after bareshafting well.
I'm settled on 4 4" fletch @ 90 deg. I don't have to worry about nock/feather orientation...just nock n shoot.
I get as good or better flight. I have even tried LW fletched arrows, and I am a RH shoote, shoots fine to me. As stated above, less contact from the feathers overall. By the way, good to see you post Jon, how is your dad doing, tell him I asked.
Gave it a try - thought my arrows flew a bit better - but could be my imagination? I think I will keep trying it just out of curiosity.
I stated this in another thread...I shot cock feather in after a conversation with the late Jack Howard back in the 70's. That's because I was using RW feathers and I'm right handed.
Using full helical on all my arrows, turning the cock feather in when using RW feathers puts the odd hen feather in the "up" position when nocked. If you use LW feathers, full helical, the odd hen is already in the up position with cock feather out.
Use RW feathers, cock feather in, LW feathers cock feather out.....
RW feather and have been shooting CFI on all my bows for years. They always seem to get better clearance this way.
I bareshaft tune my arrows to my bows and I noticed especially with carbons where the nocks turn that it almost don't matter (like a flu flu) where the feathers are on release and I guess same for the broadhead even if its 2" wide tree shark it doesn't matter where its turned to or has no relation to the fletch or where the fletch is turned to.
I even noticed its more so the case as the fletch gets smaller say 5.5 highbacks compared to 4" low cut EV howlers.
I've got one setup that favors a cock feather in, but the rest either don't care or prefer it out.
Been shootin cock feather in for several years now also. Works well for me.
I used to shoot cock feather out, but got alot of wear on the bottom hen feather riding across the arrow shelf. Turned the cock feather in and the wear on the bottom hen feather went away.
I agree with Kenny, when I switched to CFI my feathers last alot longer.
I think I see what some are saying? I was getting bad flight on a couple arrows (all identical). I checked and due to being right wing, helical and handed, the rough lip was catching on the rest material (making it pile). I can adjust slightly to avoid this, but am gonna try CFI.
rotate cock feather down to where it just clears the rest I had trouble with feathers hitting hand and that cured my problem it will leave one hen feather almost streight up...try it it will cure a lot of right hand right wing problems...dave