How Many of you guys shoot with the cock feather in rather than out? and Why do you shoot it that way?
I have shot cock feather in for about a year now on many different bows and using all kinds of arrows and I have noticed That I always seem to get better arrow flight with the cock feather in.
I am wondering if anyone else is in the same boat of if the better flight is just in my head....LOL
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I noticed on my recurve with a wide shelf I got better flight with cock feather in. I haven't noticed any degredation on the other bows, so I shoot them all that way now.
I have shot with the cock feather at just short of 12 o'clock for quite a few years. This puts the inner hen feather in the channel between the shelf cushion and the pressure plate. Basically, both hen feathers are flat with the shelf. With the correct nock height I have noticed better arrow flight and less feather wear this way. I use this index for both recurves and longbows with good results.
I do just about what Old Vet does, cock feather between 10:30 and 11:00. It just seems to shoot better and is quieter that way.
On a well tuned bow, I'm not sure it REALLY matters where the cock feather is.
I too have been shooting with the cock feather up but it is because I have a fat hand. For some reason if I shoot cock feather out the quill of the feather somehow contacts the backside of my hand at the base of my thumb and cuts the heck out of me.
My best flight comes from the cock feather about 1 o'clock , leaves one feather contact verses two , it is quiter and more forgiving .
Scott
Either way. If I'm shooting 3 fletch, I just load and go. Same as shootin 4.
I first started shooting cock feather in after I started getting wear on the lower hen feather on a recurve I shot off the shelf, it was rubbing the velcro rest material. Now its just habit, I shoot all my recurves and longbow cock feather in that I shoot off the shelf.
QuoteOriginally posted by moththerlode:
My best flight comes from the cock feather about 1 o'clock , leaves one feather contact verses two , it is quiter and more forgiving .
Scott
Maybe a stupid question, but doesn't this just put another feather in the traditional "out" position? I'm visualizing it in my head and what I'm seeing just substitutes another feather in the usual place of the cock feather.
I shoot cock-feather in because when I don't, my 4 o'clock hen quill nicks the shelf of my bow (as it flexes around the riser) and it affects the flight. It also started leaving marks on my new bow! I get great flight shooting cock-feather in.
I've been shooting cock feather in with good results for several years, after shooting the more traditional way for 35 years. TradGangs own "Ric O'Shay" encouraged me to try it. Thank you bud. Arrows seem to stabilize guicker, which allows for a cleaner, quieter flite and perhaps an increase in speed. Can I prove it, "No". Just my opinion, but I'm the one I've got to convince. Give it a try, you just might like it.
I think I'll give it a try.
In the Masters of the Barebow series, they mention the same thing . I tried it with my longbows, but have not with my recurve yet. I think I will give it a try .
:thumbsup:
If your a RH shooter, using RW feathers...turn the cock feather in. Notice the odd hen feather is "UP" and this forms an upside down "Y".
Now..take an arrow with LW feathers and nock it normally, cock feather out. Notice the odd hen is in the "up" position.
Back in the late 60's, most arrows were fletched with RW feathers. After reading Jack Howards catalog and turning the cock feather in as Jack suggested, I called him. Had a lengthy conversation with him. Been shooting cock feather in all these years with RW and don't care when I use LW.
Works for me.
If you try four fletch you will also see a great improvement.
I don't believe it really matters with a correctly spined and tuned arrow. However, I shoot almost exclusively cock-feather in. Most of my favorite bows have a very small, narrow shelf - longbows and recurves both, and I get almost zero contact or wear this way.
Scott , not quite .. It is simply turning the knocks to get the best clearance fletch wise.. The bottom hen fletch is just outside of the shelf and the cock feather also close to contact bet not Quite .. Bare in mind that visual sitting on the string and reality where contact is concerned can be different , but it works with my set up
Scott
My right wing fletched arrows always flew great from my right handed bows. When I got a new multi fletcher it came with left wing clamps. I started getting a slight twitch in the flight right out of the bow. I really didn't want to buy all new clamps and just put up with it.
I heard about cock feather in a few years ago and tried it. Perfect flight!
I really don't worry about how I nock when just shooting for fun. When hunting with broadheads I always nock with cock feather in.
QuoteOriginally posted by awbowman:
I do just about what Old Vet does, cock feather between 10:30 and 11:00. It just seems to shoot better and is quieter that way.
On a well tuned bow, I'm not sure it REALLY matters where the cock feather is.
i started after watchin rick welchs accuracy factory
better arrow flight and allows me to touch the cock feather with my nose
I recently paper tuned bare shafts and they shot great but after installing the feathers they were kicking tail high off the shelf. I turned them 180 and shot fine. Cock feather in from now on.
I shoot with my top feather just to the right of my string (left handed) so that the tip of the feather touches my nose. This is pretty close to a full cock feather in but not quite. This only works when my feathers are not all wetted down from the Washington State rain.
Either way makes no difference
I shot cock feather in for a while. I did it because the top hen feather then gave me an additional anchor point touching the tip of my nose. With the 2 solid anchors groups got tighter.
Cock feather in for me. Some of my bows like a 3/8" nock point, and the flethed arrow was kicking of the shelf, while the bare shaft was good. cock feather in fixed that. so now I shoot that way with all my bows
I've found that I have better flight with cock feather in while shoting a long bow. Has become habit now.
QuoteOriginally posted by PeteA:
I shot cock feather in for a while. I did it because the top hen feather then gave me an additional anchor point touching the tip of my nose. With the 2 solid anchors groups got tighter.
yep, same here :archer2:
I'm right handed, shoot a right handed bow using a split finger tab with the tab being one over, two under.
I tried cock feather in. Unlike the rest of you in this thread, it didn't do as well for me as cock feather out does. I attribute this to some variable in my shooting form.
This is why I prefer to shoot cock feather out.
Mine is out, best feather clearance for me.
I agree with stujay, but whichever direction gets the arrow where you want it to go is the best way!
QuoteOriginally posted by daniel boon:
Cock feather in for me. Some of my bows like a 3/8" nock point, and the flethed arrow was kicking of the shelf, while the bare shaft was good. cock feather in fixed that. so now I shoot that way with all my bows
And also it gives me a second anchor point touching the point of my nose with a feather.
I have been shooting cock feather in for as long as I can remember. It improved my arrow flight.
I started shooting cock feather in a couple of years ago when I notice that in hunting situations with the cock feather out it would create noise as it grazed against the stubble of my beard. I had never noticed it during normal shooting, but it sounded very loud in the quiet moment of drawing on an animal. I see no adverse effect on arrow flight.