Ive playing around a bit with putting the cock feather in rather than out, and the results have been pretty impressive. This all started with a very fickle longbow of mine that just refuses to shoot any spine shaft unless the cock feather is turned in toward the riser. Any others out there that shoot cock feather in?
Yes I do quite a lot.
I have one longbow that i shoot cock feather in.
Yep for over 25 years. Now start lowering your nocking point till you get the back end of arrow kicking upwards-then just go back up till it fly straight again. You should be able to lower your nock point some-mine lowered by over 3/8"/almost half inch plus no wear on feathers anymore and better flight.
Its amazing how something as simple as rotating your cock feather in, can make such a difference. This may turn out to be my standard for nocking and fletching from now on. I tried this on several bows and found that the arrow flight was cleaner on those as well.
Black Widow recommends cock feather up, I shoot 4 Fletch.
I started shooting cock feather in after buying some arrows from Kelly (doing business at the time as Arrows by Kelly). Never looked back. All arrows, all bows.
I read another thread about this a few weeks ago and tried it for a day or so, I was surprised by the results. I promptly forgot about it until your post, I'm going to try it again tomorrow!
Its a funny thing, usually there is a reason cock feather in is working for you. The arrow is clearing better, or you are getting less, or a more beneficial bump on the riser. I have had this issue before, and usually it comes down to a torque of the bow, or an arrow not quite perfect spine, or a fletch job that just plain is in the way and kicks off the riser. I am not sure why, but I haven't had that make a positive difference in years now, but I do remember it has helped sometimes in the past.
Yes, one can get an arrow to fly well cock feather out by raising ones nock point till the kick up caused by the 4:00 hen feather(if you are right handed) hitting the outside of shelf.
The biggest benefit of cock feather in besides perfect flight all the time since the 4:00 hen feather is now at 8:00 is the ability to lower ones nock point significantly thus raising the tip of your arrow at the same giving you flatter trajectory.
To all those trying cock feather in if you don't also lower your nock you are missing out on the best part.
It helped me out a bunch. At cock-feather-out, that 4 o'clock feather (RH) can easily catch on the shelf, bang, and give erratic flight.
This is just my thinking :knothead: but I think those two hen feathers facing out away from the sight widow in kinda a V shape grab more air & correct the arrow quicker in paradox? Maybe not, but cock feather in works good for me, and yes lower nock point.
I shoot almost cock feather in. My top feather is at the 1 o'clock position so it touches the tip of my nose
I shoot with cock feather in on all my bows. Tried to shoot with it out but I get better flight and tighter groups with the cock feather in.
I always shot with cock feather in until I switched to 4 feathers. Haven't put 3 feathers on an arrow for 12 years.
I know Mike Palmer recomends you shoot nock feather in.
All bows for me. Better flight and lower NP. Add that up with better consistency from shooting 3-under and I've improved from just plain awful to just plain bad.
Ken
I shoot with the cock geather in on several bows....
QuoteOriginally posted by RLA:
This is just my thinking :knothead: but I think those two hen feathers facing out away from the sight widow in kinda a V shape grab more air & correct the arrow quicker in paradox? Maybe not, but cock feather in works good for me, and yes lower nock point.
....hmmmm, makes sense to me.
I can't see any difference in my arrow flight no matter how I nock it. However I bareshaft tune all my arrows so I don't think the fletching alignment is as big a deal for me.
I have had it work good on some set-ups. If so, I usually put my cock feather "up" at 11:00 which puts a hen in towards the riser.