A met a fellow recurve shooter at a local shoot and he suggested that as a right handed shooter I should be using left wing fletch with left helical instead of right.  He said that the spin would help it clear the riser better.  It seems to make sense, what do you guys use?

Most will tell you it makes no difference.  With certain longbow and arrow combinations I have seen the kick you refer to.  Also, if you shoot a longbow that has the arrow running close to your index finger, the bone of the rightwing feather can easily cut.  If you rotate to avoid that you may need to adjust your nocking point.  As John Schulz advised, the nock goes 1/8'' above the shelf, and it is up to the shooter to improve his form so it works.  I agree with John on that.

Moved to PowWow.....

Aside from what laddy already pointed out re the quill possibly cutting your hand with a right wing feather, it doesn't make a difference in how the arrow flies.  However, if you shoot aluminums or carbons with screw on heads, a left wing fletch, which rotates the shaft counter-clockwise, will tend to unscrew your heads.  There are washers and other stuff to take care of that though.  And, right now, there aren't very many left wing single bevel broadheads available, if that's your bag.  There will be soon though.  

I'm a right handed shooter, and I shoot woodies and left wing feathers.  My hunting partner is right handed and shoots right wing feathers.  We've both been doing this for nearly 50 years.  The advantage is we don't fight over turkey wings on the birds we kill.  

"As John Schulz advised, the nock goes 1/8'' above the shelf, and it is up to the shooter to improve his form so it works. I agree with John on that."


laddy - whatju talkn bout Willis???

No difference in flight or accuracy from my recurves between straight, left helical, or right helical.  IMO, spine is far more critical than fletching/vane type or orientation....

I shoot RH and use both LW and RW.When I shoot RW fletch I shoot cock feather in and LW cock feather out.I see no difference in accuracy.

I was under the impression that the arrow didn't start to spin until it traveled a foot or so. I could have made that up though. lol

I'm getting myself set up to use both, turkeys and geese have two wings     I have shot both and haven't noticed a difference.

John said What?.........Let me digest this.
Your bow is tuned perfect with the nock set at 1/2, you should move it to 1/8 and tune your shooting style to make it work?

DesertDude - Yeah, it's got me thinking too. Never heard that before, and ain't about to change neither...8^)

A TOTAL GUESS AT HOW THIS ALL
           STARTED..

At one time people used whatever they could pluck from the neighbors turkeys or geese.

Then commercially the right wing feathers showed up. It had to do with commercial turkey farms; and how they held the turkey when they cut off primary feathers to keep them from flying off.

Then the demand exceeded supply; and at the same time; the turkey growers started cutting off the feathers from the other side.

That is when the left wing feathers hit the market in force.

Seems I remember when the left wing feathers started hitting the shelves on arrows; because everyone started noticing that their broadheads loosened in flight; and insert blades would fall out.

That caused an uproar and the turkey growers started supplying the dealers with right wing feathers.

Still some people liked the left wing fletch.

Now if someone will add reality to this: it would clear up a lot.  :rolleyes:

Trueflight states right on the bag that the fletchings come in that they are for either right or left handed shooters. i.e. "RIGHT WING (Can be used by Right or Left Handed Shooters".

I just recently (March) purchased a " Hunter" from Bob Lee archery, I was suggested by someone else, to use left-hand helical 5 in. feathers.

I have been shooting righthand helical for about four years.  I was at the range yesterday shooting those left-hand helical feathers on an Axis 500 carbon arrow, I was smacking arrows together, I hit the spot I was looking at more with my left-hand helical than I ever have using my righthand helical.  Now it could be the fact that I have new bow, and it is a recurve instead of a longbow.

But I happen to think it makes a difference.  You just have to find out what works for you, given them a try, if it works you've accomplished something.  There is no set rules that apply to everybody.  That's what I like about the freedom in traditional archery.  You don't have that with the other wheel stuff.  When you try different things in traditional archery and it works out, you know, that you have, accomplished something, not the equipment.  Your equipment is only an extension of you in traditional archery.

Pastor Carl