Cock feather position

[Longtoke]

In,  most the time I don't think it matters much though.

[the rifleman]

Cock feather in.  As Kelly said, this puts feathers in position for best possible clearance.  I've seen guys leave a gap between sideplate and rest for hen feather to pass through.  If anywhere near tuned that hen feather is nowhere near that gap.  Contact w hen feather when shooting an inverted Y most often occurs near outside edge of shelf.  Cock feather in eliminates this.  I always have my set ups well tuned, but Cock feather in buys forgiveness if I do something wonky on my end ( like short drawing by 1/4" from an awkward hunting position).

[Kelly]

The biggest advantage to cock feather in besides great flight/fletching clearance is the ability to lower one's nock point. Because the lower hen feather is no longer striking the shelf causing the back end of arrow to kick upwards, whereas most archers raise their nock point till this upwards kick stops, with cock feather in this no longer happens so most archers having their nock point set for cock feather out can lower this nock point when shooting cock feather in.

Sure just turning the cock feather in will fly great but the real benefit comes when one lowers the nock point. Lowering the nock point raises the front of arrow creating longer trajectory without having to raise the bow. When I first did this over 30 years ago was able to lower my nock point from 3/4" above square to 7/16" above square. (I've always nocked below and still do.)

[Trond]

I have always been shooting cock feather out, until I read this post. Tried shooting in, and I believe I get better precision that way. Don't know about nocking point, though. It hasn't been touched since I got the bow from Kirk. Maybe i need to tune a little bit...

[MnFn]

One of the things I liked  about shooting carbons was I easily switch from cock feather in or out to cock feather up.

But as people have mentioned I really like four fletch these days.

[Otto]

I'll offer a different take on this.   I shoot 3 feathers.   All are positioned 120 degrees apart ...right??   I rotate and position my nock to put a feather in the corner of where the shelf and riser meet.   Any feather.   The bow doesn't know nor care what colors my fletching is.   I can have the odd colored feather (the cock feather) positioned in, out, up.   The bow doesn't know, nor does it care.  Ergo...it doesn't matter.   It can't possibly matter.   All I use a cock feather for is to look at quickly and know which way my nock is positioned.

[Rob DiStefano]

I try not to need or use fletchings of any kind.               

[Roy from Pa]

I use fletching once in a while too:)