RW or LW, which should I use?

[sinistral]

I am kind of new to this, and would like to understand this better. Does it matter which you use. I am left handed, should I be shooting RW or LW fletching?
Thanks Jeff

[nutmeg]

Jeff it doesn't matter at all. Just personal preference. (nut)

[sinistral]

Great. Thanks for the reply. How can you tell which is RW vs. LW?
Jeff

[Chad R]

I always did right wing and I had some problems with my bow hand index finger getting scratched with skinny carbons... so I bought a left wing Bitz and some left wing feathers....  Maybe it is just what I was used to... but I like fletching RW better.  I've gone to shooting cock feather in with everything and RW works great on wood and skinny carbons - no more scratched fingers and better arrow flight.

[kbaknife]

Just don't mix them up on the same shaft.

[Chad R]

I agree with these guys.  It doesn't matter as long as they are all the same on each arrow.  You could shoot one arrow with 3 RW feathers and then shoot one arrow with 3 LW feathers and not know the difference.

[Hot Hap]

Sinistral-Look down the shaft from the rear where it is glued. If it makes the letter "L" it is a left wing.

[JRY309]

Like said it doesn't really matter,especically with arrows with tunable nocks.You can adjust them for the best clearence.I'm RH and on my wood arrows I just preferred LW,they gave me the best clearence.And my buddy is LH and he preferred RW gave him the best clearence for wood arrows.I use both and have fletchers for both.

[kevgsp]

Which is more popular/more feather choices?

[Fletcher]

As JRY mentioned, in general right hand shooters use left wing and left hand shooters use right wing as this tends to give better fletching clearance.  Other than that it really doesn't matter which you use.  

Left wing tends to be more available and in more colors as turkeys generally get their right wings clipped to keep them from trying to fly away.  At least that is how it used to be; many of today's market turkeys are too heavy to fly.    :(

[sagebrush]

Also if you look at the fletching and see that it spins the arrow counter-clockwise when flying it is left wing. Gary

[dino]

Fletcher Im not picking I just want to dispell this myth...  Turkey feathers are taken off dead birds at USDA approved turkey processing plants.  They are not clipped from live birds but dead ones as they are being plucked and cleaned for market.  Trueflight, AMG and Gateway collect their feathers the same.

In reality RW is more popular among modern bow shooters and archers outside the US according to Trueflight and my personal experience also.   Trueflight also offers equall color choices and cuts in both LW and RW feathers, it is traditional archery suppliers that stock more choices in LW becuase they are more popular among trad shooters in the US.

As far as fletching clearance and LW rotating away from the shelf.... look at some this:

 

It is some slow motion video of arrows in flight.  I was amazed how little contact there is of an arrow on the shelf because of paradox and the lack of roation until the arrow clears the shelf.  

I agree with ChadR, I have the same problem with cuts and scratches with RW feathers.  That is one thing to look at with your particular bow. dino

[Fletcher]

Absolutely, Dino, the feathers we shoot come from birds processed for the table.  Turkey farmers would clip the wings of their live birds to keep them from flying.  Not so much today probably, as I think many of today's turkeys are too fat to fly.

Right wing is good for any arrow with screw in points as left wing  ccw rotation tends to loosen the points.