Grip Problem?

[Coach Jones]

Somedays when shooting, the fletching on my arrow rips into the knuckle on my my index finger.  It usually leaves a 1 inch long paper type cut.  A few days ago it actually tore loose a fletching.  It hurts like hell when it happens.  I must be gripping wrong.  My bow is a GN Ghost with index grip.  I am pulling 26.5 inches at 46 pounds shooting 29 inch gold tip traditionals 35/55 50 grain insert and 145 grain point.  I have the cock feather facing away from the riser.  What is going on?

[JRY309]

You can try raising your nock point by 1/8" and see if that will help,or try shooting cock feather in.Just a couple of thoughts to try.

[Whip]

I'm no expert on arrow tuning, but probably a small change inyour set up would solve it for you. Play with your nock point and/or tip weight of your arrow.
If your arrow flight and tuning is already perfect, try shooting with the cock feather in.

[Friend]

Have a similar issue when shooting rt. wing fletching. None when I shoot left wing.

I am a rt handed shooter.

If rotating the fletching and/or raising the nock pt as previously mentioned doesn't resolve the issue then you may wish to consider switching from left hand to rt hand or vice aversa.

[Huntschool]

As above... Raise nock point a tad and/or rotate fletching to cock feather up or in.....

[hova]

you can try a different wing , but when this happened to me , it was because my fletching wasnt wrapped cleanly at the front , and it was digging in.


a slight raise in the nock point may help , but for me it was the wrapping.

-hov

[wingnut]

Sometimes it's as simple as trimming and rolling the end of the feather down so that it his not sharp.  Other times some of us have fat hands that wrap up on a grip.  In that case, a second layer of velcro on the shelf and nock point adjustmetn to match does the trick.

Mike

[wollelybugger]

If you don't want to change your bow set up you can put some artifical sinew around the bottom of your feathers. I do it with all my wood arrows and the feathers wont rip off no matter how thick of brush you shoot through. Just wrap it tight and add a drop of glue and your good to go.

[maineac]

I had the same problem when I shifted from a recurve to a longbow recently.  I found it straightened out when my release and form improved.

[Coach Jones]

This is my first traditional bow since the early 90's.  Back then I shot a brackenbury drifter.  The grip was similar to my compound.  Seems like I just don't have my hand positioned right on the bow.  Where it feels the most comfortable is when the fletching hits my knuckle.

[smokin joe]

Consistent hand placement is important in using traditional equipment, as I am sure you know. Some bows, even bows of the same make and type, will resist consistent placement just because of the anatomy of your hand. You might try placing a piece of athletic tape under where your knuckles fall as a reference point that you can feel. That might help you with consistent hand placement.

I would also recommend paper tuning to see if your nock point is too low. I have a bow that has a very low shelf, and the feathers cut my hand while I was tuning the bow until I got the nock point high enough to get clean holes in the paper. Then it stopped cutting me. Nock height can be very sensitive and 1/16" or 1/8" can make a bug difference.

[smokin joe]

Oops. I meant "a big difference" not "a bug difference"

[Coach Jones]

I have had the nock set from 1/8 to 5/8.  5/8 seems to be the sweet spot.  I do contact my less now but the other day I left a slither in my knuckle.

[Covey]

Are you shooting right or left wing fletch? Jason

[Coach Jones]

Right wing helical.

[Coach Jones]

When shooting this evening I went down to a 125 grain point and never had any contact with my knuckle.  Could my spine have been to weak shooting 200 grains up front on the 35/55?  I did not notice much difference in accuracy.  Of course I have not shot this set-up with broadheads yet.

[scedvm]

I feel your pain that is miserable.  I had one bow I fought this with even had to dig a half inch of quill out of my finger one day.  I agree with the others on adjusting cockfeather placement and nock point and also if your nocks are real loose on the string a bottom nock point also might help your arrows leave the string a little cleaner.  Good luck...Shawn

[JRY309]

Are you RH,I'm RH and when I fletch RW on arrows where I can't rotate the nocks I shoot cock feather in.It gives me the best clearence.