Arrows fletched wrong

[Stump73]

I had some arrows fletched up with lw helical feathers (so I thought) back in November at a local shop and have been shooting them since. I recently bought a left wing helical fletcher. Having no new lw feathers yet. I decided to try and refletch an arrow that the fletching had fallen off. When I put the feather that fell off in the jig it didn't line up right on the arrow. I noticed they fletched them with rw feathers instead of being lw feathers. What kind of effect would that have on arrow flight if any compared to being matched up correctly?

[LKH]

You probably won't notice much effect at all.

[Yolla Bolly]

As long as all the feathers are on the same arrow are the same, I don't think you will find any difference.  
If you a shooting a left handed  with a minimal shelf, you may notice the right wing fletches allow them to run across your bowhand knuckle.

[Plumber]

I used to doit like that all the time when I was new I did not know any better.I dont think the affects will show up for the average shooter.

[yamapup]

I ordered some rw feathers and forgot my jig was lw. I posted like you and everyone said it won't make any difference. I went ahead and used the lw jig with the rw feathers and guess what! It didn't make any difference. Arrows flew fine. Pup

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Originally posted by yamapup:
I ordered some rw feathers and forgot my jig was lw. I posted like you and everyone said it won't make any difference. I went ahead and used the lw jig with the rw feathers and guess what! It didn't make any difference. Arrows flew fine. Pup

I'd say you got lucky because you just bent the quill backwards when you used the wrong clamp on them. You would have been better off to trade the RW feathers for LW feathers. Or just buy the correct clamp for the job.
I'd find it hard to believe that anybody here would suggest that you use a LW clamp to fletch RW feathers. What they were telling you was that it doesn't matter which one you shoot, not that it was ok to fletch them backwards.      

Shed hunter - There is nothing written in stone that a Left handed shooter needs to shoot RW feathers or LW feathers. I'm not going to say that it doesn't matter, because to some guys it might?
However, I'm right handed and I shoot RW feathers and I have also shot LW feathers and it makes no difference that I can tell at all.

The arrow spine is more important to achieving good arrow flight than what type of feather you shoot, and having your bow tuned properly.

And also fletching them properly using the correct fletching clamp, and under no circumstances mixing and matching LW with RW on the same arrow.

Just my 2 cents.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I agree with all above. Take a look at some primitive arrows that are made and you will see that labratory accuracy isnt needed to make your arrows fly great. Some are two fletch, some are 3 and all this on a cane shaft with nodes still seen. For ease of use, grab some LW fetahers and go to town on yours. Your glue wont be fighting the quill that way. Just dont sweat the details too much or the fun goes away fast. I always think back to the natives when I start worrying too much, how the heck did they survive?

[LoweBow]

I'm fletching arrows right now...RW and I'm a right handed shooter.  I've never noticed a diff and have shot both.  I always shot RW because I was cheap.  There was a time I could buy RW feather for about 20% less than LW as the supply or RW was always higher as everyone thought they had to shoot LW...LOL  Wish they were still cheaper!

[Javi]

Left or right wing doesn't really matter much but it's pretty near impossible to get a left wing feather to lay flat on the shaft when using a right wing helical clamp...

you might get away with it using a straight clamp with a little offset.

[owlbait]

ALL the really good right hand shooters shoot left wing fletchings..... That's what I was told years ago, now since I am right handed and shoot left wing I find out they let some average to below average right handers shoot them too. Really, use the fletch that matches your jig, make sure your clamps are adjusted for the size of your shaft, fletch 'em and shoot 'em, and like advised above, GO HAVE FUN!

[Stump73]

I'm in the process ordering 5" Lw shield cut feathers but now the hard part is I cant decide what color feather I want.  Thanks Mike

[Don Stokes]

The RH/LW "standard" comes from shooting off the hand instead of a rest. You get fewer quills stuck in your knuckle that way. For shooting off a rest or the shelf it doesn't matter which feather you use, as long as you don't have clearance problems. Sometimes a "kick" in the arrow when it's properly matched can be cured by switching feathers.

I don't suggest using the opposite jig for your feathers, though! Pup, SEMO is right, you got lucky!

[reddogge]

I'm with Semo. Anything on there will fly but I  like things to be neat and tidy myself and like properly fletched arrows.

[Bowmania]

Years ago I was playing with a Bitz, left wing clam and right wing feathers.  Glued 'em up and shot 'em next to left wing feathers - no difference.

Bowmania