Why is left helical so popular?

[Javi]

Originally posted by ron w:
What tom Mussatto said, Most workers on the farms were right handed so that's the wing that got clipped, hence all the left wings. Heard this from a archery dealer back in the late 60's or early 70's.      

Could be I guess... When I started building my own arrows back in the late 50's I was told "when shooting off a knuckle always use a left wing for a right hand shooter to avoid a quill in the hand."

[Tom Mussatto]

Left wing/right wing, cock feather in/out, it makes no difference if your bow is well tuned to the arrow. If you are a knuckle shooter as I am there can be contact with the hand (not the bow side plate or shelf) with both right and left wing but it is so slight that with feathers it will not effect arrow flight or be uncomfortable. Vanes is another story. With an elevated rest even vanes can be used with well tuned equipment, which should be a good indication that feathers/vanes do not (should not) contact the bow. Shooting vanes off your knuckle can be a bit painful and destroy good arrow flight.  

I have no idea why one wing might be more available or expensive than the other these days. The way the birds are bred and raised today they can't even walk much less fly, so no need for clipping. 10 or 12 years ago I bought several thousand full length feathers, both left and right, and availability/price of both right and left were the same then.

[tenbrook]

If your right handed and your bow has a grip that puts the top of your hand close to the arrow rest there is a chance of the feathers hitting your hand with right helical.  It hurts.

Vise/versa for left handed people.

Because more people are right handed more arrow makers use left helical.

Like I said this is only with certin bows IMO.

Right handed....shoot left helical.

Left handed....shoot right helical.

Hope this helps.

Tenbrook

[Mudd]

When I was much younger and shot arrows with screw in tips I thought those fletched up with right wing feathers didn't need as much re-tightening of my tips as did left wing flecthed arrows.

As far as going where I wanted them... no difference.

God bless,Mudd

[Grey Taylor]

With the advent of YouTube it's pretty easy to find and watch slow motion videos of arrows leaving bows.
As Joseph mentioned, they don't begin to rotate until they are well away from the bow.

Guy

[vintage archer]

I agree with Jeff.I did a survey of over 100 people on this site and found that the use of left and right wing feathers was about 50/50. At least of the archers on this site  one was not favored over the other.....Interesting I was sure left wing shooters would have been higher.

[hvyhitter]

Im in the "thats what the jig I bought 20 yrs ago is" LW group.......RH shooter, never gave it any thought and never had a problem (even when shooting "wrong" beveled grizzlies)

[Shawn Leonard]

Have to disagree with Jeff, most guys I know are right-handed shoot LW, pain sometimes as it is tough to keep point tight and lefties shoot RW. Usedto be to spin the feather away from the knuckle to prevent the quill from cutting the top of your hand near the knuckle. I shoot cock vane up and do not notice a difference in point of impact but still shoot LW! Shawn

[Grey Taylor]

I shoot right handed and use right wing fletch. If I'm shooting a self bow with no arrow rest and I get cut with the fletching I don't see it as because I'm using the wrong feather, I see it as poor arrow building. Proper prep on the leading edge takes care of the issue.
I've made more than a few dozen arrows and they've all been fletched right wing. I've had exactly one person complain that I should have used left wing and his general skill and knowledge level needed more work than a simple wing change.

Guy

[Braz]

As I long as I don't mix them on a single shaft I can't see a difference :-)

[Shakes.602]

Thats Pretty Subtle there Grey!!      I have tried the Right Wing Feathers shooting R.H., and My Bows didnt like them.  

[Spectre]

There is a reason you can't buy left-wing bevel RFA's. Just sayin.

[Joshua Long]

I cut my hand to pieces if I shoot RW from my longbow.  I like to have my hand right up there.  I recently tried dropping my hand a bit and I can shoot them fine.

[heydeerman]

If you shoot left wing you will notice screw in points coming loose in targets because of the arrow spinning counter clock wise.

[MikeW]

Originally posted by heydeerman:
If you shoot left wing you will notice screw in points coming loose in targets because of the arrow spinning counter clock wise.

A little Teflon tape or Loc Tite solves that issue