left wing...right wing... feathers!! not politics

[rewild2]

This year I decided to build my own arrows and had the same delima, I did a google on the subject and the best explanation I found is a right handed bow needs left wing helical fletched arrows so they roll off the shelf, away from the bow faster and opposite for left hand bows.However, the facts from the Easton experiment seem to overide the explanation.  www.stickbow.com/FEATURES/ARROWMAKING/featherbasics.cfm      www.trueflightfeathers.com/faq.htm

[tradshooter]

Just a thought. I talked to one of the Bitzenburger folks (last week) and he said that the way the Bitzenburger Left helical clamp was originally cast it gives you about 2 degrees more of helical twist than the Right helical clamp does. Also the index nock that you use, can change the relationship of the back of the fletching to a glue on nock. I shoot right handed and use a left helical twist because that is what I was told to do many years ago. I've shot both LW and RW though and never noticed any difference off the shelf of a longbow.

[Trad-Man]

Originally posted by GabeGa:
[QB] thanks for the input , i like to learn new things...like the turkey wing cutting, and i will stick then with the left wing helical feathers
I use 3 of the same feathers to fletch the arrows...i don't use the cock feather from another bag of feathers, i just mark my cock feather with perm marker...that way are all from the same batch...

   

   

I had to put my sun glasses on to read this thread!  Those feathers are so bright they 'bout burned out my eyes!    :eek:   I bet they glow in the dark right before dark and are pretty easy to find!  

LOL...I was just thinking...they have to look like tracer rounds on their way to the target or some big 'ol buck!        Mine by comparison are quite,,,how shall I say...bland...

[Trad-Man]

Seriously though, L or R dosen't matter as long as they are all the same on the shaft.  

As for the reasons why we do what we do...I don't know, there are some good posts before me on that subject.

As for safety I can say this...I got stuck real good by a quill just once...I wasn't even shooting, just pulling the shaft from a butt.

I now sand the quill to paper thin and trim the point off of all my feathers.  A dab of glue on the very tip of the point helps keep it from lifting.  I used to wrap some thread (which really makes the bond strong) with glue but no longer find it necessary since I sand and trim the quill.

[JamesKerr]

It does not matter as long as you don't mix feathers on an arrow. Try this and see for yourself. Make up 2 identical arrows except one with r-wing feathers and one with l-wing feathers. I have never seen an archer who can tell a difference in their flight. That said I use r-wing feathers as they are more available in the area I live in.

[Stealth Man]

More simple question.  How do you tell if your arrows are right or left?  Which way will spin the arrow clockwise?

[Encino Man]

I'm a right handed shooter using left wing fletching. I was given a set of right winged arrows. They shot fine but I did have issues with cuts on my finger and the occasional quill sliver. I also had issues with abnormal wear on my rest.

[guspup]

I've got a blitz for either fletch. Haven't seen any difference. The dead deer are usually within 30 yards of the bloody feathers.