Left helical vs right helical vs does it matter?

[WhitetailHtr]

Getting ready for a maiden voyage into re-fletching a bunch of arrows.  So - for a right handed recurve shooter, is there any advantage to one over the other?

Does it make a difference at all?    :confused:  

Thanks again for all the great input.

[Biathlonman]

Not unless you are shooting off your knuckle, then you want the opposite.

As long as your arrows are tuned well it is just personal preference. I am right handed and use right helical.

Bisch

[JRY309]

Like said as long as your arrows are tuned well,makes no real difference.I'm RH and shoot both LW and RW.In my early days when I shot wood arrows only out of my longbows and selfbows I preferred LW,just a personal preference back then.

[Doc Nock]

I have drunk the Kool-aide on single bevel matching the feather left or right...

[katman]

I also don't find a difference. Switched to right wing only because it tightens the points on impact, no more loose points.

[screamin]

It makes a difference for me but then I've been told I'm special. Seriously, right handed shooter shooting off a Morrison ilf riser. With rw feathers I always have fletching contact somewhere and the edge of that feather will always wear. It doesn't matter if it's cock feather in, out, up, it just doesn't matter there's always the edge of one feather wearing out. Cock feather out also cuts my left hand. and then there's always an arrow flying erratic every now and then but that could just be my imperfect release.

But since switching to lw, no more problems. Thats all I know.

[JR Williams]

So screamin has a point. When I first bout a jig I went with RW fletch, I figured it would help keep screw in type points in since it was rotating to the right when it hit the target.

 Then when I built my first few selbows and started shooting off the knuckle I immediatly began hitting my hand with the leading edge of the fletching. I then switched to LW fletching and it cured hitting my hand. This is due to the way the leading edge of the fletch is oriented.

 So now I shoot wood arrows off my knuckle with LW Fletch, and carbon arrows from bows with a shelf with RW fletching. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense I know........but when someone has a sale on bulk packs of feathers in either RW or LW I can use either!

[Fletcher]

Flight wise I feel it doesn't matter, but I've experienced the same things as Screamin and JR.  It matters most when shooting off the shelf close to the hand with standard fletched 3 fletch.  3 fletch cock feather up and 90 deg 4 fletch seems to help.  I followed the old timers and shooting right hand, I shoot all left wing fletch and helical.

[ChuckC]

In terms of how the arrows fly once they leave the bow, I believe it makes no difference.  

Slow motion photography clearly shows the arrow does not start to spin until well after it clears the bow riser, and most times the paradox brings the feathers nearly clear of the riser anyway.

In terms of other things, like twisting off screw in heads, needing to match your single bevel heads to the feather, or feather orientation putting the lower feather right where it impacts your hand on release, those are the things that might matter.
ChuckC

[kill shot]

If you think it matters then it does matter. I have an argument about my choice but thats all it is an argument. If you go with what you think gives you an edge, well attitude is everything.

[Kingstaken]

As a lefty right wing for me.
To me it made a difference since I prefer my hand high on the handle. I had gotten a couple nasty stabs from the quills and slices from the feathers 2 of which are still visible on my hand.    
Also this is how I was taught 25 yrs ago. That RH should shoot LW and visa versa for better clearance.
I remember when I was ordering RW feathers was almost like a special order.
I remember buying premade arrows from local archery shoppes made by many of our sponsors were LW and was told due to more RH shooters.
The whole thing about the rotation of a RW is better for threaded points seems pointless to me.
With 2 blades heads I've never seen any difference.
JM.02 - Jim

[Friend]

Shoot right handed and left wing feathers simply
because I often slice the top knuckle of  my index fingers with right wing feathers.

[Ray Hammond]

single bevel heads spin a lot- and part of the attraction is that they continue to do so as long as they don't encounter large bones...hence the "S" shaped wound and spiraling during travel through the body.

If you use left wing feathers with a right bevel head, you're fighting the 'effect'.  Probably not a huge difference on a southern whitetail. Certainly could make a difference on a hog. Certainly might make a difference on a large rib bone splitting or not on impact with SB head.  

I've always gone by the old saying that successful bowhunting is the elimination of all errors.  Everything I can do to make myself more successful, is something I've always been willing to do.  Heavy arrows, with high FOC, wickedly sharp heads, and right wing fletch with right wing single bevel heads.

[alex321]

Originally posted by Biathlonman:
Not unless you are shooting off your knuckle, then you want the opposite.

Oh that explains alot.... I always wondered why I got cut so badly with my longbow.  I could only get around that by putting blobs of glue on the ends of the cut feather...

ALex

[EWill]

I have always shot left helical but have shot right some also. Right now I shoot left exclusively because a friend of mine shoots right wing. We trade turkey wings so that i get all the left and he gets the right.

[STICKBENDER98]

I had an old timer who used to fletch my arrows tell me left wing for right handers...his theory was with broadheads that when you shot an animal that with the spin of the arrow the head would loosen and unscrew a little as the arrow kept spinning and give more penetration without slowing down the arrow.  Not sure about that, but its one of those if it isn't broke don't fix it things for me so I still shoot left wings.

Jason