Cock Feather In

[Hoytbuffer]

What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of shooting Cock Feather in?  Fred Eichler does it on his videos.

[Old Vet]

Cock feather in may just be a preference. For a good number of years, I have shot with the cock feather just before 12 o'clock, which puts the inner hen feather in the gap between the strike plate and the shelf pad. (Right hand bow, right helical fletch) I have found better arrow flight and less feather wear indexed this way.

[dragonheart]

Originally posted by Old Vet:
Cock feather in may just be a preference. For a good number of years, I have shot with the cock feather just before 12 o'clock, which puts the inner hen feather in the gap between the strike plate and the shelf pad. (Right hand bow, right helical fletch) I have found better arrow flight and less feather wear indexed this way.

I have found the same.  Black Widow also recommend this in their literature.

[Hoytbuffer]

Thanks guys. I shoot Left Handed. To do what Old Vet suggest and Black Widow recommends, does that mean I need Left Helical Fletch.

[Old Vet]

I would think so, everything is reversed. I have never shot left handed, so this is just a guess.  You can shoot right or left helical with either bow hand, but as a righty, when I shoot left helical feathers they are shot cock feather out.

[Guru]

I shoot lefty and for years shot with the cock feather out.  Always had feather wear on bottom hen feather.

Then one day about 6yrs ago I decided to try cock feather in for a while because I knew someone who shot that way.

I noticed no difference in arrow flight, accuracy, or anything like that...but what I did notice was that I got zero feather wear!  It just went away....

Been shooting that way ever since...

Like I said, I shoot lefty, and I shoot right wing feathers 99%of the time because thats what I have and make....but I've shot LW as well and can't tell a bit of difference.

[Hoytbuffer]

Thanks Guru and Old Vet.  I too have noticed more wear on the bottom hen feather with the cock feather out. That's one reason I thought about trying cock feather in.  I shoot 3 Rivers stock Traditions arrows with their standard 5" fletching. I really don't know how to tell if my feathers are "right or left wing" or if they are "left or right helical". However, after the post from Old Vet, I did noticed that when I shoot Cock Feather in, the Cock feather is, lo and behold, right in the grove he referred too....at least it is with these arrows and my Hoyt Buffalo Recurve.  I like it! I will continue with Cock Feather in and see if my feathers wear evenly....it seems that if they do it might mean I'm getting better clearance off the shelf....I will let you know how it goes.

[Old Vet]

Looking from the nock down the shaft, if the front of the feather wraps to the right, it is right helical. Front wraps to the left, it is left helical. There is also straight fletch, right off-set (front of feather right of shaft center line looking from nock down the arrow) and left off set (front left of centerline).

Feather types: looking from the back of the feather to the front with the base down, on right wing feathers the natural feather top is on the right, the base foot extends to the left. Left wing the natural feather top is on the left and the base foot extends to the right.

[Hoytbuffer]

Well Old Vet, I've been looking at my feathers like you told me,  and it looks like Left Wing and Left Helical!  It also looks like you have taught me a thing or two, not to mention, how to "talk Turkey"! Since I shoot Left Handed, it also looks like I'll have to find another excuse for those occasional  (O.K..... more than occasional) wide shots. Must be a let down in Form! You think....Ha!
Thanks for your time and patience for a "Newbee".  I'll continue to study and learn from this forum.

[Old Vet]

When you come up with a good excuse for those less than perfect shots, please share it because we all have them.

[Kurt Miller]

I also noticed less/no wear cock in.  Also, the  anchor I use, the upper hen just touches my nose as I hit full draw. I fletch my own, so thru trial and error found the right distance from nock to fletch.

Cock feather in here--for years.  No fletch wear.

[champ38]

Same experience here as Guru and some of the others..shot with cock feather out for years, but always got wear on bottom feather. Cock feathert in,, no wear at all.

[njloco]

I set up my arrows with the feathers the same way as Old Vet. Just seems to work better.

[DEP]

As I understand the dynamics, an arrow may porpus enough to lift the shaft off the rest, but with the cock feather out, the lower fletch, at 5 o'clock,  will often brush the rest.

An arrow fishtails alot more than it porpuses.  "Cock feather in" puts the lower hen feather further away from the riser (7 o'clock instead of 5 o'clock). In this position the fletch does not have to clear the rest by lifting up, it will pass to the side of it.

[xtrema312]

I shoot it in or up.  Have for years.  That or 4-fletch 75x105 wtih the 105 on the shelf giving me very similar feather clearance to cock feather up.

[mahantango]

Cock feather in, zero feather wear.

[Pepper]

I switched to cock feather in a few years ago, and most all of my hen feather wear went away.
I don't shoot a Black Widow, so I hope they won't get upset if I try it their way. :-)