cock vane for tuning

[Mark Colangelo]

I saw someone post something about trying to shoot cock vane in to aid in a tuning flaw. What are they trying to correct with that method? How is the flight effected

[MnFn]

Just guessing, does the bottom feather clear the shelf better?

[Pine]

It will correct about a 5# spine if the arrow is to weak .

[crazynate]

My bob lee requires me to shoot cock feather in. It's just the way it tunes I guess. I shoot a heavy tip and my arrows were to weak. So the gentleman above me has a correct theory. It really doesn't matter how your feathers are lined up just make sure you get clearance.

[Orion]

On wooden arrows, the cock feather is positioned to orient the stiffest plane of the arrow against the arrow plate. Turning the cock feather in turns that plane 180 degrees so the stiffest orientation is still against the arrow plate.  It does not change the static or dynamic spine.

Turning the cock feather in provides better feather clearance by placing the two hen feathers outside (usually) the arrow shelf. In the normal orientation, there is the possibility that the lower hen feather can contact the shelf and affect arrow flight.

[lefty4]

The hen feathers will clear the bow better for sure. But what about the cock feather? Will it now possibly "hit harder" on the strike plate? I know true feathers will be a little "matted down" from the drag during acceleration. And I know the arrow will be "oscillating" so if properly spined, the nock end of the shaft will not hit the riser or strike plate. But could the cock feather still contact the riser/strike plate and affect the flight of the arrow?

For giggles, I often shoot a set of arrows both ways and see no dramatic difference, actually no difference. But I am probably not a good enough shot to tell the difference. I'll bet the guys shooting with sights would be able to detect a difference if plungers, elevated rests and etc were not not also being used.

[Orion]

When turned inward, the cock feather rides higher on the shaft/above the rest than the lower hen feather so clearance is improved.  There's still the possibility that it will hit the side plate (but it shouldn't if the arrow is spined correctly) but it will not touch the shelf, which is what the lower hen feather usually touches if the spine is a little off, the nock point a little low or the brace height on the low side.

There was another thread on here recently, in which several people indicated that they arranged the feathers in the cock feather up in an inverted Y position.  This, too apparently works to gain greater hen feather clearance from the shelf, and, of course, the cock feather wouldn't touch anything at all.

More than one way to do it.

[Chris Pharr]

O.P., they are trying to correct fletching clearance,  i.e. the quill bouncing off the shelf.  

Try the lipstick test,  it'll let you know real quick and definitively. I applied a little red lipstick on the fletching of my woodies and put some masking tape on the shelf and strike plate. Cock feather in shows no contact. Cock feather out i get a big red smear on the shelf.

[bunyan]

I get excessive shelf wear on my lower feather when i shoot cock feather out. It seams to go away when I shoot cock feather in, and I seam to get good flight. I may need to adjust mu nockpoint or look closer at my tuning. I am definitely gonna try that lipstick test although I might have a hard time explaining what a stick of ruby passion red is doing in my archery box to my wife!

[Chris Pharr]

Careful,  i got some on my nose (btw found a convenient second anchor point,  hen feather to nose) when i tested. She was curious to say the least!

[BAK]

Orion, the stiffest plane of the arrow is not always edge grain.  It seems like that would be the case, but it just isn't.  

If that were true, we would never make self bows with the edge grain to the side.

[damascusdave]

I shoot correctly spined arrows off the shelf just fine with plastic vanes. Paradox means the fletching is no where near the bow as it passes. Any change in fletching orientation is simply to allow for slight problems with dynamic spine or to compensate for form issues.

DDave

[damascusdave]

I shoot cock feather up most of the time simply because that is what I am used to.

DDave

[Orion]

Bak, I didn't use the term edge grain in my response, just stiffest orientation. The parallel grain of the arrow positioned perpendicular to the shelf is not always the stiffest, but it usually is.  Regardless, flipping the arrow 180 degrees, which is what happens when cock feather out is nocked cock feather in, would not change the spine whatever it is.

If the arrow was made without ensuring that the stiffest orientation was toward the bow/sideplate, then rotating it some, say 90 degrees or so, could increase the spine as Graps suggests. And, since a lot of folks build arrows without the benefit of a spine tester, and they don't roll the shaft with one end held up, the other on a flat surface and pressure on the center, which is a way to determine the stiffest orientation, there are probably a lot of arrows like that currently in service.

Not sure I understand the reference to self bows.  There the edge grain is typically on the side of the limbs. The flat grain forms the back and belly. In effect, the bow bends opposite of the way an arrow flexes at release, though an arrow does flex in multiple directions as it leaves the bow.