Orientation of cock feather

[SS Snuffer]

Seem to have good tune on my longbow, bare shaft and fletched shaft fly well to the same point of impact.
I put powder on the shelf rest and get feather interference. Just wondering which way you guys set your cock feather. Up, toward the bow, or away from the bow when shooting off the shelf.
Just let me know what works for you. Maybe it don't matter?
Thanks Guys

[mnbwhtr]

I've never seen any difference.

[kevsuperg]

Feathers are gonna hit, that's why we use feathers .
 I never notice a difference, I just knock n shoot. .
Kevin

[kennym]

Ryan Sanpei (sp) had a video I believe showing best place for less interference was cock feather in . If placed out the hen feather in the corner of rest area is what hits.  My feathers wear support this also...

[Mike Bolin]

For years I shot cock feather out. A couple of years ago I watched a video that Ken Beck made for Black Widow, and he suggested cock feather up. I tried it and I get good arrow flight, so I stuck with it. My hunting buddy shoots cock feather in with good results. Play around with it and see what works best for you.

[Terry Green]

Been shooting 4 fletch exclusively for over a decade....

No look, no issues, no problem...

[Red Beastmaster]

Cock feather in with broadheads, out with field points.

[Stringwacker]

Just my observations....

Assuming you have a good arrow tune to the bow, as others have said the feathers will lay down. I've done the powder test myself and this is what I found. It's not the feathers that cause deflection in my case, but its the quills. A higher quill base such as a Gateway will often take a little more TLC than a lower quill base such as a Trueflight.

I used the Ken Beck method for years (puts the feathers at roughly 12, 4 and 8 oclock) so that the 'in' feather hits the grove between the bow and the shelf, the top feathers grazes the side plate, and the 8 o'clock feathers misses everything. I did it forever that way but I would still get the occasional arrow that had a bump. I got to playing again with the feather position and I found the bump would go away at the traditional cock feather out position sometimes.

That lead to more testing...I eventually discovered that the leading edge of the quill on the inside feather needs to miss any obstruction. Its not as easy as turning the 'in' feather in the groove as the helical design of most glued feathers wont have the feathers and the leading edge of the quill aligned. In the end, you get a traditional cock feather out configuration with a very slight raise in the cock feather from horizontal (on my left wing helical feathers as  I fletch them)

I set both side and shelf plate with a small spacer as is often done, but I leave a open gap where the quill would first make contact on the shelf. I will include a picture just to illustrate what I mean. You could also just separate the the shelf and side plate and leave a small open gap.

All that said (and it was alot!) 98% of the time just about any position works. Just keep in mind its likely the quill as opposed to the feather when things go wrong (IMHO)

[GCook]

In.  But I've done both and have not seen a difference except in wear on the feathers.  Arrow flight is the same.

[M60gunner]

This used to bother me but not any more. I had feather wear but not on all setups. I have found since I raised my nock point on my bows I haven’t had any wear. I also don’t care which “side is up” anymore.

[Sam Spade]

4 fletch.

Cock in cock out depending on bhead or field point, do y'all ever kill anything??? GEEEZZZ.

[Larry Dean]

Cock feather in or out does not seem to affect my arrows, I shoot duo shooter bows that are 3/8" out from center. What does make a difference is if the bottom hen feathers going straight down, I do a nock rotation procedure with my wood arrows to prevent this, as my Jo-Jans like to put the hen feather straight down with my left wing fletcher when shooting right handed and right wing feather straight down when shooting left handed.

[rastaman]

4 fletch for me.  Never noticed a difference when i shot 3 fletch, and i shot cock feather in and cock feather out.

[Red Beastmaster]

Sam Spade

What's your problem? If I want to turn the cock feather in for broadheads for a little added assurance of perfect flight it shouldn't matter to you. GEEEZZZ.

And yes, I do kill things.

[Sam McMichael]

Cock feather out. I tried cock feather in with no change. Since the arrows flew just the same, I stayed with what I had been using all along.

[Pat B]

Sometimes when tuning wood arrows if you can't get good flight try it with the cock feather in. Sometimes it helps. It's not that the cock feather is in but the correct(stiffer) side of the shaft is against the bow.

[Kelly]

Cock feather in for over 30 years, but along with that better flight comes adjusting for the lowest possible nock point, which is usually one half inch lower than the traditional cock feather out.

[the rifleman]

Watching slow motion video of well tuned arrows shows that the hen feather should be no where near a groove between the sideplate and shelf plate, but rather it will flex much farther out and if anything, that hen feather would contact the outside edge of the shelf.  Some bows have wider shelves, some fletching height is a bit high, and not everyone shoots a well tuned arrow.  For these reasons, cock feather in can solve clearance issues as can the 60/120 4 fletch.
I myself, orient so feather touches nose, which means I have to be well tuned to avoid fletching contact.

[Larry Dean]

I draw with the arrow in contact with my index finger, at times that hen feather does like to find my index finger, I set my nocking point as low as possible for my longbows per instruction from John Schulz.  Turning the cock feather in also removes that, but, with lower quality wood arrows, rabbit and pheasants arrows, when I switch hands that can put a run out grain that could send a splitting shaft through my hand. It is better to have cock feather in than have a grain run out aiming at your hand.

[Stringwacker]

As far as the arrow bending around the bow (arrow paradox); its no doubt true to some degree or the other. I've heard it for 50 years and its particularly needed for self bows and longbows that may not be as much center cut to achieve good arrow flight. That said, the closer to center shot your bow is and the stiffer the carbon arrow; the less paradox I would assume. It's also true a carbon arrow has far less oscillation than than some of the other arrow materials.... which has to come into play at some point.

Though I reserve the right to be wrong, I'm just thinking the variations of  bow poundage, arrow material, draw length, arrow length overhang, center cut degree, point weight, bow tune, and the archers release might have an effect. With that said, I love the shelf slot and the arrow rotation for the benefit of quill clearance..

I know it doesn't hurt.