Feathers???

[Dutch152]

After all the reading I've been doing on this site I get the feeling not many of you use vanes on your arrows. So let me ask all of you guys and gals out there.

Should feathers be used on arrows being shot from trad bows?? And if yes (or no), why??

Not just for historical significants, that I understand. I'm looking for the science or experience behind it.

BTW, What is the "cock feather" and the "hen feather"

[Flinttim]

Vanes cause interference going around the bow on launching. Feathers "collapse" as they go around. Not an issue on a compound.

[mike g]

The main reason is that fletching flys better shot off the shelf than a vane dose....

[JRY309]

I much prefer feathers over vanes for trad bows and I prefer longbows.I guess you could shoot vanes on a recurve with an elevated rest.But on a longbow the vanes would deflect off the shelf resulting in poor arrow flight.I've heard of shooting vanes on a longbow but the bow needs to to setup for it with an unusally high nocking point.Shooting feathers off a shelf they will fold as the arrow passes giving you better and more consistent flight.
When you fletch up an arrow 3 fletch the feather pointing away from the riser is the cock feather and the other two are called hen feathers,it's just a term for calling the feathers.Alot of guys like to put a different color for the cock feather and the two hens another color.I like to fletch the all one color.