Right wing vs. Left wing fletch

[Kingstaken]

Being LH I always shoot 5.5" bananas or shield RW on woodies and find there is a difference. Had arras built that were suppose to be RW. Shot a few when they arrived and they flew like crap. Noticed they were LW. The builder replaced them and they flew great. This follows what I was taught RH-LW, LH-RW.
For the carbons I tried doesn't make a difference because you can rotate the nock and move the feather nearest the shelf typically cock feather up if the arras had LW fletching.
I wonder for those who say not to see a difference what size fletch they are shooting & if they shoot from an elevated rest.

[Sam McMichael]

I have seen no different in either LW or RW, but I did slip up once and replace a single feather with one from the opposite wing. That one flew funky. Instead of a spiral, it flew straight, rocking back and forth but it never rotated. It reminded me of watching a knuckle ball pitch.

[Kingstaken]

I recently read and saw a video that fletching should be determined by how the bow string rotates after release which is shown by the twisting of the nock obviously on a carbon arrow that can rotate after it hits the target. In the video the nock had rotated to the left to say 10 oclock and wondered if it actually rotated right all the way around to 10. Any thoughts?

[Wudstix]

Thanx for the replies.  Just being reminded of what I knew and forgot.  My avatar is at Granger TX in an archery only area, my friend Porky was along, but no one heard his scatter gun go off, so these are bow kills.     MOAB really rocks, both piggies shot at less than 7-8 yards.  Second, I chased into a briar patch and shot at @8 feet.  Gotta love hog hunting in TX.  KAP!!!
   

[jhinaz]

I recently read and saw a video that fletching should be determined by how the bow string rotates after release which is shown by the twisting of the nock obviously on a carbon arrow that can rotate after it hits the target. In the video the nock had rotated to the left to say 10 oclock and wondered if it actually rotated right all the way around to 10. Any thoughts?

I saw that on a Jake Kamenski video as well and out of curiosity I tried it myself (I shoot right-handed). I marked 8 bare-shafts identical at the nock-end and proceeded to shoot them starting 3 feet from the target and stepping back 1 yard after each shot. I found that my arrows rotate counter-clock-wise. I don't know what I'm going to do with that information because I've always fletched my arrows with RH spinnies/feathers or used Right-Offset. - John

[Ron LaClair]

Right handers should shoot left wing, left handers shoot right wing. If you do the opposite the cock feather will turn into the riser and in some cases feather burn your index finger. If your RH and shooting RW fletch you can alleviate that by nocking the cock feather in and vice versa for left handers.

[GCook]

LW is best for me because that is the clamp that came with my  Bitz.

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[Terry Green]

There is no versus....... No real difference.... Other than right wing will keep your points and your broadheads snug.......

Beyond that... make sure you can shoot accurate.... Much more important than any of this verses stuff.

[Ron LaClair]

People shooting off of a raised shelf aren't aware of what people shooting off their knuckle found out back in the 40's and 50's. As I explained in my post above if a right hander shot RW feathers the cock feather will rotate INTO the riser and index finger. I'm left handed and shoot RW feathers for better feather clearance. Right handers are better off using left wing.

It you don't go by this rule and a right hander used RW you can nock with the cock feather turned in and you will get better feather clearance.   

[pavan]

With my Jo-Jans, I get a hen feather straight down if I go right wing for a left hand bow or a left wing for a right hand bow.  With wood arrows, i rotate the nock 1/8 turn from square with the grain, fletch, and then rotate the shaft 1/8 turn to rotate the offending hen feather into the corner and realign to the arrow grain.  Counter clockwise turns with left wing and clockwise turns with right wing. This splits the difference and I can then shoot either wing left or right handed without scarfing my bow finger too often.  For many years I fletched right wing for my right hand bows, that put the bottom hen feather at an angle in and the top hen feather straight up.  However, I also hand a scab on my left hand index fingerer 30 years.  I like to feel the arrow slide on my index finger until it touches the back of the broad head when shooting ASLs.  Not every arrow nicked my finger, but even though I did what I could to soften the edge, I did manage contact often enough freshen up the feather bone cut.

[Terry Green]

Thanks  Ron I totally forgot about  That..... And if I remember correctly the fletching can go into your hand.

[Sam McMichael]

I have a question about feathers spiraling into the riser. If you have three feathers on your arrow, the same degree of arc exists between the feathers regardless of rotational direction. That would mean that one feather or the other  will rotate into the riser whichever way the arrows spins, wouldn't it?

[blacktailbob]

TBM just had an article about straight fletching vs helical.
Very interesting and I shall soon be re-fletching some to see how it goes.

[GCook]

I have a question about feathers spiraling into the riser. If you have three feathers on your arrow, the same degree of arc exists between the feathers regardless of rotational direction. That would mean that one feather or the other  will rotate into the riser whichever way the arrows spins, wouldn't it?

No sir.  The arrow doesn't start spiraling until a bit after it starts down range.

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[Terry Green]

Use 8th inch helical on 5 inch fletching.... I will never I repeat never use straight Fletch with broadheads..... off set ok too, same as helical...just no straight fletch...Been there done that, there's no advantage I repeat no ..advantage.... But there is a disadvantage.  My Advice don't go there.

[pavan]

My first Jo-Jan was the six banger straight, back in the early 70s.  I offset the rig as far as i could, it seemed to work okay.  I have a left wing and a right wing helical now, it took a bit of precise measuring but I got them set the same.  I kick the bottom over and and the top over and have them settee get the most helical i can and still seat the quill down flat.  This fall from the sky like lead balloon because the arrow spins too fast is not relative in my world.  Getting an arrow to recover fast so it flies down a cornrow is.