Helical feather question

[jerp]

As I mentioned on a prior thread my son and I are getting our first recurves for Christmas. I will be shooting a right handed bow - his willl be left handed. Is there any relationship between "handedness" and the proper direction of helical on the fletching?

[Ol Man]

None at all... I shoot whatever I have at the time right or left helical it doesn't matter.

[meangene1969]

try them all

[Ol Man]

Just don't mix left and right wing feathers on one arrow...

[huntinpool]

Most people in our area stock Right wing feathers.

[chester12]

If you end up going with single bevel broadheads, match the broadhead bevel with the wing of the feathers you use. Right bevel with right wing.

[Greywolf in Hawaii]

Left wing unscrews the tip, right wing makes it so darn tight you
can't get it off.
I shoot left offset. With left feathers, the natural curve of the feather will spin the arrow, if your bow is properly tuned you don't need helical.

I shoot Muzzy Phantoms,Snuffers and old Bear razorheads with no problem what so ever.

[Night Wing]

I'm right handed and shoot right handed recurve bows. My arrows are fletched helical with 3, 5" right wing parabolic feathers.

[Ol Man]

Never noticed my tips getting tighter or loosening up - I have lefties and righties... but, it does make sense that it could!

[Deb]

Because so many people think there is a difference with left/right helical the left ones are cheaper.

[stick'um]

Some people have said right handers shoot left wings and left handers shoot right wings for the way the arrow will spin off of bow and not onto it. I have also shot both and both seem to do fine. Seemed to notice it more shooting my old Massie longbows with thier shallow cut for shelf.
I shoot all left wing now due to my JoJan fletch jig and from time to time I see my tips loosen.

[Tubby]

The only advantage I know of is if a right handed shooter shoots left helical (and vice-versa), it allows the feathers to clear the shelf by rotation during let-off.

[Ol Man]

Ahh grasshopper!!! I don't think it helps or hurts as we are all subject to archers paradox.. this means that if the arrow shafts is properly matched to the bow then the arrow moves away from the bow riser upon release anyway!

[eastex56]

The only time i have seen any difference at all was when shooting our self-bows. On the ones i built, the arrow rests very close to the top of the fist. For a long time, all i had was a jo-jan fletcher with left wing clamps so that is what i used to fletch every arrow that we built. This setup was fine until some of my children started shooting who were left-eye dominant (left handed shooters). Shooting the bows and arrows that i built for them, they would sometimes get a cut across the top of the bow hand. A quick fix was to have them lower their grip a little further down from the shelf. I finally got some different clamps and started fletching with right wing feathers for the lefty's. I don't know if this really cured the problem or not as the lefty's all grew up, moved out, and don't shoot anymore. Nowadays, i straight fletch everything with 4-fletch. I wish i still had all my lefty's at home to shoot with but alas, they have moved on to other things. Now i am teaching their children to shoot---and I LOVE IT!!! However, they are all right handed and some of them even have become so blasphemous as to shoot a c-c-ccc-compound (I can barely bring myself to say that word) so I can't really prove or disprove anything concerning the fletch! LOL. (J/K about the compounds!) Sooooo--I guess that pretty much adds NOTHING of value to this conversation! Happy Holidays to all!!! Eastex

[CHRISM]

I use left wing, mainly 'cause that is the kind of clamp I have for my Jo Jan