# Cock feather in or out?



## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

It does not matter for ME

But everyone is different


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

well it could sure change a few things if the archer uses the feather as a contact/form point of reference.


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## Long Rifle (Dec 8, 2011)

Depends on who you ask. Eichler sets his in and says it shouldn't matter, if the bow is properly tuned nothing will hit and setting it toward the riser cuts the amount of possible contact in half. It makes no difference at all on my bow.....


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## ALLTALK (Jan 18, 2008)

UP for me...


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## fotoguy (Jul 30, 2007)

I've shot both ways...experienced no difference with any of my bows


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

I was using a back quiver for the first time and having fun getting used to grabbing the nock and flipping the arrow to the string. It was a real pain to look and see if I had the cock feather properly oriented during my magnificent, old-school acrobatics, so I quit looking. 

Nothing happened. 

I've not looked at feather orientation since.

It _can _matter if you are having clearance issues, but the trick is to get bound and determined to tune them out. Now, a red-hot tourney person may desire to hedge all bets by an absolutely repeatable orientation, or a hunter desiring broadhead angle, and I imagine the Oly folk would suffer a lashing from their coach with an 8190 low-stretch whip (man, those endless loops really sting!) if they blew a shot with a reversed feather.

And perhaps a particular bow tunes to perfection with a particular feather orientation, and therefore why not capitalize on this. 

When I'm good enough to see a difference, I'll certainly resume feather orientation, as well.


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## AddicTioN (Nov 19, 2012)

cock vane out..use it as a anchor point touching my nose.


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## submarinokotbw (Aug 8, 2011)

I think i get a little better clearance with the cock feather in. The hen feathers cut into my calf hair rest when the cock feather is out. However i use the cock feather on my nose as my second anchor point to keep my head placement consistent, so i keep cock feather out unless i am shooting vanes.... which i seldom do.


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## Lil Okie (Mar 25, 2008)

I would think if you could see a difference..you are having a spine issue.. JMO


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## BowmanJay (Jan 1, 2007)

No difference really but I shoot mine out...


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## ArcherFletch (Jul 8, 2012)

Thin Man said:


> I was using a back quiver for the first time and having fun getting used to grabbing the nock and flipping the arrow to the string. It was a real pain to look and see if I had the cock feather properly oriented during my magnificent, old-school acrobatics, so I quit looking.
> 
> Nothing happened.
> 
> I've not looked at feather orientation since..


Ever since I read this similar info in a post a couple months ago I have stopped noticing and nothing different happens. It is really nice not having to check arrow orientation every time.


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

I have been experimenting with the cock feather all over the place. My problem has been since I started this sport last summer that the lower hen feather hits the shelf that I shoot off of. I am pretty sure that I am doing something wrong, but don't really know what. 

Anyway, the feather rips whatever is on the rest up. I tried the velcro someone suggested, but that was a disaster for the feathers. Over the summer I have reduced the one hen feather to about half height, and some of the front gets ripped off. Initially someone suggested that I needed to leave a channel between the shelf rug and the plate on the riser, but the hen feather is no where near that spot. It seems to be rotated about a quarter turn to the right so it runs across the rug.

In frustration, I tried turning the nock so that the cock feather is pointing about 30 degrees down, and it seems to be helping a little. I am not sure. I have not shot enough to see if the damage is less. But I don't shoot any more poorly with it rotated like this, not any better either. I have watched some video of the arrow being fired off of a bow and the arrow acts pretty much like a snake. The ones I watched, the arrow did not rotate however. 

I think I am treating the symptoms and not the problem, but cock feather positions doesn't seem to make a lot of difference.


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## MotherLode (Dec 9, 2005)

Generaly cock feather in , but if it's out I don't worry about it.


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## Jim Casto Jr (Aug 20, 2002)

Nekekal,

Curious.... what weight bow; what spine arrows and tips are you shooting?


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

Jim Casto Jr said:


> Nekekal,
> 
> Curious.... what weight bow; what spine arrows and tips are you shooting?


40 pound bow, I have a short draw to about 27 inches. Arrows are ICS Beeman bowhunter carbon 500. I think that is a spine of .5. The tips are 125 grains. Full length arrows. 5 inch feathers. The local archery shop suggested them.


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## zenbovine (Feb 9, 2013)

Same with Rick Ellis at Striker bows. I tried both, and both shot fine.


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## Ranger (Jan 26, 2003)

Nekekal said:


> 40 pound bow, I have a short draw to about 27 inches. Arrows are ICS Beeman bowhunter carbon 500. I think that is a spine of .5.  The tips are 125 grains. Full length arrows. 5 inch feathers. The local archery shop suggested them.


I am betting your arrows are way too stiff for that set up at your draw.


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## AReric (Mar 6, 2010)

My set up shoots the same either way, but I mostly shoot cock feather in, don't care for feather to the nose much.


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## 6-Speed (Oct 31, 2012)

Any thoughts on arrows with the cock feather/vane up; I just received a dozen XX75 1716 arrows with the cock feather set up this way. I've always shot arrows with the cock feather pointing out.


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## Bill 2311 (Jun 24, 2005)

Nekekal said:


> I have been experimenting with the cock feather all over the place. My problem has been since I started this sport last summer that the lower hen feather hits the shelf that I shoot off of. I am pretty sure that I am doing something wrong, but don't really know what.
> 
> Anyway, the feather rips whatever is on the rest up. I tried the velcro someone suggested, but that was a disaster for the feathers. Over the summer I have reduced the one hen feather to about half height, and some of the front gets ripped off. Initially someone suggested that I needed to leave a channel between the shelf rug and the plate on the riser, but the hen feather is no where near that spot. It seems to be rotated about a quarter turn to the right so it runs across the rug.
> 
> ...


Remove both rug and arrow plate materials so that there is a small channel where they would meet. This allows the hen feather to ride in the channel, reducing the compression of the feather and cutting down on any wear. That is also why I shoot cock feather out. It allows this alignment.


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## tomah (Aug 15, 2011)

i shoot my longbow and 1 piece recurve off the shelf with the cock feather out and slightly down so that my bottom feather will hit the corner of my shelf


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

Bill 2311 said:


> Remove both rug and arrow plate materials so that there is a small channel where they would meet. This allows the hen feather to ride in the channel, reducing the compression of the feather and cutting down on any wear. That is also why I shoot cock feather out. It allows this alignment.


I did this, but the feather doesn't seem to go there. The lower hen feather seems to rotate about 90 degrees clockwise and ends up running down through the shelf rug to the point where it wears a groove or rips the rug off.

To get it to stop doing this I rotate the cock feather down about 60 degrees. I don't know where the hen feather is rubbing now, hopefully in the space between the shelf and the side plate, but I really don't know.


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

Ranger said:


> I am betting your arrows are way too stiff for that set up at your draw.


That is a possibility. I know little about spine selection. I think that the beman ICS bow hunter arrows only have one weaker spine. I think that there is a 600. But have not been able to find any locally. The local bow shop insists that the 500's should be good for that bow.

Suggestions for alternative arrows would be welcome.


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## 05allegiance (Sep 11, 2008)

I shoot cock feather out but it does not make a difference either way. went to a shoot recently and got owned by my shooting partner who shoots cock feather in.


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## Jim Casto Jr (Aug 20, 2002)

If your arrows are properly spined to the bow, it’s a non-issue. The arrow will pull away from and around the riser and the fletching will never touch the rest at that point. That gap some guys leave between the shelf and plate doesn't serve any purpose at all—unless they’re shooting a release at centershot.

Sometimes folks will get some wear on feathers due to a clearance issue, which is usually due to stiff arrows. Rotating to cock up, in, or down can eliminate the clearance issue and result in better arrow flight, but it doesn't address the spine issue. 

My personal observation over the past 40 years is, that most "Trad" guys shoot arrows that are waaaaaaay too stiff. 

You may find this clip interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO102jz8sFM


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