# Fletching Question (left wing or right wing??)



## Clang! (Sep 29, 2007)

If you have a right wing helical jig, you need right wing feathers. It has to do with the direction the feathers naturally curve when layed out around the shaft. You can tell the difference by looking at the base of the feathes. Right wing bases have the lip on the left and vice versa.

http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/guide.htm


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## BowmanJay (Jan 1, 2007)

yep cant use opposite wing feathers in that jig


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## trapperDave (Mar 12, 2005)

3rivers has RW


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## Lil Okie (Mar 25, 2008)

Clang's answer is spot on!


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## FORESTGUMP (May 14, 2008)

BowmanJay said:


> yep cant use opposite wing feathers in that jig


Really??????? Well I am doing it and they work perfectly at hunting distance. Even out to 45yds which is as far as I have shot them.
I had a tread on the subject before I got around to fletching the arrows and the general idea was that it would work, and one kind and obviously curious gentleman,actually tried it right then with good results. I have been shooting the arrows for quite some time now with no complaint.

Though I would not say to do that on purpose, it can be done. :archer:


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## Ballgame (Jan 23, 2007)

Clang! said:


> If you have a right wing helical jig, you need right wing feathers. It has to do with the direction the feathers naturally curve when layed out around the shaft. You can tell the difference by looking at the base of the feathes. Right wing bases have the lip on the left and vice versa.
> 
> http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/guide.htm


Is there any difference in the flight? 

Why would someone choose one or the other? 

I would think that since I'm right-handed I would want the arrow to spin in a left to right spiral. 

Someone explain.


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## redtop (Aug 10, 2003)

Some think left will spin away from the bow giving you better clearance. BUT the arrow isn't spinning by the time it passes the riser. Left wing will loosen your points everytime they enter a target. Right will tighten them. Seems simple enough to me to use right just for that reason.


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## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

Feathers will impart a slight spin when straight fletched, so using the wrong wing will work counter to the spin, slowing it, resulting in slightly slower, less efficient arrow flight --- at least that's the theory.


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## Runningbuck (Mar 11, 2009)

If this is your first time with feathers go with Truflights, the base's are the best of the three brands out there. They are a couple of bucks more but worth it. If you are just doing a experiment and don't want to spend a lot AMG's are pretty good and a bag of 100 run about 26 bucks from Bowhunterssuperstore.com. Right wing jig, right wing feathers.


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## FORESTGUMP (May 14, 2008)

WillAdams said:


> Feathers will impart a slight spin when straight fletched, so using the wrong wing will work counter to the spin, slowing it, resulting in slightly slower, less efficient arrow flight --- at least that's the theory.


Sorry,but that theory has been shot down. I don't know which way the arrow spins and don't care as long as it has good flight and accuracy.


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## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

FORESTGUMP, where's the published study which shows that a straight-fletched arrow won't spin?

I did _not_ say that an arrow helical fletched w/ the wrong wing wouldn't fly right / straight / true --- there have been a lot of reports that they fly well --- my contention is that such an arrow is less efficient than one w/ the correct wing orientation --- not by much, and it may be less than the margin of error when measuring, but until someone shows that wing feathers have identical airflow characteristics for both sides, logic and physics would seem to indicate that not matching wing side to jig orientation is sub-optimal.


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## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

FORESTGUMP said:


> Really??????? Well I am doing it and they work perfectly at hunting distance. Even out to 45yds which is as far as I have shot them.
> I had a tread on the subject before I got around to fletching the arrows and the general idea was that it would work, and one kind and obviously curious gentleman,actually tried it right then with good results. I have been shooting the arrows for quite some time now with no complaint.
> 
> Though I would not say to do that on purpose, it can be done. :archer:


Oh good grief..... :grin:


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## FORESTGUMP (May 14, 2008)

WillAdams said:


> FORESTGUMP, where's the published study which shows that a straight-fletched arrow won't spin?
> 
> I did _not_ say that an arrow helical fletched w/ the wrong wing wouldn't fly right / straight / true --- there have been a lot of reports that they fly well --- my contention is that such an arrow is less efficient than one w/ the correct wing orientation --- not by much, and it may be less than the margin of error when measuring, but until someone shows that wing feathers have identical airflow characteristics for both sides, logic and physics would seem to indicate that not matching wing side to jig orientation is sub-optimal.


I did not mean to say that a straight fletched feather would not cause the arrow to rotate. In fact I believe that it would.
Where is there a published study that says that one fletched backwards like mine is sub-optimal,slower or less accurate? In fact if my observations are correct it just may in fact be more efficient than the accepted norm. Would not be the first time in history that the accepted norm was proven to be incorrect.
Looking at my arrow from the point end,it's fairly obvious that the relative wind is acting upon the smooth side of the feather resulting in a clockwise rotation. The smooth side would definately induce less drag than the rough side. Less drag should produce faster speed,right? 
The only thing I would change would be feather size. 5in is probably too much so I plan to cut some in half and trim to lower the profile and retest.


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## FORESTGUMP (May 14, 2008)

rattus58 said:


> Oh good grief..... :grin:


Go break a bow or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!:set1_CHAPLIN3:


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## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

I think we can all agree that the performance difference is minimal, possibly not measurable, but still worth further study and thought.

There should be a trade-off in increased rotational speed resulting in increased stability and accuracy at the expense of speed (forward energy is converted into rotation) --- if the feathers are attempting to induce rotation in one direction, while the helical fletching is overcoming that and rotating in the other direction, the energy which the feather surfaces are converting into rotation is lost. Just because one side isn't being presented directly to the airflow doesn't mean that it is out of the equation. My statement that such is sub-optimal is solely limited to this reduction in speed.

It does raise an interesting idea of using this as a tuning tool, however, since arrows fletched w/ opposite feathers are known to be accurate, one wonders if their flight is altered beyond spinning and moving imperceptibly more slowly --- is arrows spinning too fast ever a problem?

Has anyone ever fletched two sets of right wing helical arrows, one w/ right, the other w/ left wing feathers but otherwise identical?


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## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

FORESTGUMP said:


> Go break a bow or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!:set1_CHAPLIN3:


Haha.... I was lookin at whether or not to throw out the remains of my dismantled to remain nameless cheap takedown... the only one ever to fail for me.... and decide to do just that...

The fact that you can probably spin an arrow with a leaf tied to it, (http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/6027/t/Leaf-Fletchings.html) should probably suffice to illustrate the potential for spin.... Spending money on left wing fletching to use as right wing fletching would not be in my opinion, efficient use of shafting material, but like you, if all I got was left wing feathers and I'm looking for feathers to shoot.... well here goes... do your job well...

I forget the bottom line of a thread we all participated regarding left wing right wing a bit ago but I think the only thing we came away with, was that the feather had less parasitic drag/form drag going right with a right wing, as opposed to going right with a left wing. But just for the sake of confusin folks.. yup left wing/right right wing right, but right wing right just has more might... In my opinion... but hey... :grin:


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## Ballgame (Jan 23, 2007)

rattus58 said:


> Haha.... I was lookin at whether or not to throw out the remains of my dismantled to remain nameless cheap takedown... the only one ever to fail for me.... and decide to do just that...
> 
> The fact that you can probably spin an arrow with a leaf tied to it, (http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/6027/t/Leaf-Fletchings.html) should probably suffice to illustrate the potential for spin.... Spending money on left wing fletching to use as right wing fletching would not be in my opinion, efficient use of shafting material, but like you, if all I got was left wing feathers and I'm looking for feathers to shoot.... well here goes... do your job well...
> 
> I forget the bottom line of a thread we all participated regarding left wing right wing a bit ago but I think the only thing we came away with, was that the feather had less parasitic drag/form drag going right with a right wing, as opposed to going right with a left wing. But just for the sake of confusin folks.. yup left wing/right right wing right, but right wing right just has more might... In my opinion... but hey... :grin:


Thanks guys, I'm gonna stick with the jig I got and once I fletch em up Ill let you know how is goes. 

I just thought it was weird that almost everywhere you look it seems the already fletched arrows come with LW. 

Right Wing Rules!!!


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## WillAdams (Jun 6, 2009)

Left Wing is more popular since it seems to give better clearance for right-handed shooters.


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## rattus58 (Jul 9, 2007)

WillAdams said:


> Left Wing is more popular since it seems to give better clearance for right-handed shooters.


Go ahead... confuse me again... :grin: Shooting off the shelf like I do, right handed, how does the left wing help me you thinking?

Much Aloha... :beer:


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## Ballgame (Jan 23, 2007)

http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/guide.htm

This says that Right Wing will spin the arrow clockwise..... which I would think all right-handed archers would want. 

A spiral just like a football.


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## Ballgame (Jan 23, 2007)

Ok after even more research looks like im just going to go with Lwft Wing, 

To hard to get Right Wing around my parts. 

Going to just order a new clamp for my jig and be done with it. (only $8)


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## target guy (Mar 17, 2009)

Ok, I have to chime in here just because I can. The reason left wing feathers are more popular has nothing to do with arrow spin. An arrow will spin and clear regardless of how it is fletched as long as the bow is set up proper. Yes a helical will spin sooner and faster but it will also slow the arrow down. Left wing is more popular because of the availability of the feathers. As we all know, or should know, the feathers come from the wing feathers of domesticated turkeys. How do you get a turkey not to fly away? There are two ways, one is to put a fence over the bird’s cage, and the other is to clip the wing feathers. 
Now, if you are clipping wings and right handed what wing are you most likely to clip? Yep you got it, the right wing. 
With fewer full length right wings to get the feathers from what is the other option?


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## Clang! (Sep 29, 2007)

target guy said:


> Ok, I have to chime in here just because I can. The reason left wing feathers are more popular has nothing to do with arrow spin. An arrow will spin and clear regardless of how it is fletched as long as the bow is set up proper. Yes a helical will spin sooner and faster but it will also slow the arrow down. Left wing is more popular because of the availability of the feathers. As we all know, or should know, the feathers come from the wing feathers of domesticated turkeys. How do you get a turkey not to fly away? There are two ways, one is to put a fence over the bird’s cage, and the other is to clip the wing feathers.
> Now, if you are clipping wings and right handed what wing are you most likely to clip? Yep you got it, the right wing.
> With fewer full length right wings to get the feathers from what is the other option?


Turkey's have foam/plastic feathers? I'll accept your reasoning for natural feathers, but most of what's being sold are synthetics.


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## WPAtrapper (Nov 17, 2009)

Clang! said:


> Turkey's have foam/plastic feathers? I'll accept your reasoning for natural feathers, but most of what's being sold are synthetics.


Where are you getting this info?? As far as I know Gateway, Trueflight, and AMG all use domestic turkey feathers.


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

> but most of what's being sold are synthetics.


:mg:

Clang, who told you that? However, if a synthetic fletch _feather_ could be manufactured that would perform the same as a natural feather might not be a bad idea.


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## rickstix (Nov 11, 2009)

WindWalker said:


> :mg:
> 
> Clang, who told you that? However, if a synthetic fletch _feather_ could be manufactured that would perform the same as a natural feather might not be a bad idea.


Just because you get YOUR supplies from this planet...doesn't mean you know everything!


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## WindWalker (Jan 23, 2005)

> _Just because you get YOUR supplies from this planet...doesn't mean you know everything! _


...


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