am new to longbows. I stupidly fletched my new arrows cock feather down. I was told not to do that with a shelf. But feather out. I have been shooting feather down without much problems. But with my shooting who knows.

You're getting good flight at 20+ yds?

Well I bareshafted tuned and it looks good. Next is broadhead tune. So not really sure just yet. I just sent my bow back to Martin. It was cutting strings on the top string groove. My new string I got last week already shows wear. So I figure why not let them fix the issue. They without question gave me an RA number and said send it in.

I had the same problem with my first longbow,a G&L Mantis.... A little burr on the top limb was cutting string.... I showed it to a bowyer at the Loftin Classic and he fixed it for me.... Just need a tad of sanding on the string grooves....

Can't you just remove the nocks and turn them so the cock feather is out?

jaybe

Oh yea jaybe, I can, but this question is wanting to know is there a real reason for cock feather out. Maybe this orientation has teh least amount of chance to cause shelf interfereence?

I think it is mainly for convenience. But if you were shooting off your knuckles and not the shelf, it would probably matter more, just like right/left helical would matter.

If you are shooting off the shelf and you are using non-wood arrows, then I don't think it will matter much if you are tuned properly.

Oh - I see. All I have ever read and learned about shooting traditional bows is that having the cock feather out is supposed to decrease interference and give you a more consistent shot. Admittedly, I haven't shot one for years, so maybe that's been proved to be a myth. Sounds like some others on here feel it's not that important.
Anothe reason I believe it was originally done was that by having the cock feather a different color, it was much easier to place the arrow on the string in the right orientation, rather than having to actually look closely at the nock. I guess once you learn "which way is which, it wouldn't matter whether it was up, down or out.
It seems to me like it would increase your fletching life, though. If one feather is rubbing the bow or shelf significantly harder than the rest, it surely would wear out sooner. With the cock feather out seems to be the least amount of rub possible for all three.

Jaybe

On wood arrows itis important to have the spine of the arrow lined up with the cock feather. Spine is measured across the grain of the shaft and that's the way it needs to bend. The spine position needs to come off thebow the same way. The bowstring needs to run perpendicular to the grain of the shaft. But aluminum arrows pretty much have a uniform spine around the axis of the arrow. I'm not much up on carbon arrows, so maybe someone else could chime in.

But remember that in the case above the cock feather is used as an alignment tool. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with flight characteristics of the arrow.

now wait a minute, call me stupid but i have always been told to shoot cock feather out (to the left for right handed shooter) which that is what i was taught all my life so that is what i do.

BUT it would seem to me that then you would have 2 feathers hitting the riser of the bow, one where the shelf meets the riser and one on the side of the riser above the shelf. but of course someone will tell me that if i have the right arrows they will flex around the riser and never touch right? not trying to be arrogant here just wish someone would make up my mind.