rbnhood

I'm fairly new to the traditional scene and want to make my own arrows. I was wondering if right wing feathers are to be used for a right hand twist or visa versa or does it even matter? Please help.

JimPic

It really shouldn't matter-it's just important that you put all left wing(or right wing)feathers on the shaft.And use the proper clamp for either one you're going to use.But most right-hand shooters use left wing and lefties use right wing.

Grey Taylor

Welcome to traditional archery!

If you look from the back of the arrow towards the front, a right wing feather will curve to the right, a left wing will go to the left. The arrow will rotate in the indicated direction.
Remember that the arrow can't rotate at all until it's clear of the string, and I've heard that high speed photography shows it doesn't begin to rotate until it's well clear of the bow.

There used to be a myth that a right handed shooter needed to shoot a particular wing and a lefty the other side. Except for a few folks that don't much care for changing their minds most archers today will say it doesn't matter a whit which one you shoot, so long as the same feather type is used for all the fletching on an arrow. Some shooters will find that a particular feather gives them better shelf clearance than the other feather. Other than that, it's pretty much personal preference slightly tempered by what is available to you in the shop you purchase from. Some shops have a better selection in left wing and I've run into a couple colors that seem to be unavailable in right wing.

Whatever you use be sure that you use the proper clamp for the feathers. Clamps are normally labeled right or left so you'd use the indicated wing, either right or left.

Personally, I use right wing since I find it easier to work on my fletching jig.

Guy

rbnhood

Thanks a bunch guys. I'll probably have more questions later.

Arthur P

If you shoot a selfbow and use your knuckle for an arrow rest, that's when the old rule of thumb comes into play. Right wing feathers take the leading tip of the bottom hen feather right into the knuckle of a right handed shooter and, if you don't have that feather tacked down and covered with glue pretty well, you can get all kinds of cut up. Left wing feathers take the leading edge of the feather into the bow instead of into the knuckle.

If you shoot off the shelf or use a rest, 'it don't matta'.