From what I understand –nope. I think it was in T.J.’s book where this is addressed. Something about right wing being sold out because all right handed shooters needed that and then only left wing were available. Just match the bevel of the broad head to the fletching. When you think of it makes good sense–I mean the turkey fly’s with both wings:D

Mike

Agree that you should match the wing type with the bevel of your single bevel broad head for what ever head you choose but there is also a school of thought that Right hand shooters would benefit from shooting left wing and left hand shooters would benefit from shooting right wing. Honestly, I’m a lefty and I have always gotten better performance from right wing fletch vs left wing fletch. I’ve shot both and there was a time that you could get the left wing much cheaper than the right wing so $$ played into my choice but these days I stick with right wing.

Like everyone says, it doesn’t really matter.

I went with left wing, cause I thought it was easier to get.

Now, it works out for me ’cause I get turkey wings from guys and I make some right wing fletch for them, and I get to keep the left wing all to myself 😀

Duncan – your the first person I’ve heard to say they saw a performance difference to the different wings based on hand… Interesting.

THERE IS AN ADVANTAGE TO SHOOTING RIGHT WING FEATHERS PARTICULAR IF YOU ARE USING SCREW ON ADAPTERS IN ALUM. OR CARBON ARROWS. THE ARROW WILL BE ROTATING RIGHT WHEN TI HITS THE INTENDED TARGET AND WILL TIGHTEN .POTENTIALLY A ARROW SPINNING LEFT CAN LOOSEN THE BROADHEAD/ARROW MAKEUP.

Joe

Makes sense–I hope someone like Doc A , Dave, Troy, or Moe says something. So why did you sell me left bevel tuffheads without this little tidbit of info?:evil:

I’m getting ready to order some new arrows,carbon, and 300tuffheads and was gonna get my standard left wing–so your saying right wing may remove another point of failure?

Mike

colmike wrote: Joe

Makes sense–I hope someone like Doc A , Dave, Troy, or Moe says something. So why did you sell me left bevel tuffheads without this little tidbit of info?:evil:

I’m getting ready to order some new arrows,carbon, and 300tuffheads and was gonna get my standard left wing–so your saying right wing may remove another point of failure?

Mike

Mike this is a finesse thing. If you told me you were going to switch arrows or starting from scratch I would recommend using right wing feathers. There are a lot of archers using left wing feathers and are not loosing any sleep over it. If I remember correctly Dave Petersen shoots left wing feathers. I never heard from him or for that matter any one else that that has happened to them. Like I say it is a finesse thing when one is striving for perfection. In theory that could happen.

When shooting right wing feathers (by the way I shoot left handed ) with field tips I am always checking them as they break loose repeatedly hitting the target. Like trying to break a tight nut or bolt …some times a good whack with a hammer breaks them loose. In theory when a broadhead hits a bone it could come loose I want my arrows to be spinning right.

That is another reason to match the bevel on single bevel broadheads to you feather. ” RIGHTY TIGHTY LEFTY LOOSEE “ they taught me that in the ARMY

Marines evidently were busy learning other stuff LOL Sorry I could not resist that :D:D:D

If you want to return your broadheads because you want to switch I will be happy to replace them.:D

For those that choose left wing feathers a drop of locktite or glue on the threads of a screw in style adapter will give peace of mind.

I carry everything to extreme trying to eliminate any possible problem. As stated above I use right wing feathers but I also JB weld the adapter screw and the adapter to the broadhead and insert in the arrow hopping nothing moves.

Joe

Finesse to a Marine means get a bigger hammer:D

Seriously—as I understand–left or right wing means no difference in arrow performance as long as you match the bevel to the feather?

Therefore based on this bit of knowledge I will order my next set for right wing and corresponding bevel on the 300tuffheads I will order from you–in the near future.

Come to think of it that could explain why I always have to tighten your brass target points when I pull them out. “Righty tighty”.

Darn good bit of knowledge, that may ensure that ethical kill we want.

And no I won’t return the heads as they are matched to my “lefty lossee” left wing arrows.:D

Damn fine customer service.

Semper Fi soldier

Mike

Fellers,

To be honest I’d have to go have a look to be sure. But yes I likely to shoot left-wing. If so it was not a conscious choice so much as utility. I recall buying a bulk lot of left-wing feathers years ago, so I get left-wing single-bevels to match. I’ve never had a head loosen on a game shot. But, having done it as recently as yesterday, I am reminded that when I tune new broadheads, one or two shots each before a good sharpening for hunting, the heads tend to loosing with every shot (into soft dirt). But why not fine-fine-tune? For most of us who aren’t privileged, most of the year is spent dreaming about and “preparing for” a small window of hunting. So we have the time and we have the deferred energy, so why not “overkill” in tuning as well as gear? It’s always good to hear from you, Joe. Like Doc Ed, you’re a solid rock of fact over mere preference and emotion.

Well I meant Doc Ed= doc a. Nice to hear that Dave concurs that anything we can do to ensure an ethical kill is money well spent. Not that I have a lot of that but it is nice to be reinforced when you decide to purchase quality stuff that it is backed up by your informed guidance.

Thanks Joe and Dave.

Mike

David Petersen wrote: Fellers,

I am reminded that when I tune new broadheads, one or two shots each before a good sharpening for hunting, the heads tend to loosing with every shot (into soft dirt). But why not fine-fine-tune? emotion.

DAVE Thanks for the kind words……Your tuning of the hunting arrow reminds me of something Dr. Ed said or wrote that when hunting the first arrow out of the quiver should be an arrow that was completely tested as you have done.

Until I digested those words I did not. I always shot broadheads for practice and used the same arrow configuration that I would hunt with when practicing but did not test the first arrow out of the quiver……Instead I would pick out the newest arrow and new broadhead for the first arrow thinking that new was better. Ed said you never know with new if you have a defective broadhead (other than a TuffHead LOL:D )or arrow,insert or adapter. It makes a lot of sense.. Later I started to dedicate 2 arrows that I glued solid (broadhead ,insert,and adapter)and tested for the first arrows out of the quiver. No more virgin arrows .:D

vintage archer wrote: THERE IS AN ADVANTAGE TO SHOOTING RIGHT WING FEATHERS PARTICULAR IF YOU ARE USING SCREW ON ADAPTERS IN ALUM. OR CARBON ARROWS. THE ARROW WILL BE ROTATING RIGHT WHEN TI HITS THE INTENDED TARGET AND WILL TIGHTEN .POTENTIALLY A ARROW SPINNING LEFT CAN LOOSEN THE BROADHEAD/ARROW MAKEUP.

Now I don’t mean to stink things up here… But I have found no difference in the rate at which points rattle loose based on right or left wing.

I can say this, cause I tested it. I set up identical arrows and fletched 3 from each wing (from the same bird even :D)

On average, it took the same number of shots (4) to loosen the points regardless of hand. This surprised me because I was thinking of switching to right hand to eliminate the problem.

For this test I tightened the points just barely snug, so that loosening wouldn’t talk too long.

I think the loosening of the point has little to do with the rotation of the arrow and more to do with the vibration of the arrow as it oscillates down range.

Screwing the points in tightly and/or using teflon tape works pretty well at keeping the points from loosening.

STEVE can always count on you to stink things up LOL:D

I have never run specific test like you to see if there is a difference between right and left wing and loose tips. I shoot right wing feathers and still have to check my field tips to see if they are loose as I mentioned. I suspect you are correct that it has to do more with impact or oscillation as you state than direction of spin.

However, in my mind right wing feathers spinning the arrow right … in theory would be better than the arrow spinning left.As stated I have never had any one report left wing feathers causing a problem with broadheads . It is not something to worry about just something you could do if setting up new arrows. Why not cover all bases. Once the arrow is loosed at a live animal all kinds of crazy thing reportable happen.:x

“Once the arrow is loosed at a live animal all kinds of crazy thing reportable happen.”

:wink:Yep, a muffed shot ain’t selective about helical or arrow spin.:D

I twist the point threads in bowstring wax a little, heat it with a lighter a bit, just till it just gets liquid, don’t take much, then screw into the insert while wax is molten. Never come loose. As a matter of fact, sometimes I need to heat the point a tad to get it to unscrew easily.

R2 the wax suggestion is a good idea. Steve’s suggestion of using teflon tape makes a lot of sense. Any time you can minimize the potential for loosening you are doing a good thing.

If you never shoot you never get muffed shots!:D Muffed shots and hunting go together.But if you do hit the animal and you have done everything to ensure a perfect arrow set up you chances are better.:D The last word:D

I shoot left wing. I just put rubber o-rings on the ferrules of all my points and heads and there’s no issue. I’m sure I’d do the same if I shot right wing.

I like shooting get wing because I get to look at the pretty side of the feather when shooting!

I’m trying educate myself on the RW vs LW debate, and sounds like the answer is it doesn’t really matter…However, does the helical orientation affect how we should be nocking the arrow? For instance, I believe I’m currently shooting LW and I nock cock feather out. If I go to RW, do I nock cock feather in??? Much obliged.

Hoot

Not many of the good folks that wrote this thread are still active on this forum to respond, so I’ll drop a word or two…

There are reasons to nock your arrow with the cock feather out, and there are reasons to nock your arrow with the cock feather in.  But none of them have to do with the wing the feather came from.

Depending on the spine of the arrow and the archers shooting style, better arrow clearance can be had by shooting with the cock feather in.  To continue the theme of this tread, for the most part it doesn’t really matter.

My quiver has arrows fletched with either wing.  The only real hard and fast rule is to use only one wing on an arrow.  That, and matching the wing to the bevel of the broadhead as mentioned earlier.  With my limited skills, I see no difference in accuracy between the wings.

Jared

What Stephen said—

It is mostly personal preference —

When I started the majority of archers went left wing , ie it was most common ( I think because this is what most shops / Co. sold feathers and fetching gear wise) . Probably still that way.  This thread gives the arguments pro and con.  I still shoot left wing, not because i think it is better, its how i started. Too lazy to change,  and I try to keep my tradbow stuff simple.

Scout aka Ray

I shoot right handed and use left wing and I’m experimenting with some straight, just cause.

When I started into this archery thingy about 60 years ago (yup, I’m that old, looking at 3/4 century come April), the norm was “shoot right hand, shoot left wing. Shoot left hand shoot right wing.” So I followed that advice. My arrows fly fine and I see no sense in changing.

If’n I was an Olympic caliper shooter I might be able to differentiate more?????

Contrary to some people’s belief, ancient wisdom and eons of experience are plenty good sometimes.. Like it’s best to duck most of the time when incoming is incoming…

I did notice once upon a time though that when I shot a left handed friend of mines right wing fletches that the feather would ding my finger on my bow hand (ouch with occasional blood). Was that because of the fletch or maybe because I was shooting 50-55# spine arrows and Mr. Monster Man was shooting an 80# bow and his arrows were as stiff as a piece of 1/2″ rebar.?

I pretty much believe what works best for you is what works best for you, and there is usually a reason buried somewhere behind ancient reasoning.

Be well

Ralph

There is a great video on this subject on You Tube. It is the series called “archery 101”. The guy does a great job testing theories and explaining trad archery questions.

Jared

Thanks for the heads up and I’ll check it out

Happy New Year to all you trad bow folks ! I hope you and yours have a great Year !,

Happy Arrows- get out and shoot 😃- in fact I think I will go,  do that right now —

Scout aka Ray

For what it’s worth …………….

Last summer I got myself invited to observe a Kyudo practice session. Japanese ritual archery. Heavy on the ritual.  They shoot series of two arrows. One left wing and one right wing. Seems to work with no problems.