My experience with R vs L helical feathers

[Squints08]

I’m posting this because my recent experience is contrary to almost everything I came across on the internet. I have been shooting Black Eagle Vintage arrows with a right helical for almost 2 years because that is how the factory makes them. I recently picked up some left helical Black Eagle Vintage arrows in the same spine and I set them up with identical inserts, heads etc. My arrow flight improved considerably and I’m floored. I immediately texted my archery coach about this after an evening of shooting and he said, “It is very possible. Interacts with the bow slightly differently. Maybe for some reason less contact.” Call me crazy but I’m sold on left helical from here on out on this setup. Anybody else try this or experience it?

 

[Wrench]

I have both and the only thing I notice is a left loosens my points at the target.

I have gained a good but by dialing in the cock feather rotation. Sometimes out....Sometimes up....Sometimes in between.

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Normally it has to do with the center serving and what direction it was served on the string. One way causes clockwise rotation and the other causes counter clockwise rotation. I’m sure most string makers could answer the question.

Levi Morgan has some good videos about it for the compound side of thing.

 

[Bobinbend]

"My arrow flight improved considerably and I’m floored"

Extremely interesting. I am not trying to be a wise ass...but are you saying the RW gave you crappy arrow flight, and LW cleaned that up? I think we have all seen videos that the arrows only start to rotate after they have cleared the riser. Do you have a spine tester? Be interesting to see if they spined the same.

Same nocks?

Bowhunter coop makes an interesting observation. Could you reserve your string the opposite direction and see what that does?

How about the groups? Did they tighten up? And in the same location?

Great to see that you have a coach!

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Bob

 

[LostArra]

I have gained a good but by dialing in the cock feather rotation. Sometimes out....Sometimes up....Sometimes in between.

Agree 100% Cock tuning is effective. I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Squints08]

Nocks are different but total weight is almost identical according to my digital scale. All arrows are stamped 400 spine directly from Black Eagle. I find my right helicals group ever so slightly to the left. Left helical right where I’m looking. I’ll pay more attention to the cock tuning as well. Thanks for the insight everybody.

 

[Bama Creek Bum]

Does it really matter if the arrow spins left or right? I shoot right handed and I’ve always shot with right helical.

 

[oldgoat]

I can't tell the difference, not even with the tips loosening, I think they loosen at about the same rate, I would guess it's some other aspect of the arrow. Guess you should buy a fletching jig and refletch the left-wing arrows and see what happens!

 

[Billy Goat]

Just because something says 400 spine, doesn't mean it's 400. It could be your previous RW fletched arrows were .375-.390 deflection and the new LW are more like .425-.435 or something along those lines.

 

[wytx]

I've always shot left wing, find it interesting most folks shoot right now. No clue though on if it makes a real difference.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Does it really matter if the arrow spins left or right? I shoot right handed and I’ve always shot with right helical.

Bows can be different, without fletching there's a natural spin of the shaft one way or the other. If you fletch opposite of the natural rotation then the fletching has to stop the shaft spinning and start spinning the other direction. If you fletch to match the same rotation it's faster and more efficient... in theory. You can test by marking an unfletched arrow and shoot at the target very close, backing out each shot slowly until you can deduce the direction of your arrow's rotation.

 

[Nick Muche]

Shoot a bare shaft at close range, document/note the direction the arrow rotates, fletch your arrows with that directions orientation. My arrows spin left out of my bows, I use left helical and I could also tell a difference after switching years ago from right helical to left helical.