Arrow flight

[goutes2006]

#4453

Hi all. I have a Bear Temujin Recurve. It is #50 30″ draw. I am currently using Gold Tip hunter 5575 arrows. I’m told that this might be a little stiff for my bow and I am having arrow flight problems. My nock height and my brace height are where they should be so I know that isn’t adding to the problem. I am wondering if it’s better to switch to a softer spine or if cedar arrows would be better suited to my bow. Thanks all.

[BoywithLaughLine]

#31145

Increase the point weight. I shoot 55 @ 27, always had a little big of “tweak” to my arrow flight shooting ICS 400’s 28.5″ long. Put on a 200 grain point – SHAZAM! No feathers perfect.

smallboywithlaughlines.blogspot.com

[Stumpkiller]

#31286

If you’re not getting good arrow flight then why do you say your nock hight and brace height are where they should be?

Tweaking those is how you achieve good arrow flight.

[goutes2006]

#31317

I have already had the nock height tuned at my local archery shop and I check the brace height regularly. When they are where they should be and I am still getting a little bit of pull on the arrow that’s when I think it’s the spine.

[goutes2006]

#31319

Thanks I’ll try that.

BoywithLaughLine wrote: Increase the point weight. I shoot 55 @ 27, always had a little big of “tweak” to my arrow flight shooting ICS 400’s 28.5″ long. Put on a 200 grain point – SHAZAM! No feathers perfect.

smallboywithlaughlines.blogspot.com

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#31320

So I’m assuming that your arrow length is at least 31″? And you’re likely drawing 55-57 lbs? You might want to try a GT 7595 shaft.

Gold Tip Arrow Chart

But I agree with Stumpkiller – I wouldn’t assume your brace height and nock point are exactly where they should be if you’re having arrow flight problems. I would think you’d be able to get a 5575 to fly fairly well, even if it’s not the exact spine recommended, as it’s still not far off.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#31343

goutes2006 wrote: I have already had the nock height tuned at my local archery shop and I check the brace height regularly. When they are where they should be and I am still getting a little bit of pull on the arrow that’s when I think it’s the spine.

Just honestly curious – how do you know that your brace height is exactly where it should be? Usually brace height is expressed as a range. And how did the shop go about determining the tuning of your nock height?

[Stumpkiller]

#31373

Pardon me for referring to other websites (these are not forums)

If you brace a bow too low, the feathers will hit the shelf before the nock leaves the string. The arrow actually stays on the string past the brace height measurement. It travels forward a bit before pulling itself loose. If the feathers come into contact with the shelf before the nock clears the string, your arrow flight will be erratic. You’ll be prone to having the string slap your wrist with ultra-low brace heights too. The bow will be a bit smoother and pull a little less at the lower brace heights and conversely if you short-string your bow, the weight will increase slightly and the angle of string pinch will increase. You can’t hurt a bow with a high brace height, but you can hurt performance. The bow will pull harder and the short string will force the limbs to stop short in their travel path, robbing you of energy. You should be looking for the “sweet spot” – that special brace height where the bow feels good during the draw and release, and your arrow flight is crisp, clean, and straight.

http://www.3riversarchery.com/longbow-recurve.asp

Tuning your Arrows to Your Bow

Nock Height

Nock height is a very personal issue relating to your release, shaft size and type(carbons, cedars, etc). We recommend that you start at 9/16“ and move up or down ( min. 1/4 ”max 1”) if necessary to get consistent arrow flight. You need to find the spot that is right for you. Nock height can cause “ porpoising ” as the arrow slaps off the shelf from the nock height being too high or too low. Point of impact can also be adjusted slightly up or down with nock height changes.

To start with there are several different ways to get your bow shooting properly. This is the way I prefer. Make sure your bare shaft is setup the same as your broadheads, as far as field tip and broadhead weighing the same. I like to shot a bare shaft into a foam target at 10 to 20 yards. You need a straight shaft with a field point, spin it to make sure it is straight, if it isn’t pick another shaft. This is important. You will probably need several shafts because you will probably bend or break some if your spine is way off. You should be using the same weight field point as your broadhead

Starting at 10 yards shoot a fletched shaft at your target; this will give you a reference. Now shoot your bare shaft. Check the entry of the bare shaft compared to your fletched shaft.

1. If the point is high and nock is low you need to raise the nock point on you string
2. If the point is low and nock is high you need to lower the nock point on you string.

3. It is possible to have #2 if nock point is way to low, causing it to bounce off shelf.

4. At this point get it as close as possible, don’t worry at this point if it isn’t perfect as spine with effect it also.

Now’s the time to get the spine right for your bow and your shooting style. Remember that every shooter is different so you can’t have someone else tune the bow you will be shooting.

This following is for right hand shooters. Left hand shooter is opposite. Make sure the shaft is straight; don’t be wasting your time with a bent shaft.

1. If the point is left and the nock is right your shaft is to stiff. You need to pick a lighter spined arrow or start with a longer shaft and cut off the end ½” at a time until close and then ¼” until you reach the proper spine.

2. If the point is right and the nock is left your shaft is to under spined. You need to go to higher spined shaft

3. At this point your shaft should be entering the target the same as your fletched shaft. If not, keep repeating all steps

4. If your spine is very close you can change your brace height slightly to fine-tune it.

I personally like my nock point to be where the bare shaft hits target with the nock a little higher than the fletched shaft.

Also, I like the shaft to be a little under spined. The actual setup of these pictures is of a Cougar 58″ 53# @ 26″ using a Carbonwood 3000 with a 250 grain field point. For me this is a perfectly tuned arrow, as I said for me. You may find you need a little different setup

I also move back to 25 yards or more the closer everything gets to being right and continue to fine tune the shaft to the bow. It is important that you are fresh and not tired when doing this. You need to be consistantt in your style.

Once everything is right write down the brace height and the setting for your nock point on your string. If you can not get it perfect I’m sure you will be a lot closer than you were. Go ahead and tune your other bows the same way, you will find every bow is different. It is very possible to have your field points and broadheads flying the same.

http://www.morrisonarchery.com/html/body_tuning.html

[goutes2006]

#31376

He determined the nock height just by paper tuning. I don’t know how he determined brace height. I just know that he told me it should be around 9 inches. Do you think it’s something I should experiment with? I don’t know much about it besides what he told me.

Just honestly curious – how do you know that your brace height is exactly where it should be? Usually brace height is expressed as a range. And how did the shop go about determining the tuning of your nock height?

[Stumpkiller]

#31381

I go with smallest brace height (longest impulse push on the arrow) that can be had with acceptable noise. So, if I have beaver fur silencers and a heavy arrow I lower it until the bow gets noisy. I just put a 62″ bow at 7-7/8″ as the best trade-off.

Interestingly – this bow throws a bare shaft nock high no matter where the nock is but paper holes are perfect little triangles with fletched shafts when I just gave up and set it so the bare shafts and fletched shafts all hit at the same spot.

The only way to know is futz around with it. Your release technique will effect arrow flight, so three guys shooting the same bow may have different optimal settings. Trad bows are almost like living things. They seem to have minds of their own at times.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#31400

goutes2006 wrote: He determined the nock height just by paper tuning. I don’t know how he determined brace height.

Sooo…if he determined that you had the right nock point by getting good pass-through with paper, was that with the same 5575’s that you mentioned before? And was that with him shooting your bow, or you shooting it? If it’s the former, then it sounds like your inconsistent flight might have more to do with your personal release than with the nock point, but again this is just internet guesstimating.

goutes2006 wrote: I don’t know how he determined brace height. I just know that he told me it should be around 9 inches. Do you think it’s something I should experiment with?

Definitely experiment – it’s the only real way that you’re going to find it. Brace height for a given bow will usually be about an inch in range, and the optimum brace height, for you, will depend on a variety of factors. As Stumpkiller said, there is no singular, exact ‘correct’ brace height for a bow.

He could have had great flight with a 9″ brace height, 31″ 5575’s, and the nock point wherever he set it, and then not have those factors work the same for the you.

[goutes2006]

#31402

I’m sorry I wasn’t very clear on my bow measurements. The bow itself is #50 @ 30″ but I’m probably only pulling 28″ to 29″ and I’m not sure what poundage I’m pulling back.

Smithhammer wrote: So I’m assuming that your arrow length is at least 31″? And you’re likely drawing 55-57 lbs? You might want to try a GT 7595 shaft.

Gold Tip Arrow Chart

But I agree with Stumpkiller – I wouldn’t assume your brace height and nock point are exactly where they should be if you’re having arrow flight problems. I would think you’d be able to get a 5575 to fly fairly well, even if it’s not the exact spine recommended, as it’s still not far off.

[goutes2006]

#31403

I appreciate your help with this. I’ll mess around with it and see if I can’t correct it.

Stumpkiller wrote: I go with smallest brace height (longest impulse push on the arrow) that can be had with acceptable noise. So, if I have beaver fur silencers and a heavy arrow I lower it until the bow gets noisy. I just put a 62″ bow at 7-7/8″ as the best trade-off.

Interestingly – this bow throws a bare shaft nock high no matter where the nock is but paper holes are perfect little triangles with fletched shafts when I just gave up and set it so the bare shafts and fletched shafts all hit at the same spot.

The only way to know is futz around with it. Your release technique will effect arrow flight, so three guys shooting the same bow may have different optimal settings. Trad bows are almost like living things. They seem to have minds of their own at times.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#31411

goutes2006 wrote: I’m sorry I wasn’t very clear on my bow measurements. The bow itself is #50 @ 30″ but I’m probably only pulling 28″ to 29″ and I’m not sure what poundage I’m pulling back.

Interesting. Usually draw weight for a bow is measured @ 28″ – does the bow have a poundage marking on the riser/limbs?

Typically, you would add/subtract 2-1/2 – 3 lbs. per inch above or below 28.”

[goutes2006]

#31425

Yes, the markings on the bow are 30″ and #50. It’s a 66″ bow so I’m guessing that that is why the draw length is measured from 30″ but I don’t know.

Smithhammer wrote: [quote=goutes2006]I’m sorry I wasn’t very clear on my bow measurements. The bow itself is #50 @ 30″ but I’m probably only pulling 28″ to 29″ and I’m not sure what poundage I’m pulling back.

Interesting. Usually draw weight for a bow is measured @ 28″ – does the bow have a poundage marking on the riser/limbs?

Typically, you would add/subtract 2-1/2 – 3 lbs. per inch above or below 28.”

[rdb]

#41672

goutes2006 wrote: Hi all. I have a Bear Temujin Recurve. It is #50 30″ draw. I am currently using Gold Tip hunter 5575 arrows. I’m told that this might be a little stiff for my bow and I am having arrow flight problems. My nock height and my brace height are where they should be so I know that isn’t adding to the problem. I am wondering if it’s better to switch to a softer spine or if cedar arrows would be better suited to my bow. Thanks all.

hi,i used the web site[stu millers dynamic spine chart] to size and set up new arrows for my recurve,i hope this helps.

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