Tuning / untuning decision.

[richard roop]

#134995

New guy here and could use some help from the assembled masses.

Recently was going thru some archery magazines (mid 60s to early 70s). Great reading until I ran across an article by Freddie Troncoso on bow tuning. Basic stuff, set up a center-line, line the string up and adjust the rest until the arrow is barely left of the string. Got to thinking (1st mistake) that the rests on all of my bows are out from the riser a bit. A bit being about 3/8 “.  Checked center-line with an arrow and the point is about 3″ left of the string.  Arrow flight has a bit of wobble for a few yards and then smooths right out. Five & a half inch shield cut with a fairly aggressive helical. Bow is a Ben Pearson Sovereign Mercury Hunter. 60″ , 60# shooting 28″ 2213s  with 125 grain points and a 40 grain insert.  On a good day this set-up will hold a two foot group at 50 yards looking right down the shaft, split finger. Point on is about 54 yards.

Sooooo………………. Knowing I can do better (2nd mistake) I set the rest so that the arrow is just left of center shot. Arrow flight is now awesome !!! Bare shaft, weight adjusted rearward 15 grains for missing fletch, flies great to 25 yards. Point on is now about 58 yards.  Life is good ………. except that that arrows now group about 18” to the right at 50 yards.

This is where it gets weird. ….. To move the group to the left I need to anchor further to my right until the arrow is pointing off to the left side of the target. Very annoying. Arrows should point straight at the target not at an angle.

Comments, suggestions, & ideas would be welcome.

 

[Stephen Graf]

#134998

It sounds like your arrows are now under spined for your setup.  As you move your arrow rest closer to “center shot” the spine of the arrow will need to be stiffer.  Arrows that impact the target to the right tend to be under spined.

You can make the arrows stiffer by using a lighter point, by making them shorter, or by lowering the brace height on your bow.  You can also move your string silencers closer to the limb tips.

[richard roop]

#135003

Stephen;

Thanx for the suggestion. I had considered spine, but not for too long. The arrow flight that I was getting was a thing of beauty.  Since I’m shooting a tournament in Historic Globe Az. today, I split the difference on the rest position and moved it back out aprox. 3/16″.  Arrow flight and point of impact should be good enough to get me thru the day.

Hopefully, it’s not the 2213 arrows. I made up a lot of them during the summer.  I’ll try a few 2117s & some 2219s just to see where they go.  If it does turn out to be a stiffness problem, I’ve been thinking on taking a few 2213s and scoping in about a 14″ section of 2013 , centered over the balance point and a few more centered over the actual center. Kinda like an inside barrel taper.  Much to do …………….

[richard roop]

#135031

Pointed sticks gonna drive me crazy. (Ok, crazier.)

Tournament went well & the next day shot the worst field round I’ve ever shot.  Tournament was a 3-D, 30 yard affair. Died on the Field on anything over 50 yards. Everything to the right.

Moved the rest out a bit more and took a quiver mixed with 2213s & slightly stiffer 2117s to the 60 yard line. Nice group spot high right (2213s) and nice group low right (2117s).

Thinking mayhap that my anchor shifted about the time I got dentures ???? Seems like I’m looking straight down the shaft but gradual shifts are evil.

 

[richard roop]

#135053

I want to be a teenager again. I knew everything when I was a teenager.  Now, I’m just old and confused.

Went out with some 2413s.  If that’s not stiff enough for a 60# ‘curve, I give up. Everything to the right.

Went back to 2213s and worked on stance, posture, head position & anchor points. Everything to the right.

Gave up and put the old rest back on.  Nocked arrow is back to being quite a bit left of center.  Arrow flight is not perfect like it was but not too bad.  Shot  six arrows centered on the spot in a group the size of a paper plate at 50 yards.  Happy camper !!! …………….. Clueless, but happy !!!

[Stephen Graf]

#135067

Might be a case of hand torque…  All the “rights” and “wrongs” have to add up to send the arrow somewhere.  If you are torquing the bow to the right consistently, then having the arrow off to the left is working out to correct for it.

The bow-arrow-archer machine can be hard to get tuned just right.

We had a fellow last night that hit the bulls-eye 8 or 10 times in a row.  But his arrow flight was crazy.  The arrow would almost stand vertically before straightening out.  His nock set was way low on the string causing his arrow to bounce off the shelf.  Once that was fixed, his arrow flight was cleaned up, but he didn’t hit the target again all night.

 

[richard roop]

#135071

I think that you may be on to something with the hand torque.

I’m taking a ‘rest day’ and will do some serious torque trials tomorrow.  If I can isolate the hand with my current set-up the arrows ‘should’ start drifting to the left.

I swear, the more I learn about the pointed stick, the less I realize I know.

[Raymond Coffman]

#135077

Richard

I have shot Traditional bows for most of my life, off and on . A while back I had not shot a bow for some time ( years). When I started to shoot ( instinctively) regularly again, I noticed initially I shot well ( surprised me). I was shooting at the shorter (15- 20 yds) ranges and my groups were acceptable . I started ramping up my training , longer ranges, more challenging targets etc. When I had off days I started questioning my tackle and its set up/ tuning. Eventually i came to realize it was mostly ok, with a few minor adjustments. What I now understand ( at least for me) is I should have concentrated on perfecting my form. These days, when I don’t shoot as well or where ( on tgt) as I want to – I check my form first.

Truthfully — probably my favorite aspect of trad archery, is the pursuit of as perfect form as I can do and maintain. I shoot very well on the days I accomplish this —-

Scout

[richard roop]

#135098

Ok, got out and did some shooting with emphasis on hand torque.  Even put a wrist sling on for a while. Left / right didn’t change but my shooting seemed  ‘cleaner’ …… if that makes any sense.

Form !!! ………… Anybody ever notice that when everything clicks, this seems sooooooo easy ??  And then there are those other days when just keeping ’em on the bales is a victory.  Gotta be a mind & body thing.

Anyway, my shooting was fairly good before I started this latest experiment. I just want good-er. The Calif. State Traditional Championship is coming up in Feb. and I’m actually thinking about competing in it.

 

[Raymond Coffman]

#135108

Richard

Ah yes — your comment on form – how true

A couple of thoughts on ways to check on how you are doing in that regard.

Have a friend and / or another accomplished archer watch and critique you – coach

Take a selfie ( movie) or have a friend film part of your practice session. Sometimes we might not realise where we go astray — definitely in my case.

Good luck at the matches – let us know how it goes

Scout

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