How snug should a nock be?

[Mike Mecredy]

I'm not sure why optimum nock fit isn't addressed more.  It's actually very important.  Especially with ASL bows, if the nock is too tight hand shock is amplified, and wrist slap as well.  With recurves it can make the noise level go up and silencers will have minimal effect on helping.  D/R longbows don't suffer as much from tight nock, but it can give an inaccurate indication of a weak spine, if one choses to bare shaft tune, and on finished arrows it can cause wagging and poor penetration at close range. It's amplifies noise with D/R bows as well.  It is more important than a lot of us realize.

[finkm1]

I put the arrow on the string then point the arrow towards the floor. If the arrow falls off then its too loose. Then I lightly tap the string and the arrow should come off. If it doesn't then it is too tight. I adjust the knock by putting the knock end of the arrow in a cup of boiled water, hold it for a minute or so then either pinch the knock to tighten or spread apart to make the knock a little loose. This technique is from T.J. Conrads book " The traditional bowhunters handbook".

[Krex1010]

Originally posted by Mike Mecredy:
I'm not sure why optimum nock fit isn't addressed more.  It's actually very important.  Especially with ASL bows, if the nock is too tight hand shock is amplified, and wrist slap as well.  With recurves it can make the noise level go up and silencers will have minimal effect on helping.  D/R longbows don't suffer as much from tight nock, but it can give an inaccurate indication of a weak spine, if one choses to bare shaft tune, and on finished arrows it can cause wagging and poor penetration at close range. It's amplifies noise with D/R bows as well.  It is more important than a lot of us realize.

Mike, since you made the lovely bows i enjoy shooting So much (by the way, thanks for the brace height recommendation the other day, I’ll be talking to you about a mountaineer Longbow shortly) I’ll ask you this, how do you address nock fit? Serving size? Do you use a particular nock? Or do you modify nocks to make them the way you like them?

[Tique]

I'm not so sure serving size is the answer. New string, new serving, nock fit is perfect for several hundred shoots. String stretches, serving compresses at the nock point and knock fit is too loose. Replace serving, nock fit is perfect for the several hundred shots, etc., etc.

There must be an accepted way to adjust nock fit to the string in lieu of adjusting the string to fit the nock. Looking for a better way, any nock manufactures here.

Tique

[LBR]

Depends on the serving, what type nock, how tight it fits, etc. Halo and 62XS won't compress a lot with a proper nock fit.  Power Grip and Angel Majesty even less.  Nocks with a light snap like Bohnning Classics won't compress the serving.  The culprit, as I see it, is nocks designed for compound bows.  They want a firm snap so the arrow doesn't fall off when using a release aid.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by Krex1010:
All good stuff, I appreciate all the replies....So my takeaway is that is something to pay attention to but maybe sanding isn’t the best way to address it? I’m thinking I should learn how to replace the serving on a bowstring.

That is much easier than you might think.  Once I learned how to use a serving jig, it became much faster to boot.

A guy at a local (compound) shop gave me a good tip recently.  I was looking for fatter serving to replace the one that came with a string.  The mere friction of the draw caused the arrow to come off the string because the nocks were too loose for the serving diameter.  He suggested that I lay a line of serving string down first along the entire length of the area I want to serve -- straight on top of the string, not wrapped around it.  Then wrap the serving over that line + the bow string together & finish.  It worked beautifully to bulk the serving up just a hair thicker.  Thought I'd pass that tip along for those wanting to bulk up the string a tad.

[Tedd]

I keep a few sizes of serving around. Like someone else said a dry fire will get your attention. I introduced a 66 Kodiak to the dumpster that way.
I like the Marco snap nocks on my wood arrows. I'm particular about nock fit being just right but it seems like the Marco snap nocks allow for a little variance in serving size without having an unsafely loose or problematically tight fit. So it's easier to get that perfect fit maybe? Just a personal observation.
With the snap nocks I would error on the snug side for a hunting bow.
Tedd

[Mike Mecredy]

I'll also add, the person making the string, will make the string to handle the bow length and draw weight, the user needs to adjust the nock to fit the string. Because there are so many makes and styles of nocks.  And string maker might get it close, given the information about the nocks the customer will use, but it won't be optimum. (If the Shooter makes his/her own strings, problem solved, the nocks are there, just make a string and serve it for proper fit.)

If a snap on nock needs a two inch pluck to make it pop off it is too tight.  I like original Mercury nocks, just a bit of friction can help make things more controllable and still not affect arrow flight.

[JRY309]

I serve my strings to fit,a light snap.If I can pick the bow off the ground the nock fit is too tight.Some nocks snap on but are alittle loose around the string.I prefer Easton 3D Super nocks,they have the smoothest and deepest throat of all S-type nocks I've found.These are different from regular Easton Super nocks.They fit all your carbons with a .246 ID.