What's wrong with this method of tuning?

[GMMAT]

I am a total noob on trad tuning.

I currently shoot a 50# Montana longbow....50# @ 28".  I have a Dorado recurve ordered, again 50# @ 28".

I'm currently shooting Easton Legacy 2016's at 30" with 125gr. tip weight.

I can alter/adjust the riser plate on the new bow, relatively easily.

So.....what's wrong with tuning my BOW to match my arrows?  Can I alleviate the steps of bare shaft tuning?

Thanks.

Jeff

[McDave]

You didn't say what your actual draw length was, but I'm assuming that if your arrows are cut to 30", you're probably drawing 28" or more.  From my experience, the 2016 arrows with a 125 grain tip will be on the weak side for your new recurve.  You might make them work by going with a 100 grain tip and/or cutting them a little shorter, assuming you don't need all 30" of arrow length.  2018's might work better.

Tuning the bow is fine.  You can affect dynamic arrow spine by adjusting the thickness of the strike plate, the strike plate material, the brace height, the type and location of string silencers, the type of string, and of course the nock point.  You might be able to use the same arrow as you use in your longbow by building out the strike plate in your recurve, but then you would be losing some of the advantages in shooting a center-shot recurve.

But, with exception of nock point, these are all fine tuning measures.  You first need to determine what arrow flies best out of your bow.  I like bare shaft tuning, but there are other methods.  For me, fine tuning the bow before bare shaft tuning to select an arrow would be like stropping a knife before you hone it.

[GMMAT]

The "problem" is....I ordered a dozen arrows (fletched) before I bought the new bow.

So they're full length, but fletched.

I suppose I draw somewhere between 29-29" (29" draw with a compound).  

What "advantage" does a center shot recurve have?  Honest question.  I'm a noob.

I'm just trying not to "waste" the arrows I already have.  I'd like to be able to shoot them....even if it's only for target shooting.  I don't mind (and might PREFER) re-tuning for hunting, this fall (would like to heft up my arrow weight for hunting).

Thanks.

[McDave]

Generally speaking, you should get higher performance out of a center-shot recurve than a longbow, assuming they are otherwise comparable, for two reasons:  1.) the recurve stores more energy during the draw than the longbow due to the recurved limbs, and 2.) the recurve is generally more center-shot than the longbow, meaning the arrow doesn't have to bend as much to get around the riser, so a stiffer arrow is called for in the recurve; less bending means more energy is transferred to propelling the arrow down-range.

If you have a 29" draw with a compound, you may well find that your draw length is less with a traditional bow, since your body is compressed more at full draw.  So I wouldn't be surprised if your draw length shooting the trad bow is 28" or less.  I say "or less" because under some methods of trad shooting, like the Asbell method, your shoulders are more open and your draw length is even less than it would be otherwise.  Under other methods of shooting, like Terry Green's or Rick Welch's, your shoulders are perpendicular to the target and your draw length is a bit longer.  But when you settle on a style, you should measure your draw length again.

So what I would do if I were you is to get a 2016 bare shaft, and get some 100 grain points.  With 100 grain points, you should still have (barely) a 10% FOC (front weight balance point), which is okay for a target arrow.  Try the bare shaft at 30" with your 125 grain points, but start no more than 10 yards from the target, because it will probably veer right and might miss the target entirely if you are back from the target.  Assuming this happens, try the 100 grain point with the bare shaft.  It will probably still show nock left.  Then trim a half inch at a time off the shaft and see if you can get to a length where the arrow flies straight.  If you get to the point that you can't trim anymore off without running out of arrow, call it good and shoot it with the 100 grain points. A little nock left will be corrected by the fletches, and is better than a little nock right.