NEED TUNING HELP!!!! AAARRRGH!!

[A.S.]

I'm about to pull out what little hair I have left!

I was just about done putting the final touches on tuning my new bow, when I looked down and saw the serving was broken (evidently cut it with my nock-set pliars). I went in and re-served it (same serving that was on it), put my nock set back where it was, and my arrows were flying TERRIBLE.

I have moved the nock-set everywhere from 1/8" to 3/4" above square and can't seem to get good arrow flight now.

The only thing that may be different, is that I may have wound the serving a bit tighter this time. Could that be enough to cause such bad flight? Also, now the shaft that was showing perfect spice is now showing a bit overspined?

I really hope someone has an idea....I'm all out of them at this point!!

[ZaneD]

I don't know Alan, if it was tuned before then new serving should't make a difference unless the nocks fit really tight on the string. But that shouldn't be the case if you used the same serving unless they were too tight in the first place.

Mabye it's that dang Morrison. You should just go ahead and get rid of it and go back to the widows.  

[ZaneD]

Tuning can drive ya crazy sometimes, but it's sure nice once you're done messing with it and you can just go shoot. But then you just get a new bow and start over again. It never ends.

[Diamond Paul]

Two things it could be: first, are you sure that serving is the same diameter as the other, not just the same type?  Second, are you sure the serving is solidly anchored top and bottom?  It could be moving up the string and changing everything every time you shoot it.  Paul.

[paradocs]

Naw, that bow is tuned...you've simply lost your mojo.  Dang shame, Allen.  Well, there is one thing it could be....I'll tell ya AFTER the next Dixie shoot   :p

[A.S.]

Man it's tough to get respect around here!!! LOL

DP, it is the same serving...I put the previous serving on also. It is nice and tight on both ends, and the nocks fit about as good as possible.

Maybe I am loosing my mojo....oh well maybe I'll only shoot a 255 next time Doc    :D

[bowdude]

If a string under the serving is cut or ripped your string can be stretching with each shot.  Try a new string.  Also many people don't realize the first shot after restringing a bow (same string, unstring and restring) is usually messed up.

[A.S.]

Bowdude, I think you are on to something. I noticed one strand was almost broken in half when I reserved it (right where the nock set goes). I just burnt it down and served over it, not thinking it could affect anything---guess it does!! You learn something new every day!!!

[Smallwood]

imo- i think it's either a broken strand, or the old serving was compressed more from where the arrows were nocked, or where the nockpoint was clamped on and then moved up or down the string.
If you use the crimp on nock points, get yourself a good set of nock pliers like truefire makes, i think it's called the professional or something.

[Bowmania]

Possible problem in serving.  This maybe a problem if you don't prevent the string from twisting (and untwisting) when serving a flemish string, endless also.  Think about how a flemish string works, when you serve in the middle your twisting on one end and untwisting on the other.  I have friend who is a flemish master and when he serves a string he takes two old arrows that are tapered to a pencil point.  He puts one above and one below where he is serving.  The twist of the string holds the arrow against the riser while he's putting the serving on.

Ken Beck once told me to put a NP above and below the arrow.  That change my NP from 7/8's to 3/8's.  I'd try this first.

[A.S.]

Thanks Bowmania, I'll try reserving and do the arrow in the string trick. I have a new string on order.

[A.S.]

Well, I just reserved with Bowmania's tip on putting 2 old arrows through the string while serving. Just shot it in the basement a few times, and it loks like that fixed the problem!!

Thanks again for everyone's help.

[Longbow Tom]

"I may have wound the serving a bit tighter this time"

I wonder if that higher serving is either adding enough weight to alter performance (unlikely) or if it's stiffened up the string so the tiller is off a little at full draw. This would cause the limbs to hit slightly off.  

I would suspect a drawn tiller change.

[Bow n' errors]

I've learned that tuning is anything but predictable, and there's nothing quite like the joy of a bullet hole through paper with your set-up.  
I just found success after being baffled for months.  I shoot a 51# at 30" (my draw length) SR Swift and, based on arrow spine selection charts and the experiences of others, I've been trying to get bullet holes with paper tuning with 31" 2216's with various point weights, but haven't quite been able to get there.  
Anyway, I should have tried this before, but I recently bought some 2219's to accommodate some new 60# at 30" limbs that I had Bill Foreman make me for the same Swift riser, and while trying to tune the 2219's for the 60# limbs, I also tried them (with a 175 grn. point) out of the 51# limbs and, viola, I get bullet holes with arrows that I thought would surely be over-spined for the 51# limbs.  Turns out that the 2216's were under-spined for the 51# limbs all along.  And now the 2219's are kicking tail left out of the 60# limbs with 125, 145, 175 or 200 grn points.  I probably have a sloppy release that lends to the problem, or perhaps the center shot riser is part of it.  Guess I'll have to try 2317's for the 60# limbs.  I also wonder if I were to add something behind the vertical rest plate to move the arrow to the left on the shelf (RH bow), if that would decrease the required spine and help tuning for both the 2216/51# and 2219/60# pairings?   Ah, but it is a labor of love trying to figure it out!  
Lesson learned: think outside of the (spine selection) box when tuning doesn't work as advertised.

[A.S.]

Well, I just got outside to shoot again. As someone suggested above, I finally put a nock set below the arrow as well as above, and I immediately got perfect flight with my bare shaft (I usually just use one brass nochset to tune then tie on nockset above and below). I guess with my shooting style (2 under) I was torqueing the nock.

Alls well that ends well....now I can get back to just shooting and leave the tuning behind for a while!!