Paper Tuneing

[Tree342]

I got my first trad. bow (recurve) for Christmas. It appears to shoot a fletched arrow very straight.

But when shot through paper (only a few feet away), it makes long vertical tears (up).

It is a 40# bow but all I have right now are arrows spined for my heaver compound. But sense I switched to recurve my draw length has shorted. So Im shooting 31 inch arrows out of it but only drawing about 27-28".  

I shoot a LH bow.

1) Are the meanings (spine) of tear left and right the opposite of a right handed bow?

2) If it tears straight up what does it mean?

3) Is it ok to have a arrow several inches longer than draw length; as long as spine is ok?
Thanks

[PastorSteveHill]

Nock point is off.  Try lowering it...

[BowHuntingFool]

Your arrow is fine being longer. Some guys leave them full length and tune using different weight up front. Longer arrows gives you more total weight as well!

[Steve P]

Are the arrows fletched with feathers or vanes?

Steve

[wtpops]

I have the same question as Steve.
If theses are your old compound arrows and are fletched with vanes, the vanes could bounce the arrow when they make contact with the shelf. If they are fletched with feathers then try lowering the nock point 1/8" at a time. if the tear gets shorter as you do this once it gets close then go to 1/16" at a time untill you get it to where you want it.

A tear from (left to right or a right hand tear) for a left hand shooter is a week spine. A tear from ( right to left or a left hand tear) for a left hand shooter is a stiff spine.

[Orion]

If lowering the nock point doesn't work, raise it.  If your nock point is already low, the arrow may be bouncing off the shelf.  About 9/16 above the shelf is a good place to start (nock under) and goup or down from there.  Good luck.

[O.L. Adcock]

Orion is correct and the question if you are shooting vanes is a biggy too. You can not shoot vanes off the shelf.

Once you get that figured out, we'll be waiting for having a "kick" this direction or that you can't get rid of.   ....O.L.

[Old York]

Tree342 - I'd recommend paper testing at 15 feet. At 2 feet, the arrow isn't even close to being out of the major bending. It needs a bit of distance to quiet up some. Your arrow is not coming out of a centre-shot compound with mechanical release.

I try to paper-tune for coarse tuning & cross-check, then bare shaft for fine tuning.

Emphasis on "try"  

Orion's got it; start a bit too high, then you know where it's coming from. Make small changes in your nock heights.....sometimes it is VERY sensitive!!!

A horizontal 1" paper tear is perfectly acceptable in some circles, good luck to you.

[BOFF]

Wouldn't canting the bow affect the tear direction in the paper?

[mbbushman]

Boff, It absolutely does affect it!! The way I shoot, a tear that is 45 degrees high left is spine issue, not a nock height issue. I know several guys who struggled to paper tune their bows till they realized this. I know it got me the first time I paper tuned my first recurve.