Setup references

[stringstretcher]

Over the years of much trial and error, I am sure all of us has had a bow and arrow setup that just felt perfect to us.  Target, hunting, competition it doesn't matter.  But what happens when something goes astray?  What are some of your methods/references you use to get the bow back exactly as it was.  Now I am not talking about a bow square and trying to remember all the measurements for every bow you have. Here are a couple of mine

Every bow and arrow combination that worked great for me I would have my arrows that could be used to reset the bow.

1. The end of my cresting was always set to my brace height measured to a certain spot on my bow.

2.  I also had markings on an arrow and the bow to check tiller.

3.  I had all the string info on a arrow with type, strands, nock point height, serving size.

All this info would be on a short arrow that stayed with that bow and always went where ever that bow went.  

Share some of you tips and trick that you use to duplicate your setups.

[Rob DiStefano]

good stuff, charlie!    

i always put a tiny sharpie mark on all arrows, 6.5" from the nock throat - my preferred brace height on just about all my longbows.

in a pinch, i use a square folded sheet of paper (any large enuf piece of paper from printer to news) as a bow square - put the string in the fold, line up with the shelf or rest, checking the nock point location.

[Ben Maher]

Charlie...I,too use my home drawn cresting bands as a brace reference...
also a small book travels in my kit that describes my set up for bow style ie curves , longbows etc  but also a detailed description of each individual bow.
I tune the arrows to the brace height I want ... so ts always the same pretty much and I tend to use bows of approx the same make, style and specs .

[Night Wing]

For my two Blacktails, I have everything written down in a log to the "smallest" detail. Nothing is left to chance or guess work.

----------------------------------------------------

Bow #1

Bow Type: Recurve
Bow Make: Blacktail
One Piece or Take Down (TD): Take Down (TD)
Bow Length: 66"
Bow's Shelf: Cut 3/16" Past Center

Riser: 19"
Limbs: 23.5"

Archer's Draw Length: 30"
Bow Weight at Draw: 42#
Brace Height: 7 9/16"

Bowstring: Flemish
Material: Dyna97
Strands: 12

Nock Point: 5/8"
Nock Material: Brass Nockset (1)

Style: Split Finger (One Over, Two Under)
Tab or Glove: Tab (Bateman)

Fletching: 3, 5" Parabolic (Gateway)
Straight or Helical: Right Helical
Cock Feather: Out

Arrow Material: Aluminum
Arrow Length: 32"
Spine: 2117 (Easton Camo Hunter)

Tip Weight: 200 Grains
Broadhead: STOS 160 Grain 2 Blade Glue On
Broadhead Adapter: Magnus Long 42 Grain 11/32"
Arrow Weight: 637 Grains

Speed: 153 FPS (Feet Per Second)
GPP (Grains Per Pound): 15.16
FOC (Front Of Center): 15.4%

Tuning Method: Stu Miller's DSC, Paper Tune

----------------------------------------------------

Bow #2

Bow Type: Recurve
Bow Make: Blacktail
One Piece or Take Down (TD): Take Down (TD)
Bow Length: 66"
Bow's Shelf: Cut 3/16" Past Center

Riser: 19"
Limbs: 23.5"

Archer's Draw Length: 30"
Bow Weight at Draw: 37#
Brace Height: 7 11/16"

Bowstring: Flemish
Material: Dyna97
Strands: 13

Nock Point: 5/8"
Nock Material: Brass Nockset (1)

Style: Split Finger (One Over, Two Under)
Tab or Glove: Tab (Bateman)

Fletching: 3, 5" Parabolic (Gateway)
Straight or Helical: Right Helical
Cock Feather: Out

Arrow Material: Aluminum
Arrow Length: 32"
Spine: 2114 (Easton Camo Hunter)

Tip Weight: 180 Grains
Broadhead: STOS 145 Grain 2 Blade Glue On
Broadhead Adapter: Zwickey Long 36 Grain 11/32"
Arrow Weight: 550 Grains

Speed: 155 FPS (Feet Per Second)
GPP (Grains Per Pound): 14.86
FOC (Front Of Center): 16.2%

Tuning Method: Stu Miller's DSC, Paper Tune

[Stumpkiller]

I've done the cresting trick.

   

A book or magazine can also do for an "emergency" bow square.  I have a 3" x 5" card with all the string and brace-heigh info for each bow in my archery toolbox, but I guess that wouldn't be much help in the field.

I do make up a second identical string (including silencers) for each hunting bow and keep that in my beltpack, though.