TUNE MY WIDOW!!

[Caleb Andes]

GT 5575 cut to 29". 100 grain brass insert, then play with a 3 rivers test kit feild tips (125, 145, 175,200,250 grs)until youre bareshafts are flying well.

I haven't found a carbon arrow I cannot tune.. with 100 and 50 grain brass inserts and 3 rivers test kit.

[TAWL]

black velvet, Ive played with brace ht from 8" up to 9"and nock ht from 3/8 to 7/8. Tried b50 string and d97. I have a bunch of different spine cedars from 60-80lbs. the heavy spine is definitely better for me and this particular bow. I found today that if I short draw by an inch or so, I get better flight. But we all know that is not acceptable. Next step is to get stiffer shafts and start all over. Thanks again guys!!!

[TaterHill Archer]

I recently bought a used PCH.  51# @ 28".  I took it out today to shoot some test arrows.  Started with Easton Axis 500 shafts.  Cut to 30". 50 grain insert, 150 grain field point.  Bare shafted low and weak.  Adjusted nock point and got them hitting at same height as fletched shafts but with weak spine flight.  

Switched to a 400 Easton FMJ.  30" with 50 grain insert and 150 grain head.  Grouped right with my fletched arrows.

Yesterday I thought the fletched 400s didn't fly as straight as my fletched 500s.  However, I hadn't adjusted the nock point yet.  I'll cut a couple more and fletch them up and see what happens.  I have 2 of the Axis 400s I'll try out next weekend.

[gregg dudley]

Originally posted by huntingarcher:
Gold Tips 55/75 cut to 30-29 1/2" with 225-250 gr up front.Thats my set up for my PSA-III 55@28 and I draw a heavy 28".Widows can be testy with their arrow choice.

I have a 60 inch SAIII and a 60 inch PMAII.  Both are marked 56# @28.  I shoot the same arrow set up, but 200 grains on the business end.

[Dan Adair]

There's always old One Eyed Pete over in Clark Fork Idaho.  He's got more Widow's than I have pairs of underwear.

Oh, and he owns a bow shop.  I'd give him a ring and see what he's gotta say. (208) 266-1559  Don't worry, he walks the walk...

[ECRESS]

I got my first widow this past year and found it likes a much stiffer spine than i would have ever thought.

[Rob DiStefano]

the bestest and fastest way to set up any stick bow is with arrow test kits.

a test kit will be your go-to resource for setting up all yer bows and will always be a useful.  in fact, it's an indispensably tool.  it will be irrefutable in determining what arrow will work for you and your bow - not for me or anyone else, just for you.  
 
for you and carbons, that'll mean 2 full length shafts in the 500 and 400 spine range at the minimum, and a goodly array of screw-in point weights from 125 to 300 grains.  don't matter what brand or model or whatever of carbon shafting.  you can use ready made screw-in points or use adapters and glue-on points.

leave all the shafts initially full length and glue on the supplied aluminum insert.  

start off with a full length shaft and test out the point weights, unfletched.  

cut down one shaft of each spine at the nock end to no less than 1.5" beyond your draw ength and test out all the point weights.    

the goal is reasonably good bare shaft arrow flight at 5 and 20 yards.    

all of the above assumes yer not a newbie and have reasonably good stick bow shooting form.  if not .......

good luck.

What Rob said.

[Orion]

Do you draw the aluminum footing up onto the bow shelf when you shoot?  Most don't.  If you don't, given the specs you provided, you would then have 27 inches of shaft to the back of the bow, which in turn would mean that your draw length is quite a bit less than 28 1/2 inches.  That in turn affects needed spine, etc., etc.

[JamesKerr]

I would say a long 340 spine carbon with at least 250 grains up front would be a good starting point for your bow.

[TAWL]

I just read, on another site that adding weight to the back of the shaft would stiffen it. Has anyone tried this? And how would you add the weight?

[JamesKerr]

Adding weigh to the back of the shaft will stiffen it. There's not really a whole lot of ways to add weight to the nock end. I use a cap wrap on all my arrows not to add weight but for easy refletching and they only add about 10 grains or so.

[TAWL]

Yeah there doesn't seem to be an easy way. I did find a shaft which is a radial x weave 300. This shaft spines out at 87#. It's 29 inches long bop and with a 175 grain tip it is the best i have found yet with a 3/4" nock ht and 9/16 brace ht.

[JamesKerr]

The 300 radial x weave cut to 29" should be way to stiff no matter what you do to it for a 56# bow. What is your brace height. This may not be a spine issue but a brace height issue.

[TAWL]

8 9/16 brace ht. Forgot the 8 in my last post. But this arrow flies the best so far. I know I don't have perfect form, but I have never had tuning issues like this. Maybe it's the bow and something isn't right. It's not brand new. But I can't find anything visually wrong with it.

[xtrema312]

Originally posted by TAWL:
8 9/16 brace ht. Forgot the 8 in my last post. But this arrow flies the best so far. I know I don't have perfect form, but I have never had tuning issues like this. Maybe it's the bow and something isn't right. It's not brand new. But I can't find anything visually wrong with it.

Way to stiff.  You are probably running it off the riser.  You shoot 3 under?  If split, you need that high nock height because you are way stiff.  Been there and done that as they say.

[TAWL]

Shooting split. What is an average nock ht?

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by TAWL:
Shooting split. What is an average nock ht?

it's such a fast food world  :D

this is do-it-yerself project - don't think about what others are doing, that's a mistake.  

you don't care what's the "average" nock point location, you want to start with the top of your arrow's nock at 1/2" above square, shoot a few arrows with yer best form, and see how they fly vertically.  if the arrow "porpoises" in flight (up/down wiggling), the nock point needs to be adjusted up/down.  typically, if the nock flies/lands high, lower the nock point.  nock flies/lands low, raise the nock point.  

i'm way more interested in the arrow's flight, not how it lands on the mark.  ymmv.

[Sixby]

I'm just an old country boy but I would go the other direction with the 500s and simply take some weight off of the front. That will stiffen the spine. Sometimes we get so caught up in the technology we miss the simple things.

God bless and good luck, Steve

[xtrema312]

Nock height is a personal and individual bow thing to some extent.  However, when you are way off and still having issue it could be something more than personal and slight bow tiller stuff.  

When I was having issues like this, it was some my split finger release and too much tension on my ring finger, but the big issue was over stiff arrow.  The BW bows did the best with the over stiff arrows due to the narrow shelf. I had that ¾” nock height.  One clue that I was catching the shelf and something was way wrong was that I could shoot the bow 3 under with the same nock height and shoot a better flying arrow.  I shouldn’t need as high a nock split as  3 under.  There is something about 3 under for me that cause the arrow to clear the shelf a little better with a too stiff arrow.  Limb timing maybe gives better clearance for the over stiff condition.  On non BW bows my nock could be even higher because most recurve bows have wider shelves.

Getting a weaker arrow set-up is what solved my problem.   My draw is 29 1/4” give or take some due to bow weight and risers design.  I shoot 50-52@28 bows and can shoot up to 55.  So and my draw length my bow weight is close to 54-55 most times, but can go up to about 58.  I shoot a 5575 shaft 30 ¾” long with 100 gr. Insert and 145 point as a general arrow out of most bows if they are cut a little past center.  I can change point weight up or down one size to cover most bows and have real decent arrow flight.