ILF tuning help

[tcw]

Hey guys/girls,

I have a fairly new-to-me ILF bow and am trying to tune a little closer to my preferred set-up. Here's my situation:

I shoot 3-under, and right now I am pulling from about 1" below the nock.  This gives me point-on at 20yds with my current arrow set-up. I'd like to get my fingers back to or closer to the nock. Is this something I can tiller-adjust with the limb bolts?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[wingnut]

What you are doing is called a "fixed crawl"  You can't tiller adjust the point on.   Heavier arrow can help or a higher anchor point.

Mike

[Orion]

Probably not.  If you move your fingers closer to the nock, it will have the effect of shooting the arrow higher (if you don't move your anchor point).  Thus, you would want to slow the arrow by decreasing the weight of the bow.  However, since the weight range adjustment on most ILF bows is about 5 # or so, and because you're likely in the middle of that range now, turning out the bolts to their max would only reduce the draw weight by a couple of pounds, not enough to bring the point on to 20 yards. 

You might try a longer arrow. Or as Mike suggests, go to a heavier arrow or higher anchor point.

[McDave]

Your bow was probably designed to be shot with your fingers next to the nock, either using the split finger or 3 under grip, so there should be no problem gripping it there, in a direct answer to your question.  There might be a slight tiller adjustment between split and 3 under, which is easily accomplished on ILF limbs.  As was stated, if the only thing you do is to move your grip to the nock, your POI will be higher at 20 yards, and changing the tiller won’t move it back down where you want it.  The POI of your arrows is determined by the weight of the arrow, the bow weight,  the length of the arrow (if you aim using the point of the arrow), and the relationship of the nock to your eye.  So far, you have changed the POI by using a fixed crawl, which brings the nock of the arrow closer to your eye.  You could move your anchor up so that the arrow nock is in the same place it was when you used the fixed crawl, and the POI would theoretically stay in the same place it is now.  I and others have tried a high anchor, and nobody that I’ve heard from really likes it, but it doesn’t hurt anything to try.  I also don’t like any of the other alternatives I mentioned above, but you’re welcome to try them too, because they have worked for some other people.

What I do like is a technique recently discussed on the Form Forum by Rifleman, which is gapping off the riser.  By cutting the top of your strike plate to a certain height, you can use it to set your point-on to 20 yards, or other distances as you like.  You grip the string at the nock, as many of us would prefer to do.  Once you start gapping off the strike plate, it doesn’t matter how long your arrow is, as that no longer has any affect on POI.  Hopefully this link will get you there, if you’re interested http://www.tradgang.com/tgsmf/index.php?topic=164996.0

[reddogge]

Longer arrows or higher anchor.

[tcw]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. It seems I was incorrectly advised as to what adjustments can be made with an ILF bow. Bummer.

For now, I'll likely play around with arrow length as that is one of the easier options. I am not sure I can move my anchor and still shoot like I do now

Thanks once again.

[tcw]

So, still navigating this ILF thing here. I'm shooting REALLY well with my current set-up and thanks again for all of you who've chimed in with tips/advice.

My next hurdle is this: I'm shooting the Tribe Halo (18" riser) with "Medium" limbs at #45. Shoots GREAT.  I have #50 limbs as well but they are "Short's". I had to order a new string and since I've tried shooting it so far, my groups are not good. #45 limbs, I'm deadly, #50 shorts, I am not.

I feel like it's more than just the #5 increase in weight. I don't know if I may be "stacking" or if this small difference in limb length can account for this, or if it's all in my head.

Thoughts?

[Jason W]

Here is the simple answer and my method.
I love ILF. I shoot 3 under as well. Instinctive to 25 and I gap to 50(for target)

Even tiller. Nock point is always 3/4” above shelf for me. Then I tune my right/left and spine from there.

I never really try to get a certine poundage with a set of limbs. The limbs and riser will tell you where it likes.

[tcw]

Thanks, Tuffhead. 

I hear what you're saying. My end goal is to have a higher poundage bow for lethality, so I will continue to try limb combo's to get to my 50# (of higher) range. This is kind of the whole reason I got an ILF was so that I could enjoy the benefits of swapping parts for different uses. 

I was hoping that maybe someone on here had tread the ground I'm walking and could advise on the short-vs-long limb theory.

I suspect that if I could find #50 limbs in the medium size, they'd perform more like my #45's. It may take me a while to test my theory, but I'll circle back when I have more info.

[Orion]

What's your draw length?  Regardless, the shorter the limbs/bow, the greater the finger pinch.  If you have a longer draw, that can affect accuracy.  Even if you don't have a longer draw, it may affect accuracy.  Couple the greater finger pinch with 5# more weight and accuracy can suffer until you learn how to handle it. Good luck.

[Hoosierarcher88]

Im currently trying to set up and tune 2 identical ilf setups but for different purposes. I am using 21" risers and 50# medium limbs. Both are shot off the shelf but one is set up with a dacron string with the nock serving to match my wood arrows and the other is set up with a fast flight string with nock serving to match the nocks on my carbons. The one  set up for woods i am shooting a slight fixed crawl and the other i am shooting full length carbons so i can either gap shoot using my middle finger for my anchor or string walk using my lower anchor. The biggest key i have found to bringing your point on distance in is arrow length. For example i have 32" l9ng carbons with 125 grain points that have a shorter point on than my 27.75" carbons with 350 grains in the point.

[Roy from Pa]

When shooting 3 under instinctively, not using the tip of the arrow for a front sight, will longer arrows still lower your point on?

Even though they only weigh 18 grains more than the shorter arrows?

[Hoosierarcher88]

When shooting 3 under instinctively, not using the tip of the arrow for a front sight, will longer arrows still lower your point on?

Even though they only weigh 18 grains more than the shorter arrows?

If your instinctive shooting then you are not using the arrow as a reference point so point on will not change with arrow length. Now if you are split vision, gap or string walking then it will change your point on

[reddogge]

You are better off to stick with medium limbs for both. They will feel and react similarly though different weights.

[tcw]

Thanks guys - I'm definitely itching to try the #50 Medium and see if it feels better.

And to further muddy the waters, I bet "Longs" would shoot real nice too  Perhaps someday I'll try those too.

 

[Hoosierarcher88]

Ive thought about swapping out the mediums on ome of my bows for shorts just to play around

[Jason W]

I mess around with limbs. I keep coming back to longs. At my draw I never noticed a huge performance gain. Actually I found longs to perform the best. This is with “chrono and feel” testing. Now to be fair I am testing the same limbs, just different lengths.

This is the fun of ILF. You can always play around. It is fun. Once you find a riser you like, your in! Then play with limbs. My opinion.

PA Roy, a gap shooter would have a shorter point on with a longer arrow. I always try to keep my arrows close to the same length. In all fairness, I am a terrible gap shooter. I get target panic a lot. That is why I switched to instinctive shooting 25y and in. Never get panic with instinctive. I can even stretch to 30.
When I try to use any kind of aiming method, I fall apart! LOL

[Roy from Pa]

LOL.
I know the feeling there.