Short Recurves - 3-Under vs Split

[YosemiteSam]

For about a year now, I've been mostly shooting a short Browning Cobra.  It's 50" AMO and I shoot 3-under.  I've had a difficult time getting the arrows to fly right out of the bow.  The spine seems fine enough -- at least it's predictably stiff or weak depending on what I'm shooting out of it.  But they almost always porpoise downrange to some degree.  There are days that I think I've finally got it licked and then I'll pick it up a couple days later & see the wobble again.  I've never had this problem with my ol' Samick Sage.  Flight is always straight and I've hardly ever had to mess with the nocking point once set.

I've played around with my nocking point a ton.  It seems that I'm either getting nock high or nock higher.  It occurred to me that it was probably time to put a new rug rest on it & that helped a little.  Prior to that, I had taken a shot from about 6-8' away & snapped the arrow because it was flying so crooked (nock high).

On occasion, I move my hand up the string and take a few shots split finger and it always seems to like that.  The arrow seems to lose its porpoising & go straight to the target.  I can't say I've shot nearly the amount of arrows needed to call it a definitive fix.  But it has me thinking...

Do short bows tend to prefer split finger?  Or, put another way, are longer recurves more forgiving of where we grab the string? 

[Huntschool]

I shoot sort of 3 under on an old (Black Beauty) Bear Super mag 45# at 28"  However, its really not 3 under because as I reach full draw I drop my lower finger off the string. 

I have been shooting all my bows save for that bow tillered for 3 under since forever.  I dont even remember why I came up with this, if it was a similar problem as you have and thats how I fixed it or not.  If you think of the geometry going to two(2) under is almost split finger with nock on top and locator wrapped in below.

I really think to get good performance on any bow if you shoot 3 under you should have your bow tillered that way

At 48" and a 28" +/- draw its pretty tight.  I shoot a glove also.  But the bow shoots well for me

Dont know if this helps but its a thought.

[jess stuart]

The inconsistency you spoke could be caused by unequal finger pressure on the string from one shooting session to the next.  Try to keep the majority of the weight on the middle finger.  I hope you are using two nocksets too. Two nocksets keep the arrow from sliding down the string at release.

[Orion]

Short bows are much more sensitive to finger pressure than are longer bows.  The string angle is such that most people get a cleaner release with 3 under with a short bow as opposed to split.  Your initial porpoising is likely due to improper nock height and/or string finger pressure.  Most set the nock higher for 3-under than for split. If you get better arrow flight when you go to split, it may be because your nock point is too low for 3-under.  Regardless, unless your form/finger pressure is very consistent, you're just not going to get good/consistent arrow flight with such a short bow. 

[Petrichor]

If your not shooting with two nocking points the arrow is sliding up and down the serving as already mentioned. If you nock is too low your probably bouncing off the shelf which may fly nock high causing you to further lower nocking point. Other that it would be an inconsistency somewhere in the pressure on the fingers. Other than that if you are tuning while shooting with a cant you could be getting a weak reading and dont know if because you are tilting the axis of the bow. Assuming you are right handed. If you are left tuning with a cant you could be getting a stiff reading.

[Howitser]

52" Browning Nomad Stalker. Been shooting 1over 2 under forever. If I don't screw up, it don't screw up.

[John Cholin]

I love short recurves!  Right now I am shooting  56" Fox High Sierra, 64 # at 29".  But I shot a 65# Bear Magnum 48 for years until the limb backs started cracking.  I also shot a Bear Cheyenne (55", 60# at 28").   I shoot split, with two under and index finger over.  But with my 30 inch draw length I find that my ring finger tends to have minimal contact those last couple of inches of draw so its almost one over/one under.  I use a soft moose hide leather tab.

I have found that I do best when my left (bow) hand is holding the bow only with thumb and index finger, the other fingers are just held out of the way.  Short bows are going to be much more sensitive to variations in bow-hand pressure point in my experience.  My bow-hand grasp is designed to yield a consistent pressure on the bow handle every shot.   little pressure from the lower half of my palm makes the arrows porpoise.  I concentrate the pressure on the "web" between the thumb and index finger.  I can get 4" groups at 25 yards on a good day.

Stick a big one!

JMC

[YosemiteSam]

I'm going to have to try the 2 nock sets.  Great idea.

[Captain*Kirk]

I shoot my Kodiak Mag (52" AMO) split like all my other bows and don't have any issues.

[YosemiteSam]

Thanks for the tips, folks.  Setting a second nocking point under the arrow and paying extra attention to finger pressure cleaned things up quite a bit.  It's still nock high but certainly not to the degree it was when it was "nock higher."  The flight has cleaned up a lot. 

[Huntschool]

I suspect you can clear up what is left by working on "finger form" so to speak.

Good luck and shoot well.