tuning issue and question

[fujimo]

busy tuning new arrows for my setup- which is as follows- #50 at 29.5"
shooting spruce arrows- std 3 fletch. kenny m R/D bow .

my old shafts were showing just a tad stiff- nock right- maybe an inch or so at 20 yards
so in making up a new set- i tried 2  test arrows, 1 spine group up and one down- just for testers!and they were respectively way too stiff and way too soft.
so now used the original spine arrows- made them an inch longer for starters.
if i hold my bow grip hand comfortably loose- they fly and contact like darts- perfectly straight- but consistently 2" to the left of where i am looking- out  at 15 yards.
 if i grip the bow a bit tighter- not choking a snake , but a firm grip- they fly right to the mark- but show 1" stiff again.
 
exactly the same draw length- and can interchange from one shot to the next- get the same results consistently.

i am shooting with a velcro strike plate.
 maybe if i  change the strike plate to something thinner( leather), and shoot with my "looser"grip.- that might bring them over to the right a bit- i shoot right handed


maybe shorten the arrow a 1/4 " and see what happens- if the point of impact will move over, but will still show correctly spined-

i really dont think i am torquing the bow when i grip it a bit- but maybe thats what is happening.
any ideas whats going on.
all input appreciated.

[30coupe]

Listen to your bow. It is telling you how it wants to be gripped. I just acquired a new longbow, and I've been working to see just what it wants me to do. I paper tuned to the the spine and nock height figured out, then started shooting. Heeling the grip resulted in high shots. Gripping tighter, as you said, not choking a snake tight resulted in strikes to the left of where I was looking. Holding the bow in the web between thumb and forefinger with a and basically just wrapping my index and second finger lightly around the grip resulted in hits on target! I did need to work on the grip itself a bit, narrowing the back somewhat for a repeatable grip. I believe I'm pretty much there, but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

[fujimo]

good point Russ- i feel that the "web" hold feels better- and the arrows fly like darts- now how to move the point of impact over a few inches to the right!

[Petrichor]

Are the arrows weight matched?

[durp]

you may be canting just a bit more when u grip tighter. thats what i do and i get the same rusults ur getting.

[fujimo]

only using one arrow David.

should canting make a difference Don- but i will try that and see what happens
 thanks guys

[30coupe]

Canting can change the point of impact for sure, especially if the shelf is a ways above your hand. I tend to cant more when the target is closer and less on more distant shots. Canting on the closer one gets the riser out of my line of sight better. One of the reasons I removed some wood from the right side of my riser was to help me keep the bow aligned where I wanted it on EVERY shot. It probably wasn't more than a 1/16th of an inch, but it was in the right place, hopefully. I had to grind off some of the nice epoxy finish to do it, but I'll finish it with Truoil and blend it in. It may eventually wear a thin leather grip anyway, but I'll have it finished well enough to pass without the leather anyway. Most important to me is that it fits my hand and the arrows land where I want them to. I don't have a lot invested in this bow, but I've never been shy about customizing grips on any bow I like anyway, lol!

Good luck with your tuning. I have some new arrows coming tomorrow, so it will be a new tuning adventure I imagine. Been shooting ICS Bowhunters for years, but I'm trying some GT blems from Big Jim. They are supposed to have the same spine but more mass. I wouldn't mind gaining some mass, but I'm hoping the spine is pretty close. The last GT shafts I tried were awful stiff.

[fujimo]

good luck Russ, tuning carbons is whole 'nuther approach- with point weights etc etc. quite the deal    

i am going to try a thinner strike plate in the morning, and then if that is not enough- might just stiffen the shaft a bit- 1/4" at a time
thanks