Tuning your STRING to your arrows

[A.S.]

I get a lot of questions regarding tuning. Over the years, I have figured out a few little tips through trial and error, a lot of head scratching, and bouncing ideas off some of my shooting buddies.  Hopefully something here will help a new comer or two in his tuning.

Feel free to add any other tips that I may have over looked.

If your arrow is too stiff:

raise your brace height

move silencers out further toward the limb tips

use a smaller amount of silencer material

shorten your center serving

try a skinnier string

for a recurve, adding a strip of velcro to the string grooves. Trust me, I just did this one myself.


If your arrow is too weak:

lower your brace height

move silencers closer to the center of the string

use more silencer material

try a thicker string


I don't mean this to be a complete tuning tutorial, but just a few little things that you can do to your string to tweak the tune of your arrow.


Again, I welcome any further tips that may help someone out.

[GregD]

Allen, I always thought raising your brace height decreased bow performance, wouldn't that compound issues with an arrow that was already too stiff? How does that work? Greg

[A.S.]

Greg, I'm no scientist, but raising BH does weaken your arrow.  I'm sure someone can exain it.

[slowbowjoe]

Greg D.,
I think that's what A.S. is saying:if the arrow is too STIFF, raise the BH (weaken the arrow). It INCREASES the performance of the bow, as it relates to spine.

[GregD]

Raising the brace height increases bow performance? I can't understand that at all. I'm not doubting Allen on it weakening the arrow I just don't understand it. What do you mean as it relates to spine? If Allen sends me our new blacktail and I brace it at 7 inches it will be faster than it would be at 8 or 9. As soon as the bow gets here I will begin extensive testing.

[Caleb Monroe]

Raising and lowering brace height adjusts center shot. Higher brace more center shot need stiffer spine. Lower brace less center shot. That's how somebody explained it to me once. It's similar to building out side plate or using thinner side plate.

[A.S.]

Greg, I'm thinking I need to hold on to my Blacktail for further testing.   :cool:  

Raising the BH does not increase performance, but it does force your arrow to act weaker.

[huskyarcher]

Just did these things tonight while bare shafting ICS Bowhunters that were acting slightly stiff. Moved the silencers out, raised the BH. Worked like a charm.

[Jake Scott]

Allen, thanks a lot.  Your advice was well timed, and like Dalton said, worked like a charm.  

Jake

[meatCKR]

Caleb nailed it.  Think of it this way, lowering the brace height forces the arrow more out of line from the string.  Thus the string does not transfer all of the stored energy of the bow to the arrow making it act more stiff.  Raising the brace height brings the nocked arrow more back in line with the string so that the string can impart more direct force, thus making the arrow act more weak.

Steve

[Jan Westphal]

I always experienced the exact opposite. But that's just me.

[Thumper Dunker]

I (think) that raising the brace raises the poundage of the bow a bit so the stiff arrow shoots softer.   It just works.

[mahantango]

Raising and lowering the brace height changes the angle at which the arrow leaves the riser at the end of the power stroke. Higher brace, less angle. Lower brace, more angle. Nothing more.

[mahantango]

I should have added, thereby affecting the dynamic spine and helping with borderline stiff or weak arrows.

[last arrow]

Further clarification to what mahantango said, a weak arrow is bending to much for the bow and shooter. So by increasing the angle that it leaves the riser, by decreasing brace height or padding the strike plate, you bring the amount of bend required from the arrow in line with the actual amount it is bending (reverse is true for stiff spine).  There may be other slight effects from these changes, however, I believe they are minimal when compared to the change in angle the arrow leaves the bow.  If you lower your brace height and the arrow acts weaker, be sure your string is not hitting your arm guard or clothing.

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by Jan Westphal:
I always experienced the exact opposite. But that's just me.

same here.  I have always raised my BH to make my arrows stiffen up, or maybe I was just raising my BH to make my mind shoot more to the stiff side! lol.

[olddogrib]

The brace height effect is probably the most debated topic on all archery forums and responses all run about 50/50.  It's has to be minimal or we'd all agree...or else our form is so bad we can't tell.  A.S. is right and mahatango/last arrow are on the right track. To put it another way, it's not the "power stroke" theory but how early the nock detaches from the string, enabling it to complete the paradox needed to wrap the riser.  Most traditional bows shot with fingers are cut shy of or just past center where the arrow is pointing slightly left(for RH'er) of the center line of string/limb travel. Consider an arrow that is at the exact brace height to allow that arrow to flex around the riser and continue along your line of sight, not where it was pointing (stiff). If you raise the brace height the nock detaches earlier and the arrow essentailly "overwraps" the riser and impacts right of the line of sight.  If you reduce BH, the arrows detaches later (and as pointed out, still at more of an angle left when it does) which causes it to "underwrap" the riser and impact left of line of sight. If your mileage varies that's fine, I'm no technoweenie...this came from some dissertation written out of UC-Berkeley.  I'm not smart enough to make this stuff up!

[A.S.]

I knew some of you could explain the brave hieght thing better than me.

I first heard of it from Ken Beck with Black Widow.  I'm sure he has timed a bunch more bows than myself.

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by olddogrib:
The brace height effect is probably the most debated topic on all archery forums and responses all run about 50/50.  It's has to be minimal or we'd all agree...or else our form is so bad we can't tell.  A.S. is right and mahatango/last arrow are on the right track. To put it another way, it's not the "power stroke" theory but how early the nock detaches from the string, enabling it to complete the paradox needed to wrap the riser.  Most traditional bows shot with fingers are cut shy of or just past center where the arrow is pointing slightly left(for RH'er) of the center line of string/limb travel. Consider an arrow that is at the exact brace height to allow that arrow to flex around the riser and continue along your line of sight, not where it was pointing (stiff). If you raise the brace height the nock detaches earlier and the arrow essentailly "overwraps" the riser and impacts right of the line of sight.  If you reduce BH, the arrows detaches later (and as pointed out, still at more of an angle left when it does) which causes it to "underwrap" the riser and impact left of line of sight. If your mileage varies that's fine, I'm no technoweenie...this came from some dissertation written out of UC-Berkeley.  I'm not smart enough to make this stuff up!

that does make sense.  to be honest.  I rarely mess with BH to fool with arrow tuning other than quietening the bow.  One I get the bow at my desiring BH for noise, I fool with strike plate, tip weight, arrow length, etc.

I think that's how it works, different people do it different ways.  AS long as we have a well tuned arrow that flies right with broadheads, you're doing it right!            

[katman]

Brace height is the last thing I would consider changing as I feel each bow has its brace height which puts maximum tension on string at brace leading to a quiet and efficient bow. A bowyer I respect relayed that to me. Once found I leave it there and I would use all the other great suggestions in op's post. String silencer mass and position can have a pretty good effect on dynamic spine. More than once I have taken scissors to my hush puppies to lighten them up a bit weakening the arrow.

I am in the camp raising brace weakens dynamic spine a little.