Arrow allignment question

[BAK]

When setting up a recurve for proper tuning the string lies down the center-line of the limbs, and ideally just the tip of the arrow lies outside the string.  Great, works fine.

Now I'm trying to set up a very beautifully made BBO long bow.  String lies down the center-line of the limbs, and the tip of my arrow is nearly 2 inches left of the string.  Does not work fine.

Is there any easy fix for this?

[M60gunner]

Spine down with your arrows. With woods at least 5# in spine. Not sure about metal or carbon how much. That arrow has to bend around the riser when you release.

[BAK]

Yup, I know, but it seems like the shafts have to be weak as noodles to counteract that much offset.

[Orion]

Yep.  they will be a a lot weaker.  Only other option is to cut in the arrow shelf more, and that could weaken the riser. Nothing wrong with a weaker shaft.

[Roy from Pa]

My BBO bows like an arrow spined 7 pounds lighter than the bows weight.

[The Whittler]

Quite a while back I use to shoot two LBs that were not cut to center. One is 60#@27" and the other is 64#@28" and I draw about 29". Both bows liked 55/60 wood arrows.

[katman]

Reduce strike plate thickness as much as you can and shoot the spine the bow tunes with. Trimming riser at site window could weaken to much and cause failure.

I have a bow I just finished tuning and after exhausting all the tricks I know was forced to thicken side plate substantially to get the shaft to fly down the middle and not 12" right.

[Bud B.]

Yeah, start with the next spine group 5lbs below your bow weight pull at your draw.

I draw to 27. My 47@27 7 Lakes Carolina Night prefers a 28" arrow with a 125gr head in the 40-45 group. This is wood, of course. And the bow does have a shelf. If yours has no shelf, either drop another 5lbs in spine or go to a head at least 25gr heavier. Or longer arrow.

For wood arrow shooting, a test kit wins every time.

[McDave]

My friends like to shoot Hill style longbows.  I like to shoot bows cut past center.  Whenever I shoot one of their bows, I hit way left.  Once I got a good deal on one and bought it, thinking it would fill out my stable of bows.  Although the arrow was tuned for the bow, I still hit way left until I learned to move my bow hand to (what seemed to me to be) the right of the target, although all I was really doing was to line up the arrow with the target, since it was offset to the left of the centerline of the bow.  For my friends, it would be the opposite: they would have to build out the sideplate on a cut past center bow, or else hold (what to them seemed to be) to the left of the target.  However, in both cases, it's just an adjustment needed to bring the arrow on target.

After a short while, I decided that unless I wanted to specialize in Hill bows, it wasn't worth it, and sold the bow.

[BAK]

I've always had a few self bows around since I started building them back in 1990.  I tend to agree with what McDave said.

I was told once by Jim Ploem that spine really didn't matter all that much once you learned to pull "through the arrow".  

I just have a hard time doing it.

[ChuckC]

That is all part of the tuning process.  So many things can change your needs, some of them are what you mentioned. There are arrows out there that will work fine.  Generally, for longbows and especially self bows, a shaft lighter in spine than the bow weight shows is called for.. generally.  

Once you figure out your needs, write them down, cause if you have several bows, yous WILL forget.