Bare shafting help please

[jonsimoneau]

Hey Guys. I've got a little different situation here.  I just got a new set of limbs for a recurve I have, and I'm doing some bareshafting right now.  Here is the deal.  I have some full length axis 500 shafts.  I have 2 fletched and 3 bare, setup exactly the same.  At 25 yards, my bare shafts always hit to the right of my fletched shaft, but here is the kicker.  My fletched shaft always hits to the left of where I am aiming.  Basically, I aim at a spot on the center of the target with my fletched shaft.  It hits 4 inches or so to the left.  Then my bare shafts, hit 4 inches or so to the right.  So there is about 8 inches in between them.  My bare shafts are telling me they are too weak, but it is confusing since my fletched shaft always hits to the left.  Any ideas?  I can visibly see my fletched shaft wagging side to side in the air.  Could it be hitting left of where I am aiming if it is weak, due to all the wagging when the fletching tries to correct it?  I don't get it.

[Molson]

Maybe fletching contact or perhaps a brace hgt issue.  Are your bare shafts sticking straight into the target or is the nock pointed left or right?

[Shawn Leonard]

If they are too much over spined they will show like they are weak. OL told me this. It is like a false positive. Add a bunch of weight to the front of the bareshafts, like 100 more grains and see how they bareshaft. What is your set up? Shawn

[JimmyC]

I wouldn't over-think it.  It's not worth it and it will only cause a head-ache.    

I'd read your group as under spine and make a SLIGHT adjustment (go down one size in point weight or just build your shelf out a bit) then try again.

[jonsimoneau]

That could be.  The bare shafts are sticking in the target with the nock to the left, and I am a right handed shooter.  Everything points to weak shafts, but the fletched ones are almost always to the left of where I'm aiming.  It's getting frustrating.  I've done alot of bareshafting in the last few years, and never seen this before!  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[jonsimoneau]

Oops, I should clarify a little.  I am aiming at a spot in the center of the target with both the fletched shaft and the bare shafts.  The fletched shaft almost always hits left of where I am aiming.  Like 4 inches.  The bareshafts always hit to the right of the same spot like 4 or 5 inches.  So I'm ending up with like 8 inches in between the two.  Every group is like this.  The bare shafts are 4 inches to the right of the center spot, and the fletched one is 4 inches to the left of the center spot.

[JimmyC]

What bow and poundage are you shooting?  Also, dacron or FF type string?

[jonsimoneau]

The bow is a 55lb. Recurve built by ricky welch.  I draw just short of 28 inches.  It's a fast flight string.

[Molson]

It is possible that they are way underspined.  I had this happen with a Black Widow some years ago with wood shafts.  They were hitting left with fletch and I thought they were too stiff.  I bare shafted and they nearly came out of the bow sideways. Went up 15lbs in spine and everything fell into place.  You could try temporarily building the side plate out some with velcro or leather and see if the fletched shafts come back right.  If they do, you'll know your underspined.

[AkDan]

Molson,

Wouldnt building the side plate out more make them act weaker yet?  

Heck if everything is showing underspined, why dont you try a lighter point?  And a heavier one if you like.   A lighter point is going to stiffen the dynamic spine of the shaft, just as increasing the shelf materials thickness is going to decrease the dynamic spine.

[Alsea]

Originally posted by AkDan:


Wouldnt building the side plate out more make them act weaker yet?  

No...

Jon

Wig-wagging arrows and right/left hits can be due to shelf contact, too tight nocks, too loose nocks, wrong brace height, too low nock point, bad release, a number of things. Dust the back end of your arrows and fletches with foot powder or put some lipstick on the shelf to eliminate the possibility of too stiff shaft or too low nock point. Are you getting any feather wear or shelf wear?

[JimmyC]

Jon,

Yep, with a set up like that, you are definitely way underspine.  Especially if you are shooting full length 500's.

Good luck,

Jim

[AkDan]

boy see where my brain was last nite, sat down and thought about it for a second, DUH!   Thanks for clearing that up alsea lmao!

Dan

[Alsea]

Originally posted by AkDan:
boy see where my brain was last nite, sat down and thought about it for a second, DUH!   Thanks for clearing that up alsea lmao!

Dan

Hey, no biggie...lol!

[Van/TX]

As Molson said I've seen way underspined fletched arrows shoot left just as if they were overspined.  I suspect you are underspined as your bareshaft indicates.  Good luck...Van

[jonsimoneau]

Thanks for the help guys.  I'm going to keep messing with it.  I'm guessing I'm just way underspined, but I've never seen this sort of thing happen before.  May have to jump up to a 400 or something.