Arrow Tuning Question

[BWallace10327]

I am currently experiencing a strange situation bare shaft tuning some arrows.  A bareshaft flies weak (curveball flight, nock left) and a fletched arrow seems to fly stiff (planing high and to the right).  What gives?  I don't think I'm getting a false positive bareshaft, seeing as increasing point weight makes weak flight worse, as expected.  Any thoughts?

All I know is, bare shafts don't lie.  It's difficult to help without knowing some details; draw weight, arrow length, center shot, arrow spine, nock set height etc.'

[McDave]

“Planing high and to the right.”  If your fletched arrow is impacting to the right of your mark, isn't that the same indication that your bare shaft is giving you: nock left, impact right?  Is your nock high enough?  An arrow “planing high” might be an indication that the nock is too low.

[BWallace10327]

Thank for responses.  Black Widow PMA V limbs, 43@29, right hand, 16 strand D97 string with 4 spider silencers, shooting split finger.  The nocking point is 1/2" above center.  I mis-typed, the bare shaft shows weak, but not that bad (groups at 20 yards) and the strange arrow flight looks like a stiff arrow, nock right impact high left.  I lowered my brace height from 8 3/4 to 8 1/4, that worked for the bare shaft.
  I have concluded that the strange flying arrows are a product of my form.  If I shoot enough arrows, 1/2 of them will fly right and look good, but the rest will fly high right.  I may not be skilled enough to shoot such a light bow.  This is the lightest bow I've owned and stuggle shooting it.  Maybe I'd best stick to 55#ers.  Does anyone know of typical shooting flaws that can send arrows planing left impact nock right?

[BWallace10327]

Also, the arrow is a 500 Gold Tip Traditional with a 125 grain point.  I have tried 145, 175, and 200 grain points with a weaker bare shaft reading with each weight, as expected.

[BWallace10327]

[McDave]

For me, the most common causes of high right misses would be creeping or not focusing on the target.

If I don't maintain back tension through completion of the shot, I will creep and miss right or high right.  As you note, this could be more of a problem with a lighter weight bow, as many people find it harder to get off the string.  When I first discovered this problem, I couldn't tell when I was creeping and when I wasn't, so it was helpful to have someone watch me shoot, or to video myself.  I finally was able to become aware of when I was creeping, which gave me enough information so I could self-correct this error.

Another cause of high misses can be focusing on the arrow tip rather than on the target.  This is also hard to be aware of.  But if you miss high, and then really focus on the target on the next shot and don't miss high on that shot, then you can pretty well assume that you were focusing on the arrow tip on the shot you missed.  Obviously, this is only a problem for gap shooters, and not for instinctive shooters, who are always focusing on the target.

[the rifleman]

I believe your arrow is too stiff.  Try a .600 or .670 spine.  Ive heard widows can tolerate higher spines so i could be wrong.

[the rifleman]

PS--- try raising your nocking point to 3/4" and work down from there if needed.

[BWallace10327]

Mcdave, I'm not really an instictive shooter, more of a learned sight picture shooter.  I know what what you mean about looking at the arrow and shooting high.  When the bad shots happen, it is a consistant 6-8" high and 4-6" right.  Creeping as I release is the likely culprit.  Heavier draw bows are a lot easier to release cleanly.  I may be masking the issue, but a prefer my arrows to go where I look.  Bolted the 55# limbs back on today and everything was right in my world of archery.

[McDave]

43# is right in the ballpark of what most people are shooting these days, so it is certainly possible to learn to release the string cleanly.  If you learn to become aware of when you´re creeping and when you´re releasing cleanly, you will teach yourself to release cleanly, because you already know how to do it both ways.