kicking off the shelf

[spurdude]

My bare shafts are dead nuts on out to 18 yards, however when I fletched them They are kicking left off the bow. I imagine there is some interference  with the shelf. This is a relatively cheap Black Hunter center shot riser with longbow limbs. The shelf on this bow is weird. It has a round shelf as well as a curved strike plate. The riser looks like wood but it is a very hard resin. I think I need to sand the curved striker flat past center shot a little bit, but not really sure what other options there are. The fletching is 4 " parabolic cut feathers, arrows are carbon Gold tip Hunters . any ideas?

[arrow30]

nock tune, raise nocking point.

[SS Snuffer]

The shelf is one of the best features on a Black Hunter.
What poundage, arrow spine and length of arrow are you shooting?

[Terry Green]

Sounds stiff.

[McDave]

I bought a Black Hunter for my grandchildren to shoot.  It seems to be a great bow for the price, but mine had one flaw, that might be the same thing you are describing.  I believe these bows are made in more than one factory in China, and possibly this flaw doesn't exist in bows that were made in other factories.  It doesn't have anything to do with the curve of the shelf or sideplate, which are great features, as was mentioned.  It has to do with a curve where the sideplate joins the shelf.  This curve was so evident in mine that the arrows moved around on the shelf and had no precise location to be seated.  I filed the interface between the sideplate and shelf until it was a right angle, without affecting the curve of the side plate or the shelf, which solved the problem.  As you noted, the finish on the riser is very tough, and it required more filing than I had imagined to get it done.  But it was a fairly simple fix, in the end.

[The Whittler]

Have you tried just turning the cock feather, easy to do and sometimes works.

[kennym]

Have you tried just turning the cock feather, easy to do and sometimes works.

This first before filing on it.  Try the cock feather at 7:00 .

Lots of times the hen will hit the rest or shelf when the arrow leaves if you have it turned in the corner of shelf/sideplate...

[Sojurn]

Another thing to consider,  if your tune is correct but marginal (read; sensitive/unforgiving), the added wieght of feathers on the back of the shaft will cause the arrow to stiffen up.  This combined with those feathers sticking out could give you your arrow bounce.
  Try tuning your bareshaft a little weak,  or figure out how much your feathers weigh and add that much tape to the back of the shaft and retune.
  Might be an easy first step before making a permanent modification to the bow. 

[Alexander Traditional]

Maybe I missed it but,how many pounds at your draw are you pulling and what's the spine of the shaft,and tip weight?

[spurdude]

45#, I'm about 42# at 27". 400 spine gold tip hunters cut to 28" with 200gn point, 12.5 insert and a 20 grain fact weight 235gn total point weight. Bare shafts straight a little nock high.

[Alexander Traditional]

Yeah I think that's way too stiff!

[Wudstix]

^^^^This.  I shot .400 out of my 60#+ bows at 28-29".
 

[spurdude]

You would think. But it bare shafts shoots straight. Not all bows are created equal. I have another 45# bow that shoots 600 spine cut to 27 " with 162 up front. This bow won't shoot that arrow with 85grains. It shows weak. I'm just shooting what the bow wants

[Kirkll]

45#, I'm about 42# at 27". 400 spine gold tip hunters cut to 28" with 200gn point, 12.5 insert and a 20 grain fact weight 235gn total point weight. Bare shafts straight a little nock high.

Wow!  i cant believe you are getting those 400's to bare shaft out of a 45 @ 27" bow. i use 400's drawing 57# @ 30# with about the same tip weight with a velcro strike plate just a fuzz past center. I bare shaft a wee bit weak, then put my fletching on.   Those 400's are WAY too stiff for that set up IMO

Question:  How far past center is your shelf cut out? Something sounds amiss here...   Kirk

[Sojurn]

Just at a guess, I suspect a false positive on your tune. Either because of shelf bounce or release issues.
  That being said. Non of the "issues" matter if you do them the same all of the time. But in my experience, I needed a stiffer arrow when my release was more plucky.

[SS Snuffer]

All I can say is my Black Hunter 40# at 28" draw shoots 600 spine 30 in. long arrow, 75 gr. Insert and 200 gr. Broadheads.
  Got a pass thru on a 190 lb. Buck last fall.
 I think you should try a 500 spine see what it does. Good Luck

[spurdude]

Okay in the spirit of full disclosure I put one of those cheapy little stick on arrow rests and it did seem to help some with shelf issues... I'll be a Blue Nosed Gopher! My so called tuned bare shaft shot stiff! and kept shooting stiff! I put 300+ grains on the front and it keeps shooting stiff. So my conclusion is I must have indeed been getting a false positive  not to mention I now hate arrows.

[mgf]

Okay in the spirit of full disclosure I put one of those cheapy little stick on arrow rests and it did seem to help some with shelf issues... I'll be a Blue Nosed Gopher! My so called tuned bare shaft shot stiff! and kept shooting stiff! I put 300+ grains on the front and it keeps shooting stiff. So my conclusion is I must have indeed been getting a false positive  not to mention I now hate arrows.

But the good new is that the mystery is solved.

[Bamboozle]

A false positive would be called a negative.