what the heck happened here.

[Mo. Huntin]

I was bare shaft tuning my goldtips and I had them shooting nice and straight in the target and just stacking in their tight even at 20 yards.  I had to work for 7 days and could not shoot my bow but I fletched them with 3 5" feathers and shot today and they shot terrible.  Do you think that those feathers stiffend the arrow spine enough to make a visible difference? I am normally a pretty consistent shot at 10 yards and thats where I tested from.

[robtattoo]

Couple of things....

1) You haven't shot for a week, so it's more likely you shorth drawing sightly (You do warm up before you shoot, don't you?    )

&

2) At 10 yds, an arrow hasn't come out of paradox fully, so is still 'wobbling' in it's natural flight.

[wapitimike1]

I'm with you, I stopped bare shaft tuning for the same reason. I used to bare shaft tune. Get perfect bullet, then put three 5" Fletch and wango tales all over the place. Now I tune to the arrow I'm going to shoot.

[Tom D]

I've had that same experience. I found rotating the nocks can help some. Could be fletching causing them to kick a little? At least I think that is what I was having.
 You can add point weight to see if they straighten out, if not check for fletch contact.
 
TomD

[Guru]

I don't like an absolute straight flying shaft when bare tuning...I'll take a slightly weak(even more than slight sometimes), slightly nock high shaft...put feathers on them and they'll be just right.

Plus I think that when hunting most shots are taken at awkward positions, and stiff after being still for a long time, or maybe the "first shot of the day" in the morning(again,not warmed up)).....so the tendency is to short draw just a bit,so a slightly weak bare shaft will work better for you there too.....

I find if I get a bare shaft too perfect, when fletched it goes the other way, too stiff....

Slightly weak is more forgiving than slightly stiff...

So yeah, try a little more point weight and see what happens...

[hunt it]

Never had any luck bare tuning arras, always do it once fletched. Sides it's way too cold up here to bare tune anything, I always shoot better when dressed warm!  

[Cherokee Scout]

I have experienced this with a few bows that are cut past center. The bows that caused the most difficulty were the ACS CX and the Dalaa.

[TradPaul]

I agree with Guru, I do the same and have them flying like lasers. Also if you look at the Ashby Report on bareshafting he will say the same thing, keep them alittle weak maybe 1/2 from center and fletch them, then they will be perfect. Good luck.


P.

[SteveB]

OL suggest slightly weak as well.

Steve

[Bob Morrison]

Guru is right on. The bare shaft needs to be weak. Feathers will stiffen spine enough to get bad arrow flight. It is possible to add the extra weight (15 grains for 3 fletch)to the nock end of the bare shaft and get a stright in bare arrow that will be right after fletching.

[Talondale]

I'm not an expert but could the fletching hitting the shelf be causing the arrow to kick?  Have you rotated the fletching?  Cock feather in vs out?

[O.L. Adcock]

"I had them shooting nice and straight in the target and just stacking in their tight even at 20 yards."

This is typical when trying to get a bare shaft to fly "straight". Fletching doesn't make them stiffer, they are too stiff to start with. Trying to get them to fly a bit weak, nock left for a right handed shooter, is a subjective "guess" at best. Use the planing method with either bare shafts or wide fletched broadheads and quit guessing!   ....O.L.

[Bob Morrison]

Adding weight being feathers or lead in the nock end will make the arrow act stiffer..... It has nothing to do with feather ticking the shelf...
If you add 15 grains for 3 5" feathers another 10 for a wrap, with 25 grains you can bare shaft the arrow straight in a little nock high. The fletched arrow will fly perfect. Provided your release is good.

[O.L. Adcock]

"I have experienced this with a few bows that are cut past center. The bows that caused the most difficulty were the ACS CX and the Dalaa."

Yep, this is very true..The proper starting point for tuning with fingers is a nocked arrow's point about 1 shaft diameter away from center. All being cut "past center" does is gives you the option of using thicker or thinner side plates, it does not mean it should be shot that way...O.L.

[crossstickspro]

lots of good advice on this thread. never did like bare shaft tuning much, might be because im self tought or im impatent and want to skip as many steps as possible. its worked so far