everything i try shows weak--what is going on? UPDATED-found what works!

[fountain]

i have tried almost everything imaginable to get my 54# predator recurve to bareshaft good.  i have tried the following:
35/55 gt full length with 125, 175, 200 gr points and then added a 100 gr brass insert and then each point weight again, a beeman 500 ful length with all the point weights mentioned above, a 55/75 full length with a 100 gr brass insert and 200 gr point, a gt ultra light entrada 600 full lenght with a 175 gr point.

everything showed nock left in flight and on impact--i shoot right handed and 3 under.  what in the world do i need???  i have been shooting the 35/55 gt with a 125 gr point and they fly good--alomost mimic the same shaft with the 100 gr. insert and 200 gr point in flight--which is weird.  i have no idea where to go now?  just about ready to throw in the towel, but i know i cant afford to be sloppy when it comes to hunting and need good flight for maximum penetration.

if it means anything, my buddy shoots a predator 67# and gets very good flight out of full length 35/55 with 200 gr points--which seems mighty weak to me for that poundage.

[Hardhed]

I might be misunderstanding you, but nock left for a right hand shooter should mean a weak shaft.  My impression is an arrow that veers left (nock right) would be showing stiff if the shooter is right handed.  Arrow veers right (nock left) would mean weak.  

I'd think a GT entrada 600 would have to be weak on a 54# close to center shot recurve.  Maybe some others will chime in too.

[fountain]

i hope others chime in too!  i'm lost and confused here.  i have got to get this fixed fast--i got some hog killing to do

[Killdeer]

Hardhed is right about that nock left stuff.

Killdeer  

[Ricker]

Also if there is a "clacking" sound the shaft may be bouncing off the riser giving you a false nock left...

as if you needed more to think about!   :eek:

[30coupe]

That setup shouldn't be stiff and as Hardhed and Killie said, nock left for a righty is weak spine. All the arrow combinations you mentioned should be weak (nock left) out of your bow...and they are. Now you just have to either cut down some of the shafts you have or buy some stiffer ones.

I draw 28" and shoot Beman ICS Bowhunter 500s cut to 30" (including the 1/4" of 100 grain insert that sticks out) with 100 grain inserts and 125 to 170 grain points out of my 52# @ 28" Kanati. I get great flight (bare shaft or fletched) with them. If you are drawing 28" you would be right in the ballpark with this same setup...maybe cut 1/4 to 1/2 shorter.

[vermonster13]

Don't worry about how the nock shows. Go by where the arrows are grouping. Odds are you are having some release issues causing that great a variation in spines to all be nock left.

[fountain]

i woke up last night at 3 and realized i was confused and my set up shows weak.  the best one was the full lenght shaft and 125 gr point.  i have been shooting that set up for bout 3-4 months--but feel i need a touch more weight.  i have some that are shorter.  i will try a shorter 35/55 with a 175 gr point and a 200 gr to see if i can get them dialed in then.  
the full lenght shafts with the light points fly like darts and i can hit pretty well with them--i just want to get closer to 500 gr.  iam sitting at about 415 +/- right now

[John3]

Right handed archer with a bare shaft flying nock left equals a WEAK spine for the setup...

[Mint]

I shoot a predator recurve at 52lbs and found that a 35/55 cut to 28" with 175grs to 200grs flys perfect for me.

[Arwin]

I had a Predator that was 53#@27 and it shot a 28 3/4 inch 2216 with 145 grains up front pretty good at 176 fps.

[xtrema312]

My 50# shot 29" Beman 500's with 100 gr. insert and I think 100 points decent.  I think standard inserts and 145 points would have been better.  

That bow is cut past center then built out to center with the strike plate.  It probably has a FF string.  If you draw close to 28" try that 55/75 full length and try a standard insert with about 125-145 point for a base line, and see how that goes.  I would guess the 55/75 at 29" with 100 brass and 125 point would be real closes for the heavier arrow you want, but work your way down.  For the 500 you will be hard pressed to get the weight much over 400 without internal weight.  You just can’t get a heavy point and cut it down far enough.  

I have odd flight also when I get real heavy on the point like over 20% FOC.  I have gotten great flight bare shaft, and even though I loaded the point up with more weight it tends to not fly way out of the group particularly at longer range.  I think the point heads to the target, and the back wobbles around, but falls in behind the point.  I found it easier to read weak shaft by shooting closer and by watching the shaft flight more than impact point and shaft angle at my standard 15 yd. test distance.

[eagle24]

Drop the point weight back to 125 and build the sideplate out if you want to shoot those arrows.  I like shooting a weaker shaft and building the sideplate out to accomodate.  Seem to get better flight than with a stiffer shaft.  Stiffer is probably better for hunting, but I've not had any problems.

[James Wrenn]

Everything you tried should be way too weak for that bow.Maybe a 125 on the 55/75 full length would work but it would still be too weak for me without trimming it back a little. jmo

[xtrema312]

By the way is this a Pittsley Preator?  That would make a difference in my comments.  There are other Preator bows.

[fountain]

yes this is a pittlsey bow.  i am going to try a cut down 35/55.  i think 500 gr is doable--i am already at 415 now.  if i am less, then that is fine too--as long as it bare shafts good--slightly weak

[wtpops]

Originally posted by fountain:
i woke up last night at 3 and realized i was confused and my set up shows weak.  

Man i hate when i do that and ive done it more than once    

[fountain]

this stuff gets to me!  i want everything to be set up right--i have had poor arrow tuning cost me some animals.  i also want my shooting to be the best that i can possibly produce and want to get proficient in doing so on a regular basis.  
i will get this thing set right.  it may take a little while but i am determined to get it right and to use a 35/55--got a lot of them and will not buy new ones!!!!!

[randy grider]

Hardhead is right, you may need to shorten the shaft.

[fountain]

well, i got it!!!!  after trying several short..almost to the riser short.. 35/55 with some 200 gr points to no avail, i went to a 55/75.  i tried a full length with a 175 and 200 gr point with standard insert and it was still weak.  i rememberad i had some short 55/75 shafts under my old bed that i got when we first started shooting trad again a few years ago.  i went kind of wild cutting the shafts--i cut them like i was setting a compound up.  the measure 28.5" from the von to the insert.  they work PERFECT!  i am shocked.  with a 200 gr point they fly straight.  i have about 7-8 of these shafts in the woodgrain and about 4 more in camo.  i will have to sart all over tomorrow stripping the old wraps and feathers off to put new ones on.  i am glad i finally found something that worked.  not what i was looking for, but i will take it!
with a 200 gr point, the bare shaft comes in at 517.  that is more than enough weight for me.