paper tuning self bows?

[Jim Wright]

I was wondering if paper tuning to attain optimum arrow flight with a self bow is as useful as the method is with laminated bows? It is my limited experience and visual observation that I cannot get the consistent arrow flight with my self bow that I get with my laminated bows even when a particular arrow from it looks to fly well on a majority of shots. To those with experience here thanks for any help.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

what type of arrow shaft are You using?

[Don Stokes]

If the bow is well made it shouldn't make a difference. The arrow doesn't know it's being shot from a self bow.

[Jim Wright]

I should have mentioned I'm shooting wood, Sitka Spruce.

[Roy Steele]

I've biult and shot selfbows for 20 years.And theres no reason you can't get as good arrow flight as with any other bows.
  I personaly don't paper tune.Put I see no reason you can't.I you have the proper spined arrows.It only takes some shooting to get the proper brace hight.
   Remmber to follow through and not lift your head to watch your arrow flight.For me when the arrow looksa like it's just jumping off the bow I know my set ups right.

[JRY309]

I haven't paper tuned my selfbows,I just bare shaft tune them to find the best spine for them.

[Walt Francis]

Like JRY309. my selfbows bare shaft tune fine.  I quit paper tuning when I threw the release away.

[Bjorn]

I agree with Don, the arrow does not know what kind of bow, and the paper has no clue either. Should work fine.

[Jim Wright]

For what it's worth, I've never had a release to throw away, why I asked for input is that I still get a few "what happened there?" shots in a shooting session. I am new to self bows and am wondering if this is the nature of the beast with them and if so paper tuning would be an exercise with potential to makes me a little crazier than I already am which I don't really need. I am aware that I may be on the margin of the correct spine range and I.M.O. paper tuning would indicate this. I am just wondering if some other experienced self bow shooters had some thoughts on using the method?

[kat]

If you are paper tuning a selfbow with the shelf cut shallow, or not at all, it can be tricky.
Make sure you give the arrow a chance to recover enough before it hits the paper.
I too am more of a fan of bare shaft tuning. Your release has to be very consistant for bare shaft tuning as it is for any type of tuning.

[Jim Wright]

Thanks for the input Ken, my self bow has no shelf cut in but rather a horn rest attatched to the side of the riser. My release is consistent and I use the bare shaft method with my laminated bows that I shoot carbons with, but then use paper as a fine tuning method. On my Hill style bows and wooden arrows, I have so far depended upon having a friend watch arrow flight then  paper tuning to fine tune. My bare shafting has been done at 5 yards then moving gradually back to 20. I wonder what might be a good starting distance for bare shafting with my self bow?

[longbowhntr]

Like you, my selfbows have no shelf cut into them so I fell you need to get as close to the perfect arrow as possible by any and all tuning methods. I have paper tuned my selfbows and it did help with my shooting alot. As far as distance from the paper we were about 8-10ft, some say you should be farther away, maybe so?? I'm sure not an expert but I beleive it helped get much better flight.
Also I shoot cedar and ash (tapered) and assemble my own arrows. I try to get weight and spine as close as possible when building arrows.

Good luck David

[kat]

It sounds like you have things well in hand. You will get a lot of different suggestions about how far you need to be back from the target.
My own personal preference is to start at about 7 yards, and then move back from there.  
Good luck in your tuning.

[Jim Wright]

Thanks for the input guys. Ken, your suggestion of 7 yards has proven to be a good one. With arrows that flew well according to a friend watching them, seven yard paper tuning after some minor tinkering has proven excellent flight. At five yards the arrows are still correcting, it must simply take a little longer because of how far the bow is from being center cut.

[Jacko]

A funny story about paper tuning and Selfbows. At the local club I was a member of a few years ago a Compound shooter was getting most upset that he could not get his arrows to punch neat bullet holes through paper testing. They where indicating weak spine and he just did not understand he needed to reduce his bows Draweight first then fiddle with his Cams, brace height and tiller. Seems he did not want to loose Speed, cause as we all know Speed is what makes a bow accurate   :rolleyes:  

I advised him of this and as he regarded me as a lesser Archer because I shot a Selfbow loudly proclaimed I would have no idea about Tuning or matching Arrows as I shot a "Stick". I asked if I could put 3 Arrows through his precious paper and promptly punched 3 near perfect bullet type holes. I gathered my Arrows and walked off.

regards Jacko