Tight Nocks

[CAT22]

My nocks really snap onto my string and hold on tight. I think too tight. Will this significantly effect accuracy? If so, how can this be resolved? What should I be shooting for when it comes to nock fit?

[Charlie Lamb]

Yep, makes a big difference. Either use sandpaper to open them a little or dunk ears of nock in boiling water for 20 seconds and spread to fit....nock should hold on but release when suspended from string and string is lightly tapped.

[LH Keith]

Charlie's right. I've used the emory boards (for the ladies nails) to help fit mine, go easy, check as you go.
                                     Keith

[McDave]

If you have new nocks and new string serving, the nocks will loosen up quite a bit after a few hundred shots.  Don't make them so loose that they will fall off the string after the serving and nocks wear a little.

[Jim Wright]

the inexpensive emory boards that come in packs work great. I open the nocks up to where they just go on the srting and a flick of my middle finger against the string with the arrow pointed down causes them to drop off.

[rraming]

the serving will "pinch" down eventually also

[ArkyBob]

What Charlie said.  Not only will it change the way the arrow comes off the string, but it will quieten the sound also.  

BOB

[wtpops]

Mr Lamb hit it on the head as far as fit. Myself i steal my wifes finger nail files , the ones with a sand paper type material glued to both sides a foam board.This thing is about 1/8" thick and i squeez the nock onto it and slide it down. it sands both sides of the nock at the same time the same amount. 3 to 4 passes and i have a perfect fit.


AHH i just read what Jim Wright said in his reply, EMORY BOARD that whats its called.

Best peice of non-related archery equipment in my archery tool box.

[eagleone]

just be cautious - as stated above nocks loosen and / or serving pinches up and you end up with sloppy nocks.

[LONGSTYKES]

I use emory boards also, works well. Just don't over do.

[Ed Q]

Didn't have an emory board on hand, so what I did with a couple of tight nocks is fold up some sandpaper to fit in the nocks and sand them down on the inside edges to widen them a bit til they fit right on the string.  Took less than a minute for each nock.

[Ken Taylor]

Remember too that nock tightness is relative to the weight of the arrow as well as the poundage of the bow.

I shoot heavy bows and heavy arrows so if I compare my nock to the nock tightness of a lighter bow/arrow setup, it may seem a little more but it is not taking the percentage into consideration.

As already  mentioned, the serving wears a little and the nocks themselves seem to loosen up a bit with time too.

I don't like hunting with nocks that are too loose, so as others have said, take it slow and easy when adjusting the nocks.

[robtattoo]

Well call me Johnny Opposite.

I sand out all my nocks so that they don't hold onto the string at all. Not all strings are the same size, not all servings are the same diameter. Why add another variable into the equasion? The length of time it takes for the nock to release from your string will effect your arrow flight a lot more than 99% of people realise.

[Spectre]

+1 robtattoo. I shoot three under these days, and that seems to reduce problems with keeping the nock on the string.

[BowHuntingFool]

Call me the odd man out here but If my nocks were to tight on my string I would reserve the string so they fit proper! If you dunk em in boiling water or sand em down they wont be consistent, been there done that! Much easier to "fix" the string than every nock you have on your arrows!

[McDave]

+1 robtattoo. I shoot three under these days, and that seems to reduce problems with keeping the nock on the string.

 

What are you doing that I'm not, Spectre?  I didn't start having problems keeping the nock on the string until I switched to three under.  With split fingers, I could grip the arrow between two fingers and keep a loose-nocked arrow on the string.  With three under, my nocks have to be tight enough to stay on the string by themselves.

[Brently]

I shoot three under and use a loose nock.  When you slide your three fingers up under the arrow it will push it up against the nock and hold it in place.  That is just the way I do it and it works for me.

[Terry Green]

I sand all my nocks to fit the string. I like them with just a hint of 'snap' so the bow is still quiet, arrow flight is not effected, and the arrows wont fall off the string, and much less chance of dry fire.

If you do it right, there's no problem at all.  Just make sure you don't sand the throat of the nock...just the sides.  Take your time and don't hurry.

[bfrbmj]

I agree with Terry.  My bow was very loud this summer-new string and new arrows.  Tried bow hush and even limb savers and was still louder than ever.  Info from this site or maybe a trad video reminded me to look at the nocks.  The arrows would have a loud plucking sound upon release.  Bought the little file tool that 3 Rivers sells-fixed the problem and easy to use.  Easy to match nock width with serving to get the fit that Terry recommends.

[Terry Green]

bfrbmj,

What file tool is that?...sound better than sand paper.