Any tips for bare shaft tuning?

[Stephen Claypool]

Ive never done it before, but gonna try and get out soon and try a new arrow set up. Any tips or things i need to know? At what distance should i start? Im guessing i need to shoot at a target shoulder height? What does a nock high or nock low impact indicate? Left or right nock? Am i whatching the flight more than the arrow on impact? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[Stumpkiller]

Here:  

 http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/Tuning-W17.aspx

They're a sponsor so I guess this is OK.

[hvyhitter]

Thats the easiest way I've found over the years and if your release tends to be a bit sloppy it still works unlike paper tuning........

[Stephen Claypool]

Wow. Just read through that. Looks like i got my work cut out for me. Thanks

[CAT22]

I'm new, but have been refering to an article from O.L. Adcock I found online. Though I have found folks have difference of opinion on planing, this is what i'm gonna start with when the time comes. Just search "tuning a recurve bow" on googled (or whatever you use) and look for "bowmaker". It's pretty thorough.

[Bowmania]

www.bowmaker.net   click on tuning

Bowmania

[Don Stokes]

I suggest you start close, no farther than 5-7 yards, and use a SOFT target. When you get things looking pretty good, then you can extend the range. I use a block of foam from a furniture foam plant, like the foam you find in sofa cushion. It saves arrow shafts from breaking when the spine isn't very close.

[Javi]

It's really not that difficult, and can actually be fun if you are into cause and effect type stuff.. I enjoy tuning a good bit..

Like Don said, you need a soft target but it also needs to hold the shaft well enough so you can see the kick..

[Stephen Claypool]

Well im more confused now than when i started.

 I put together 6 bare shafts. 3-.400 spine easton fmj's and 3-.300 spine easton fmj's. All were full length w/ 145gr tip and 100gr insert. And they all group TOGETHER! All have good bare shaft flight from 15yds and all impact the target straight when shooting at a target at shoulder height. Stu's calculator said i needed a .300 w/ my set up. But im confused as to why the .400's are grouping and flying just as well as the .300's?

[Javi]

Put 125's on them and try again.. that or 200 grain... you should start to see a different reaction at some point..

But then again... define group together.. slapping each other or pie plate...

 I'd be really surprised if a .300 could be made to fly well from your bow without a lot more of front weight..

[Stephen Claypool]

There not all slapping together but all are softball size groups. Just blowing my mind!

Stu's said i actually need to stiffin them up a little by cutting them down to 30". They are 32" now.

I dont know if i should build the 300's or 400's now?

[Javi]

Fletch one of the 400's and then shoot a fletched and a bare shaft together at 15-20 yards.. repeat at least 10 times.. if the bare shaft sticks right of the fletched (if you are shooting right handed) consistently then that shaft is going to be weak.. add or subtract at least 45-50 grains from the point and repeat to note difference for verification..
You can repeat with the 300’s if you wish….

[drewsbow]

If you are reading O.L. 's article correctley you need three fletched and three bare shafts . You then shoot them together and note the difference in the impact point between the fletched and bare shafts and adjust from there. ( note ) You are not looking at angle of impact but grouping between bare and fletched. Do this and adjust per his article then move out to your max range and do it again as the further away you are the more difference you will see.  Drew

[Col HJ]

Carbon shafts dampen really quickly coming off the bow and can trick you occasionally....As Javi said above you need to shoot them along side the fletched shafts to get any meaningful comparison. I like to put a black 1" wide vertical stripe on my target face to "tighten up" my shooting when doing this.

I didn't see mention above of your draw weight and length but...it takes alot of trad bow to need a .300 spine. I have some EFOC arrows made from Carbon Express 6075 shafts @ 30" with 100gr inserts / 300 gr filed points and they are way stiff on my new 60# Savannah.

[Stephen Claypool]

Originally posted by drewsbow:
If you are reading O.L. 's article correctley you need three fletched and three bare shafts . You then shoot them together and note the difference in the impact point between the fletched and bare shafts and adjust from there. ( note ) You are not looking at angle of impact but grouping between bare and fletched. Do this and adjust per his article then move out to your max range and do it again as the further away you are the more difference you will see.  Drew

I did read that but first he said to bare shaft to set nock height. Flying dutchman ran all the info for me on stu's calculator and came back w. the .300 spine cut to 30". 100gr insert and 150gr tip. I tried the 300's first but then thought i would try the 400's for the heck of it. Like i said. Im even more confused now than what i was. So, what do u guy's think of the 400's? Good staring point or not? Ill fletch a couple up and see what happens.

[Javi]

I could see a .400 or even maybe a .340 with a lot of weight up front..

Seemed like I remember you using a recurve at 48 or something like that at 28" and drawing 28"... the only way that would require a .300 spine is if it were cut way past center...

[Stephen Claypool]

Yep. 48#@ 28" and i am 28".


Ill play more w/ the 400's tomorrow.< but still i dont under stand why the 300's were flying just like the 400's if the 300's are way to stiff!

[SS Snuffer]

When you shoot a bare shaft at 20yds. you will see it curve in flight. If it curves to the right your shaft is under spined if it curves to the left its over spined (for a righthand shooter). If it curves down lower your nock, curves up raise it. When it flys straight you got it tuned.
 I'd say 400's with a 225gr. tip should get you in the ballpark.

[Javi]

Didn't you say the bow was cut past center, that will make the bow shoot a stiffer arrow... add to that a flipper rest which makes the bow more forgiving of spine.. Then you're only shooting at 15 yards.. So the difference isn't as apparent as it would be at say 20 or 30 yards..  a bow with a well matched arrow and a  good release will shoot a bare shaft well  beyond that...  Bare shaft is great for setting a starting nock point and even determining a range of spine but it’s much easier to use a combination of both fletched and bare shafts for spine… and that will only get you set for field points.. If you are going to use BH’s then you need to repeat the process using fletched shafts with field points and the BH’s you will be hunting with.. After that you are almost set to hunt..

[Javi]

Originally posted by SS Snuffer:
When you shoot a bare shaft at 20yds. you will see it curve in flight. If it curves to the right your shaft is under spined if it curves to the left its over spined (for a righthand shooter). If it curves down lower your nock, curves up raise it. When it flys straight you got it tuned.
 I'd say 400's with a 225gr. tip should get you in the ballpark.

We're all applying good form, release and follow through to him, yet he says he's new. So theory may well be out the window..