Tip Protectors and Tuning

[jamesh76]

I recently tried to put a rubber tip protector on one of my longbows. I got different arrow flight from this. Any suggestions on this matter, or do I you need to retune a bow if you place a tip protector on it?


James

[Javi]

Even adding or removing a quiver will require a retune.. so yes a tip protector requires a retune..

[TIM B]

Lots of guys use them but I never liked them. Seems like a good place for moisture and dirt to collect to me.  Once a year I just spray or brush a little polly on the tip to keep it in good shape

[Boomerang]

Just put one on both ends and you will even it out. It works for me.

[BOWMARKS]

That is the second thing on right after a string on a new bow for me so I guess it does not matter , we are tuning from that point on.

[jamesh76]

I guess since I have already tuned this bow that I will just take it off then.

Thanks Guys.

[RM81]

I cut mine to just barely cover the string grooves.  It keeps the string on, but doesn't affect string travel.  I didn't notice a considerable difference after I added it.  My arrows still hit where they did before.  My inconsistencies in form are worse than any changes made by the tip protector.  Just my .02

Or you could try that rubber dip stuff just on the very tip (not going up the string groove.  I wouldn't think it would add that much weight, shouldn't affect string travel, and wouldn't let moisture or anything else get trapped in.

[smokin joe]

A friend had a very noisy and harsh longbow that he was thinking of selling. He just couldn't tune the noise out of it by changing strings, silencers, points or arrow spine -- until he took off the tip protector. Then the bow settled right down.

Almost anything can have an effect on tune and noise.

[robtattoo]

Originally posted by jamesh76:
I recently tried to put a rubber tip protector on one of my longbows. I got different arrow flight from this. Any suggestions on this matter, or do I you need to retune a bow if you place a tip protector on it?


James

I would think that if something that insignificant affected your arrow flight, your arrows are probably right on the verge of being wrong anyway.
I've got one on each of my bows & I haven't noticed any difference whatsoever.

[Swamp Yankee]

I used tip protectors for years thinking they couldn't matter that much; until I removed one from a widow I was trying to quiet down and it worked.  I no longer have them on any bow.  Brush buttons are still there though!

[Friend]

Have never noticed any change in the past by shooting with or w/o tip protectors.

I always attempt to tune with everything installed. If I ever change something, I revalidate tuning. Keeping a bareshaft in my quiver has served me well in maintaining confidence.

[jamesh76]

Originally posted by robtattoo:
 

Originally posted by jamesh76:
I recently tried to put a rubber tip protector on one of my longbows. I got different arrow flight from this. Any suggestions on this matter, or do I you need to retune a bow if you place a tip protector on it?


James

I would think that if something that insignificant affected your arrow flight, your arrows are probably right on the verge of being wrong anyway.
I've got one on each of my bows & I haven't noticed any difference whatsoever. [/b]

I think it may be that the tip protecor slides over the string so far. I may try trimming them down.

The arrows I am shooting bareshaft and fly great as they are.

[rraming]

I have had issues with longbows with skinny limbs, other longbows with fatter limbs don't mind (at least that is my experience)

[dragonheart]

Avoid them altogether.  Bowyers go to great trouble to time and tiller limbs and then adding  weight to one end of the two levers.  Changes the dynamic between the limbs.

[Bill Turner]

Have used them for almost 40 years without problems. Cut them short to just cover the string groove. Not only protects the tips but also helps keep the string in place when the bow is unstrung. Have never had any problem with sand, grit, noise or arrow tuning. I'm just too old to change now.  

[Lee Robinson .]

This is a bit of a long winded post, but if you read it, there is some good info on tuning and matching a system up properly.

It does make a difference in some situations if you have a tip protector on a bow or not. It is a slight difference, but there is a difference never the less.

A lot of people say you can not bareshaft tune a broadhead arrow because the broadhead will windplane, but the truth is it can be done. I have done it and I know of a few others that have done it as well; however, for that to happen, everything has to be perfect. I recall one set up that I had that was super forgiving in bareshafting and I was able to bareshaft several different broadheads (zephyr, 125-160 gr snuffers, and Abowyer broadheads) and without broadheads I was able to bareshaft 2117, 2216, & 2219, but the 2216 was the only arrow that shot the broadheads perfect. What that meant to me, it was my go to shaft for a fletched up arrow.

Anyway, upon putting a tip protector on that bow, I could see a slight amount of nock high coming out of the bow within the early portion of the arrow's flight. Of course it wasn't much and it would straighten out without much flopping, but I noticed it because I was used to seeing that clean spin of the fletching and that's all...and I could see that the flight wasn't the same. I decided to shoot a bareshaft and I had nock high even with field points. I took the tip protector off and haven't used one since.

What you can do is get a jar and mix up some of the massey epoxy finish up in it, and then dip your lower tip in the jar in it, hold it there for a second, and then when you pull it out just shake off the drip if there is a drip. Let it dry and do it again if you want some 4+ hours or so later. Once dry solid (6-8 hours or so), you can steel wool it slightly and then wax it AFTER you are done (do not wax between coats) and that will leave a thin coating of epoxy over the lower limb tip that isn't anything more than a thicker coating of finish, meaning it would weigh very little. Of course, to do this, it may create an issue with your current finish depending upon what finish is on the bow.

BTW, a fletched arrow will generally shoot slightly stiffer than an unfletched arrow. The more tuned your equipment is, the more forgiving the system will be.

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by BOWMARKS:
That is the second thing on right after a string on a new bow for me so I guess it does not matter , we are tuning from that point on.

Same here...tuning starts with a protector on....but I guess it would make a difference if it were added after a tuning session.

Although my shooting aint near good enough to tell  

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Personally, I do not believe that for me adding or subtracting a bow quiver or tip protector affects arrow flight to any detectable degree.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

If bows were as finicky as we sometimes think they are, our ancestors never would've shot all those woolly mammoths to Kingdom Come!

[Lee Robinson .]

The bow I noticed the tip protector effecting was one of the most accurate bows and well tillered bows I ever shot. It was a Habu recurve from the early 2000's. I still remember it.

Now that said, I do NOT think all bows are effected by tip protectors the same way. Also, I do not think all tip protectors would effect any single bow the same way.

I personally believe the lighter the limb, the more the limb travels (long draws), and the heavier the tip protector...the more it will come into play.