Bare shaft tuning

[Scbenton]

So, when bare shaft tuning, it says to shoot a fletched arrow, along with a non fletched arrow.

Would the fletched arrow be at full length or cut to another specific length that has been already previously tuned to the bow?

Now, with no fletching on the arrow it left me wondering if I was actually hitting my anchor point since I always anchor with the fletching hitting the tip of my nose.  It also felt just plain awkward to shoot with no fletching on the arrow.

It also says to hold the bow vertical.  But this kind of confused me because wouldn't you want to tune your shafts to how you actually shoot?  Kind of like keeping the same sight picture, sight alignment.... It also felt awkward shooting the bow vertical since I always cant my bow.

[khardrunner]

Bareshaft and fletched should be exactly the same except one without feathers.

The idea behind holding vertical (which is debated) is that the reading for the bareshaft tuning will perfectly follow the x and y axis. For a righty, bareshafts left = stiff arrows. The theory is, if you cant the bow as a righty, then that would possibly change bareshafts left and down to be stiff arrows, making it tougher to bareshaft.

I don't know if that holds water or not.

[Scbenton]

So I should take two full length shafts fletching, then take the one with no fletching and shoot them.

Then from there just trim the bare shaft until they impact the same spot as the full length fletched shafts?

I have read about every tuning guide on the net AND all the advice offered here in previous posts.  

I guess I'm just a little lost and or confused especially understanding the whole reverse if your left handed deal.  I just cant get it to make any sense in my mind....  I understand when I'm reading it for a right handed person its in plain English but get so confused when trying to comprehend as what to do for being left handed.

[Brianlocal3]

I'm no help here. I just wanted to ask if your new to archery, or just new go tunIng?
I don't bares haft or paper tune. I will take Easton's guide for arrow recommendation and pick the length arrow I want and tip weight preference. And shoot it, and watch arrow flight. Once my FP are hitting well , I throw on my BH  and I'll tune the BH to my FP.

[metsastaja]

Sean have you read OL Adcock tuning
  http://www.bowmaker.net/index2.htm  

this might help with you left handed question
"The detailed descriptions below are for a right-handed shooter. Up and down adjustments with the nock point is the same if you are right handed or left handed. Left or right adjustments however are reversed. For explanation purposes, all discussion will be for right handed shooters. If you are left handed just reverse all left/right indications."

[khardrunner]

Did you read O.L. Adcock's guide?

Are you a lefty?

Basically you want to shoot 6 arrows...three bareshaft and three feathered exactly the same otherwise. Tune the nocking point first. If they hit low compared to the feathered shafts, then lower the nocking point. If they hit high compared to the feathered shafts, you will likely need to raise the point.

Left and right will help determine if you are spined correctly depending on whether you're shooting right or left handed.

Remember, it's most important to compare bareshafts and feathered, not to worry about how the arrows are sticking into the target. That is more of a fine tuning bit of information. If you can get the bareshafts to group with the feathered you are pretty much good to go.

[JimB]

http://bowmaker.net/index2.htm

When you cut shafts,cut fletched and bare,each time.

It is a good idea to have a WIDE variety of point weights and verify with point weight before cutting.You will see this mentioned in the Bowmaker tuning information.

For you,right impacting bare shafts will mean the arrow is too stiff.Add point weight.Left impact means too weak-trim shaft length or reduce point weight.

These days,now that I am familiar with what carbon shafts I need,I get them all cut to 30" and tune by point weight alone.Not having to cut shafts,makes the process go very quickly.I keep an assortment of screw-on field points from 100-300 grs and even a few heavier.

It might not hurt to list your bow and all it's specs,plus the shaft you plan to start with.Possibly someone could get you in the ball park with length and point weight and then you could tune from there.

Don't sweat the process and don't get in a hurry to get there.It is a great learning experience and you can jump on here and ask questions along the way.

Always remember,change only one thing at a time-very important.

[Bjorn]

I interpret 'fletched arrow' as being an arrow already known to fly well out of my bow-that is how I do it.

[Scbenton]

@ khardruner yep I read O.L Adocks methed and I am shoot left handed.

@ JimB I am shooting a Martin Mamba #50 at 28 inches with about a 24 to 25 inch draw length.  My arrows are Beman 500 BowHunters... I am using, well would like to use 100 gr inserts, 100 BH adapters and the 140 gr Grizzlies.

So I shouldn't worry about which way the shaft is angled?  Trust try and get them grouped first? Then maybe paper tune?

[Bjorn]

If you have bareshafted there is really no point to paper tune-it is one or the other. IMO
I ignore the angle only if it is fairly moderate-5-10 degrees and indicating 'weak'. If it is 45 degrees it is telling you something! And if it is indicating 'stiff' I tune-with feathers on it will get stiffer.

[khardrunner]

So as a lefty stiff is right, weak is left.

Right at first I wouldn't worry too much about angle into the target. Just get decent flight and get them to hit in the same place as fletched arrows.

[JimB]

I'm doing some guessing here but that may be too much weight up front,even if arrows are cut to 28".Only you will be able to figure that out but I believe I would start with a standard aluminum insert and possibly field points weighing 200-250,something like that.

[Kentucky Jeff]

How tight can you routinely shoot a group at 20 yards with a fletched arrow?

Be honest with yourself.  If you can't shoot a tight group you need to work on for before cutting arrows and costing yourself money.

A badly tuned arrow can shoot as tight a group as a well tuned arrow IF your form is good.  If your form is flawed it doesn't matter what you shoot.  But its almost impossible to tune arrows with bad form.  

So if you can shoot 4" groups at 20 yards consistently then I would think about beginning the tuning process.  Otherwise you are just spinning your wheels and you time would be better spent pounding the blind bale working on your form.  

YMMV

[Bjorn]

OL told me that if you can hit the bale at 20 yards you can tune using his method.

[moththerlode]

Paper tuning is worthless without the best of form and release, and that is with a mechanical release and no fletch contact .  To do it shooting off of the shelf and with fingers I say good luck LOL .    For me bare shaft is hard to beat without all the frustration and wheel spinning..

[texbow2]

I use bare shaft tuning but I don't cut shafts to tune. I shoot several diffent bows and want the same lenght arrow out of each. I just go up or down in point weight. If I end up between point weights I can tweek brace ht or side plate thickness. With all the different BH and adapters available I can always find a match.

[Scbenton]

@ khardrunner ok thanks clarifying the whole left/right deal.  I don't know how many times I've read about tuning and get confused by the whole if your a lefty do the opposite.  

I'm actually right handed but shoot rifle/bow with the left hand cause im left eye dominant.

@ KentuckyJeff honestly I haven't tried shooting a group in a while.  I usually take only three arrows out with me and shoot each arrow at a varying unkNown distance at different angles.

@ motherlode I went out to the range with the arrows I shoot my compound with except I had 240gr tip with regular HIT ALUMINUM inserts with 400 Beman MFXs.  Anywho I just wanted to see how they would shoot through paper.  Well I got a 2 to 3 inch tear left.  So after reading what khardrunner said this would be a stiff arrow.  So for the heck of it I wanted to see if breaking my current anchor point and drawing further would and putting more power behind the arrow would lessen the tear and it did.  It ended up being about .5 to 1 inch mixed with some bullet holes.  
So I went out side to try this new anchor point It turned out I was hitting way right and unable to hold a group..  So I ended my experimentation and went back to shooting with the fletch at the tip of my nose and everything was spot on again.  

But after all the input and khardrunner breaking it down to laymans terms I know what needs to be done and how to do it as far as tuning goes.

Does anyone know if the Martin Mamba accepts a FastFlight string?  It came with a Flemish twist, so I'm not really sure what strings this bow will accept.

[JamesKerr]

Your bare shafts and fletched arrows should be exactly the same length, point weight and insert weight. I cant the bow when bare shafting as this is how I normally shoot.