Weird tuning experience?

[Biathlonman]

Ok, curious if anyone has seen this.  Got off work a little early this morning so ran down to the basement to play with some paper tuning.  I've been shooting trad for about a year but archery since I was born. Bows in question were a 45@28, Griffin with 6 strand SBD string and a 51@28 Toelke Chinook with 8 strand SBD string.  I draw about 29".  In the Griffin I was shooting a 30.5" GT 5575 and on the Toelke a 29.5" 2020. I shot the respective arrows on the respective bows with point weights from 145-250 and every combination shot a perfect bullet hole.  That struck be as almost impossible so I ran out back and shot the 30 yards to my 3 d target and arrow flight looked great at all weights.  How is that possible to have all those combinations showed "tuned?" Makes me wonder about the validity of paper tuning.  Am I just at an arrow sweet spot that is that forgiving?  Appreciate your thoughts.

[Orion]

All of the arrows were fletched, right?  That's the purpose of fletching -- to straighten the arrow quickly upon leaving the bow, and to keep it flying straight, of course.

You might have noticed a little variation in arrow flight with unfletched shafts.  

Regardless, my experience says that any bow will handle a range of spine deviation, say 5# to 20#, well.  There probably is one best spine for each bow arrow combination, but there are a lot of others that are so close that we really can't tell the difference, where our own shooting flaws have a greater effect on arrow flight than minor spine variation.

[xtrema312]

Try shooting paper at some different distances. What distance are you shooting?

[xtrema312]

I also think you could be stiff with almost all point weights on the Griffin.

[Biathlonman]

I shot from about 3-15 feet, all bullet holes.  Ive had two bows at 45-46 that shot the same with the 5575, i think it's the skinny strings that makes them like the stiff arrows.  I started with 2016s on both and could never get them stiff enough.  All arrows were fletched.

[ChrisM]

Some bows are very forgiving.  For example my Hill bow will shoot the same arrow from 145 to 200 grns on the front of my woodies.  My Bob Lee stick was very picky even though it was closer to center.  Some of it is probably how the bow fits you and if you torgue it or not.  Put on some broadheads and they will tell you better what the bow needs.

[Rossco7002]

My Toelke Whip shoots almost any arrow set up well, very forgiving....

[JimB]

I don't paper tune but use the bare shaft planing method starting at 15 yds and as things come together,gradually move back to 30.It is very easy to see the difference in 25 grs change of point weight and as I'm getting it dialed in,I try to get it quite a bit closer than that.25 grs of point weight equals app. 5# of dynamic spine.It is impossible for all those point weights to be tuned with no change to the shaft.

Keep in mind,fletching will mask errors in tuning on field point tipped arrows.You didn't really say if you are shooting fetched or bare shafts.

[Benny74]

I agree with Orion.  There is an envelope where a bow will tolerate multiple arrow setups with the same result.  I would not use arrow placement in the target as the final measure.  Be sure to observe what the bow and the arrow are doing from the moment you send one downrange.  Is the bow quiet?  Is there hand shock?  I think you mentioned that the arrows are flying as they should so that is a good sign.  Until our form is consistent, I cannot see how any bow can be tuned successfully so double check that too.  I had that same issue where everything I shot was knock high and left until I got my shooting process perfected.

[ChuckC]

I am still of the impression that you can spend years trying to figure out which is the perfect arrow size, length, weight, weight forward etc set up, or you can slap 5" feathers on almost any arrow and go out and have fun shooting for that year.  

I also agree with Orion.  Almost all bows have a pretty wide range of tolerance.  If it is that touchy that it doesn't, your form better be perfect with every shot or it will screw up on you then too.

Yeah, it is fun to play with our bows, and yeah, we all want our arrows flying well, but I still think we put way too much into this "simple" activity.

I am pretty certain our forefathers did not paper tune, did not weigh each knapped head, did not cut 1/4" off the length of each arrow to attain nirvana. Did not build out the shelf on the bow of adjust the nock point incessantly.

They flexed the shaft.  If it felt right they built the arrow. They shot the arrow.  If it flew well it went into the quiver.  If not, it became firewood.

ChuckC