Arrows not hitting where I want

[Gordon Jabben]

I hope this topic belongs here.  I have seen a couple of post in powwow about guys getting a new bow and it doesn't group arrows where they want it to or where they are used to their arrows hitting with their old bow.  I'm kind of old school but I thought one bow would hit different from another bow due to tillering and how centershot it was.  They are getting all kinds of advice on how to move their groups.  My question is, can you really make a bow shoot where you want it to by tuning. I realize you change where your group hits by shooting the wrong spine arrow or moving the nocking point but wouldn't this mess up your arrow flight.

[McDave]

To a minor degree, you can move the point of impact without messing up arrow flight. For example, you can soften the strike plate by using something like a Martin rug rest and the point of impact will move to the right (RH shooter). You can harden the strike plate by using a strip of plain leather and move the impact point to the left. You can soften the rest material and move the point of impact down, or harden it and move the point of impact up. Neutral would be something like Velcro.

From a perfectly tuned arrow, you have a little bit of leeway in moving the nock point up, to drop the point of impact.  Of course, your bare shafts will then fly nock high, but not enough to adversely affect the flight of a fletched arrow.

The problem with doing any of this is that your form needs to be perfect first, or you might just be accommodating your own bad habits.

[Gordon Jabben]

Thanks McDave.  That's kind of what I thought but wasn't sure.

[gonefishing600]

QUOTE]Originally posted by Gordon Jabben:
I'm kind of old school but I thought one bow would hit different from another bow due to tillering and how centershot it was. [/QUOTE]

I don’t understand what you mean by hit different.

I have about eighteen bows in my little collection, and about half of them are totally different from each other in design, and shoot different spined arrows. I have had a close relationship with each and everyone of these bows, and as long as I did my part, to shoot with perfect form it came down to one thing, marring the bow and the arrow in perfect harmony, or tuning the two to each other. When that comes together, they all hit the same, and that is where i'm looking.

When they wouldn’t hit where I was aiming, I would continue tuning, and adjusting.

Just my opinion I could be wrong!

[Skipmaster1]

I tend to hit right with center/beyond center shot recurves. Even with tuned arrows. I am used to shooting longbows, so it's just me. I just build out the side plate a bit and tune from there. They then hit just like my other bows.

[Gordon Jabben]

Thanks Gone fishing 600, that's what I was wondering.  I have never spent a lot of time tuning my arrows and I just thought some bows shoot high or low, left or right.  Although I'm just an average shot, I could get them to group but not in the same place from bow to bow. Always had a lot of trouble changing from bow to bow.
Skipmaster, this is going to be hard to explain, but when I build the side plate out, I aim by seeing the arrow in my secondary vision and the arrow is now further to the left (right hand shooter) so now I move the bow to the right to put the arrow under the target and it cancels everything out.  
Man this is hard to explain and making my head hurt.  LOL  I guess I need to do a little more tuning or stick to one bow.  Thanks for the replies.

[Bill Carlsen]

IMO, tuning a bow is getting the  brace height and nocking point correct.  You finish tuning by getting the correct arrow tuned to a properly tuned bow.

[Austin Brown]

Originally posted by Skipmaster1:
I tend to hit right with center/beyond center shot recurves. Even with tuned arrows. I am used to shooting longbows, so it's just me. I just build out the side plate a bit and tune from there. They then hit just like my other bows.

Me too, I just can't jump back and forth between them and my longbows that are well out from center.  The longbows are my favorite, so I'm moving the couple of bows that I have that are center cut or past.