Bare shaft tuning question

[Homey88]

A quick question, when bare shaft tuning should the bare shaft fly straight like a dart? Mine is fish tailing and hitting the target at a angle . My fletched arrows are hitting near the bareshaft and their flight is pretty good they are sticking straight into the target. Thanks in advance.
Mike

[Jake Scott]

Check out this link....

 http://www.acsbows.com/bareshaftplaning.html

If recently tuned a bunch of my shafts using this method and it worked great.  Let us know if you anymore questions.

Jake

[Homey88]

Thanks!

[Fattony77]

The objective of bare shaft tuning is to get the arrows flying straight without the fletching correcting any less-than-optimal flight. So, I would say, yes. Straight like a dart is what we're shooting for.        

[JamesKerr]

A thing that helps me when I bareshaft tune is to hold the bow vertically because when I cant the bow I tend to induce a small amount of torque on the riser. Some people don't have to do this as they can shoot either way with no torque on the riser. Just remember when bareshafting every little thing even like glove or tab drag affects your results. Thats why I don't do it anymore and just focus on getting good arrow flight with my fletched arrows.

[Homey88]

Thanks guys I really appreciate all of your help,comments and advice.

[Bladepeek]

I like to see my bare shafts flying straight and hitting either together with my fletched shafts, or just a hair on the weak side. The fletching, especially if I use 5" feathers, does stiffen up the dynamic spine just a bit.

[LittleBen]

I personally can't say wnough about bareshaft tuning. When I shot compound I never did it, but after going trad almost exclusively, I've been bareshaft tuning quite religiously.

I also have come to use the chronograph more than ever before. Why?

Because bareshaft tuning requires essentially perfect or at least extremely repeatable form. The chronograph helps tell you how consistent your anchor is, bareshaft tells you how consistent your release is.

If you're shooting bareshafts like darts, your release is clean and your arrows are tuned.

If you're getting duplicates or very close FPS readings from the chrono, then your anchor is also extremely consistent.

Great tools for making sure you're doing your job properly and not blaming the bow or arrow unless they're really the problem.

[Blaino]

shoot the bare shaft the same way as you always shoot.  just remember that your vertical axis will shift with your bows cant.

if you don't have a good release then it will be magnifies x10 bare shafting.

i want my bare shafts GROUPING slightly stiff before i move to fletched arrows, & broadhead arrows together.

bare shaft tunning works, but i don't think it is something that can be done in an hour one afternoon because any form flaw will give crazy results.

send me a pm if you want to discuss more.

[BAK]

It's been my observation that many issues folks have with bare shafting are actually form issues.  If your form is eratic, you will not get reliable bare shaft results.

[LB_hntr]

When I bare shaft tune I shoot a dozen shots holding the bow vertical and try to remove the high or low kick from the nock adjustment first. then I shoot another dozen holding verticle with my eyes closed. this makes sure im not peeking or trying to see something and just shooting. I note the tail kick and angle. then I shoot a dozen with my bow canted like I do and my eyes closed. this lets me see that my shooting is the same just at a slight angle due to the cant.
  Now I have my base established and im ready to start cutting the shafts to get the spine correct.

 by doing this I'm making sure that my kick is spine related and not nock or form related. Works for me. Takes a couple extra minutes to get that bas but I trust my results better this way.

[Easykeeper]

How far from the target are you?  In my opinion you need to be shooting from at least twenty yards to get decent results, twenty five or thirty is even better.  

The reason I ask is because I don't ever see bare shafts "fishtailing".  There might be one correction at the start but then they plane off to one side or the other, or up or down.  Fishtailing is caused by fletching correcting poor arrow flight, over correcting and getting in to a back and forth pattern.

The direct answer to your question is yes, when everything is right the bare shaft will fly like a bullet, straight to the target.  In fact it's tough to see the bare shafts in flight when you get close, they are just a speck going down range.  

If you are grouping bare shafts and fletched shafts together at twenty five to thirty yards, I wouldn't worry too much if the bare shafts aren't perfectly straight in the target.  In a perfect world they would be, and you may well get them there, but bare shafts are very sensitive and if they are significantly off they will plane out of the group.  Targets also magnify any deviation from perpendicular and may even impose a direction change due to being less than perfectly homogeneous.

[Homey88]

I'm shooting at about 20 yards. Some of it is most likely my release. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks

[Bjorn]

Horney you should want very good flight from a BS-that is the point. I like mine slightly weak because the fletching will make up for the weak spine. A slight angle on impact is fine-45 deg is not.. If your arrows are fishtailing or erratic your spine is likely wrong-don't feel bad the point of BS is correct spine. Up above is a link provided by a TG'er follow that guide. Come back and let us know how you are doing. Please be ready to provide details about your bow, arrow shafting, point weight etc.

[Homey88]

Bjorn,
Here is the details of what I shoot. Bow is an omega delta takedown longbow 49#@28inches. Arrows are ics bow hunters 400 spine. I have a hundred grain brass insert and a 200 grain point. I will keep you posted. Thanks for everyone's help.
Mike

[Homey88]

Just got done shooting, the tail end of the bare shafts are kicking to the right and correcting and hitting the target slightly to the right. My fletched arrows are shooting pretty straight and are to the right of the bareshaft in the middle of the target. I took a picture of the group and I'm trying to figure out hoe to post to the group.

[duffer1565]

Sounds like your a little stiff spined . try putting a little more weight up front.

[LIBowhunter]

We are assuming you are right handed, is that correct? I am a lefty and the results are reversed if so. For spine adjustment and weight upfront. Left/ right adjustment... Just thought I would ask.

[tracker12]

Originally posted by BAK:
It's been my observation that many issues folks have with bare shafting are actually form issues.  If your form is eratic, you will not get reliable bare shaft results.

Exactly why bare shaft tuning frustrates so many  shooters and is not an effective way for them to tune their bow.

[Homey88]

Oops sorry I'm a right handed shooter.