Anybody else hate tuning new bows?

[Etter]

There are probably people that love this process, but I'm not one of them.  

I just bought a zipper nitro with longbow limbs.  It's cut the same as my widow and the same draw weight but, as it turns out, it isn't quite as fast.  It is beautiful, a great shooter, and dead silent now that I put some wool puffs on her.  

But because it's not as quick, my widow arrows are too stiff so I have to build all new arrows.  My widow shoots 5575s cut to 28 inches with 300 total grains up front.  I am hoping that I can get away with 30" arrows but if they're still stiff, I can shoot them full length at 32".  I just don't enjoy the process.  I love the end result, but I wish every bow would just shoot darts.  

I have been shooting this bow wonderfully with full length 3555s with only 100 total grains up front.  Those arrows are blazing fast but much too light for hunting so here I go again.

[Pat B]

There is really not much involved in tuning a new bow. Finding arrows that shoot well from a bow is another story all together.

I am in total agreement with you on this subject!

Bisch

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Personally I find it frustrating. I like to take it over to Ron W.'s house, he seems to be good at tuning.

[Pete McMiller]

I know, I'm in that mode now.  I have arrows it will shoot "OK" but not great - yet.  You really never know how good a bow will shoot until you have it tuned with the proper arrows.  That light at the end of the tunnel is what keeps me motivated.

[Longbow58]

Not found of tuning myself...sort of like painting, don't care to do it but know it has to be done.

[YORNOC]

Yes.

[Joni]

For me, it takes time to tune a new bow. I just take 3 arrow's and bare tune them just get desent flight with feathers. Then journey to get perfect arrow flight start. Couple of weeks and I feel comfort whit bow and what string goes whit it etc etc.. And tuning continue to get perfect arrow.

[ISP 5353]

I enjoy tuning.  Some bows seem to be more frustrating than others, but it is like a puzzle to figure out.

Never tune when you are tired or distracted.  Never be in a hurry.  Think through each change and what you are trying to do, and only change one thing at a time.  

Good arrow flight is easier than great arrow flight.  I take the time to get it as good as I possibly can.

Broadhead tuning can also be frustrating, but worth the effort.

[BRITTMAN]

Up your point weight , put on a thin calf hair side plate , use as little string silentcers as possible to keep the bow quite ( I like cat wiskers trimed down ) , maybe try a skinny string on that bow . Lower brace height a little for more power stroke , take bow quiver off if you use one as it will make a bow shoot a little stiff , Ill bet you can still use the same arrows by doing a few of these sugestions .
Mike

[Hud]

Personally, I like tuning and rarely have a problem.  But, understand your frustration. It is a process of elimination. Rather than try to explain it, you might find the following helpful.

 http://elitearrows.com/proper-arrow/

Also see:  Traditional Bowhunter, Feb/March article by Denny Sturgis Jr. P78-79 He refers to the above, as well.

[hvyhitter]

I never get rid of arrows so I have several hundred in about a dozen or more sizes so it takes maybe 20 min to find the right arrow and fine tune a bow..........work smarder not harder.............

[ozy clint]

i'm a one bow kinda guy for this reason.

[Sam McMichael]

I don't like it, either. However, it sure feels good when you get the bow shooting like it should. One of my problems is that I don't have a smooth release, which causes all kinds of problems that appear to be tuning issues but are really form issues.

[cacciatore]

Since I hate it myself I fine tune a new bow off season.
My Zipper SXT is considerably faster than my Widow at the same poundage but yes it requires a weaker arrow though.

[Bladepeek]

I think you are maybe over-complicating the process. If the 3555s shoot great full length with 100 gr up front, pick a heavier point and start cutting them back (slowly) to 28". I wouldn't be too surprised if they turn out working well with 175s up front.

[Sixby]

Check the Zipper out after you have an arrow tuned for it. I have quite a number of customers that have both widows and Zippers and thie testimonies are the opposite of yours as to the speed.
an arrow that is not right for the bow will lose cause the bow to be a lot less efficient in transmitting its energy.
This is one reason I do not put a ton of faith in chronographing unless I know the qualifications of the person operasting the chronograph and how good they are at setting up a bow and tuning it properly.

God bless, Steve
God bless, Steve

[ron w]

I love the tuning process......grab a bunch of different arrows and the bow , mess around for a few hours......it's half the fun of this pastime.

[Etter]

Bladepeek,
I shoot 300 grains up front for hunting.  No exceptions so 175 won't do.  I need them to blow a 2" tree shark through anything it goes into.  

Sixby, I suppose you could be right but if both bows are the same draw weight and same shelf cut, then the slower bow would show stiffer arrows correct?  

The zipper is a longbow and the widow is a recurve.  I shoot 600 grain arrows.

[Orion]

I think sometimes we make this tuning stuff harder than it should be. It usually takes me 15 minutes to a half-hour to find the right arrow for a bow.

First I determine how deep the shelf of the bow is relative to center, then the type of string it has, the type of bow it is, longbow, hybrid, recurve, poundage at my draws length, and the weight and length arrow I want to shoot.  I've been at this for 50 years so it's fairly easy to then determine the arrow I need based on those factors.  Using Stu's calculator will get you to the same place quickly. The calculator just codifies and refines what a lot of folks have been doing by feel for a long time.  

One difference between the way I approach tuning and the way  many others do is that I start with a given arrow length, which is one inch beyond the riser at my draw length.  I cut my arrows to that length and then tune the arrow to the bow with different weight inserts, adaptors and points, building out the side plate and/or playing with the brace height a little. Of course, the desired end arrow length and weight determines the spine and weight of the arrow shaft I select to begin with as well as what i think will be the needed weight up front.

I don' start with a long arrow and cut off small pieces until I get good arrow flight. There's a pretty good range of carbon spines now, and, of course, there's always been a wide spine range in wood and aluminum, so one should be able to pick a shaft deflection to start with that is pretty close to what's needed.

I seldom need to bare shaft, though I do if necessary. Theoretically, one might be able to fine tune even more, but my arrows come out of the bow clean, fly like lazers and hit where I'm aiming, both field points and broad heads.  That's good enough for me.

Regardless of how one tunes, good form is absolutely essential.  Without good, consistent form, tuning just doesn't work. We get too many wrong signals that we cause ourselves, and it can become very frustrating.

All I can say is keep at it.  You'll figure it out.