Recurve bare shaft tuning

[Steiger3208]

I just purchased a 2014 Martin hunter recurve. I am trying to bare shaft tune it. I have 55/75 gold tips with 100 grain brass inserts.  I have went all the way down to 125 grain point and it still shows weak a arrow. The bow is 45@28. I'm drawing 29".  Do I need stiffer arrows?  The book says 6.75 - 7.25 bh. I'm at 7.25.  if you raise brace height more that weakens the arrow, shortening stiffens arrow according to Easton tuning PDF. hate to go to low on bh. Any thoughts.  Thanks   Wes

[Coach Jones]

I would think you would need a 35/55 but I am no expert.

[Steiger3208]

I have 35/55 also and they showed weak also with aluminum inserts and 125 gain heads.

[karrow]

I agree with Coach. some arrows can be so stiff for a certain weight bow that they show week. something in the 500 spine range should be close.

[Steiger3208]

I've tried the 55/75 and the 35/55 with an assortment of field points from 125 all the way up to 225 grain and they all show weak.  This is the first recurve I've owed, always been a longbow shooter. When I site the string down the middle of the limbs the arrow appears to be the arrows width to the left of center, the plus side.  (I'm shooting right hand).  Do I need to move the arrow plate out more like my longbow?

[bogeyrider63]

According to stu's calculator. 3555 cut to 30" with 100gr. point and aluminum insert should be real close. 5575 are going to be real stiff in my opinion. They may show weak if they are kicking off the riser.

[KentuckyTJ]

55/75's most likely will be to stiff for that bow at that draw. Your arrow is hitting the shelf or side plate or you don't have two nock sets and your arrow is sliding down string after release.

Put a nocking set under your arrow nock if you don't have one, then spray arrow rest shelf with foot powder or put lip stick on edges of your fletchings or up and down the bare shaft to find our where its hitting your bow.

These would be first two things I would do with your bow. If you don

[Bladepeek]

You say the arrow appears weak when bare shafting. Are you basing this on where you hit compared to your longbow, or how the arrow flies compared to a fletched shaft.

Unless I leave a 5575 full length and REALLY load it up, it will be too stiff for any of my mid-40# bows.

A 3555 cut to AROUND 30" with 175gr - 200gr  up front with a standard aluminum insert should be quite close I would think.

[Steiger3208]

Bladepeek, I was paper tuning in my garage. 8-9" sideways tear. The best I had was 35/55 with 125 head. Reduced tear to 5". My thinking was to use 55/75 and start out with 225 heads and work my way down because I didn't want to shoot less than 125 head on the 35/55. I shot the 55/75 all the way down to  125 head and still 8-9 tear.  Showing weak.    

[bogeyrider63]

Make sure and rule out that the arrow is not bouncing off the side of the shelf. Sound's like that could be the issue,especially if the 3555 is showing that much of a tear.

[ISP 5353]

Another thought would be to have another good shooter shoot a few bare shafts out of the bow and see what your results are.  It may give a little insight into what is going on.  Good luck!

[Bladepeek]

I'm with bogeyrider63. That's way too much tear to be from a "too weak" arrow. They sound much too stiff to me. That brace height also sounds like the minimum for most recurves. I really think that arrow is bouncing off the side plate badly. What length are the arrows, by the way?

Just for grins, load that 3555 up with a 200 gr point and see what it does. That could make it a little bit weak, but you should see quite a difference from that huge tear.

[Rad]

Hello,

I have had a 1958 bear recurve at 60" pulling 48# for the last 4 years and have only been shooting with it when I first got it, and  recently been getting back and practicing on the reg.  Probably less than 50 arrows from it since i took ownership.  I am having problems with brace height and nocking point. Even with many twists its only at like seven and three-quarter inches.  Fistmele is right at 7", but I've read recurves go up to nine inches so I'm wondering if this type of bow has a low brace height relative to other recurve bows? It was doing well anywhere from 7.25"-8" and anything over that just feels like too much. My arrows are porpoising and going into target tails down like ten or fifteen degrees lower than 90 degrees if it went in straight. Just a slight fishtail to the right just a few degrees.

Also, it seems like I need to find the best nocking point and want to move it about, what should I use for a temporary nock which won't slide around too much?

Thanks!

[Kingstaken]

Do you cant the bow much?

[Draw A. Leterfly]

Hi Wes,  I have a recurve 46# at my draw that I tuned 5575's for just today. A 31 1/2" 5575  with OE aluminum insert and 145gn point is what my bow likes. I draw close to 29" as well. I didn't have any 3555's but I couldn't get CX 150's short enough.
Hope this helps,
Darren

[Rad]

Originally posted by Kingstaken:
Do you cant the bow much?

I do, quite a bit

[bogeyrider63]

Believe brace height range on that bow is 7-7 3/4". Try lengthening the brace height a little at a time and see what that do's.

[Rad]

Thanks!

[Longbowlogan]

I'm sure you know this but when you bareshaft you need to hold your bow straight up and down with no cant to it.

[PastorSteveHill]

I will go against the popular opinion here...   I think the 5575 will work great.. But you may not need so much weight up front...

I'm betting a 5575 cut to about 30'' with a 175 gr. tip / no brass insert/ will hit about right...