Nock Height?

[gutfish]

I have been shooting a longbow for about 4 months now. Coming from a compound shooting stand point we use 1/8" nock height in our shop for just about everything (it seems to work the best for tuning). Ive been reading people are running the nock height on longbows and recurves much higher between 1/4" to 9/16". Is this true for most? I am shooting a Toelke Whip right now and was just looking for some imput on this topic to help better my shooting. Thanks and sorry if this is on the wrong thread.

[Alexander Traditional]

All of my longbows including my Whip are at 5/8"

[GregD]

I will second Alexander's answer, both of my whips like 5/8". Good Luck.

[Brock]

Yes, any book or article on tuning and setting up your bow will recommend something up to about 1/2 inch but every bow, arrow and shooter combination may require something different...

I start at 1/4" and work up to about 3/4 or when I notice bad arrow flight and then work down until it resides or starts bad again...then go in the middle to start.

Usually I have found that most of my bows with my shooting style do well at same location all other things being similar...then I draw a mark on my Nocking Square.

I shoot 11/32 and 23/64 shafts so mine is a bit higher than if I would shoot skinny carbons...

So you really have to find what works best for you to give good arrow flight so the shaft is not slapping against the shelf or porpoising downrange.

Just an observation on my part-certainly nothing in stone, but I think most hunters have a tendency to shoot arrows that are stiff.  A stiffer arrow is usually heavier and requires a higher nock set.

When I bare shaft tune with a range of spines, I usually find that (about) 3/8" high tunes best for me.  There's so many variables (arrow spine, bow construction, shooters form, etc.) it's difficult to just say this or that is where the nock set needs to be. I guess the bottom line is, tune your bow and the nock set height will be what it will be.  :^)

[Mdierker227]

Just like your compound. It's good to keep a log of changes you make and the result that comes from it.  Much easier to go back to something that worked

[Sam McMichael]

It's really irrelevant what others find they need, as each archer will find his own prime nock height through trial and error. But as others have stated, there are some generalities that will provide a reasonable starting point.

[Caughtandhobble]

Do you shoot split finger or three under? Generally speaking 3 under shooters use a higher nock point.

Welcome, by the way!!!!

[AZ_Longbow]

How's it shoot where you have it? My buffalo shoots 1/4 knock high, my longbow 3/8.

[LookMomNoSights]

5/8th seems to always be the number on what I'm working with.

[gutfish]

Thanks for all the info I am shooting split finger (guess i should have mentioned that) Currently i have it at 1/8" not knowing any better because of my compound background. It doenst seem to be shooting terrible but i will mess around with it and try some different heights.

[MnFn]

5/8 is where I usually end up as well with my recurves.

[AkDan]

Jim nailed it with this.

 There's so many variables (arrow spine, bow construction, shooters form, etc.) it's difficult to just say this or that is where the nock set needs to be. I guess the bottom line is, tune your bow and the nock set height will be what it will be. :^)


If you can find the Matlock tuning guide I'd highly recommend grabbing it!!!   But all of the current books on the market go over this subject very very well.   I like Bills approach to it much better!

I'm somewhere on the lower end...but every bow make is somewhat different, I've had some really high and some very close to 1/8 over the years.

[McDave]

I wonder if everyone's on the same page here.  When we say nock height, we mean the distance from the bottom of the bow square, resting on the arrow rest, to the bottom of the nock.  Then we would nock the arrow so the arrow nock is under the string nock.  This would ordinarily result in nock heights of 3/8" - 3/4", although occasionally people might go a little higher or lower than this depending on a particular configuration.

If a person nocks above the string nock, then a nock height of 1/8" would be in the ball park.  Or, sometimes I have read of nock heights being measured from the bottom of the bow square to the bottom of the arrow, in which case 1/8" would also be in the ball park, but this is not normally how we measure nock height in traditional archery.

We normally assume everyone is measuring nock height as I described in the first paragraph, but when things seem out of whack, maybe it's good to define our terms.

[AkDan]

Dave,

I don't believe that's entirely a fault at all...I've had some (very few) bows over the years that liked a super crazy low nock point.   Some of that could have been rest material choices...who knows.  

One thing I do know is bow tiller vs hand pressur e(shooting style) is an evil culprit when it comes to these things.   I've said this many times over the years off and on.  

I do agree most guys are going to be above 3/8s.  I'm not shocked to see 1/4 nocked below.

[ChuckC]

1/4 " nocking point ( if mounted below the nock point as described by McDave) means your arrow may be below level with the rest.  

You have to go at least high enough to make the arrow approach at 90 degrees (at least) or you are inducing a jump right there.  

Remember, the arrow has its own thickness and must be accounted for.  That takes into account the shaft diameter and the nock diameter.

ChuckC

[AkDan]

shaft diameter is relevant...nock diameter is not.  Tapered shafts CAN sit lower and still bullet hole paper...proven!

in my directions on how to tune my last Schulz, it says1/16" above square that is with the arrow above the nocking point.  I find that tapered cedars and tapered sure woods  like to be just a touch more than that.  I do find that it helps to make sure that the bottom hen feather is not going straight down with low a nocking point with three fletch 5 and 5.5" feathers.

[peanut39350]

What i do is when i bareshaft tune i will start out nock high intentionally and slowly move it down until the nock is not high (arrow is flying straight on a vertical plane) this to keep from getting a false nock high from arrow bouncing off of the shelf this is better explained on masters of the barebow vol 2

[ChuckC]

Why would nock diameter not be relevant ?  It is THE contact point with the nock point.
ChuckC