[rmh1]

I thought I would throw this around to see if anyone else had had my experience in trying to bare shaft tune wooden arrows and wonder if it's worth the hassle?
I have a Border Covert Hunter 40lb @ 28inch and my draw is 28inch. Before the CH I had a ILF BD Hex6 BB2 40-45lb and similar issues with bareshaft testing woodies. This is in NO WAY a dig at the bows, great people and superb bows!
Both bows have been tested with a range of spines from 45lb right up to 65lb, field piles from 60g up to 125g, parallel, rear tapered and barrelled shafts all 11/32 in POC, Sitka and Pine.
All of the shafts shoot nock left and in some extreme cases snap as they hit the boss, I have tried building out the strike plate but always the shafts shoot erratic. What I have found though is any shaft 45-65lb , rear tapered or barrelled and fletched will shoot very well from the bows and accurate from 5 to 50yds on a field shoot, because of this I tend to go for lighter spine Sitka to produce a lighter arrow for a flatter cast.
Yes I can hear some of you say "whats the problem then"? Its not so much of a problem, I am just trying to understand why this should be when I see a lot of posts recommending bare shaft tuning?
Thanks

 

[Coodster]

Rmh
I don't shoot woodies but I don't think wood has a consistent spine for bare shaft tune, I can be all wet also.
someone will be along to steer you in the right direction.

Chad

 

[wstrayer]

Wood shafts are tough to bare shaft test. You are likely shooting arrows that range by 5#, and who knows how much weight. Also, an issue I found was the grain vs nock position. If not set correctly the nock position can cause havoc on the spine reading.

 

[rmh1]

Thanks for the replies.
I like to take a lot of time when I make a set of woodies. I always weight and spine match to arrive at a dozen shafts. I made a spine tester using a dial gauge and rotate the shaft on the tester to orientate the shaft to its stiffest point for the nock reference. I think maybe bareshaft tuning is just not designed for wooden arrows?
As I said, I generally do well in field shoot comps so maybe its not that important for us wooden arrow archers.

 

[13033]

So what happens if you shoot an aluminum bare shaft of the same diameter?

 

[Bowmania]

A lot of the reason is people think, "I'll shoot a bare shaft" and don't know that you compare impact points of bare and fletched. As suggested, but not stated above. The difference in spine and weight is the issue with wood arrows.

I think the best thing to do with wood is put on a broadhead and compare it to a field point as it were a bare shaft. Once they have the same impact point your good to go and you didn't have to shave off feathers.

I think you know this, but if your shaft is kicking left and you're right handed you don't build out the strike plate, you have to go the other way.

Bowmania

 

[rmh1]

I have not tried either aluminium or carbon from the bow as I shoot NFAS HT which is wooden arrows.
Thanks for the tips Bowmania, I will give your suggestions a try and see where things go?
Thanks

 

[Rednef]

It is absolutely possible to bare shaft woodies and it is the way I prefer.

Assuming RH shooter,

It is as already stated, all about comparing point of impact of bare vs fletched.

If you're ALWAYS nock left, then your arrows are ALWAYS too weak

or

Your arrows are ALWAYS too stiff and you have been getting the notorious false stiff result. That will only lead you in the wrong direction, making things worse.

The major clue to the too stiff/false weak situation is a horrible whack sound upon release. It's the nock end of the arrow striking the riser as it flies by. You can check and confirm with lipstick or baby powder to check for contact marks.

Start CLOSE, like 10 yards. Start with full length arrows. That way, assuming an even reasonable shaft selection, your initial results will be truly and actually weak. Being close allows you to see some results before the arrow gets too sideways before hitting the target and snapping off. Don't use bag targets, horizontal or vertical layered targets, or shoot at a face that is glued to cardboard. If the arrow is too squirrely, any or all of those things will up the chances of a snapped arrow. Use hay bales or styrofoam, or a layered target ONLY if you are shooting THROUGH the layers. And for a target face you really only need something to aim AT whereby you can judge group formations.

Once you have bare shaft going into the target reasonably straight, and bare and fletched seeming to group together, then move back to 15 or 20. You can keep repeating the process for as far back as you care to go. I myself go to 40 yards. Its as far as I can get at home, and lugging all the crap out into the field to go further is a huge PITA.

When comparing bare vs fletched "groups" keep in mind that even the best made most closely matched woodies will still show significantly more variation than synthetic shafts. so the groups, especially of the bare shafts will be larger. As you get your state of tune more in line, the 2 groups will begin to overlap. so look for trends or tendencies.

This is probably the best beginner's guide to bareshaft tuning woodies shot off the shelf:

http://veraxservice.net/arch/tuning.htm

 

[jerbearyukon]

Paper tune woodies - see paul jalons website - elite arrows.

don't BS woodies - could end up with splinters in your arm bud

 

[Matt_Potter]

Paul - you forgot the part about naming your arrows ;-)


---------------------------------------------------

Team Montana - we are coming for your quarters ;-)

 

[Rednef]

Paul - you forgot the part about naming your arrows ;-)

Oh, that's right right! Thanx Matt!

Giving them names is a VERY important part of the process. That way they know they are loved and cherished.

 

[vabowdog]

I shot wood arrows very well from a Black Widow recurve against carbon shooters....for me I never waste time bare shafting carbons let alone woodies!!!


If your bow is cut to center then a good starting point for me pulling 29-1/2" and 42# OTF a 55# spine dynamically was perfect..if it wasn't and needed a little tuning I simply built the strike plate out or in a touch...1/16"-1/8"


I always shot full length 31-1/2" BOP tapered 9" at the rear only simply to improve FOC and a better fitting nock...I think they were 9/32" maybe 5/16" the shafts were always 11/32" with 100 glue on points.



Dewayne Martin

 

[Yoda95]

Call John Catley of Little John Arrows in Nottingham. He looked into the best quality wood arrows for fast Border limbs and the max length and spine. Border limbs for 30" arrows to 60# spine will stop at 40# limbs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[J. Wesbrock]

I used to bare shaft tune my selfbows with wood arrows all the time. No problem.

Paul - you forgot the part about naming your arrows ;-)

I've been known to call my arrows a name or two. :cussing:

 

[markliep]

Dont know if it's a super recurve thing or my limited abilities but found BS tuning whatever shaft type limited work with more conventional RC & LB limbs .. But on the super RC a low yield procedure - M

 

[Cyrille]

I don't know John Catley of the U.K. But I do know and trust a fellow by the name of Kevin Forrester of Washington state U.S.A. Google forresterwoodshafts for his site IMO his shafts are the best one can buy and he'll answer any questions you may have.

 

[Rednef]

Dont know if it's a super recurve thing or my limited abilities but found BS tuning whatever shaft type limited work with more conventional RC & LB limbs .. But on the super RC a low yield procedure - M

An interesting observation. So as an honest question, any idea why that might be so? No real experience with a "super recurve" myself, but at a guess might it be less forgiving to shoot, and thereby somewhat more difficult to obtain results consistent enough to be subjected to analysis for tuning purposes?

Not doubting or trying to imply anything, but an honest question, and my own half baked answer.

 

[13033]

I don't know John Catley of the U.K. But I do know and trust a fellow by the name of Kevin Forrester of Washington state U.S.A. Google forresterwoodshafts for his site IMO his shafts are the best one can buy and he'll answer any questions you may have.

X3!!!

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Leopardwood Perfection !!!!

Watch his video, where he bounces arrows off concrete blocks..