Hoss
Well-Known Member
I have read a lot of questions concerning the "tuning" of a bow. I am going to try to put it simply and easy. Some of this may go over your head and most of you will think this is way too basic. So glean anything you can from this and remember how much you paid for this Nickels worth of advice.
There are 3 basic tasks to tuning a bow. Setting the bow itself up. Setting the arrows up and setting up the arrow rest and nocking point. I know, I know there are release issues, grip, anchor, peep alignment etc. but lets deal with one thing at a time.
First get your owners manual to your bow or go to the manufacturers web site and find out where the tiller should be set on your bow model. Some will be bottom out both limbs, then back out the limb bolts equally until weight range is obtained and others will be a certain measurement. THIS IS A CRITICAL POINT. If this is not set correctly, you will not obtain optimum arrow flight. (Let's not talk about SuperTuning here, Basics). Tiller is the distance from the base of the limb to the string (most commonly referred to). Measure the distance where each limb enters the riser to the string with a bow square. The difference is the tiller measurement. Binary Cams and most two cam systems recommend 0 to 1/4 bottom tiller. That means the bottom limb measurement is the same as the top limb measurement or up to 1/4 inch closer to the string. Get the specs from your manufacturer and use them. Also check your axle to axle length. Compare to manufacturer specs. This will tell you if your string or harness has stretched and needs replacing. Check the Timing of your cams. There again too many types to go into detail here. Check with manufacturer. Check all the parts on your bow for wear, cracking, splinters, discoloration (discoloration often indicates metal fatigue), etc. Now we will assume everything on the bow is set to manufacturers settings and safe to shoot.
Select your arrows with the utmost care. I believe the most common mistake bowhunters make is to shoot whatever arrow they have on hand or that are on sale. You must choose the correct spine and length. Use the charts that all the manufacturers provide. They make the arrows, they know what will work. Just because your buddy shot 2117's for 20 years does not mean they are right for you. Spine is how much the arrow bends when force is applied to it. So you will need to know your poundage and the length of your arrows and the weight of your heads. With that info it is simply a matter of looking at the charts for the correct shaft size. Check for fletching and nock integrity. I have seen many new arrows that had torn or loose fletching or broken or cracked nocks. Look before you buy (especially in the big box stores, they are handled more). Check them for straightness and that the inserts are in squarely. This will become critical when you get to the broadhead stage. If you have the right arrows and they are straight and square, no loose fletches or damaged nocks, lets move on.
This is the part where most people get lost. Setting up an arrow rest and nocking point is not rocket science. It is simply setting the rest and nock so the arrow is pushed through the bow evenly and squarely, with as little wobble and porpoising as possible. Start by mounting your rest according to manufacturers specs. If a rest instruction deviates from the outline here ALWAYS follow the manufacturers instructions. I like to set my rest so the center of the arrow shaft rides slightly higher than the center of the threaded hole in the window of the bow (Berger Button Hole, or the hole most rests are mounted in). Then using a bow square I set the nocking point at 1/16 - 3/32 of an inch above the 90 degree mark on a bow square. You can use the brass nocking points, tie on a serving nocking point or tie a string loop. Your choice.
Now a lot of bow manufacturers will stipulate the center shot of a bow in its manual. If you do not have that info. then just eyeball the rest to allow the arrow, while nocked and sitting on the rest, to align with the string and the center of the grip or the center line of the cam. The idea here is get the rest set left to right as close to center of the string and its path as you can. So now the rest is set so the center of the arrow shaft is slightly above center of the rest mounting hole, as close as possible to center in a left and right orientation and the nocking point is 1/16 - 3/32 above 90 degrees. This should have you ready to start shooting. There are many articles on this site and others on paper tuning, walk back, and broadhead tuning. All are great methods for finishing your tuning.
But here are the basics. I am sure I have forgotten some things and I am sure others will chime in to help. This should help the new or the frustrated bowhunter get started. Don't forget to lean on the professionals. They will tune more bows and fletch more arrows in a year than most of us will in our lifetime, and most are more than willing to advise and answer questions. If yours doesn't then find one that will.
There are 3 basic tasks to tuning a bow. Setting the bow itself up. Setting the arrows up and setting up the arrow rest and nocking point. I know, I know there are release issues, grip, anchor, peep alignment etc. but lets deal with one thing at a time.
First get your owners manual to your bow or go to the manufacturers web site and find out where the tiller should be set on your bow model. Some will be bottom out both limbs, then back out the limb bolts equally until weight range is obtained and others will be a certain measurement. THIS IS A CRITICAL POINT. If this is not set correctly, you will not obtain optimum arrow flight. (Let's not talk about SuperTuning here, Basics). Tiller is the distance from the base of the limb to the string (most commonly referred to). Measure the distance where each limb enters the riser to the string with a bow square. The difference is the tiller measurement. Binary Cams and most two cam systems recommend 0 to 1/4 bottom tiller. That means the bottom limb measurement is the same as the top limb measurement or up to 1/4 inch closer to the string. Get the specs from your manufacturer and use them. Also check your axle to axle length. Compare to manufacturer specs. This will tell you if your string or harness has stretched and needs replacing. Check the Timing of your cams. There again too many types to go into detail here. Check with manufacturer. Check all the parts on your bow for wear, cracking, splinters, discoloration (discoloration often indicates metal fatigue), etc. Now we will assume everything on the bow is set to manufacturers settings and safe to shoot.
Select your arrows with the utmost care. I believe the most common mistake bowhunters make is to shoot whatever arrow they have on hand or that are on sale. You must choose the correct spine and length. Use the charts that all the manufacturers provide. They make the arrows, they know what will work. Just because your buddy shot 2117's for 20 years does not mean they are right for you. Spine is how much the arrow bends when force is applied to it. So you will need to know your poundage and the length of your arrows and the weight of your heads. With that info it is simply a matter of looking at the charts for the correct shaft size. Check for fletching and nock integrity. I have seen many new arrows that had torn or loose fletching or broken or cracked nocks. Look before you buy (especially in the big box stores, they are handled more). Check them for straightness and that the inserts are in squarely. This will become critical when you get to the broadhead stage. If you have the right arrows and they are straight and square, no loose fletches or damaged nocks, lets move on.
This is the part where most people get lost. Setting up an arrow rest and nocking point is not rocket science. It is simply setting the rest and nock so the arrow is pushed through the bow evenly and squarely, with as little wobble and porpoising as possible. Start by mounting your rest according to manufacturers specs. If a rest instruction deviates from the outline here ALWAYS follow the manufacturers instructions. I like to set my rest so the center of the arrow shaft rides slightly higher than the center of the threaded hole in the window of the bow (Berger Button Hole, or the hole most rests are mounted in). Then using a bow square I set the nocking point at 1/16 - 3/32 of an inch above the 90 degree mark on a bow square. You can use the brass nocking points, tie on a serving nocking point or tie a string loop. Your choice.
Now a lot of bow manufacturers will stipulate the center shot of a bow in its manual. If you do not have that info. then just eyeball the rest to allow the arrow, while nocked and sitting on the rest, to align with the string and the center of the grip or the center line of the cam. The idea here is get the rest set left to right as close to center of the string and its path as you can. So now the rest is set so the center of the arrow shaft is slightly above center of the rest mounting hole, as close as possible to center in a left and right orientation and the nocking point is 1/16 - 3/32 above 90 degrees. This should have you ready to start shooting. There are many articles on this site and others on paper tuning, walk back, and broadhead tuning. All are great methods for finishing your tuning.
But here are the basics. I am sure I have forgotten some things and I am sure others will chime in to help. This should help the new or the frustrated bowhunter get started. Don't forget to lean on the professionals. They will tune more bows and fletch more arrows in a year than most of us will in our lifetime, and most are more than willing to advise and answer questions. If yours doesn't then find one that will.
