New to tuning my own rig. Where to START?

[Jpsmith1]

Not new to shooting the bow. Got pretty good form and an RX10 to play with. I can see some tail whip in the arrows out at 35-50 yards so I know they're not flying clean.

I have a reasonable understanding of the tuning system on the bow but, truth be told, I really don't know where to even start.

Would Bow Shop Bible be worth the money?

 

[Billy Goat]

I honestly don't know what's out there now. Mostly they work the same, shim cams, adjust nock point for big changes. Micro adjust rest for minor changes.


I normally know a base of what I need or a bow needs, and make small adjustments from there. If you are seeing flight issues past 35 yards, honestly sounds way out of whack.

Check the cam lean top and bottom, probably want it going past string and 1/8" past nocking point.

Close to center between axles for height. Or 90 from berger.

 

[Bump79]

Not new to shooting the bow. Got pretty good form and an RX10 to play with. I can see some tail whip in the arrows out at 35-50 yards so I know they're not flying clean.

I have a reasonable understanding of the tuning system on the bow but, truth be told, I really don't know where to even start.

Would Bow Shop Bible be worth the money?

First thing - Just make sure everything is in spec, cams in time, rest is set at centershot both vertically and horizontally. Then ensure you have the proper spine arrow, good nock fit and no pinch on your nock. Then make sure you have no vane contact (way more common than you think).

From there I'd just watch some tuning videos online. Take notes on the adjustments and make a cheat sheet. Keep in mind you may still need to shim even though it has their tuning system.

 

[CMF]

I usually reference the Easton tuning guide for general info
Then Google and YouTube, etc., for specifics to your bow.

 

[Whodat7]

I agree with everything bump 79 said. Start with everything centered and aligned (including getting your d loop adjusted if needed). Then I paper tuned. Then broadhead tuned.

Make smaller adjustments than you want to. It can take a bit but makes me feel more confident in my bow and shooting.

 

[Stache Attack]

https://s3.hoyt.com/uploads/2025/2026zHoytHuntingBowWhitepaper.pdf

This and paper tuning/ bare shaft tuning helped me learn the xts system. Start square to the riser maybe a little outside for longer draw length, little nock high, and cam timing hitting perfectly in time.

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Do you have a press? Paper tune setup? Im assuming center shot, nock points, and timing is already done since you are shooting the bow at distance.

i would start by shooting the bow thru paper, if a one inch or greater lateral tear, you will need to start by moving spacers to get closer before adjusting with the XTS.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Do you have a press? Paper tune setup? Im assuming center shot, nock points, and timing is already done since you are shooting the bow at distance.

i would start by shooting the bow thru paper, if a one inch or greater lateral tear, you will need to start by moving spacers to get closer before adjusting with the XTS.

When the bow left the shop back in March, it was shooting bullets. I expected some string stretch/wear and have been waffling between "back to the shop" and "sort it out myself"

I have a cable press and can easily setup to shoot paper.

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Based on that info. I would start with measuring ATA, checking poundage, and drawboard for timing. If its lost poundage and is out of time that is likely the main culprit, fixing those first should help clean up the rest.

 

[-Specialist-]

Shoot it through paper at about 6 or 7 yds. If the there is not too sizeable that XTS will clean it up quick and easy.

 

[Beendare]

Heres a C&P of what I do;

Compound tuning


Have someone watch you shoot to make sure you aren’t torquing the bow or that you have major form flaw





Most of the problems when you cannot get it to tune is;


1) your form, or 2) skipping steps- for example doing everything without checking the cams on draw board








1. Set the bow to factory specs; cam timing, axle to axle, rest


Cams- most have timing marks now. If not, check on a draw board at full draw then scribe the cam when they roll over perfectly timed- (no skipping this step)


Once the cams are rolling over perfectly or sometimes its best to have the top cam slightly advanced, I mark the cams in line with the limbs





Confirm Axle to axle measurement- factory distance is a perfect cable and string setup


Rest- its usually 13/16” in the new compounds but its designed to shoot at factory distance from the owners manual. Dropaway rests need to be timed to come up late





2. Arrow; Make sure your arrows arent underspined. A over spine arrow tunes fine in a modern compound and gives you a more durable arrow. I’ve had the 8gpi and under shafts not hold up well. Look at 9 or 10 gpi minimum for a hunt arrow shaft.


Spin check arrows for perfect straightness and nok tightness. A tiny wobble and your BHs won’t group. They have to be perfect.





3. Set string loop with a tiny spacer (wraps of floss or thread on the inside of the loop, one side is fine) so the loop isnt tight on the nok at FD. The strategy here is not to have the loop itself applying up/down pressure on the arrow nok. Nok pinch is bad.





At this point you have multiple options for arrow tuning and they all work; shooting a bareshaft with FPs, shoot paper, or just shoot BHs and FPs. Follow the charts in the OP.





Worth noting;


Paper tune with FPs is only 1/2 tuned, you have to shoot FP’s with BH’s at longer range to make sure they hit in the same spot for it to be fully tuned.





If your BHs dont hit with FPs, the BH arrow is telling you your arrows are coming out of the bow cockeyed. When the BH arrow hits with FPs, thats when your arrows are truly coming out of the bow perfectly straight.





When BHs aren’t perfect:


1. If the above steps are done and BHs still don’t hit with FPs its worth experimenting with your form and grip before you start moving stuff. Sometimes its just a minor grip change. Check form alignment.





2. check for fletch contact with powder.





3. Bow Adjustments; It usually takes tiny movements like 1/32” to get it right.That can either be accomplished by adjusting yokes, shimming cams, twisting the Yokes or tiny 1/32” rest moves. If you move your rest more than about 3/16” from factory recommended setting and its still not tuned, something else is wrong…it doesnt take that much.





Rest adjustments are tricky. when I BH tune; shoot BHs and FPs for groups- I typically chase the FP group ( move rest toward the FP group) in 1/32” increments. This usually works…but if not….(and you have checked all of the other factors above) I have had it where I paper tuned for FP and went past the perfect setting- over shoot the adjustment- and to keep chasing FPs with my rest made it worse. Try going back the opposite direction a tiny bit to see if you overshot the tune.





Key Point is; its never much past factory recommended setting for your rest.








I probably forgot something…but thats essentially my process. If you skip a step….or have a form flaw especially alignment…or are shooting arrows that don’t spin perfect….you will not get that bow to tune.





I hope that helps….Best wishes to my bowhunting brothers….





It sounds like a lot ^ but its one of those things thats worth getting your arms around, understanding the factors in perfect arrow flight. Your bow will be quieter, faster, smoother…and more forgiving of a form error in the woods.

 

[Tilzbow]

When the bow left the shop back in March, it was shooting bullets. I expected some string stretch/wear and have been waffling between "back to the shop" and "sort it out myself"

I have a cable press and can easily setup to shoot paper.

If you don’t have a press I’d take it back to the shop and have them check timing, draw weight and other specs. If it was shooting bullets and isn’t now either the bow changed or you’re doing something different like grip torque or face contact with the string.

 

[Maverick1]

Not new to shooting the bow. Got pretty good form and an RX10 to play with. I can see some tail whip in the arrows out at 35-50 yards so I know they're not flying clean.

I have a reasonable understanding of the tuning system on the bow but, truth be told, I really don't know where to even start.

Would Bow Shop Bible be worth the money?

What is a rig?

 

[Half Nocked]

You could try out this one: https://bowtuneschool.com/
I used that a while ago, and I felt like I learned a good amount. It sort of starts out as though you know nothing.

Otherwise one of my go to references is this one: https://westernhunter.net/gear-reviews/diy-bow-and-arrow-tuning/

None of that will dive into the hoyt tuning system, but it would give you a pretty good knowledge base

 

[Elkhntr08]

I start out with factory center shot and level arrow.
Shoot through paper to see where I’m at. Adjust rest to get the hole close.
Step out with a field point and a broadhead and that’s where the real tuning start. Get them hitting the same point at 20, then move back to 60.
In 40 years of shooting a bow, I’ve never had to shim a cam, but I lean more to a stiff arrow than a weak one.

 

[trailblazer75]

I came here to say to make sure its in spec in terms of axel to axel and brace height. Looks like everyone beat me to it! Great advice here, but that's where I'd start if you're running stock strings and cables.

 

[Archerichards]

First thing - Just make sure everything is in spec, cams in time, rest is set at centershot both vertically and horizontally. Then ensure you have the proper spine arrow, good nock fit and no pinch on your nock. Then make sure you have no vane contact (way more common than you think).

From there I'd just watch some tuning videos online. Take notes on the adjustments and make a cheat sheet. Keep in mind you may still need to shim even though it has their tuning system.

Agree with Bump79 here.

But I will add that -- after you follow his advice -- you should think a LOT about your form. I know you say it's good, but nothing reveals variation in your form like shooting bare shafts alongside fletched. Can do it at 20 yards and learn a lot. Just shoot one fletched and one bare, Go pull arrows and do it again. And again. And again. Key thing is that the difference between the two shouldn't change every time you go pull arrows. So if bare shaft is consistently nock left/right/up/down compared with fletched, then you likely have good enough form to start tuning your rig.

If your bare shaft is moving around (nock up, down, left, right, crooked, etc) from shot to shot, then you'd better fix your form consistency before trying to tune that bow to those arrows.

Where to start on form? I would start with bow grip. It is never as good as you think it is, so work on it. After that, think about release hand position, funky release movement, etc. And for sure, if your draw length is too short or too long, fixing your form will be really hard to do.

I tell you that these guys here on Rockslide (take a look at the CBC) who can consistently shoot tight groups with fixed blade broadheads out at 60/70 yards have all got very, very consistent form. Maybe they have done a little bow adjustment too, and for sure they've got correctly spined arrows, but what they really have is rock solid, repeatable form, shot after shot.

Said another way, it's the archer, not the arrow.

Good luck with it.

 

[S.Clancy]

About my most important tuning tool (besides the press) is a silver sharpie for witness marks.