Nock tuning vs Group Tuning

[nettereo16]

What is the consensus on here?

Shoot bare shafts and turn the nocks until consistent through paper or impact? Or shoot fletched groups and then turn nocks for any arrows that don’t consistently group?

Where do you fit this into your tuning steps? After bareshaft tuning the bow? It’s more arrow tuning to your bow than tuning your bow to your arrows.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

My general tuning procedure is: get in the ballpark by shooting through paper at close range > refine by comparing bareshafts vs. fletched shafts at 20-30 yds > finalize by comparing broadheads vs. field points out to ≈60 yds.

I don't nock tune every arrow, only those that consistently deviate from the rest of the group. If I find a consistent flier, I shoot that particular arrow through paper and choose the nock orientation that yields the best tear. If it still won't hit with the group, I draw an X on the vanes and reserve that arrow for practice only.

 

[Zac]

Turning nocks on a bare shaft is a complete waste of time. As stated above only turn the problem child.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve never had to do any of that. I prefer to spend my time on other things that actually matter.

 

[mod-it]

My last set of 3d arrows I actually took the time to shoot them all as bareshafts through paper. Got them all making the same tear, marked them, and fletched. After they were fletched I shot them all through paper again and four or five of them were making different tears from each other. I wasn't real impressed with that result after the time it took to bareshaft nock tune the whole dozen.

I like to nock tune them as fletched arrows at 30 yards. I just shoot groups, with 4 or 5 arrows at a time, and eliminate the ones that hit POA and rotate nocks and try them again on the ones that don't. I go through the whole dozen until done.

Sometimes there may be an arrow or two that will not come into the group after trying to rotate the nock per the 3 vane locations. I recently saw in a Tim Gillingham video that often these arrows can be "saved" by refletching them with new vanes between the old vane locations and then trying nock tuning again. I have that filed away for future reference but haven't tried it myself yet.