Setting up a paper tuning rig in my garage

[Junibravo]

I am working on a paper tuning set up in my garage so i can tinker with my bow and check the paper tune without having to go to my bow shop every time. Is there a specific distance between the paper and target/backstop and the paper and the archer to get the most out of the set up

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Put the target/backstop at least one arrow length behind the paper.

You want to be very close to the paper when you shoot so the fletching doesn't have time to correct the arrow before it hits the paper. I do my paper tuning at a distance of 6 ft.

 

[406unltd]

Ya just make sure you have an arrow and a half distance between. You could get away with an arrow length but if it’s a new target it could give issues. Give it as much room as you can in the tight quarters.

 

[Dennis]

I have read somewhere that 7 yards was the optimum distance for paper tuning, but I can't say if that is true or not. I would start off with whatever distance your garage allows.

I do my bow/arrow tuning at 7 yards with bare shafts. I set my target on a shelf at eye level with a safe backstop. Place paper about 3' feet in front of target (more than an arrow length). I use the paper for bare shaft testing, bow tuning and nock tuning my shafts. I then follow this up with bare shaft shooting at distance. Good luck and enjoy the journey

 

[OR Archer]

Like Mighty Mouse suggested start close. Once it’s dialed at that distance move back a few feet and recheck it. You may need to make some minute adjustments. If you can move back farther after the second distance do that as well. As you scoot back your adjustments will become smaller.

 

[Junibravo]

This may be a dumb question but how do u paper tune bareshaft?
I have paper tuned with fletched arrows and i understand the concept but without fletching how do u know where the nock and the tip are.
Another question, i have seen a few posts about nock tuning through paper. How do u do that and what are you looking for?

 

[sndmn11]

This may be a dumb question but how do u paper tune bareshaft?
I have paper tuned with fletched arrows and i understand the concept but without fletching how do u know where the nock and the tip are.
Another question, i have seen a few posts about nock tuning through paper. How do u do that and what are you looking for?

The bare shaft will look more like a comet when it is not tuned. The point will make a bullet hole and the the tail will make something angular tail-ish.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

how do u know where the nock and the tip are.

You can rub a marker around the circumference of your field point to help differentiate between the two ends of the arrow. A little bit of marker ink will get transferred to the paper as the arrow passes through. After you do it a few times, you’ll be able to tell which end is which without the marker.

Edit: I bumped my rest over and shot a couple bareshafts through paper tonight to create a nock right tear and give you an idea what a bareshaft looks like through paper. The point end of the tear is more defined and the nock end is more ragged. On the upper shot I rubbed some black Sharpie on the field point and you can see some ink streaks left on the paper.

Another question, i have seen a few posts about nock tuning through paper. How do u do that and what are you looking for?

Shoot an arrow through paper. Retrieve that arrow, rotate the nock 120°, shoot that arrow through paper again. Retrieve, rotate nock another 120°, shoot one more time. Now compare the 3 paper tears and leave the nock in whatever orientation gave the best looking tear.

This assumes a 3-fletched arrow; if you're shooting 4-fletch, you'll rotate the nock 90° at a time and have 4 tears to compare.

 

[Junibravo]

You can rub a marker around the circumference of your field point to help differentiate between the two ends of the arrow. A little bit of marker ink will get transferred to the paper as the arrow passes through. After you do it a few times, you’ll be able to tell which end is which without the marker.

Edit: I bumped my rest over and shot a couple bareshafts through paper tonight to create a nock right tear and give you an idea what a bareshaft looks like through paper. The point end of the tear is more defined and the nock end is more ragged. On the upper shot I rubbed some black Sharpie on the field point and you can see some ink streaks left on the paper.
View attachment 375900


Shoot an arrow through paper. Retrieve that arrow, rotate the nock 120°, shoot that arrow through paper again. Retrieve, rotate nock another 120°, shoot one more time. Now compare the 3 paper tears and leave the nock in whatever orientation gave the best looking tear.

This assumes a 3-fletched arrow; if you're shooting 4-fletch, you'll rotate the nock 90° at a time and have 4 tears to compare.

This was super helpful. Thank you very much for taking out the time.

 

[HandgunHTR]

As stated above 7 yards, or 20 feet, is the optimal distance to paper tune. The reason for this is arrow deflection. Physics proves that at the exact time the sorting is released, the rear of the arrow will begin to move forward. The front of the arrow, where the weight is, takes a millisecond to start moving. So the arrow deflects a bit.
It takes about 20 feet for that deflection to stop, so it is at that point that the arrow can pass through the paper exactly like it will fly the rest of the way to the target.

The reason for bare-shaft tuning is that if you can get a bullet hole with a bare shaft, once you put vanes on, it only gets more forgiving.

 

[JoeDirt]

I setup a horse stall mat, target and build a simple PVC stand to hold a roll of paper.

I also recommend building a drawboard if your strings stretch a little that cause issues.

 

[Junibravo]

I setup a horse stall mat, target and build a simple PVC stand to hold a roll of paper.

I also recommend building a drawboard if your strings stretch a little that cause issues.

First time someone has recommended building a drawboard. I am sure I can figure out how to do that on youtube. But what do I do once i do find that my string is stretching which it inevitably will.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

First time someone has recommended building a drawboard. I am sure I can figure out how to do that on youtube. But what do I do once i do find that my string is stretching which it inevitably will.

A draw board allows you to see precisely when your draw stops are hitting, which is helpful info to have when adjusting cam timing. You don't need a draw board to make timing adjustments (you do need a bow press though), but it is nice to have one.

 

[Coop12]

Here is what I use in my garage. It’s a $15 mobile clothes rack from Walmart. It’s cheap, quickly disassembles for storage, has extended rods to hang bow on while using, and the upper rod will rotate to roll up used paper. I also use it to air dry hunting clothes. As far as distance, ensure there’s enough clearance for an arrow to pass all the way through. Otherwise the paper tears won’t be accurate. I hang a bag target behind it when using it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Owens]

@Coop12, what is that you have your press mounted on?

 

[Coop12]

@Coop12, what is that you have your press mounted on?

That is an adjustable saw horse I got on clearance at Home Depot. The press is mounted with wing nuts for easy removal if I need to use the sawhorse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JoeDirt]

A draw board allows you to see precisely when your draw stops are hitting, which is helpful info to have when adjusting cam timing. You don't need a draw board to make timing adjustments (you do need a bow press though), but it is nice to have one.

Ohh my bow i don't need a press to time(Bowtech), you still need to press it to put twist in the stings.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Ohh my bow i don't need a press to time(Bowtech), you still need to press it to put twist in the stings.

Press-less cam timing? That's a new one for me. Every bow I know of needs to have the cables relaxed so they can be unhooked and twisted/untwisted to advance/retard the cams. The Deadlock feature on newer Bowtechs allows press-less adjustment of lateral cam position (for horizontal tuning), but I think you still need a press to adjust cam timing (for vertical tuning).

 

[JoeDirt]

Press-less cam timing? That's a new one for me. Every bow I know of needs to have the cables relaxed so they can be unhooked and twisted/untwisted to advance/retard the cams. The Deadlock feature on newer Bowtechs allows press-less adjustment of lateral cam position (for horizontal tuning), but I think you still need a press to adjust cam timing (for vertical tuning).

It has a dial you can turn, it puts pressure on the sting making it shorter. Still need a press to add twist but makes it nice during hunting season when the shops are packed.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

It has a dial you can turn, it puts pressure on the sting making it shorter. Still need a press to add twist but makes it nice during hunting season when the shops are packed.

View attachment 377237

Interesting! Thanks for enlightening me, learn something new every day.