When to Start TUNING

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Have myself a sweet new set of training wheels, and a nock 2 it. Had the guys at the archery shop help me get my draw length close to correct(Still wouldn't mind tweaking it juuuuust a hair), and in the general vicinity of the center with my twenty yard pin. I have no pretense that htis bow is fully tuned, but I need some help figuring out when I am tuned enough to tune the bow, if that makes sense.

Right now, I'm consistently flirting with the small circles rinehart puts on the corners of their 18:1 faces at 20 yards. With a trad bow I'd tell people that once they can shoot consistent softball sized groups at 15 yards or so, that they could consider tuning the bow. I am still figuring out how I best prefer to fire a hinge thumb button, but I'm curious to know what would be some benchmarks to start trying to dial in bareshafts/paper/broadhead tuning. Thoughts?

 

[Elkhntr08]

When the bow fits me, draw length, weight, peep, I paper tune. Once I get a good hole, I head outside with a couple arrows. I’ll nock tune each arrow until it’s hitting the dot. Screw a broadhead on one and start the final tune.
I’m constantly tinkering, so I’m constantly tuning.

 

[justin davis]

I start tuning pretty much as soon as I have a bow setup. I start bare shaft. And then work back and then go to broadhead tuning. I’m usually tinkering and it takes me awhile to get it tuned and shooting like I want it.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Guess I should have clarified... when am I as an archer consistent enough to start tuning? The arrow isn't flying wonky. I'm thinking I oughta get a baseline of my shot execution first, no? I am quite confident in my form carrying over from Trad, but the release/anchor point stuff is not crisp and defined for me yet.

 

[Billy Goat]

Are you using a peep?

With a new bow I will generally shoot it a while no peep, just getting comfortable with it.

As a new to compound, I'd say once you are shooting comfortable without a peep, meaning it's not changing day to day, and your first shots are hitting behind the pin, you probably should start tuning.

As you shoot the bow, you will make changes in your form, which might require you to change the tune. I wouldn't worry about it, make the adjustments you need to, while keeping track of what you are doing so you can return to it if need be, then just keep shooting.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Are you using a peep?

With a new bow I will generally shoot it a while no peep, just getting comfortable with it.

As a new to compound, I'd say once you are shooting comfortable without a peep, meaning it's not changing day to day, and your first shots are hitting behind the pin, you probably should start tuning.

As you shoot the bow, you will make changes in your form, which might require you to change the tune. I wouldn't worry about it, make the adjustments you need to, while keeping track of what you are doing so you can return to it if need be, then just keep shooting.

There is a peep on the string, and the shop guys helped me get it set up at the right height. But I'm not quite happy with the string angle. I have to dip into the string a bit to get nose contact and peep alignment. Really wish there was someone other than Bowmar making a nose button.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

There's no reason you can't attempt tuning now. Put a bareshaft or two in your quiver and shoot them alongside your fletched shafts. If there's a consistent difference in point of impact between bareshafts and fletched, make adjustments per the charts below. If there's not a consistent POI pattern, don't bother with making any tuning adjustments yet, just keep working on consistent form.

 

[Billy Goat]

There is a peep on the string, and the shop guys helped me get it set up at the right height. But I'm not quite happy with the string angle. I have to dip into the string a bit to get nose contact and peep alignment. Really wish there was someone other than Bowmar making a nose button.

You might not need a peep.

It helps, but coming from trad you probably have a lot of things nailed down already. I know of a couple excellent archers that went away from using a peep in their hunting bows.

You can use a kisser button, doesn't give nose contact, but you don't need nose contact necessarily, just helps to have a second contact besides your face/hand/knuckle anchor you are doing otherwise.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

You might not need a peep.

It helps, but coming from trad you probably have a lot of things nailed down already. I know of a couple excellent archers that went away from using a peep in their hunting bows.

You can use a kisser button, doesn't give nose contact, but you don't need nose contact necessarily, just helps to have a second contact besides your face/hand/knuckle anchor you are doing otherwise.

Oh I need nose contact. I crave face contact points with the string from my trad roots. I get super anxious without it at full draw. The nose button would make up for the relatively short ATA

 

[Billy Goat]

Oh I need nose contact. I crave face contact points with the string from my trad roots. I get super anxious without it at full draw. The nose button would make up for the relatively short ATA

I'd honestly look at a kisser button, but I anchor middle finger at the corner of my mouth, so it seems a little more natural to me. If you used nose on string trad, then stick to that.

 

[Beendare]

When you feel you have consistent form and your string has 100+ shots on it…you can tune.

My pro buddies all recommend a hinge…I have a had time with them….Thumb is great.

.

 

[nphunter]

The first thing I would do is get your peep and anchors figured out. That will change the tune a lot if your constantly changing them.

For firing the nock 2 it, take a piece of paracord and make a loop on one end and tie the other end to a piece of wood or stick or someone to simulate a bow. You could even tie it to your recurve riser. Make it so that your anchor is comfortable and then lightly set your thumb on the barrel. Push and pull so that your fingers stretch and drag your thumb over the barrel causing it to fire. The most consistent shots are always going to be the ones that break unexpectedly. Once you feel like your anchor is comfortable and your release is firing unexpectedly, grab your bow and stand close to a target an shoulder level, with your eyes closed draw back to that same anchor and execute that same shot over and over always keep your eyes closed. You may need to adjust your nose contact now, if you draw back to anchor naturally and your string doesn’t touch your nose you only have 3 choices, lengthen your draw, add a nose button or tilt your head.

Once that feels natural and you’re constantly having the release fire unexpectedly set your peep up. Do this so that when you come to that same comfortable anchor with your eyes closed, tip of nose touching. Now when you open your eyes the peep should be at the perfect height to look directly through it without manipulating your head.
It’s a really long time until fall and I would focus on a good shoot routine before ever worrying about tuning the bow.

The bomar nose buttons work great, I switched from a long ata bow to a short and had to lengthen my draw and put a nose button on to get good contact. Honestly I’d prefer to shoot 1/2” shorter on the draw but there’s no way I could get good contact shorter. I make a shorter loop which helps too. I bought mine before I even had heard of Bomars and it is a great little devise.

As far as tuning shoot bare shafts and when they are doing the same thing that means you are being consistent. Things like face pressure make way more difference with a compound than a recurve. If your bare shafts are hitting all over the place or inconsistent with the tail, you’re probably wasting time tuning because you’re out of tune.

 

[sndmn11]

Guess I should have clarified... when am I as an archer consistent enough to start tuning? The arrow isn't flying wonky. I'm thinking I oughta get a baseline of my shot execution first, no? I am quite confident in my form carrying over from Trad, but the release/anchor point stuff is not crisp and defined for me yet.

If you are shooting a bare shaft through paper and seeing consistent tears, that is a good indicator that eliminates aiming and is only form-critical.

 

[dplumlee12]

There's no reason you can't attempt tuning now. Put a bareshaft or two in your quiver and shoot them alongside your fletched shafts. If there's a consistent difference in point of impact between bareshafts and fletched, make adjustments per the charts below. If there's not a consistent POI pattern, don't bother with making any tuning adjustments yet, just keep working on consistent form.
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Thanks for the quick guide!

 

[5MilesBack]

Oh I need nose contact. I crave face contact points with the string from my trad roots. I get super anxious without it at full draw. The nose button would make up for the relatively short ATA

Ya, I have to have the string on my nose as well. And with an almost 33" draw, that's not easy with the string angles of today. I actually have a very high anchor that helps get the string there, and I'm sure I lean my head in as well. Whatever it takes. That's never affected my accuracy.

 

[Zac]

I would take all the arrows you have and put them through paper. You will probably have to turn a few nocks but once you are able to achieve relatively the same tear with each shaft over, and over again then you are repeating the same shot process.

 

[Flash]

I tune to a good tear through paper before even attempting to shoot groups. That’s good enough to get started. From there, I set the peep height and tie it in. Once I have a good paper tune and my draw length/letoff/peep height is where I like it, I’ll move to a bareshaft tune at 20 and be done with it.

 

[wildbill34]

I'm going to agree with some of these later posts in that you should probably tune now. However, I would add that you shouldn't be afraid to make changes to your draw length or whatever else as you get more comfortable and just check tune/re-tune later. If it's tuned now your practice becomes more valuable because you can be more confident that it's you and not the bow when you miss.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Probably shoulda updated this... I shot through paper a week ago, and was getting bullet holes. Guess the previous owner was telling the truth when he said the bow shop did it right when they tuned it for him.