I enjoyed reading the Bareshafting thread and getting everyone's ideas on that particular process. There is a great deal of variation on how we all approach 'getting arrows to fly good' out of a particular bow. Bareshafting by any variation of it is just one of many techniques that can be used.

I pretty much exhausted my technique explanation so I'm just interested on how you do it? The Leatherwall is a place for good folks to share ideas understanding what works for you; might not be what the next archer would want.

So....how do YOU do it?

Mark, back when I started learning about such things, we had to figure it out, so it was and still is a matter of knowing how your personal dynamics interact with the static spine. It's actually pretty elementary once you have that. Other folks have their own way of doing things.

String -

I use modern equipment, and rarely ever have to tune an arrow to a bow, rather I choose an arrow that I know is going to be close and then tune the bow to the arrow - by bare shafting (using both separation AND nock kick-out) at the longest distance I'm comfortable.

On bows that only have brace height and strike plate as tuning options, if the flight is decent to the mark one eye ball, I cal it done.

Viper out.

"I choose an arrow that I know is going to be close and then tune the bow to the arrow"....yep.....

the variables you can play with are nock position, and brace height. If you have a bow that is centershot you can also play with building your rest out or in. once you have setup many different bows this become second nature and like said above its basically just adjusting things to settle down the arrow flight dynamics. this is done after you made the best arrow choice for your bow and you still feel more tuning is profitable. IMHO

a tuned arrow will give you the best penetration, Thats important to me because I hunt Elk, most good flying arrows will provide enough penetration when hunting deer but on a animal the size of an elk you need everything going your way, You need your arrow to be flying straight with no wobble at all. this wobble will reduce penetration by a bunch, the only way to know for sure if your arrow is flying true is to paper tune the arrow, I don't bare shaft paper tune but shoot thru paper at 7 -8 yards with fletched arrows and strive for bullet holes with nothing but the tears of the fletching .

I bare shaft only to get me in the ball park. With carbon arrows I paper tune 6-8 ft using brace height and/or rest adjustment.

Modern equipment to tune the bow to the arrow. If you make primitive self bows, and don't mind an arrow shelf cut out on the bow (but many do,and that is OK) you can also tune the bow to the arrow. I bare shaft tune.

Over a lot of years of shooting various kinds of arrows in a number of different types and draw weights of stickbows I have accumulated a fair collection of arrows that have been shot in those bows. If I acquire a new bow I have no real problem finding a selection of arrows to try. I shoot them and watch how they fly and see how they impact the target at various ranges. I've never had any difficulty visually picking out the arrows that flew best. If I don't have enough of that arrow I get more.

I've always felt we make this arrow "tuning" way more difficult than it needs to be.

Just like this. Shoot & read the target. Then make adjustments. >>>----> Ken

Someone please turn. It is upright in my file?? Thanks, Ken

Search O L Adcock arrow tuning on the interweb. It’s not his invention but he explains it well and that’s how I like to tune my arrows to my bows.

I shoot my arrows and if they fly good then I am good. I only check the spine to start, fletch and then shoot

I also should have added in the beginning I get 6 ft from a blank target and try to line up the shaft as best I can, right and left, up and down. Having a friend watch helps . This gives me a start on nocking point and which way the shaft wants to rotate. Then I add the fletch left or right.

I bare shaft.

Bare shaft.

That is all there is to it. I have a set of bamboo arrows I haven't even bothered to fletch yet. They shoot great. I always leave one or two bare in every set. >>>----> Ken

always try to get many arrows flying good as possible. The only method that works for me is bareshaft tuning arrow to bow. It can be very frustrating at times especially when I am having one of those days, weeks or months.

Evidently some of you guys shoot way better than I ever could dream of. Id pull what little hair I have out paper tuning a traditional bow at my skill level. Lol

I used to bare shaft but lately use paper tuning and usually adjust by point weight, shaft length, adjusting draw weight (ILF) assuming spine is in the ball park. Follow up with long distance (50+ yards) to fine tune center shot.

I've never shot an arrow without fletching. In all the years I've been doing this I just looked at a spine chart, picked point weight, draw weight, bow type and bought the designated spine.

I don't have half a foot of arrow sticking out at full draw or a ridiculously heavy "front load" just to get good flight. I fletch them up and watch them spin all the way to the mark.

This doesn't have to be hard. I gave up tinkering when I gave up the wheels in 1987.

I select a shaft that is close but a little on the stiff side, cut it an inch and a half longer than my draw, install 165gr point and 5 inch helical feathers. I usually get good flight but I may need to change point weight and/or nocking point location. If the arrow nock points straight in the target, that's all. I dont have time to fuss around much.

I’m with you N Y YANKEE

Not sure I understand that chart. I’m right handed. If I take a 28” 1916 with 5” 3 fletch and stick a 175 gr point on it and shoot it out of Herman the frankenbow, you can see the arrow kick left. Too weak, so I put a 145 gr on it, still slight kick left. 125 gr flies strait. But it shot a little too the right of where I am aiming, so I put a toothpick behind the side plate. Bingo, shoots where I look if I do my part.

"125 gr flies strait. But it shot a little too the right of where I am aiming, so I put a toothpick behind the side plate. Bingo, shoots where I look if I do my part."...if your arrow is impacting to the right of where you are aiming it is weak. Adding the toothpick decreased the centershot to stiffen the arrow enough to land where you aim it.

I make wood arrows from scratch using info from the dynamic spine chart at three rivers. Since I consistently get very good results doing that, I know if there's an issue it's form related.

To anyone that just goes by visual flight. If it is good enough for you fine. The fact is you can not see the flight good enough for perfect tuning. Proof- can you see the arrow flex like the so called "paradox" shown in slow motion. It happens too fast to pick up. Flight/ tuning has to be very bad before you can see it. Again if you are happy / satisfied that is all that matters. >>>----> Ken

X2 Viper. That's the way I do it.

Fdp - so when I don’t see the shaft kick anymore I’m tuned, but not real tuned? So instead of adding the toothpick I could decrease point weight a little to get the same result?

Tony you can do it either way. Personally I would leave the toothpick for a couple of reasons.

1. It has the bow shooting where you look.

2. It minimizes the contact of the arrow on the sight window which is an advantage as well.

Thanks Frank!

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