Outback Walkback Tuning

Roskoe · 09-11-2008, 03:26 PM

I just picked up a 2005 Outback and have been getting it into hunting shape. Great little bow - not real fast, but very smooth and forgiving. After going through the bow and setting the cam, ATA, BH, and draw weight - also checking the idler lean - I paper tuned it so I have field points and broadheads hitting right on the money at 20 yards. And grouping great.

Yesterday, I did a little walkback shooting and discovered the bow is shooting groups to the right as the distance increases. At 60 yards, the groups are running about 6" to the right with the 60 yard pin. I tried moving the arrow rest to get things straightened up, but this throws off my broadhead vs. field point impact.

After sleeping on it, I decided to put a shim (.030 turned out to be about right) at the bottom of the sight's mounting bracket. The pins now line up alittle offfrom vertical - ie. instead of going from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock, they go from 12 o'clock to 5:45. But the bow now shoots a perfectly vertical walkback group using the 20 through 60 yard pins.

The problem is solved - but I'm wondering if there is any aspect of the bow's tune that I missed that could have allowed me to not have to shim the sight bracket. Any thoughts? Thanks. Roskoe

brucelanthier · 09-11-2008, 05:55 PM

I honestly have no idea but I wonder if the yoke was not pulling evenly on the idler wheel (is that what the top wheel is called?) causing a very slight lean if that could create this kind of problem. I have seen that checked with a spot hogg laser when the bow was at full draw and putting one twist on one side of the yoke corrected the slight lean and a slight tear in the paper. I am thinking if all you did was correct the slight tear in the paper by adjusting therest that maybe the slight lean of the wheel may affect shooting at longer ranges where small things become so critical.

Roskoe · 09-11-2008, 08:10 PM

That was along the same lines as I was thinking. I may tweak the idler wheel and see if get better or worse.

TFOX · 09-11-2008, 08:16 PM

Was there a breeze?

Shimming the sight will not change the walk back tune if you are doing it correctly.Because the 20 yard pin is the only pin used for walk back.

The reason the bow shoots to the right is because you are canting the bow.You apparently don't have or use a the level.OR,it isn't set square with the pins.

If shimming the sight has the bow comfortable in your hands and has the pins vertical,then leave it and forget it.

Roskoe · 09-12-2008, 07:37 PM

OK - I'm using the level and there was no wind. Maybe the sight's level is not aligned with the pins - I'll check it tonight. But to what degree could the the idler wheel affect this whole scenario? Right now, it ain't broke . . . . but I'm curious as to what could be done to eliminate the shim. Thanks.

TFOX · 09-12-2008, 09:00 PM

There is nothing wrong with the tune,imo.

Mathews bows want to lean,atleast in my hand they do and you have been shooting one of the best bows ever produce in the Protec(and to some degree the Vectrix)and have gotten used to a bow shooting like it is supposed to.It holds steady and level without much effort from you but that Mathews will not do that and you have gotten lazy,imo.

AND are not watching the bubble as long as you need to OR the bubble is off.

All you have done is match the pins vertical alignment to your cant.Remember when we had to adjust windage individually and the pins would not be perfectly vertical,that is all you are doing now.

It might serve you well to take the grip off and throw it in the trash,take some athletic tape and wrap the grip area (or get a $70 aftermarket grip) and that will help.

Roskoe · 09-13-2008, 09:14 AM

Just got back from the range and, once again, you are right. I tend to check the level and then start focusing on the shot. Just about every time, when I am in the final stages of breaking the shot, I look at the level on the Mathews and it is canted. Never had to do this with any of my Hoyts. Shim is coming out. And I haven't sold my Hoyts - just playing. [8D]Thanks.

TFOX · 09-13-2008, 11:48 AM

Now you know why when I look at bows,I will just hold them and see how they sit in my hand.I don't really concern myself with how it shoots nearly as much as I do how it holds in my hand.

For me,I have yet to hold a Mathews that didn't want to cant.

The Protec is awesome in this regards,but the new 7-37 is also great but I have yet to see a bow hold better than a Hoyt Ultra Elite.I haven't held the Pro Elite but imagine it would be very much the same.