How tight should the nock be?

[DannyD]

When i click the nock on my string it is on there REALLY good and takes a pretty good pull to get it off. It would seem to me that it can actually be too tight thereby losing speed and creating excessive noise.
So, how can i tell if it's too tight?

[BGfisher]

Tight nocks are detriment to accuracy. They tend to make an arrow act stiffer leving the bow. Probably some other factors as well.

That being said, you should be able to nock an arrow, hold the bow horizontal with the arrow hanging toward the floor (ground), then give a decent tap on the string and it should fall off. Maybe just a tad tighter for a hunting setup. But when nocked it should also slide up or down, being slightly loose on the string.

So how do you accomplish this? IMO, after many decades of shooting, is to find what serving size fits the bill and have the center serving replaced. Some guys say heat the nocks in hot water and spread them by fitting them on the string. Some will say to file the groove a little wider, but these methods leave room for error. You can NEVER file two nocks absolutely identical.

FYI serving comes in different sizes (diameter). Usually you see .018", .021", .022", .026" or very similar depending on the manufacturer (Brownell or BCY).

There is no cut and dry answer as to what size to use. Strings themselves can vary depending on what material is used or how many strands there are. Different nocks vary a little too, but not much.

Any competent bow shop should be able to do the job for about $5 or so. They would best be able to figure out what size to change to.

Hope this helps.

[DannyD]

Yes it does help.
Thank you for pointing out that there are different serving diameters that will effect how tight the fit is.
Looking at it another way, are there nocks that are made to fit differently? For example are thre nock measurments similar to the way the serving has a diameter measurement?

[peregordusmc]

I have never heard this term the serving. What is it that you guys are refering to? Thanks.

[KodiakArcher]

ORIGINAL: peregordusmc

I have never heard this term the serving. What is it that you guys are referring to? Thanks.

The serving is the thread that is wrapped around the bow string to protect it. In this case it's the center serving we're talking about (where the arrow nocks on).

Some nocks are made with different groove sizes. I know at least the Easton "G" nock comes in regular and small groove but I don't recall a diameter being given with them.

[BGfisher]

Easton G-nocks are .088" for the small groove and .098" for the large groove. Small groove is best for small strings (less strands) on light draw bows. Large groove is pretty much standard for almost all adult bows.

Most standard nocks used today will measure about .095" or so. The inside of the prongs have a tit that is used to snap the nock to the string. These vary somewhat from one nock brand to another. Best thing to do if replacing the center serving is to take an arrow with the nock you plan to use and try it for fit.

Although not all nocks are made the same they should be close enough that it won't matter a lot--unless they are too tight. If you should change nocks in the future here's a trick I learned many many years ago that works fairly well, and I know I'm going to get chastized for saying it, but if the serving gets too lose due towear or nock change then all you need to do is wrap some dental floss around the serving where the arrow nocks, tie off and melt the ends. It only takes a couple wraps most of the time. Something else about dental floss is that it's slippy, almost like teflon, so the arrow leaves the string a touch cleaner. It's not what some would consider optimum, but it does work well, and you can do it yourself for free.

[peregordusmc]

The serving is the thread that is wrapped around the bow string to protect it. In this case it's the center serving we're talking about (where the arrow nocks on).

Some nocks are made with different groove sizes. I know at least the Easton "G" nock comes in regular and small groove but I don't recall a diameter being given with them.

Easton G-nocks are .088" for the small groove and .098" for the large groove. Small groove is best for small strings (less strands) on light draw bows. Large groove is pretty much standard for almost all adult bows.

Most standard nocks used today will measure about .095" or so. The inside of the prongs have a tit that is used to snap the nock to the string. These vary somewhat from one nock brand to another. Best thing to do if replacing the center serving is to take an arrow with the nock you plan to use and try it for fit.

Although not all nocks are made the same they should be close enough that it won't matter a lot--unless they are too tight. If you should change nocks in the future here's a trick I learned many many years ago that works fairly well, and I know I'm going to get chastized for saying it, but if the serving gets too lose due towear or nock change then all you need to do is wrap some dental floss around the serving where the arrow nocks, tie off and melt the ends. It only takes a couple wraps most of the time. Something else about dental floss is that it's slippy, almost like teflon, so the arrow leaves the string a touch cleaner. It's not what some would consider optimum, but it does work well, and you can do it yourself for free.

Thanks guys. Thats what i love about this sport. U never stop learning.