Frank-

There are many variables that CAN come into play, but most of the time the shooter is trying to emulate perfection, therefore we must have a constant with which to start and go from square one. if you put one bow in a machine that has dead-straight and level nock travel, and another that is terrible, they will both still shoot arrow after arrow into the same hole. You can take a bow that has a cam on one end, a wheel on the other, a straight limb of 50lbs on one end, and a recurve on the other at 80lbs, and still get a tune. Think about that for a minute![8D]

BUT, they hold and shoot like garbage. No forgiveness when actually held and felt by human hands. So when we come to the question of straight and level nock travel and what it can do for you as an individual, the answer is easy---it will make your shooting experience much more pleasant, regardless of your form or stature. Cam rotation is symmetrical, as is the limbtip travel back to brace. Paradox is effectively reduced to a minimum, which makes for a faster responding arrow, making it easier to tune, and more accurate downrange. Fixed blade broadheads will tune without incident when youa re not starting out high. low, or porpoising. We all remember why the mechanicals came to be so popular in the early to mid 90's, and it wasn't because they penetrate better! LOL Certain designs simply had terrible nock travel and thus it was very difficult to tune fixed blade heads.

Twin cams do not have straight and level nock travel. They have straight but not level. Solocams had terrible nock travel early on, but some designs that do not have modules or adjustments on the cam can exhibit S&LNT at CERTAIN drawlengths. Keep in mind there are few that do. Some of todays' hybrids offer the best nock travel in both planes I've tested to date, while others are really not that good. When choosing a cam design, one must take into account not just whether or not the bow exhibits S&LNT, but that it does so with everything working in tandem. Throw your preferred bow into a crankboard and run it out to full draw---pencil around the limbtips. Back it down about halfway, then pencil around your limbtips again. Let the bow down and measure between the marks. Is it the same? If so your bow is performing at it's best with everything working in tandem. Some of you may be surprised. when doing this simple test as to how some designs actually impair perfromance and accuracy by exhibiting poor dynamic balance during the shot.

That should keep you thinking for awhile. Good shooting, Pinwheel 12