Since RangeBall started talking about level nock travel- I was able to get in touch with the gentleman (thanks Len) who had originally sent me some pictures of nock travel patterns plotted on the Apple Tuning Machine.

The following 3 pictures show the same 4 charts, just different angles and views. I'm trying to find out what bows went with what graphs- I'll let you know. The first picture is Charts #1-3, the second picture is Charts #2-4. The third picture is an overall of all 4 charts.

If you look carefully, you can see the center plot line of even travel, the red line being the nock travel of the bow during the power stroke.

You can see the 1" increment grid on the paper if you look carefully. Look at Chart #4 closely, it almost has an inch of nock travel from above and below the flatline! Yikes!

Ever wonder why it can be a pain to get some fixed blade broadheads to fly well from some single cams? Here ya go.....






Edited by - Black Frog on 01/15/2002 14:43:41

Edited by - Black Frog on 01/16/2002 14:22:44

Wow. I can now see why straight and level would be preferred. Thanks, BlackFrog, and I hope can match the evidence to the offender...

I can tell you that #4 would be indicative of an older style one cam bow; and, I've seen worst than that.

The second #3 appears to be a typical "straightline" cam pattern.

I believe that Chart#1 is a slightly out of time two-cam. Chart#2 is a fairly well-timed two cam. Chart#3 is a perimeter weighted single cam. Chart#4 is a hatchet style hard single cam.

And for those that still say that nock travel "is no big deal", or that "it is an 'invented problem' for marketing leverage", then tell me you would like to have a bow with Chart#4's pattern. And tell me how much fun it would be to try and get fixed blade broadheads to fly well.

I'll take Chart#2 anyday. I've been told that Darton's CPS cam is also flat and level when plotted out on this machine.