Soilarch

Can I skip paper tuning and just bare shaft tune my bow? Do I have to have a foam target? Will a bag target throw the arrows off a little?

Blodg

I think many people eyeball the center shot, set the nock point from level to 1/4" high and go directly to bare shaft testing. That is what I did with my new bow.

I think that bare shaft tuning is a better method to give good arrow flight (and so do many others reading the posts on the forums). Some people suggest that it's likely that the rest and nock position may change during bare shaft or group tuning so why spend a lot of time on paper tuning.

On the other hand years ago I have shot very well by paper tuning and then never doing any bare shaft tuning at all. It probably all depends on how close the spine is to start with.

Blodg

(deleted double post)

ewolf

I don't paper tune. I do just eye ball center shot (A really really good job, every bow I have ever shot is center shot when the arrow is behind the string when the string is in the middle of the handle (Is not the case with short ATA length bows)). However, bare shaft tuning doesn't tell you whether you bow is center shot (someone will fight me on this but I'm right). There are specific methods for this (Paper tuning doesn't tell you either). I will get my arrows spined close, then I set the center shot, then I bare shaft again to get the spine right on the money.

Blodg

I am not going to "fight" you, LOL but it is very possible if your arrow is not at the exact correct spine (which is probably most cases) or due to difference in grip pressure point that a correctly tuned bow will NOT end up with perfect center shot. I could care less if my bow is at perfect center shot if the bare shafts impact with the fletched shafts and I am shooting good groups.

Also, most bows I have seen do not have the center shot in the middle of the handle. The cams are not usually in the centerline of the limb but offset to the left for a right handed shooter. To eyeball center shot you need to see how far offset the string track is from the center of the limb. This usually puts the center shot to the left of the centerline of the grip.

ewolf

A bow is not tuned if it is not center shot. To fix spine you need to shorten arrows, change point weight, or change draw weight. That is how you fix spine, you don't fix it by moving the arrow rest, that is simply a a quick fix. I ckeck center shot by the step back method, once center shot is set I then adjust my spine. Moving the arrow rest away from center shot (other than little movements 1/16") is wrong, fix the spine by changing point weight or draw weight.

muzzyman88

I never held a lot of weight on paper tuning either. Too many variables decide where your centershot will ultimately fall. I do paper tune however, just to get me in the ballpark. I don't worry too much about left and rights as I do verticle tears. I get them as close as I can, then go to group tuning. I have never really bare shaft tuned that much but am planning on doing a more extensive tune with my Allegiance once weather gets tolerable. I think that its the best way to get the best possible tune out or your bow once everything else is close.

BGfisher

I pretty much agree that setting the rest on center is the first step. I never move mine from center. And to play with spine I don't cut arrows shorter or play with point weight or any of that stuff. If the spine is off a bit then that's what weight adjustment bolts on the limbs come in handy to correct. There is nothing in any tuning manual that says you MUST shoot a certain poundage just because the bow maxes out at such-and-such. It's only in the testosterone level.

Of course, my way isn't the only way. But in general, I prefer bare shaft tuning at least out to 35 yards. When I can get one flying like a laser, looking at nothing but a nock going then I know I'm prett close. Then I check impact point of the bare shaft against fletched arrows and with broadheads. If your setup is really dialed in this can get expensive. When I'm cutting the fletchings off then I do something that isn't recommended. I try a bare shaft with broadhead out to 30 yards.

I'll tell, it makes for a very forgiving setup.

Bulzeye

Since I've never tried bare shaft tuning, I've got a related question(s) for those of you who have tried both bare shaft AND paper.
When you have completed bare shaft tuning, and it's all flying good, Does it also shoot well through paper?
Do bare shaft and paper both accomplish the same thing, but do it different ways?
Is paper a "rough" or "course" method of tuning, and bare shaft a "fine" form of tuning?

I'm wondering because the Easton guide shows bare shaft first, and then moves on to paper.

Elkcrazy8

I don't even mess with paper tuning. I go right to bare shaft and am done in a matter of minutes. Center shot at full draw can be different than at rest so I just eyeball to get me close and then go to bare shaft.