trouthunter

Anyone ever do something they think they know enough about then find out later thru hind sight they didn't know crapola?? Well, I have learned the hard way that all bows are NOT created equal! [/align][/align]I've been shooting a compound bow since I was old enough to drawthe required draw weight to hunt (about 14). Since then I learned as much as I could and became fairly self sufficient with bow tuning, repair, stringing, etc. A couple years ago I was visiting with a couple of traditional bow shooters and they asked when I was going to take the training wheels off my bow. I've always been drawn tomore traditional & primitive hunting methods, and couldn'tget this "challenge" out of my mind.Since then I have been lurking at the bow shops and trying out different traditional bows off the shelf. Last monthI was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a fineMartin long bow and start my transition to traditional shooting. With the help of theshop "Pro", weselected the rest of the accoutrements(arrows, glove, field tips, etc.) to start me on my journey.[/align][/align]The journey started out fine,butI made a crucial mistake in the beginning that led to a couple posts of concern here in this forum. My mistake was thinking like a compoundarcher. It came very apparent that my thought processes were 180 out fromwhere I needed to be. For instance, with compounds youtune a bow to your arrows, and with trad bows, you tune arrows to a bow. My prior posts revealed this little truth as many of you here pointed to an over spined arrow for my setup. I had purchased $80 in arrows that the "Pro" set me up with, and the thought that I needed different arrows didn't settle well with my financial consultant (the wife). A final confirmation ofan overspined arrowcame when I purchasedthe book "Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery" by Brian J. Sorrells.I used the bare arrow tuning techniques of the book and found out without a doubt that the arrows were indeed overspined. Hopefully just adding a heavier field tip to the arrow will correct my problem with this batch of arrows, but looking around at available weights in broadheads I may not be able to find the broadhead to match the field tip weight. Therefore it will be back to the drawing board to get properly spined arrows for this bow.[/align][/align]This book has beena true revelation as it really breaks things down, and my thought processes have been turnedback in the right direction. I highly recommend ANYONEwho is starting out to get this book before purchasing your setup! If I would have had it before I started I would have saved myself a lot of time and $$.[/align]

bigcountry

I know when I started, I also felt I had way too stiff arrow, I found out it was my release. A sloppy release can show stiff and give false indicators. Also found out hte hard way too long an arrow can give false indicators of being too stiff. I got a dozen 32" cedars and was expecting a weak reaction. I cut them down to 30" and started showing weak, and had to cut to 29" which was just right.

Not saying this is your problem, just when following Brian Sorrells book, you need to be careful of false indicators. And your example of bareshaft tuning is common for beginners like myself to get false indicators.

Double Creek

You can tune the bow to the arrow, but you are limited. I find that changing side plate materials can have a fairly significant effect on arrow flight. A softer plate will move your arrows to the right and a harder plate will do the opposite. At least in my case.

Of course you have to be in the ball park spine wise to begin with.

bigcountry

Hey DC, I just got a new recurve yesterday, and was hoping my cedars would work out with it. I am getting a paper tear slight to the right about 1". In other words fletching side is hitting right, tip left. But these arrows are underspined for this bow supposely. Do you think I can this tear out by putting a thinner plate on?

BobCo19-65

You maybe able to get a brass or steel insert for your aluminum arrow. Also, I have broadheads up to 220 grain screw in Muzzy Phantons). Or maybe a steel adapter with a glue on type broadhead might get you in the range you are looking for. I believe a grizzly broadhead can be bought up tp 190 grain, that along with an adapter and a steel or brass insert could get a lot of weight up front. The problem is that you would still have to experiment and it would still cost $$$'s.

Double Creek

Big,

Rick Welch says so and I tried it and dang if it worked me too! One thing I have found with tuning is that it can be different for everyone. We all have such individual styles that no one method works best. Rick says add doubled sided tape one strip at a time until you get what you need. You then have the option of a hard pad, soft pad, thin pad, thick pad. A lot of playing around can get you in the ball park.

Remember that a thin, hard pad will make your arrows act more stiff, b/c they bounce more off the bow and that causes them to impact to the left. A soft pad will make them act more weak and impact to the right.

trouthunter

I thought about that when I was bear shaft tuning. I shot fingers for years with my compound until going with a release, so going back to fingers wasn't that hard of a move, but something I've been aware of, especially thanks to the "plucking" thread here.

I shot several times to try to get as much consistancy as I could, and it showed consistant overspine. I went to 3Rivers Archery and bought a "tune kit" set of field tips. When they get here in the mail I'm looking forward to increasing the tip weight and see if it indeed overspine or false indicators as you mention.

Thanks BC...and everyone else here in the forum that has been such a big help