Bow Hunting Tech Question

boater2579 · February 07, 2012, 03:27:22 PM

I was going over my bow after this hunting season and I see that my rest has some wear on the left side of the foot that the arrow sets on and so I knocked an arrow to take a look , the arrow sets center where it should but when I line up the string and arrow (looking from behind not drawn back)they don't line up with the sight pins, I would think they should all be in line. I got the bow new before last hunting season, they set it up for me and I shoot good with it, it has a Quiktune 360 rest on it and I am going to put a whisker biscuit on it and was just wondering if it should all be in line, arrow, string and sights?

Thanks Justin

bassman349 · February 07, 2012, 04:12:07 PM

This is sort of a tuff one to explain, but I will try.
If your arrow and sight pins don't line, but your shots are on target where you want them to be, then probably no adjustment necessary. If you have the incorrect arrow spine for your setup, then sometimes the arrow rest has to be moved a little right or left to compensate for the flex (or lack thereof) of the arrow. Your shooting form and release also comes into play here. If the arrow spine is incorrect, then it really stands out when shooting a fixed blade broadhead, but no so much with a mechanical broadhead.

The best way to check all this out is to shoot an unfletched arrow with a field point on it through a piece of paper from 6 feet. Only problem here is creating the setup where the paper is about eye level and a sufficient backstop behind it. If the arrow has any wobble from side to side or up and down, or both at the same time, it will be reflected by the direction of tear in the paper. You can then make arrow rest and nocking point adjustments to try and achieve the perfect hole in the paper. If you cannot achieve the perfect hole by moving the arrow rest just slightly left or right of center, then chances are you may be using the incorrect arrow and the problem cannot be solved.

I spent a lot of time over the years fine tuning my bows so that a fixed blade broadhead would hit the target the same as a field point.
Basically, if you have the correct arrow, the rest should pretty much line up with the string and pulleys, but then again, many factors can dictate that the rest be a little bit left or right, but not a lot. Hope this helps.

boater2579 · February 07, 2012, 04:32:35 PM

Thanks bassman , The old paper tune , when they were setting this bow up for me they said that paper tuning was old stuff and was not important , I am not that knowledgeable on the spine of the arrows . It just seemed off that they were not in line and the rest was wearing a lot more on the left . I will take it to a guy and get it paper tuned !

Thanks again Justin

bassman349 · February 07, 2012, 04:48:53 PM

Yikes, I wasn't trying to bait you into spending a bunch of bucks , I figured you might be one to try it yourself. I think the paper tuning is somewhat important if you are shooting fixed blade broadheads and the bows needs to be perfectly tuned for that, but otherwise, as long as it is shooting ok for you, perhaps nothing needs done. If you target shoot with field points and broadheads with same result, then it sounds like it's worthy to hunt with.

What kind of bow do you have, draw weight, arrow length, using carbon or aluminum arrows?

boater2579 · February 07, 2012, 05:10:10 PM

I hunt with the bow , killed deer with it , I just got a whisker biscuit for Christmas and was going to put it on myself and saw the wear on the old one , I shoot great with the bow , was just looking for tips for when I put the new rest on, if papertuning is not to tough to do I would give it a shot!
The bow is a matthews z7 draw weight is 70lbs , the arrows are 31'' carbon and I use mechanical broadheads.

bassman349 · February 07, 2012, 07:00:03 PM

A 31" arrow with a 70 lb. draw weight requires a fairly stiff arrow. Might want to double check the specs on your arrow and then look at some references. I usually look at Easton's web sight and their charts regarding the subject. Sad thing is, if your arrows are incorrect, then it costs a bunch of bucks to solve the problem. I just went through that deal after the purchase of my last bow. I was using a aluminum 2315 arrow, which I had a good supply, but bow would not tune well with them. Had to switch to a 2314 to get it right, but it is now the best shooting setup that I've ever owned. By the way, mine is set up with a whisker biscuit and I do like it a lot.

Looking at the Easton charts, looks like they recommend a 300 spec. for a carbon arrow, based on a 100 gr. broadhead. If you should happen to check yours and find that you have 340 or 400 spec., then you can start thinking that they are not stiff enough for the length and draw weight that you are using. I do know from experience that once you match the arrows with your setup, tuning is pretty easy. Use the wrong arrow, like I have occasionally done, and it's a nightmare. Arrow spine is always my first focus when setting up a new bow.

Good luck with it and good hunting!

boater2579 · February 07, 2012, 07:17:20 PM

I guess I will have to do some work , my arrows are carbon express maxima , says they have a dual spine , they are the hunter 350 , so if the 350 is the spec I would need stiffer arrows or bring the draw weight down?
I do a lot of shooting threw the year and want to get it tuned right , so thanks for all the info!!

Justin

singlguy9 · February 09, 2012, 09:55:56 AM

great information, thanks

I've been meaning to take my shooting to the next level

bassman349 · February 09, 2012, 10:30:05 AM

Matching the arrow to your setup is where the paper tuning comes in handy. If you are paper tuning and can't get it right, regardless of adjustments to arrow rest and nock point, then it's a fair chance that you have the incorrect arrow or your shooting form needs work.
If you think the arrow is not stiff enough, then do try reducing the draw weight and see if it helps. If that works, then you can either leave the draw weight reduced or turn it back up and go buy stiffer arrows. A 70 lb. draw weight is pretty high for these modern day bows. A reduced weight will make it more comfortable drawing while on the stand. My new PSE bow is set at 55lb, easy to draw, and is surprisingly flat shooting out to 30 yds with enough velocity to deal with the deer effectively. I know that paper tuning is a pain in the butt, but without it, you never really know for sure just what that arrow is doing after it leaves the rest. An arrow does need to flex a little bit when it is released and an arrow that is too stiff and doesn't flex will not fly right. An arrow that flexes too much will not fly right initially, but may fly well after it travels a certain distance. Most of this fine tuning is needed for shooting fixed blade broadheads since the broadhead acts as another steering mechanism. But even with mechanicals, they work better if the arrow is flying perfectly straight and no wobble.