Normally I just play with the point weight to get my arrows flying well but I've got some arrows that are for a heavier bow that i would like to use out of my lighter bow with a heavier point for my hog hunting trip. I would like to try bare shaft tuning but I'm a little confused on which method to use. I see Ken Beck has a video where they shoot at a bullseye and adjust the point weight to get arrows hitting dead center as opposed to hitting left or right. Then I see other videos where you study how the arrow actually sticks in the target whereby if shaft is pointing left or right will determine whether to add more point weight or less.
Which method works best or does it not matter? Thanks
I go by flight,,, if you dont already have a bareshaft carefully scrape the fletching off one arrow,, hold bow perfectly vertical at about 10yrds away from target and try to be sure everything with your form is perfect especially even tension on string holding fingers,,,,,, tell us what you see when you shoot that arrow a few times..
I've shot bareshafts Olympic style at a vertical line, into a solid target (for tail direction), and fletched shafts until they just behaved...bareshaft at 15-20 yds is my favorite. 20-25 might be better yet, because targets can fake you (and your eyes too) out by pulling it straighter than what it was flying when it hit the target. So for me a bareshaft on a tight bale of hay wins.
Jumping up in spine can be a challenge as well too. My only luck was to run them longer than my usual, or REALLY load up with point wt until it flew straight...at that point they were finicky with consistent draw/flight...my best success so far, was with 400's when I usually shoot 500's. I had to use a 'nubby' little, short 50gr half out...seemed to let the stiffer arrow bend easier. With 100gr and longer inserts I could only build 700+ gr arrows; now down to 630.
I go off arrow flight. If you're having trouble seeing it, have somebody stand over your shoulder with an iPhone and video it in slow motion.
I bareshaft with one shaft and watch the tail position in flight...and adjust as needed.
I've tried the three fletch and one bareshaft method and its not as good for me as the single tune method. That doesn't neccsarily mean that its really better; probably that I'm just more comfortable tuning this way because I've done the single arrow method for decades.
When I'm done I can shoot a perfect arrow up to 25 yards with no feathers.
Thanks for responding, it looks like everyone looks at the flight as opposed to how it sticks in the target which makes sense to me. I'm going to use a lighted nock to tune since i will be hunting with them so that should make it easier to see what is happening.
Barebow arrow tuning ... not the be-all, end-all, but at the least some things to consider.
Don't overlook the thickness of the strike plate for tuning, and the material used. Depending on your riser, and how far too, or past center it's cut. The strike plate material used can make a big difference on stiffer shafts. For example.... A Velcro strike plate is soft and has a bit of cushion, and a thin leather strike plate is harder and can allow more center shot using a stiffer shaft with less tip weight.
Food for thought...
Quote from: Mint on December 09, 2025, 04:00:50 PMThanks for responding, it looks like everyone looks at the flight as opposed to how it sticks in the target which makes sense to me. I'm going to use a lighted nock to tune since i will be hunting with them so that should make it easier to see what is happening.
If you're shooting in daylight, you shouldn't need lighted nocks to see deviations in the arrow flight. If your arrow is flying true, all you really see is a nock flying away from you, but as soon as you have nock left/right/high or low, you see a shaft flying in that direction, and it's really obvious.
You shouldn't have to make any particular effort to focus on it. Continue to focus on the target and you'll see everything you need to see in your peripheral vision.
I have to tune by flight because i use big broadheads and they can offset the point of impact on me if the arrow nock is badly kicking to one side,,, once i get straight flight at at least 15yds i then start over bareshafting but canting the bow at my normal stsnding shot and ususlly i have to lower string nock a smidge and raise the point weight...... but most friends just bare tune olympic style and go with that.
Your form along with even tension on thise fingers is important,,, and if you are new one of those silent klydex draw checks black widow sells will eliminate so much mistakes,,, remove it after a year when your draw length and anchor are locked in solid!!!
Quote from: Kirkll on December 09, 2025, 06:18:37 PMDon't overlook the thickness of the strike plate for tuning, and the material used. Depending on your riser, and how far too, or past center it's cut. The strike plate material used can make a big difference on stiffer shafts. For example.... A Velcro strike plate is soft and has a bit of cushion, and a thin leather strike plate is harder and can allow more center shot using a stiffer shaft with less tip weight.
Food for thought...
100% agree. I fought for a couple of hours shooting .204 ID carbons out of my long bow cut past center and flat out would not bare shaft tune for me. Finally took a break and sat down to ruminate. Only thing I had not tried, so changed the strike plate thickness and it was like magic. Lazers with Broadheads too
Another 'one-off' with bareshaft tuning is while you can match the point weight you bareshafted with the same weighted broadhead....and get wonderful flight due to the straightening effect of feathers; the broadhead being longer effects dynamic spine making the shaft act weaker. A solid design broadhead weakens the dynamic spine more than a vented design. Kind of what Rob said, the bareshaft isn't the end all of the matter but it makes a straight shooting arrow. In my case, the broadhead needs to be about 20 grains less than the field point most of the time.
Often the dynamic shaft weakening by the broadhead is largely offset by the addition of feathers on the back of the shaft...which stiffens the dynamic spine by nature of the 12 grains or so of additional weight which is mostly in the quill.
Sooooo...for the purpose of getting around the effects of the forementioned issues; I broadhead bareshaft tune after the finding the perfect bareshaft tune with field points. I do this by fletching the shaft and then cutting everything off but the quill and about 1/8" of feather. The broadhead tune imperfections show up quickly and then you make the same adjustments you did when using field points....only then do you have the perfect broadhead tune.
I do shoot the bow perfectly verticle to interpret correctly what I am seeing in flight when bareshaft tuning.
For those who have safety considerations it might not be worth taking the last step for tuning broadheads. In my case, I don't have a neighbor within a couple of miles in the direction I'm shooting. The 1/8" feathers is enough to steer the broadhead after field point tuning via bareshafting; but a bad release would miss your target; much like bareshafting field points.
No one needs to go the final step but I've done it for so many years its all second nature to me. Its just part of my normal tuning process.
Quote from: Tajue17 on December 10, 2025, 05:52:37 AMI have to tune by flight because i use big broadheads and they can offset the point of impact on me if the arrow nock is badly kicking to one side,,, once i get straight flight at at least 15yds i then start over bareshafting but canting the bow at my normal stsnding shot and ususlly i have to lower string nock a smidge and raise the point weight...... but most friends just bare tune olympic style and go with that.
Your form along with even tension on thise fingers is important,,, and if you are new one of those silent klydex draw checks black widow sells will eliminate so much mistakes,,, remove it after a year when your draw length and anchor are locked in solid!!!
Very interesting, I was confused as to what all is going on when my perfect Olympic style bareshaft flew wonky when canted in hunting stance. So nock point micro tune, hmmm. I get the extra point weight/shorter draw, but will have to think on this for a while.
Quote from: Stringwacker on December 10, 2025, 08:09:39 AM...In my case the broadhead needs to be able 20 grains less than the field point most of the time.
Often the dynamic shaft weakening by the broadhead is largely offset by the addition of feathers on the back of the shaft...which stiffens the dynamic spine by nature of the 12 grains or so...
Thanks for putting some numbers on it; makes it easier to see. I shoot an elevated rest with AAE trad vanes or feathers, and have noticed a difference.
Food for thought.... Canting your bow will not effect your point of impact with well tuned arrows. If you are getting point of impact differences from side to side from shooting vertical to a canted position consistently, you are most likely spined too heavy.
I had a chance this weekend to bare shaft tune some shafts and it was a big help. Both methods worked very well. Unfortunately the 400 spined shafts that were cut to 28" ended up needed a 100gr insert with 75gr screwed in behind that and a 250gr point. Came in over 700grs and I don't need them that heavy. I had some Heritage 150's cut to 27.75" and they tuned perfectly with a 50gr brass insert and 200gr up front coming in at 580grs.
Glad to hear I'm not the only one with the 700 grain issue on 400's...get this, my 45# longbow with B55 does 400's @ 700gr, and my 40# recurve with D97 does 400's @ 585gr.
If I didn't spend so much time playing with spine calculators, I'd have figured that out a year ago! :laughing:
Quote from: Kirkll on December 10, 2025, 08:14:03 PMFood for thought.... Canting your bow will not effect your point of impact with well tuned arrows. If you are getting point of impact differences from side to side from shooting vertical to a canted position consistently, you are most likely spined too heavy.
With me i discovered i draw shorter when canted and maybe not a perfect wrist alignment with string hand... i put a clicker on a recurve and longbow and it was set perfect when standing in the nice weather but then with jacket on and canting the bow for a hunting style instinctive shot at what i felt was a solid anchor the clicker was not clicking anymore,,, i think i lose 3/16-1/4" in DL when in the field.... but then back to standing straight with a t shirt on the clicker felt too short.
Quote from: Tajue17 on December 17, 2025, 06:50:25 AMQuote from: Kirkll on December 10, 2025, 08:14:03 PMFood for thought.... Canting your bow will not effect your point of impact with well tuned arrows. If you are getting point of impact differences from side to side from shooting vertical to a canted position consistently, you are most likely spined too heavy.
With me i discovered i draw shorter when canted and maybe not a perfect wrist alignment with string hand... i
Same her. For a few years now my bareshaft usually flied better; then I need to make adjustments or grind custom inserts, etc to my already fletched arrows. Now I got the hang of shooting bareshafts in hunting stance...I think it's a combination of better form and recently learning tweaking nock height in your hunting stance as well.
I think its more common than folks think especially when we layer up.... my point originally was get the shafts flying good but check them again with the hunting clothes on,,,, only if anyone is really going for perfection and has time to take broadheads back off and drop some lead pellets inside them.
Quote from: Tajue17 on December 18, 2025, 04:47:34 AMI think its more common than folks think especially when we layer up.... my point originally was get the shafts flying good but check them again with the hunting clothes on,,,, only if anyone is really going for perfection and has time to take broadheads back off and drop some lead pellets inside them.
It's a good idea for sure.
Knowing that when hunting, for whatever reason, I draw a little shorter...I leave my bareshafts just a hair weak to compensate for the shorter draw. It brings me right back into the 'sweet' spot when I draw shorter.
If by chance I get to a full draw (more likely in the early archery season with less clothing) I'm still fine as the feathers correct the small amount of mis-tune. I'm talking about adjusting the shaft to just very slightly weak....nothing drastic.
Quote from: Tajue17 on December 18, 2025, 04:47:34 AMI think its more common than folks think especially when we layer up.... my point originally was get the shafts flying good but check them again with the hunting clothes on,,,, only if anyone is really going for perfection and has time to take broadheads back off and drop some lead pellets inside them.
It's a fact that I short draw just a little bit when I'm hunting (and normally as well for that matter). Between bulky clothes and/or the residual effect of a recovering TP'r...its going to happen.
To allow for that certainity, I just leave my bareshafts a hair weak. No big deal if I get to full draw as the mis-tune is so slight the feathers correct the weakness and the arrow still flies perfect .
Best way for me is to film my arrow flight from the side and above to see what it's doing. Easy too
It may have already been touched upon..but ill throw this into play..nocks, in several ways can change how a bareshaft acts..there are different length nocks..but most importantly how tight they fit your string. I like a middle of the road tension on the string..enough so I can let down from a full draw whilst being at a heavy downward angle(like in a tree stand) and not have to reset the nocks fully into the string. simply put a overly tight nock is no good and will show stiff on bare shafting..very loose shoot fine but are a danger when it comes to dry firing your bow. A loose nock fit will show weaker on bareshaft.