My bare shaft results look great any where from 10-18 yards... From 25-30 I'm showing a noticeable weak. Shaft.... What would you do?
I bare shaft at 20 and under. Any farther than that just doesn't seem useful to me.
Showing a slightly weak shaft may be advantageous, as adding feathers will stiffen up the shaft a little. Maybe what you've got is perfect!
If you are going by flight, it may just be your form.
How are they grouping with the fletched ones?
Steve
I would only change them if I could see a difference in my feathered group at that distance.
Shoot 30 arrows at 25-30 yards on a paper target and see if the majority is a little right of center.
The further you get from the target the more everything is amplified, Weak Shaft, Bad Release, Bad form....... If everything is good out to 20 yards, and that's your max yardage then, I say your good to go.
Mike
If your good at 18,,, fletch them up.
JDSIII
See if wide BH's do the same, if they do fix it. If it's just a 3D bow that I'll never shoot BH's out of, I'd fix it and back up to 80 and try again! :) ....O.L.
If the arrow's dynamic spine is correct, your arrows will be "on" at all distances (not just up close), and the 'average group center' of several groups should show a matching point of impact.
My hunting is at very close range, but I like to do my final bare shaft tuning at 40 meters (about 44 yards). When I get the tuning as close as I can at that distance, I cross check with fletched shafts w/broadheads vs: bare shafts w/field points.
When I feel I've got everything as perfect as I can with the arrow's dynamic spine, I then check to see at how close a range I have perfectly straight arrow impact; with both the fletched/broadheads and bare shaft/field points, into a uniform density foam target. That's generally around one yard (from arrow tip to target). Then I do a few random checks at various 'in between' ranges.
Hope that helps a bit,
Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow
Thanks Ed and all who responded.
I would fletch them and go hunting. You might be able to fine tune a bit, but with fletching on them, you'll never know the difference.
That's what fletching is for!
I should add that I only shoot wood, and even the best wood "off the shelf" is really not consistent enough for long range bare-shaft tuning, although it can be done if you take the time and spine and weigh each shaft for a perfectly matched tuning set. I've done LOTS of testing, and I find that once I'm close enough, the feathers take care of the rest at all ranges.