Hookster.

If you center the string to the limbs of the bow and you are a right handed shooter you will see how the sight window is cut. If you have space on the right side between the shelf and the string and the string is centered to the limbs then the bow window is cut (Past center.
If the sight window and the string line up then you are cut to center.


God bless you all, Steve

my bow is "nearly" center cut had a time tuning an arrow to it. ended up with a light spine arrow and a very heavy head. Is this the norm,... just learning

Wildwood. The arrow has to bend around the bow in order to come into line of sight. If you look down the arrow and line the string up to the center of your bow limgs you will see that your arrow point is sticking out to the left.
The lighter spine and heavy head allow the shaft to bend aroung the bow.

When cut past center you can shoot a much heavier shaft with a lot less tuning process . At least that is my limited experience.

God bless you , Steve

QuoteOriginally posted by Pinelander:
Yea, "easier" seems to be the overwhelming choice these days. Must have been a royal pain for archers when there were very few bows cut past center, except for those metal-handled ones.         :D    

I don't think of it as 'easier' so much as 'more versatile.' I see a bow that can shoot a wider variety of arrow set-ups as a desirable characteristic, personally. And I'd like to believe that just because we've chosen a trad path doesn't mean that we've stuck ourselves in some particular era of the past, and that there isn't still room for innovation, variety and evolution....

Pinelander , Perhaps philosophicly there is no right way or wrong way .

However in this case easier could be the right way.

Just because a bow is not cut to center or befor center does not mean that it is impossible to shoot it. However if a bow can be designed to be cut past center and accept a wider spine variety and shoot heavier weight shafts witout 500 gr. heads then what is wrong with that?

The way you said easier you make it sound like it is the sin of a lifetime to not do something the hard way. A thing no self respecting stick bow shooter should even consider unless he is incompetant.

That attitude has turned off way too many people that want to be trad shooters. And in my opinion at least, it is totally uncalled for. It is why so many people think that Stick Bow shooters are elitist. Sometimes we deserve it.

Why look down on folks that shoot recurves, longbows, self bows, D and r bows, flat bows, english long bows,. even , ILF metal handled bows. I had one of those myself , with a plunger back in the 60s.

I do not understand why some insist on putting down anyone that shoots a different bow than they approve of ,. Or why we do not even seem to be able to have a simple conversation about benefits , pros and cons of a sight window position without sarcasm amd put down. Its rediculous and little .

God bless you all, Steve

God bless you Steve

Sixby,

Very well said,,,, as long as both side of the coin are excepted.

I stated that I personally wouldn't have another bow that wasn't cut before center.

From the way I read alot of post since mine it sounded as though several were saying I was a nut case for my choices.

I say shoot what you like and if someone else likes something different let them have it their way.

Personally I feel and hope Pinelander was making that statement toung in cheek.

Troy

Yes indeed I was, Troy.   :D  

I've owned metal bows, ILF bows, cut past center bows, d-bows, hybrid bows, cut-to-center bows, belly mount-limbed bows, selfbows, new eye-candy bows, and older than dirt plain-jane bows. I have no disrespect for others' choices.

Bows that are cut 1/8" to 3/16" past center are good designs, but when cut 5/16" past center it is pretty much unnecessary since they usually end up getting built out anyway.

- Dave

IF it can *safely* be done, no cons, all pros.

X2  to Rob's post      

Wow talk about getting educated the right way.This is why I joined TG to learn and understand the equiptment I use.Thanks!!!!

Interesting! I have read that - and I don't know if it is true or not - since I have never built any bows myself - is that a bow SHOULDN'T be cut at exact 'center' because and arrow needs to be a hair OUT from center of the string - in the case of a RH shooter - the arrow point when viewed down the bow should be slightly OUT from the center of the string.

Is this an accurate assumption?

Pinelander forgive my jumping to conclusions. I have so many people that shoot wheels tell me that we are a bunch of elitst snobs that its kind of become a touchy subject with me. I sincerely apologize to you sir.
I am sure that with your abundant experience that you have a lot of really great input into just about every subject concerning anything to do with a bow.
Troy , Indeed it does have to go both ways. I enen give that space to gulp, wheel shooters.


God bless you guys, Have a wonderful New Year, Steve

Scoobie, your assumption is correct. It is best to avoid the arrow being directly inline with the string or to the right of the string (RH shooter).

But remember that the skinniest of skinny arrows is about 1/4"  in diameter. So in that case, the skinniest arrow would be centered to the string with a 1/8" cut past center bow, but only if there was no sideplate material at all.

Since most arrows are 5/16" or greater in diameter, a 3/16" cut past center wouldn't result in the arrow being centered on the string.

The only time an arrow would be centered on the string or to the right of the string would be with a 5/16" cut past center and a very skinny arrow.

- Dave

almost all metal handled recurves are cut past center and many, if not most, custom and manufactured bows are cut past center now...works for me

Speaking strictly for myself, I prefer a bow that is cut 3/16" past center. They are the easiest bows to tune when I'm shooting different spined aluminum arrows.

Troy im the same as you have a long DL and like to us a lot of weight up front i find center shot or a bit over is best Thanks Shane