Arrows drifting right

leftybearfan · January 27, 2009, 09:57:00 PM

Hey all! Question for the masses.

I was shooting in the yard yesterday. At 25 yds and under I was shooting pretty well. Starting at about 40 yds or so my arrows were drifting to the right quite a lot. I was shooting 3-under and POA aiming. From 25 and in I was able to hold pretty much in the same horizontal line and just adjust vertically. At 40 yds I was having to hold nearly a foot to the left. I cant my bow maybe 20 degrees. Is there something wrong with my set up or is this just a function of my cant?

Vital stats: LEFT HANDED shooter, 48# @30" r/d longbow, 31" CX Heritage 150 arrows, 125 grain tips, 5" leftwing feathers, wind was very light (5mph or so) and from behind-no crosswind at all.

jmc334 · January 27, 2009, 10:44:00 PM

Is the longbow cut to center? If not it could show up farther away.

leftybearfan · January 27, 2009, 10:48:00 PM

Not quite cut to center.

Orion · January 27, 2009, 10:52:00 PM

Crosswind? May not affect the arrows much at 25 yards, but will at 40. It's also possible that the wind may not be catching your shafts, due to some obstruction like a house, shed, etc, until they get half way to the target on your 40-yard shots.

leftybearfan · January 27, 2009, 11:00:00 PM

I didn't even think of the delayed crosswind. I shoot in the backyard toward my house, so it's possible that the wind is hitting the house and coming back at an odd angle....

I'm going to try some heavier points as well, some others have said that I may be a tad overspined.

Bjorn · January 28, 2009, 12:01:00 AM

I'd say you are overspined and it is showing up as the arrow slows down.

Manitoba Stickflinger · January 28, 2009, 07:17:00 AM

After you rule out wind drift (which may be the cause) perhaps try some heavier points to weaken up the spine. I agree with the previous posts!

Intuit · January 28, 2009, 08:40:00 AM

Spine(left/right) and nock point(up/down) adjustments should be considered with the bow in a verticle posture, otherwise you could be see a combination of two adjustments to see the results you want. If you can shoot with the bow verticle instead of canted to refine your adjustments you'll probably see quicker results with less frustration.

In other words, 20* cant could be your nock point instead of your spine or a combination of both.

John3 · January 28, 2009, 09:29:00 AM

For RH if fletched shafts hit "left" they are stiff..

If LH hitting "right" are they stiff???? Not enough flex out of the bow...??

JDS III

O.L. Adcock · January 28, 2009, 10:08:00 AM

Lefty, The first step is to verify you are well tuned....Shoot 3 or 4 125gr Snuffers or other wide broadhead and 3 or 4 matched field tips at a spot. If they group together, the shooting right is something to do with you. If they don't group together, you have tuning problems that need to be fixed....O.L.

dan ferguson · January 28, 2009, 11:53:00 AM

For me, and I deal with this issue, only I shoot right, I find its my anchor, sometimes I lose focus, its not that I,m not hitting the same anchor point its that I not hitting it with the same pressure on my face, so my arrows start to group left for me. I see this show up that further distance I shoot. If I shoot alot and get into a rythm of shooting I come back to the anchor point just not with the same pressure as I should. Hope this is making sense, I know what I,m talking about but you might not. Everything needs to be the same all the time. I blame everything else but it usually comes back on me.

HATCHCHASER · January 28, 2009, 02:17:00 PM

Slightly stiff arrows.

leftybearfan · January 28, 2009, 02:38:00 PM

thanks for all the responses guys. I think I have it nailed down. Arrows were indeed a little stiff, but I also realized that I wasn't getting the arrow directly beneath my eye. Adding 25 grains to the point and modifying my anchor slightly seems to have fixed the problem.

Thanks a ton!!