How to tune your bow on paper
In my arrowhead tuning feature, I wrote about the steps required to tune your bow and arrows. In this column, I want to go into more detail about the important paper setting process. This is the quick technique to make the necessary adjustments for laser straight arrow flight.
Throw distance
You need a new take through the paper without external interference. Position the adjustment paper at least 3 feet from the target so there is no chance of the arrow hitting the target before going through the paper. Stand or sit about six feet from the paper when you shoot your bow. Make sure the paper is almost at shoulder height so you can use the normal shooting shape. This is important.
Shooting execution
Since the paper setting is the experiment of both your bow setup and your shooting form, you need to focus on making perfect shots or you will chase your tail, adjusting your bow when your shot type is really the problem. If you take the grip when you fire the trigger or press the trigger, you are likely to see tears even if your bow was installed perfectly. Keep your grip very relaxed throughout the shot and keep constant tracking until the arrow hits the target.
Understanding your tears
After looking at the paper, after shooting, you will see a rounded hole where the field point passed and some kinds of breakage caused by the paddles and the last part of the arrow. The value of the paper setting comes down to your ability to read these tears and make the correct adjustments to your bow and shooting shape to cut them. Your target is around the “bullet” hole with 3 narrow, outward-radiating cuts caused by the paddles. Such a hole results from a true flying arrow, with the neck following directly behind the point. Any difference in this perfect flight will rob you of precision and penetration when hunting.
Tears to the tail
There are 4 reasons why your bow may be shooting a high-tailed arrow. First, the nock point may be too high on the string. Second, the rest may be too low. Third, the arrow paddles may be hitting the rest, causing the arrow to drift upward. And fourth, the bow cam timing may be off, causing the nock to move upward as the string advances.
When a modern compound bow is set up correctly, the arrow will make a 90 degree angle to the string and cross the rest right in the middle of the rest’s mounting hole. You can make small adjustments to the nock point to lower the tail (1⁄8 inch at a time), but don’t make big adjustments. If you have to make major adjustments to see a change in the paper tears, the problem is elsewhere: cam timing or useless contact with the rest.
If the paddles hit the rest, you should see fabrics or marks on one of the paddles. If not, you probably have no contact. But definitely try turning the nock on the arrow to change the orientation of the paddles compared to the rest. That can make a difference. If you can’t remove contact this way, think about a similar test or increase the tension on your trigger wire (on a drop-down rest) to see if that helps by getting the launcher out earlier.
If the tail tear persists after adjusting the cut-off point and removing the contact, the problem is likely related to the arc cam timing. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space here to delve into this topic in depth, but I will cover it in a companion video on the website. Adjusting the cam timing can be complex and unless you know what you are doing you should take your bow to a good archery shop for help.
Tears on the tail
Arrow flight with the tail down is rare and is usually the result of a bow with improper cam timing. It is also possible that your nocking point is too low or your rest is too high, but you can rule this out very quickly simply by moving your nocking point up 1⁄8 to 1/4 inch. Again, if the forecast is camera timing, the best solution is to seek professional help.
Tail tears on the left and tail tears on the right
Sided paper tears can be difficult to remove because they have four possible causes, only two of which are easy to fix. I’ll start with the easy ones. First, move your break to.
The bow if the arrow is torn to the right or out of the bow if it is torn to the left. Sometimes there is a strange interaction with the lateral movement of the rope and the results are meaningless. For that reason, you should also try moving the rest slightly in the opposite direction just to rule out some weird harmonics on the string.
If that doesn’t fix it, consider an arrow that has a different spine, or just a different brand. I have bows that produce good arrow flight with one arrow mark and not others, although they supposedly have the same stiffness. A little experimentation at the archery shop can eliminate a lot of frustration.
Now for the tough solutions. String lateral displacement can cause tears to the left or right that are impossible to fix, unless mechanical changes are made to the bow to ensure that the cams start vertical and remain vertical when the string is pulled. This is a difficult solution for most archery hunting, it is time to visit the professional shop for help. But before you do, make sure your shooting isn’t the cause of these side tears.
If you flinch during the shot, grab the grip when you release, use a grip position that creates torque on the lift, or applies lateral pressure to the rope with your release, you will end up with erratic arrow flight, usually sideways paper rips .
Unfortunately, you have to work on your shooting form with great attention to detail before you can finally tell that the problem is with the bow. This can take weeks, even months, as you work to improve your shape. I’ve been chasing tuning issues for weeks only to finally realize it was something I was doing. Sure, I learned a lot about archery in the process, but I also pulled out a lot of hair!
Tuning a bow is not a dark science, but it does require a bit of effort and, quite possibly, the help of an expert. But the payoff is worth the investment. Watching your arrows fly like lasers is the true magic of archery.
The paper setting accessory
You don’t need a fancy accessory to properly fit the role of your bow. Although many professional stores have elaborate frames dedicated to wrapping paper, you can get by with a simple cardboard box. Cut a hole smaller than a piece of copier paper in the floor of a cardboard box. You can stick the paper over the hole and shoot through the box. Set it on something that is the correct height in front of the target and you are in business.
The other option is even simpler; just buy a Paper Tune-It kit from Premium Review. The kit comes with a pre-made cardboard frame to hold your paper and 10 sheets of tuning paper with pre-printed instructions on how to correct imperfect tears.