Bowhunting Equipment

Bowhunting on-line Magazine for Bowhunters by Bowhunters.


A balance needs to be achieved based on the amount of energy being transferred. An arrow follows these same principles; If force is applied directly and evenly, both horizontally and vertically, across the rear of a straight arrow shaft, the arrow should fly in a straight line through the air. An arrow point increases weight to the front of the arrow and the feathers or vanes help to balance the shaft weight and provide air resistance which helps to keep the arrow flying in a horizational line, veering neither left or right. Archers who use a release can use stiffer shafts in general because the string is traveling in a consistent, straight line and the arrow flex is much less than a fingers- shot arrow. Arrow spine is more critical for finger shooters because the arrow shaft must flex properly to compensate for the movement of the string. Arrow spine is the term used to describe the stiffness of the arrow shaft. Energy is released from the bow limbs, travels into the bow string, is transferred to the arrow, some is absorbed, the arrow continues forward and flies on it’s own as soon as it detaches from the bowstring. Gravity will cause the arrow to drop vertically as the arrow’s momentum or forward motion slows. I’ll guide you through a brief rundown of the important variables to be considered for the bow and arrow system to provide great arrow flight. If force is applied unevenly, the arrow will dip and curve in flight. If shooting fingers, right handed shooters will set the rest so the point of the arrow is slightly to the left of the centerline of the string and left handed shooters will set the rest so the point is slightly to the right of the centerline of the string. If the arrow does not have proper spine, it will be nearly impossible to produce consistent, straight arrow flight. If the plane is thrown, force is applied, in a direction other than a straight line, the plane will dip and curve in flight. In other words, show me with actual test results that this is going to improve my arrow flight. Is there some magic thing we can buy that suddenly fixes what’s wrong with our arrow flight? It looks like someone holding a spaghetti noodle at one end and shaking it! It provides research based instructions on proper bow set-up and bow tuning, without trying to sell the reader a “quick-fix”. More explanation on paper tuning can be found in other articles. Nock an arrow and lay it on the rest, set the arrow rest so the arrow sits perfectly horizontal or a very small amount feather-end-high. Set arrow rest so the arrow sits in the center line, if using a mechanical release, of the string when viewing the arrow from the rear (feathered end) 3a. The first step is to make sure that the bow and arrow system is properly set-up and tuned. The answer, in my opinion is “No”. The arrow at rest should also sit in a straight line with the direction the string will travel when released. The momentum of the arrow continues forward after the string reaches it’s resting position. The most desirable hole will show a circular hole from the arrow shaft passing through the junction of the tears in the paper made by the feathers. The paper is set in front of a good target backstop so the arrow will hit the backstop a few feet AFTER the arrow has passed completely through the paper. The spine must be stiff enough to take the impact of the sudden transfer of energy, yet limber or bendable enough to absorb the energy without being torn apart by the sudden transfer of energy from the bow string to the arrow. There’s just so much information floating around and new stuff to try, hoping to reach our great-flight goal that I think the basics get clouded from view. They have spent decades on testing arrow components and documenting the results. This booklet is available through Easton’s website and is must-read, in my opinion, for anyone that tweaks a bow. This information has been compiled and is available to archers in an easy to understand format in “Easton’s Arrow Maintenance and Tuning Guide”. This occurs because force is applied in a straight line and the plane is propelled straight forward and the air flow around the plane is balanced, equal on all sides. When the string is released, it travels forward to the position it held before the bow was drawn, I’ll call this the resting position. You can tell me, until your blue in the face, that this product or that product will fix the problem I’m having but until I see it for myself and it is proven to me, I’ll remain skeptical. You’ll also be satisfied that you did it yourself, producing excellent arrow flight with the adjustments that you have made to your bow and arrow system.