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Compound Bow Standard Tuning |
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This section covers the sort of tuning and adjustment that any archer must be willing and able to carry out if they are to have any chance whatever of shooting even half-decent scores. Before we start... please read! What is Tuning?
I hope you will agree that this is a pretty standard definition, not likely to cause any controversy. But please note that it says nothing about ‘good arrow flight’ or how loud the bow is, or what shape the arrows tear in paper, or where unfletched shafts hit. Some of these things are relevant and some aren’t, but please don’t confuse means and ends. Sometimes, particularly in the early stages, it is useful to use an artificial tuning test to iron out gross misadjustments, but never fall into the trap of relying on artificial tests or defining tuning by the ability to pass them. Tuning is initially about groups, and later about score - and it is always about confidence. In fact, it is possible to make a case that tuning is more about confidence than about arrow dynamics. But, while I think there is a lot in the idea (championed by a number of top coaches, like Bernie Pellerite of the American NFAA) that a bow is tuned whenever the archer thinks it is tuned - 'tuning perceived is tuning achieved' - I also think that there are a number of adjustments and processes that any normal archer will want to carry out before he or she can feel that confidence. Why change my basic set-up? In a perfect world of a perfectly engineered bow being shot by a perfect archer it might be possible rely entirely on measurements and theory to tune your bow, In the real world the 'dynamic' characteristics of a bow - what happens when we shoot it - can be significantly different from the 'static' characteristics, which is what we measure at home. Even in the best bows, cams often lean a little, limbs twist slightly (in the case of split limbs, a lot) and one axle may run just a little more freely than the other. As for the effects of cable guards pulling everything wildly off-centre, I can only begin to guess what the overall effect is, which is why my cable guard is in the bin and I use a shoot-through system. Similarly, even champion archers often cant (ie lean) their bow a little, and apply slightly uneven hand pressure. So, for these and a host of other reasons, the basic set-up must be checked, and adjusted where necessarily, in the light of what happens when you actually shoot. On
Bare Shafts and Paper Screens... You will find no mention of either of
these well known tests in my recommended tuning process, and since they
are so well known, it is worthwhile explaining why. The bare shaft test is extremely useful
for recurve shooters, but regrettably it is of limited use for compounds.
The reason is simply bow speed.
Try it if you like, particularly if you shoot at speeds,
below about 200 fps. But using an average compound set-up shooting at 220 fps or more, the bare
shaft will be bent or damaged beyond repair unless, whether by luck or by
judgement, your set-up
is virtually perfect in the first place. The paper screen test is rather different. The bare shaft test is valid, but impractical. On the other hand, I have yet to be persuaded that the paper screen test gives any useful information whatever. I have seen the same shafts, shot from exactly the same set-up, virtually tear the paper in half, then nail the spot equally well at 20 feet and 80 yards. Conversely, I have seen shafts punch perfect, consistent ‘bullet holes’ but never group worth a damn! The test will do no harm, so use it by all means, if it works for you, but I certainly can’t recommend it. While on the subject of tuning tests it is worthwhile mentioning the bastard offspring of the bare shaft test and the walk-back test (see later), the so-called 'Gerhard-Gabriel test'. If you haven't come across it, you have lost nothing. With due respect to its originator(s?), it is flawed both practically and theoretically and is not worth bothering with. How long will all this take? Do not expect to 'do tuning' in a single session. If you are very lucky and shooting very well, it might be possible, but I would think of the process as being spread over several sessions as you check, double-check and refine your set-up. In fact, in a sense, it never ends. The only real tuning test is how well you shoot in competition, and however much I shoot I am always getting new insights, some of which affect tuning. Put another way, I never stop fiddling! Tuning is Addictive - a Health Warning It is my belief that tuning is critically important, and can only be done by continuous improvement. However, beware, it is addictive and I know far too many potentially good archers who spend all their time tuning and little or none shooting in the normal sense. They become solitary individuals who lurk in the woods with bunches of Allen keys forever in their hands and a hunted look in their eyes. They carry three sets of arrows in their quiver but never settle to any of them and have so many different stabilisers in their bow bag they can hardly lift it. If they put an arrow half an inch out of the spot at 60 yards they retire from the competition on the grounds that their tuning is way out and there's no point carrying on. If they haven't made an adjustment for a week they get twitchy and adjust something just for the hell of it. Maybe that's how you want to be. If so, fine - its your sport. But if you want to shoot arrows in the normal world try to get a sense of proportion. I believe that the best way to do this is to shoot with other people, preferably in competition, as often as possible.
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