ARROWTUNING AND MAINTENANCEGUIDE The Complete Archer’s Resource 2nd Edition $2.50 Choose Your Shooting Style. Tuning Tuning procedures for the three most popular shooting This section includes step-by-step tuning procedures setups are described and abbreviated throughout the for obtaining optimum performance and accuracy from manual as follows: your bow and arrow setup. Also included are equip- ◆ recurve bows, using finger release (RF) ment setup tips, and suggested solutions to most bow ◆ compound bows, using finger release (CF) tuning problems. ◆ compound bows, using a release aid (CR) Subject Page You will notice that some of the techniques of bow tuning apply to all types of bow setups and others apply to just Preliminary Bow Setup .............................................. 1 one or two types. When separate tuning procedures are Standard Tuning Methods required for specific setups, find your setup within the Bare Shaft Planing Test ...................................... 4 topic and follow those specialized instructions. Paper Tuning Arrow Test................................... 6 Short Distance Fine Tuning Test ....................... 8 Install All Accessories Trouble-Shooting Arrow Groups ...................... 8 Before you start any bow tuning procedures, be sure to Bow & Arrow Adjustments .............................. 10 install all accessories on your bow, i.e., the correct Broadhead Tuning ............................................ 11 bowstring, bow sight, stabilizers, arrow rest, cushion Fine Tuning ............................................................... 12 plunger, etc. In other words, install all the items you intend to use when shooting. Any adjustments made to Micro Tuning ............................................................ 14 the bow or changes in bow components can affect the Maintenance&Assembly tune of your equipment. When tuning, it is very important to change only one variable at a time! This section provides instructions for properly cutting shafts and installing components. Arrow maintenance procedures are also included. PRELIMINARY BOW SETUP Subject Page The first phase in achieving well tuned equipment is Measuring and Cutting Shafts ................................. 15 good preliminary equipment setup. If the initial setup is Aluminum Shaft Component Installation ............. 18 done correctly, bow tuning can be an easy process. By Aluminum/Carbon Component Installation ........ 20 following the bow setup guidelines in the initial prepara- Carbon ICS Component Installation ..................... 23 tion of your equipment, you can eliminate most or all of External Component Installation ........................... 24 the possible disturbances which cause tuning problems, Installing Nock Systems ........................................... 26 including false tuning indicators. A false tuning indicator Additional Information ............................................ 30 would be having a high nocking point indication when the problem is actually poor clearance. InstalltheNockingPoint INTRODUCTION TO TUNING Install a moveable nocking point on the bowstring. Clamp-on types are ideal. Initially, position the nocking Successful tuning can only be achieved by using a point on the bowstring about 1/2" (1.3 cm) above square properly spined arrow shaft. Initially, it is best to start for RF and CF and approximately 1/4" above square with a shaft recommended by one of Easton's Arrow (0.63 cm) for CR. See Fig. 1. Shaft Selection Charts or by one of Easton's computer selection programs, the Arrow Flight Simulator or Fig. 1- Nocking Point Position Shaft Selector “Plus.” Final verification is achieved during the tuning process. Any problems due to an 1/2" RF, CF improperly spined shaft will become evident during 1/4" CR tuning. Before tuning be sure that shafts are straight, are properly fletched, and have perfectly aligned 90° nocks (see pages 15 thru 30). 2 Arrow Tuning and Maintenance Guide FindtheLimbCenters In order to have a reference point from which to adjust Aligning the Nodes the arrow's left/right position on the bow, it is necessary Fig. 3 - Nodes to find and mark the exact center of the limbs on a ArrowNodes-Asthearrowoscillates,thenodesremainin recurve bow, or what is termed the “balanced limb directalignmenttothetarget.Thisdiagramclearly center” on a compound bow. illustratesthefrontandrearnodepositionsofthearrow. Thefrontnodeisusuallyclosertothefrontendofthe arrowthantherearnodeistothenockend.Thisisdueto Recurve Bows themassweightofthepoint—nodeswillalwaysbelocated To find the limb center for recurve bows, place a closertotheheaviermass. piece of masking tape across the inside of each limb a few inches from the riser. With an ink pen, make a Rear Node Front Node small vertical mark on the tape in the exact center of Direct Line each limb. to Target Compound Bows Top View of Arrow To find the balanced limb center location for the Fig. 4 preliminary setup of your compound bow, place a Finger Release (RF, CF) piece of masking tape across the inside of each limb a few inches from the riser. Accurately mea- Line to target Line to target sure the width of the limb (at the tape) and place a very small pen (or pencil) mark on the tape in the exact center 3 of each limb. Next, measure /16" (4.8mm) to the left of the mark (for right-handed archers) and make a larger vertical mark on the tape. (Left-handed archers place a 3 larger mark /16" (4.8mm) to the right of the limb center mark.) This second mark will be used for arrow center- ing. (See Fig. 2.) This procedure is done to compensate Whenthereis Asthe for the amount the eccentric wheel or cam is offset from nopressureon cushion 3 thecushion plunger the actual center of the limb. The /16" (4.8mm) measure- plunger,the compresses, ment is an average “offset” difference for most com- finger-released thenodesof pound bows and does not need to be a precise measure- arrowisaligned thearrow ment in the preliminary setup stage, as you will locate the slightlyoutside comein thecenterof direct true balanced limb center when performing the fine thebowstring. alignmentto tuning procedures. thetarget. Fig. Compound Bow 2 Balanced Limb Wheel Center Location Bow limb Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Compound Misaligned Arrow RF, CF, CR Actual Tape Mechanical (Incorrect Arrow Rest Position) limb center Release (CR) (right mark) Bowstring Balanced Line to target to target limb center Tape alignment (left mark) Rear node Measured 3/16" position from actual center Bow limb Front node Wheel position Thearrowtipis Thearrowis aligneddownthe notpositioned “Centering”theArrow centerofthe toleavethe The objective of arrow centering is to have the arrow bowstring.Nodes centerofthe leave the “theoretical” or “balanced” limb center of the ofthearrowarein bow—itisout alignmenttothe toofar.Nodes bow. In actuality, it's the two nodes of the arrow shaft that target.(Sincethe arenotin should leave the center of the bow in direct alignment to arrowbends alignmentto the target. Releasing the string with fingers creates a verticallywhen thetarget. horizontal bending motion within the arrow. Releasing usingarelease,the nodesstayin the string with a release aid causes a slight up/down alignmentdown bending motion instead. Because of this, the arrows must thecenterofthe be positioned differently for each style of release. (See bowstring.) Node Alignment diagram to the right). A description of these position adjustments follows. Tuning—Bow Setup 3 AdjusttheArrow's AdjusttheArrowRest Left/RightPosition (recurve and compound) The arrow rest support arm position is critical to achiev- Adjust the horizontal (in/out) position of the cushion plunger or arrow rest assembly so that the tip (center) of ing good arrow clearance. the arrow point is correctly aligned with the type of With Finger Release (RF, CF) equipment you shoot. Most Flipper/Rest setups have an adjustable arm With Finger Release (RF, CF) for the arrow rest. If this adjustment is available 1 1 on the rest you're using, the arrow rest support arm Align the “tip” of the arrow point /16" to /8" (1.6- should be adjusted so that it is not visible past the outside 3.2mm) or less outside the bowstring with the bowstring properly centered according to Fig. 7. The of the arrow shaft when observed from an overhead view. See Fig. 8. arrow tip is placed slightly outside the string to provide compensation for the amount the cushion plunger or side With Mechanical Release (CR) loading device compresses into the bow when the arrow On launcher type rests, commonly used on is released. See Fig. 4. compound bows with release aids, be sure that With a finger release, the arrow bends horizontally, first the arrow support arm is narrow enough to bending in toward the bow, then bending away from the allow the two lower vanes to pass over the rest without bow, which causes the arrow shaft to leave the arrow rest. making contact. (See the Fig. 9.) This is very important In the next bending sequence, the arrow nock disengages for archers using release aids because the arrow is most from the bowstring. The arrow is then on its way, freely often supported on the rest for its full length of forward oscillating all the way to the target. The amount of travel. For the smaller diameter aluminum/carbon or oscillation decreases as the arrow travels farther from the carbon shafts with less space between vanes, it may be bow. necessary to significantly reduce the width of the launcher blade. With Mechanical Release (CR) Align the “tip” of the arrow point down