Broadhead tuning process

[Sjacskson]

I want to stream line a step by step process in order to tune for broadheads and just have a few questions. If I were to start at very beginning I guess it would start with the purchasing of the most high quality arrows one could afford. We’ll make that step one.

Step #1- Purchasing the highest quality arrow shafts one can afford
(Brand, weight, spine and foc being relative to the shooters specs and preferences)

Step #2- Inspecting the chosen arrows for straightness. ( visually inspecting and roll testing)

Step #3- choosing a high quality fixed blade broadhead, and again roll testing for truest spin. (Flexing arrows to alleviate and imperfections while spinning)

Step #4- Referencing field point grouping against broadhead grouping, while nock indexing for most repeatable shot placement.

Step #5- Assuming fp’s are grouping with your point of aim, moving your
Arrowrest in order to group your
Broadheads with fp’s.

I guess my
Question lies in step 4

When you start with a broadhead reference so to speak, are you rotating your nock until that broadhead gets as close to the point of aim as possible and basing the rest of your arrows off this reference? Or is this all relative to spine of your arrow? And without a spine tester how would you know. Any info on how you guys tune your broadheads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

For me, group shooting broadheads vs. field points is a verification step after bareshaft tuning through paper.

I do my nock indexing by shooting each fletched, field-tipped arrow through paper. For a 3-fletch arrow, my procedure is as follows (4-fletch would require one additional shot):
1) Choose a reference vane and mark it with a Sharpie (I use all same color vanes, but if you have a different colored "cock" vane, just use it as your reference vane).
2) Twist the nock so the reference vane is at 12 o'clock.
3) Shoot through paper and write 12 next to the tear.
4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the reference vane at 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock.
5) Choose the best-looking tear and leave the nock in that orientation.

This is a time consuming process (1 shot per vane for each arrow), but it effectively eliminates arrow-to-arrow flight variations caused by radial inconsistency in spine without needing a spine tester. I suppose spine testing each shaft then fletching with the "weak side" (or strong side) in the same relative position might yield better results than nock indexing through paper after fletching, but I doubt the improvement would be significant.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

I’ve always just shot bareshafts at 20 and if it’s good screw on a fixed head to verify

 

[Brandon_SPC]

I want to stream line a step by step process in order to tune for broadheads and just have a few questions. If I were to start at very beginning I guess it would start with the purchasing of the most high quality arrows one could afford. We’ll make that step one.

Step #1- Purchasing the highest quality arrow shafts one can afford
(Brand, weight, spine and foc being relative to the shooters specs and preferences)

Step #2- Inspecting the chosen arrows for straightness. ( visually inspecting and roll testing)

Step #3- choosing a high quality fixed blade broadhead, and again roll testing for truest spin. (Flexing arrows to alleviate and imperfections while spinning)

Step #4- Referencing field point grouping against broadhead grouping, while nock indexing for most repeatable shot placement.

Step #5- Assuming fp’s are grouping with your point of aim, moving your
Arrowrest in order to group your
Broadheads with fp’s.

I guess my
Question lies in step 4

When you start with a broadhead reference so to speak, are you rotating your nock until that broadhead gets as close to the point of aim as possible and basing the rest of your arrows off this reference? Or is this all relative to spine of your arrow? And without a spine tester how would you know. Any info on how you guys tune your broadheads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

It will probably be better to just lay out my tuning process because your questions can have multiple different answers.

This is my tuning process.
Arrows
1.) Buy the straightest and toughest arrows you can in the GPI you want. I say straightest unless you know how to look for wobbles and cut the wobble out
2.) Square the insert and nock end with something like the G5 tool
3.) Weight my shafts, outserts, and broadheads. Then match them together to where they all weigh within one grain of each other.

Now to the bow once your arrows are squared away. Granted we are assuming the bow is synced/timed.
1.) Set nock height and center shot.
2.) Bare shaft tune your bow. This is one reason why I prefer yoke bows over shims because of how easy they are to tune
3.) Once this bow is shooting bullet holes take every arrow you have and nock tune them. Shoot ALL of them through the paper. If one tears rotate the nock until you shoot a bullet hole. This will help prevent those headaches of "Why do I have this flier." or your broadhead not grouping the tightest.
4.) Now this is where you need good form. I will shoot a bareshaft at 20-30 yards to make sure arrow flight is good. If arrow flight is good then the majority of times the broadheads will group with the field tips.
5.) Last thing I will do is shoot a broadhead then field tip at my maximum effective range to make sure they group (majority of time they do). If they do not group I move the rest and when I say move all it takes is something like 1/32 of an inch for this correct. It is not much at all.

Following the above there hasn't been a bow I have had that I could not tune and have broadheads shoot with my field tips.

 

[5MilesBack]

I nock tune my fletched arrows with FP's at 40 yards. I'll shoot 4-5 arrows into the bullseye and if I get any flyers I'll pull just those arrows and shoot them again. If they're still a flyer (about 95% of the time they will be), then I'll start turning my shafts until they're inside the group. If they're all hitting together with FP's on and the BH's spin true as well, the BH's should already be nock tuned.

Then I can BH tune. I use a lot more tuning adjustments than just the rest. I normally set the rest centershot based on a modified walkback with FP arrows, and then use my yokes and cables for bare shaft and BH tuning. Unless it's one of my bows without yokes, then I'll use the cables and rest.

 

[MT257]

This link provides images with field points and broad heads as well as adjustments made.

Broadhead Tuning Day Today

www.archerytalk.com

 

[Topo_trekker]

Most say it’s in reference to the spine of the arrow. I heard Tim Gillingham state that if you have quality arrows then it’s more about the run out of the nocks as the arrow spine is consistent. Played with some shorter better nocks(deep six) and I can say I’ve seen it be less of a issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brendan]

This link provides images with field points and broad heads as well as adjustments made.

Broadhead Tuning Day Today

www.archerytalk.com

That thread will have you chasing your tail. Has you moving the rest the wrong direction. (Yes, I know there are some people who say it works for them, but it's the opposite of every single bow I've ever tuned and it goes against almost all the published advice...)

 

[Brendan]

OP - your step 5, my opinion is this:

I would not move the rest. I would twist yokes, shim cams, use top hats, use flex guard first. Rest stays at centershot right down the center until all those other methods have been used.

Here are my tuning notes if anyone wants them:

Bow Setup & Tuning Sequence

bit.ly

 

[N2TRKYS]

The only thing I do is spin my arrows in my hand after I screw in my broadheads.

I adjust my broadheads until my arrows spin smooth. Once they spin smooth, they hit the same place my fieldtips do.

 

[MT257]

That thread will have you chasing your tail. Has you moving the rest the wrong direction. (Yes, I know there are some people who say it works for them, but it's the opposite of every single bow I've ever tuned and it goes against almost all the published advice...)

So what is the reasoning you say this would make you chase your tail?

 

[Brendan]

It says move left when you should move right, and vice versa. And, there are better options than moving the rest. Rest movement should be the last step for left/right tears.

Better resources here (And all the others in the series)

 

[5MilesBack]

Rest stays at centershot right down the center until all those other methods have been used.

Right down the center of what?

 

[Brendan]

Right down the center of what?

For me - I always start with an arrow on the rest running dead center of the limb bolts when viewed from above. Not to say it always finishes there, but then I shim cams/twist yokes, twist cables, then flex guard, then rest movements.

 

[sdarcher]

Brand in my opinion is totally irrelevant. My number one is straightness! I always start with an arrow that is .001 straightness. Are they more expensive? Yes, but there are many manufacturers selling .001 straightness arrows at a very good price. My second is toughness. You can't have a super light arrow and still be "tough". The strength of that shaft comes from the wall thickness and lightweight arrows have a thinner wall. My third used to be FOC. I say used to be because I have gone from being concerned about it, to not really caring. I have run 12% and 20%, and both performed great. Tough arrows and high FOC come at a cost.

I have never moved an arrow rest from center shot. It amazes me how many "pro shops" still tune by moving the rest.