Arrows kicking to the left after 20 yards

[Samdemarais]

I apologize OP if this appears to be a highjack but I am having a similar issue.

I AM making vane contact on the rest and for the life of me I cannot find a video showing this adjustment to drop away for correction. I am a novice, but prefer to do my own work compared to local bow shops (they don't have time to set me up properly and have had me chasing ghosts for years).

What rest?

 

[MattB]

Thanks so much. I slo-mo videoed my arrows and you can see the nock left after about 20 yards. The arrows are also nock left in the target. I’ll shoot some bare shards and broadheads.

As stated above, arrows don't travel straight for a distance and then turn unless it is due to wind. I too would BH tune to figure out what is going on, but I would bet you find that the arrow is travelling left the entire distance and it just becomes more pronounced as the distance increases.

 

[Copeingwithfailure]

What rest?

QAD Ultra..

 

[Copeingwithfailure]

What rest?

QAD Ultra

 

[Samdemarais]

QAD Ultra

If your rest is staying up too long then just need to make an adjustment the length of your cord. Assuming you meant it’s contacting the launcher and not the containment rod?

 

[SlimTim]

Ok. So much great info guys. Thanks so much.

I've been working on this all weekend and it looks like I've managed to get some good arrow flight by just further tweaking my paper tuning right out to 10 yards. I've then shot heaps of arrows through paper at 30 yards to confirm good arrow flight and its looking good. My slomo video is also looking much better.

I have run into one more problem though that has me a little confused: my fixed two blade broadheads seem to hit high after 20 yards now. The bareshaft and field point seem about the same. The thing is, I've spent so much time getting good tears with a field point and broadheads, that I don't want to touch my rest.

Is this something that can be fixed, or should I just adjust my sight positions accordingly with broadheads or field points? I was thinking of setting my sight tape with broadheads? I wonder if it would be the same if I switched to three blades?

Thanks again everyone. I have learnt heaps setting this bow up.

 

[MattB]

Ignore the tears, unless your end goal is to hunt paper at 3 yards with field points. Paper tuning is just a starting point, not the end all be all.

I would drop the rest a tiny bit and see if it brings things together.

 

[Keith Stone]

What broadheads are you using?

 

[SlimTim]

Ignore the tears, unless your end goal is to hunt paper at 3 yards with field points. Paper tuning is just a starting point, not the end all be all.

I would drop the rest a tiny bit and see if it brings things together.

Hahahaha brilliant. Ok. Perhaps weekend wasn't so well spent.

 

[SlimTim]

What broadheads are you using?

Ozcut, two blade 125gn.

 

[SlimTim]

Also, is it just because of the broadhead planning that is making it hit higher?

 

[wayoh22]

Ozcut, two blade 125gn.

I mean, it could just be the broadhead and not so much the bow. If you're dead set on using that particular broadhead then yeah, you'd have to tune it to that. Probably going to give you a headache but if that's what you want.

Saw this last week and think it's a really good example of just some broadheads flying better than others.

 

[SlimTim]

I mean, it could just be the broadhead and not so much the bow. If you're dead set on using that particular broadhead then yeah, you'd have to tune it to that. Probably going to give you a headache but if that's what you want.

Saw this last week and think it's a really good example of just some broadheads flying better than others.

Oh yeah, I actually watched that. I've been thinking of running some three blades anyway. I only got the two blades as I was initially paranoid about penetration but every animal I've shot (mostly goats) have been complete pass throughs. Might just do that before I possibly undo my weekends hard work.

 

[Keith Stone]

I’d try a couple different broadheads before I changed anything else. Slick tricks are an old standby. Solid broadheads we’re the best flying 2 blade I’ve had experience with.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Also, is it just because of the broadhead planning that is making it hit higher?

Yes. Broadheads hitting above field points indicates that the arrow is leaving the bow nock low. With a field point, the fletching can easily correct the attitude of a nock low arrow, but with a broadhead, the greater surface area up front fights the fletching and has more ability to steer the arrow off course. The spread between BH and FP point of impact will grow at longer yardages.

As a general rule when tuning, it's a good idea to put your arrows on a spinner beforehand to visually check for good alignment, especially when shooting broadheads. It's also wise to replicate your results multiple times with multiple different arrows before making any adjustments to make sure the apparent tuning issue isn't just an anomaly specific to a particular arrow (due to misalignment or spine inconsistency).

You've referred to how the arrow looks on video multiple times. I would ignore the video and focus on what your points of impact are telling you. Lighting conditions and vane colors can trick your eye into seeing flight anomalies that aren't really there. Where the arrow lands is what counts. Also, as mentioned above, you hunt with a broadhead (not with a bareshaft and not through paper) so broadhead tuning ultimately trumps all other methods.

 

[SlimTim]

Yes. Broadheads hitting above field points indicates that the arrow is leaving the bow nock low. With a field point, the fletching can easily correct the attitude of a nock low arrow, but with a broadhead, the greater surface area up front fights the fletching and has more ability to steer the arrow off course. The spread between BH and FP point of impact will grow at longer yardages.

As a general rule when tuning, it's a good idea to put your arrows on a spinner beforehand to visually check for good alignment, especially when shooting broadheads. It's also wise to replicate your results multiple times with multiple different arrows before making any adjustments to make sure the apparent tuning issue isn't just an anomaly specific to a particular arrow (due to misalignment or spine inconsistency).

You've referred to how the arrow looks on video multiple times. I would ignore the video and focus on what your points of impact are telling you. Lighting conditions and vane colors can trick your eye into seeing flight anomalies that aren't really there. Where the arrow lands is what counts. Also, as mentioned above, you hunt with a broadhead (not with a bareshaft and not through paper) so broadhead tuning ultimately trumps all other methods.

Awesome! Thanks for this.

I think my tune is pretty good. Its probably time to start refining my arrow set up and see where that leads me. If I can't get things looking good with different BH's then I'll start slightly tweaking my rest again.

 

[MattB]

Awesome! Thanks for this.

I think my tune is pretty good. Its probably time to start refining my arrow set up and see where that leads me. If I can't get things looking good with different BH's then I'll start slightly tweaking my rest again.

If your arrows are spinning true and your BH’s are hitting higher than your FP’s, I doubt your tune is good. Changing BH’s may decrease how noticeable that is, but that isn’t the right way to approach it.

it’s like having a car with bad alignment and then retiming the steering wheel so that it visually appears straight when you are slightly turning it to offset the pull.

 

[SlimTim]

If your arrows are spinning true and your BH’s are hitting higher than your FP’s, I doubt your tune is good. Changing BH’s may decrease how noticeable that is, but that isn’t the right way to approach it.

it’s like having a car with bad alignment and then retiming the steering wheel so that it visually appears straight when you are slightly turning it to offset the pull.

In that case, I'm a bit stumped. Paper tune looks good, with both BH and FP, and bareshaft seems to hit pretty much the same as FP. Arrow flight looks great with both FP and BH. Its just the BH that hits higher after about 20 yards. Surely I've got to be close?

 

[MattB]

Likely very close

 

[Samdemarais]

In that case, I'm a bit stumped. Paper tune looks good, with both BH and FP, and bareshaft seems to hit pretty much the same as FP. Arrow flight looks great with both FP and BH. Its just the BH that hits higher after about 20 yards. Surely I've got to be close?

Have you tried turning your nock for different spine alignment? If you are super close that could be the last thing to fine tune each arrow when shooting broadheads. If you are always shooting the same arrow with the broadhead on it you should try turning the nock before you go messing with the rest.