Exercise: Bareshaft Tuning Session for the Matched Set
What you’ll do #
Shoot a bareshaft tuning session that verifies whether your 24-arrow matched set is correctly spined for your 40 lb left-handed bow. You will set a starting nocking point , shoot a mixed group of fletched and bare shafts at 15 yards, read the horizontal and vertical deviation using the left-handed table, make the indicated adjustment, and re-shoot to confirm. By the end you will have a completed tuning log entry and a nocking point that is fully crimped (or tied off) for the season.
Setup #
What you need:
- Your 40 lb left-handed bow, properly strung at correct brace height
- 3–4 fletched arrows from the matched set
- 1–2 bare shafts (remove the feathers from one retired arrow, or set aside one unfeathered shaft from the build — the shaft must be the same length and point weight as the set)
- A T-square (bow square) to set the nocking point
- Brass crimp-on nock set (not yet fully crimped)
- Field target at 15 yards
- Tuning log (the template below)
- Optional: a felt-tip marker to dot the bare shaft nock for quick visual identification at the target
Range safety: If your range has a minimum distance rule, 10 yards is an acceptable substitute for 15 yards. Closer distances compress the horizontal spread slightly but the diagnostic reading remains valid.
Step-by-Step Procedure #
Step 1: Set the starting nocking point #
[TODO: Using a bow square (T-square), measure from the arrow shelf to the
bowstring at the nocking point zone. The starting position is 1/2 inch above
the shelf (measured vertically from the shelf surface to the bottom of the
brass nock set). Crimp the nock set lightly — firm enough to hold position
during shooting, loose enough to move with pliers if an adjustment is needed.
Record this starting measurement in the tuning log.]
Step 2: Confirm brace height #
Before shooting, verify brace height is within your bow’s specification. A brace height outside spec changes the paradox arc duration and can create apparent spine mismatch where none exists.
[TODO: Measure brace height (deepest point of the grip to the bowstring at
rest). Record it in the tuning log. If the manufacturer specifies a range
(common for recurves: 7–9 inches), confirm you're within it. If not, adjust
the string twist and re-measure before continuing.]
Step 3: Shoot a fletched group #
From 15 yards, shoot all 3–4 fletched arrows at the same aiming point. Shoot your normal form — do not try to compensate for anything yet. Mark or observe where the group centers on the target face.
[TODO: Record the fletched group center position in the tuning log. A simple
reference like "3 inches left of gold, 1 inch high" is enough — you are
establishing a reference position, not scoring.]
Step 4: Shoot the bare shaft(s) #
Without moving the target, shoot the bare shaft(s) at the same aiming point with the same form. Walk to the target and note where each bare shaft hit relative to the fletched group center.
[TODO: Record the bare shaft impact position relative to the fletched group
center. Note both horizontal (left/right) and vertical (high/low) offset in
inches. If you shot two bare shafts, average their positions — or note both
if they landed in very different places (inconsistent bare shaft grouping
indicates a form issue, not a spine issue).]
Step 5: Diagnose using the left-handed table #
Apply the left-handed inversion table from the module:
| Bare shaft position | Left-handed archer diagnosis |
|---|---|
| Bare shaft RIGHT of group | Spine too stiff — add heavier points |
| Bare shaft LEFT of group | Spine too weak — try lighter points |
| Bare shaft LOW | Nocking point too high — move it down |
| Bare shaft HIGH | Nocking point too low — move it up |
| Bare shaft joins group | Correctly tuned — fully crimp the nock set |
[TODO: Write out your diagnosis from the table. Example: "Bare shaft is
2 inches to the left of the fletched group — for a left-handed archer this
means spine is too weak. First adjustment: try 75-grain points."
OR: "Bare shaft is 1.5 inches high — nocking point is too low. Adjustment:
move nock set up 1/8 inch." Record in tuning log.]
Step 6: Make one adjustment and re-shoot #
Make only one adjustment at a time. If both horizontal and vertical offset exist, fix vertical (nocking point) first — vertical errors are mechanically simpler and the nocking point is always your first variable.
[TODO: Implement the indicated adjustment:
- Nocking point adjustment: loosen the nock set with pliers, move it the
indicated direction in 1/8-inch increments, re-crimp lightly, reshoot.
- Point weight adjustment: swap point weight on the bare shaft only
(not all 24 arrows — you are testing the adjustment, not committing to it).
Reshoot the bare shaft group. Record the new impact position.
Record what you adjusted and the result in the tuning log.]
Step 7: Confirm and commit #
When the bare shaft joins the fletched group (or lands within approximately 1 inch of it):
[TODO: Fully crimp the brass nock set with nocking-point pliers. If you
confirmed a point-weight change improves tuning, note which point weight
worked — and decide whether to swap all 24 arrows to the new weight before
the next session. Record the final confirmed nocking point measurement
(T-square reading) in the tuning log so you can reproduce it if the nock
set ever needs replacement.]
Tuning Log Template #
Copy this table into a notebook or print it. Fill in one row per session.
| Date | Distance (yd) | Brace height | NP starting position | Bare shaft offset (H/V) | Diagnosis | Adjustment made | Result after adjustment | Final NP position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | ||||||||
H = horizontal offset (L/R inches from fletched group center, note direction). V = vertical offset (H/L inches from fletched group center, note direction).
Tuning a Recurve, longbow, or selfbow for perfect arrow flight. The clearest demo of the bareshaft pattern. For a left-handed shooter: bare shaft LEFT of group = too weak; bare shaft RIGHT = too stiff (the diagram flips for right-handed shooters in the video).
Verification #
You know the exercise is complete when:
- The tuning log shows at least one bare shaft session result, one documented adjustment, and a re-test result after that adjustment.
- The bare shaft is landing within approximately 1 inch of the fletched group center both horizontally and vertically.
- The brass nock set is fully crimped and the final T-square measurement is recorded.
- You can state the left-handed diagnosis for both a right-offset and a left-offset bare shaft without consulting the table.
If the bare shaft is landing within 1–2 inches of the group but not fully in it after one adjustment, record the result and continue. Sometimes two adjustment steps are needed. The key is that each step moves the bare shaft closer — if an adjustment makes it worse, you went the wrong direction: reverse it.