Paper tuning opinions

[danderson]

Paper tuning your bow, how important is it, my bow shoots great but its not punching perfect holes when shooting through paper at 10 feet, I watched a few u-tube videos on the subject and now I'm wondering if its all that important, does it really make a difference.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Yes.  Tuning your bow makes a huge difference.  The tears show drag in your arrow.  You want as little drag as possible,  so the arrows hitting the target square.  The clean x in the paper shows a stable arrow.  For longer distance a little drag effects the shot a lot more.  With the bow tuned everything is in alignment and square.  Sending your arrow with no drag straight to the target.

After you see what drag you have on paper the little adjustment should be easy.  I found charts online that have specific fixes for all differnt tears.  Then after you get perfect x holes you'll want to make sure the arrow fetching is tuned with your broad heads to get perfect field point accuracy while shooting broad heads at big game. 

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

http://cdn.eastonarchery.com/uploads/download-files/Tuning_Guide.pdf

[Gamblin Guy]

Paper tuning is a good start, but follow some of the other more advanced tuning in the document posted after paper tuning.  I have had bows that fine tuned out of perfect bullet holes in paper.  I'd rather shoot a well tuned bow after fine tuning than one that is just paper tuned.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

I have yet to fine tune but I just haven't studied it.  I will be getting a press that way I can further my tuning.

[sakoshooter]

Paper tuning is a great start. Walk back tuning should follow paper tuning.

[Gamblin Guy]

I have yet to fine tune but I just haven't studied it.  I will be getting a press that way I can further my tuning.

That document you posted the link to is really good for tuning, some of the equipment stuff may be a dated but the tuning principles are the same. 

I generally paper tune, short range tune and then broad head tune.  I can usually get my broad heads and field points to hit the same spot but....if the groups start to open up for some reason in the process of broad head tuning I will move things back so the groups are tightest.

You don't necessarily need a press...

[tjthebest]

Look up "modified French tuning" by nuts & bolts. Works wonders and is incredibly easy.

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

I love hunt wa.  Thanks guys.

[PA BEN]

Question; So right now I have my bow wt turned down. Off season shooting and low poundage for turkey this spring. I paper tune/walk back/French tune at this poundage. So late summer when I'm building up to my hunting wt am I going to have to do this all again?

[Gamblin Guy]

Question; So right now I have my bow wt turned down. Off season shooting and low poundage for turkey this spring. I paper tune/walk back/French tune at this poundage. So late summer when I'm building up to my hunting wt am I going to have to do this all again?

You shouldn't have to.  Just make sure you are making equal turns on your limb bolts and you should be fine.

[danderson]

  Thanks guys that answered my question plus a lots of other good information that I had never considered, I have always been happy with just being able to hit a paper plate at 30 yards but now after reading through the information thanks Archery Junkie, will challenge myself to fine tune my equipment and becoming a better shot.
 
 

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

   glad I could help.  Make sure to post any kills for us. 

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

I have yet to fine tune but I just haven't studied it.  I will be getting a press that way I can further my tuning.

That document you posted the link to is really good for tuning, some of the equipment stuff may be a dated but the tuning principles are the same. 

I generally paper tune, short range tune and then broad head tune.  I can usually get my broad heads and field points to hit the same spot but....if the groups start to open up for some reason in the process of broad head tuning I will move things back so the groups are tightest.

You don't necessarily need a press...

that is a bit more then I do, I paper tune, then tune my heads.. shoot and see how close they are to field points... typically not enough to move anything. thats out to 120 for me.

[h20hunter]

I'd be curious as to what our resident bow expert has to say. I've had my bow only about a year and a half now...it shoots field points and my current broadheads virtually the same POI at the ranges i shoot. I've not ever paper tuned it. I might be in the minority but agree with what was previously said...if it shoots I'm not going to worry about paper tuning.

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

  Thanks guys that answered my question plus a lots of other good information that I had never considered, I have always been happy with just being able to hit a paper plate at 30 yards but now after reading through the information thanks Archery Junkie, will challenge myself to fine tune my equipment and becoming a better shot.
 
 

with all due respect I can tell you with 100% certainty that if you were happy hitting a plate at 30 yrds.. tuning your bow is not the issue.  a finely tuned bow will shoot better for sure, but that does not replace proper form and shot execution. Those things need to improve greatly before you will notice anything drastically different from the bow being "tuned' .

[Alaska316]

I am no archery expert by any means. I shoot a big box store bow. But at 30 yrds, if I couldn't group five arrows with in a softball, I wouldn't be bow hunting. A pie plate is fine while messing around with my buddies and we're target shooting 75 yrds in the wind. But I would go and have a archery master judge my shooting style. 

[Jonathan_S]

I am no archery expert by any means. I shoot a big box store bow. But at 30 yrds, if I couldn't group five arrows with in a softball, I wouldn't be bow hunting. A pie plate is fine while messing around with my buddies and we're target shooting 75 yrds in the wind. But I would go and have a archery master judge my shooting style. 

  tighten 'er up Chief.  Have fun with it.

As mentioned above, look up French Tuning.

[Peskadot]

Question; So right now I have my bow wt turned down. Off season shooting and low poundage for turkey this spring. I paper tune/walk back/French tune at this poundage. So late summer when I'm building up to my hunting wt am I going to have to do this all again?

I would say that you would have to re-tune your bow. The reason I say this is because your adding more poundage to your draw, so your arrow is going to fly differently because of its spine. Your arrow may be spined perfectly for that lower draw weight, but it may be spined to stiff or weak when you adjust your draw weight up. Paper tuning will let you know if it is or isn't.

[Torrent50]

I looked up French tuning and did that in the garage this morning.  Went out this afternoon and had the best shooting session I can remember in a long time.  That advise was a HUGE help.  Thanks to all that suggested it.

[RadSav]

If your arrows look to be flying well and you hit what you are aiming at consistently who cares what holes in a piece of paper look like! 

Like tiller, riser torque and bow geometry there are no absolutes unless everything is absolute!  And believe me there are very few (Perhaps I should capitalize that) VERY FEW bows ever built that are absolute stiff, absolute balanced and absolute in arrow travel.  Just because an arrow does not tear a perfect hole at a set distance doesn't mean it is not in tune.  Some of my best shooting bows won't shoot a perfect hole no matter how much you try at a set poundage and arrow spine.  I know a good number of top tier target shooters whose bows don't shoot perfect holes either.

Tuning is important, but that doesn't mean you have to shoot a perfect hole for your bow to be in tune.  There are not enough arrow spine options and perfect cam travel bows on the market to make that an adequate test at all.  It's a nice place to start if you have poor eyesight or you shoot a bow too fast to see the arrow well in flight.  But as others have mentioned above, it's only a place to start.  Myself, I never shoot paper anymore.  In my way of thinking that is the same thing as driving around the block just to visit the next door neighbor...an unnecessary detour and a waste of time and effort.

If you do decide to paper tune remember a few things;

*Always shoot into the center of the paper.  Often times an arrow left of center will be different than an arrow right of center and each different than those in the center.

*Once you get good holes back up three yards and shoot again.  Often you have found the sweet spot only at a specific distance and haven't tuned the bow at all.  Shooting at least two more groups 3' back and then 6' back from your original spot will tell you if you are getting a false tear or not.

*If your arrow rest is 1/8" out of center but the tear is telling you to keep going that direction...STOP!  All you will do at that point is screw up your bow, rest, arrow and who knows what next!!!  Only thing you could hope for at that point is to tune the paradox and not the bow.

*If you have spent most the day pulling your hair out and you still do not have a perfect tear...grab some gasoline and a Bic and light that paper tune jig on fire!  That should curb the anger enough that you don't go home and kick the dog or yell at the kids. 

[danderson]

  Rad, Thanks for your input on the importance on tuning a bow, verses getting caught up with punching perfect holes while paper tuning, I kept hearing all these archers with different opinions about paper tuning that didn't make sense, for me as long as I fill my tag does it really matter all that much, my comfort range is anything under 30 yards, I rarely miss the sweet spot and never lost an animal, when I said that a paper plate at thirty yards was acceptable to get the job done I never said it was a 6 inch group, after bow hunting for the last 40 years, not just shooting at targets, an entirely different thing. I seen guys that shoot great at the range but couldn't hit the side of the barn if they were standing in while hunting elk.

[coachcw]

I pretty much agree with rad . One thing I had found is if you paper well at one foot and not at ten you may be lite on spine. Here in WA for guys to  get to legal weight Alot of guys will be slightly over spined.if you  take a 400 shaft at a 28 draw you need to ad wieght to the front to get legal this will under spine your arrow. Once I see good paper at point blank I zero my field points and start  turning broadheads. I want my field points and broadheads to hit the same. If they don't either you tune or combo is off.  Broad head turning is critical . 

[Maybee-R]

Paper tune is just one step in the process.
I use paper to get me close. and my target bows started.
But for a hunting set up. proper spine can be found in paper tuning. Ive never had a bow that shot broadheads and field points same POI, that wouldn't paper tune also. But ive had bows paper tune that wouldn't shoot broadheads for squat. Its just a step and done correctly can help you tune your bow to the best of your ability.

Walkback tune is another step. unfortunately to many people think that's all you need to do.

Setting your sights axis is as important but over looked by most. the more you tinker the better knowledge and accuracy you can gain. No short cuts in archery. details are what makes the difference in average and a top archer.