I have retired arrows from a set because they wouldn't group, and for no visible reason, which always seems a let down.
One problem I have is knowing whether it's the nock or the shaft, or inserts if applicable. I tend to take the easy way out and use it for practice, but there was a time when I would try to eliminate the guilty feature.
I also have a second, and very different, difficulty with the retirement process.
Over the years I have noticed things like; the same arrow will come out of the quiver last; time after time in a session. One arrow will hit high almost every time in a session. Next session it's a different one doing something similar. So far, I have had to put this down to randomness.(don't think that's the correct word, but hope you see what I mean)
There are five varieties of Mingles. I pulled out a handful without taking much notice as I like them all. All five were the same variety. I did it again, only managed to grab four, but they were all the same too. A third grab collected only three but guess what? Now, what are the chances of that happening? Very small, but it did. And later, when the tin was almost empty, all the ones left were the same as each other.
Now, I arrange for my arrow numbers to be where I won't see them just by nocking them onto the string. That way, I hope to have less influence over any strange results.Knowing you are shooting an arrow that appears to be a rogue can increase the chances of it landing out of the group. I tend to like to blame the arrow rather than myself. Sometimes the arrow is guilty as charged; there have been miscarriages of justice too.
