Short draw, but strong limbs - tuning help

[toxovolos]

Hey everyone,

So a ? for everyone. I have a short draw length, 26 5/8, but about 44 lbs at my draw. I'm using 44lb G3 limbs (medium size) and a 23" Matrix riser; 66" bow.

Any general/specific advise on optimising tuning for a set-up that's like mine? I haven't been able to find anything specific. Vic Wunderle's coach once told me it's much harder to tune a shorter arrow for distance (70m+) and my coach back in Greece shares the same view.

Thank you all, and happy shooting.
Yannis

[Duss]

That is VAGUE...

Could you better describe the issues you have?

Are your arrows behaving too stiffly? Too weakly?

Does the tune seem to change in time?

Do you have specific grouping issues or are your grouping as big as the target?

Is your bracing height weel-adapted to your bow, limbs, arrows...?

What has your coach in Greece been telling you?

[toxovolos]

My arrows tend to be on the stiff side at 30m when doing a bare shaft test. I have been setting the brace height anywhere from 8 1/8 to 8 3/4 (as recommended by Hoyt) and never seen any big difference (although the lower brace height seems to get the bare shaft as close to the centre). We've adjusted the button pressure on the lighter side.

Even on shots at 70m where I have a clean release, my coach in Greece has noticed some strange flexing of the arrow in flight(????).

No particular grouping issue that I have identified yet. When shooting well at 70m and hitting gold with good groups, I shoot 2 bareshafts and they do end up going in the 6 ring at 10/11 o'clock.

NOW, the reason I posted this thread is because two weeks ago, just for the heck of it, I used a brace height sub-8 inches (7 3/4).....not changing anything else, and my groups drastically improved. I haven't heard of anyone using such a short brace height, so I'm curious as to what may be going on. I wasn't particularly shooting any better but there was a huge difference in groups. Taken a few days of shooting since that happened, and since I'm getting back into serious training, I'm trying to get a good approach to tuning so I can my set-up all set for mid-June (Greek Nationals, FITA).

Thank you.
Pace.

[Duss]

This bracing height subject becomes interesting. In fact I would recommend that you go and read Joe Tapley's paper that gives some hints about that.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/joetapley/bh.htm

My coach actually recommends that the bracing height be 1,75" longer than the REAR nodal point. If your arrows are actually very short that might tally.

But perhaps your arrows are still too short for you.

[toxovolos]

thank you this is really interesting.

[gjb]

I have a short draw length too, but have never considered that this should be tuned differently from other archers. My Bow is 66".

My old coach recommended that bareshaft tuning at distances over 10 yards werent worth doing.

My preference is to use slightly stiff arrows and a weak button setting. Tuned using walkback and bareshaft.

[munchkin]

Hi there, i have similar problems... try experimenting with your bracing height more - a 66in can go from approx 8in to 9 1/2in. i have a short radian with medium extremes and my bracing height is currently at 9in. i'm going to start experimenting with different strings soon.

if wunderle's coach says it's difficult to tune short arrows at 70m, i'm essentially buggered. fab.

[toxovolos]

thanks man.....appreciate it.
i'm on the lower end...8 inches now.
waiting for my new strings to come in...BCY/Fast Flight

[geoffretired]

Just thinking aloud on this one. If a bow is drawn a little beyond its 28" draw, the string will release the arrow at a point closer to the riser than "normal". If the string is drawn less than 28" it will relase the same arrow at a greater distance from the riser. Perhaps using a lower brace height compensates for that so the arrow is released nearer the riser and more like the "normal" position. That might explain why you are getting better results with a low brace height.

[munchkin]

Geoff: please explain? i thought the point at which the arrow leaves the string was determined by bracing height?? or do you mean the arrow leaves the string further from the bow relative to the length of the arrow (for shorter draws)