Button Tuning

[Thunk]

Help! The mysteries of button tuning! I've had completely contradictory advice, so I wonder if someone on here can advise me...

I shoot left-handed. With the bow set up for centreshot my arrows consistently go to the right of the target. Do I need to screw the button in? Or out?

[Bald Eagle]

Hi, if the button is set for centreshot and by reducing spring pressure the arrows still go right of centre, your arrows are too stiff.

[Big Boy Blue]

Thunk if you look at the following article it might clarify things.

http://www.texasarchery.org/Documents/Tune/tata.htm

[buzz lite beer]

As B/E suggests would indicate stiff arrows, If arrows are sitting exactly down the middle of your string, and sight pin is in line with arrow and string. Then using a string to sight pin string picture, if your fletched shafts still impact to the right, wind poundage up till they hit point of aim, or add weight to points to get centre shot centre impact unison. Not an exact science but will get a good basic arrow/bow match condition to work from.

[Tarkwin]

If he is using the same arrows I gave him, replacing the piles is not an option.

T.

[Thunk]

Hmm...perhaps |I should have filled things out a bit.

For quite a while I have been using some carbon arrows kindly donated by Tarkwin, after it became clear that I was never going to be able to tune the 540 Navigators that Quicks sold me. Even they now admit they are the wrong spine, although they refuse to do anything about it. The carbons are labelled as 630s which if not absolutely correct is at least nearer the mark.

Even so, I have been shooting with my sight out to the right of the arrow (remember, |I'm left-handed). This week I spent an afternoon at Quicks trying to tune my button to bring the arrows onto the gold with the sight pin directly over the arrow. One member of staff there told me that the button was probably set too stiff, and I should weaken it.

Doing so brought my groups over from 3 o'clock black to 3 oclock inner red. Good progress, I thought. Weakened the button just a little further - and the group was back out in blue/black territory. Although weaker, there was still tension on the button spring. By now it was closing time and I had to pack up, but Debbie (staff) then said she thought I was adjusting it the wrong way, and I should have been stiffening it. She also shoots left-handed. So now I'm totally confused.

[WhitehartFB]

I agree with what Buzz has said but can you confirm centre shot i.e arrow down the middle of the string or some of the pile to the right when you look from the back.
Should not really come into it if it's the same each time but where do you line your string picture up.
I have found that there are points in the spring tension of a button where it makes no difference how hard or soft it is.

Other changes not mentioned (or missed) in this thread to make the arrows weaker but as mentioned many times less strands in string, floss nocking point.

[buzz lite beer]

Your getting advice off people who advised you to get the wrong spined arrows
Trying to get back into southpaw mode, Are you maxed for draw weight? that for me would be the 1st line of adjustment to correct such a problem. As you should get fairly central points of impact with a rigid button with a true centre shot set up and matched arrows,
the usual clearance tests etc should not be overlooked at any stage of bow set up too.

[Thunk]

No, the bow isn't maxed out - but I am! I have a touch of MS, and 35lb on the fingers is as much as I can manage.

[BillM]

You can check if the spine is near to the poundage you wish to shoot by using the "Dick Tone" method. It is similar to the "Rick Stonebraker" method described in Murray's Reference Guide for Recurve Archers - and everyone should have a copy as its brilliant. I've 2 sets of ACC's (3-04) the same length and one is slightly stiffer than the other, established by fixing the button as described in the method(s). After that, you can alter the characteristics of the arrow by adjusting piles, string poundage or whatever. Not instant, but patience is a virtue in these matters. Good luck.

BillM