Broadhead tuning help please!

[coatimundi01]

I copy and pasted this thread I posted over on acherytalk, just trying to gather as much info as I can!

 

I posted up about that old Barnett Sidewinder 50# of my brother's I wanted to get set up again. Got a new string, fletched the arrows, got some 100gr heads, and sighted in 5 pins 10-50yd.

 

I have gotten pretty confident with my groups out to 30-40 yards and started doing the reading on broadhead tuning. Bought a cheap Black Hole target and headed for the backyard and paced off 20 yards. So far the elevation has been just slightly high with BHs but a good 6-7in to the right. I moved the rest to left very slight amounts at a time and at one point got them to within 3-4in of the FP group. Tried one more turn (the bow has an old spring rest that's on a brass threaded bolt hence the 'turns' reference. Old school I know... Lol) and I feel as if the rest is adjusted too far to the left now.

 

Side note: I read that some times even though the BHs are hitting to the right, SOMETIMES you need to adjust the rest to the right just a bit contrary to logic. Is this true? Is the difference in my shots too big for this fix to work?

 

The BHs are STILL a good 4in to the right and the FPs hit at a wierd angle. If I remember from my reading, always to the right indicates an under spined arrow? They're already down to 27" long so my other choice is changing to 75gr heads to effectively stiffen up the arrow, right? Or buy new arrows, which I don't really want to do but I will if I absolutely cannot tune these.

 

 

 

Here are the specs: Barnett sidewinder, 46# draw, 26" draw, easton camo hunter aluminum xx75 1916 100gr FPs and Muzzy 3 blade BHs. Any other info you guys need let me know!

 

Am I right in thinking the arrows are under spined since they're ALWAYS hitting to the right? Switching to 75gr heads will make the arrow act stiffer right?

 

30yd group at the range before adjusting anything.

 

20yd group after beginning to adjust the rest to the left. Aimed for target center, hit left of course. Still shooting tightly.

 

Closest I got the BHs to hit. They're the two to the right. Angles of impact are starting to get funky.

 

After adjusting a little bit more to the left thinking I was getting real close, things went haywire! FP group on the left was way more open, I could see the arrows fly funny, two BHs on the right were back to the original distance, and the angles of penetration are all wacky...

[coatimundi01]

Sorry for the long post, just a lot of things running through my head now! I was really hoping they would just group up together after a few adjustments and I'd be merrily on my way! yeaaaah... Riiiight.... Lol!

 

Thanks for the help in advance!

[ThomC]

You probably need another archer watch you shoot. Are you using a release or fingers? Still too many ? and variables.

[coatimundi01]

Release. The old trigger with a cord loop kind.

[coatimundi01]

I know the last pic I was probably getting a bit tired, losing a bit of form. But the shots still felt ok and I could see the arrows fly funky (old slow bow, lol. It's fun to watch them arc at 40 and 50yd!). And then the weird impact angles... It just seems weird to me that they NEVER lined up or grouped even when I was still shooting tight groups of FPs and BHs... I think that rest got adjusted at least 1/4" to the left, seems way far from where it was and do those impact angles prove it is too far?

[Elkhunter1]

I would put your breast back to where it was prior to going haywire then try adjusting your sites

[123456]

I would put your breast back to where it was prior to going haywire then try adjusting your sites

Breasts always make things go haywire!!!

[Heat]

What type of rest are you using? If its a whisker bisquit sometimes you have to do things opposite of normal to counteract the spring action from the bristles. This would be basically the opposite of what they tell you in the Easton tuning guide. Walk back tuning is my favorite to get broadheads to group. Looks like you are on the right track. Remember to make micro adjustment and always have a reference to return things to "normal".

 

Good Luck,

 

Nick

[Elkhunter1]

I would put your breast back to where it was prior to going haywire then try adjusting your sites

Breasts always make things go haywire!!!

LOL this talk-to-text is for the birds, you all know what I ment. Right?

[coatimundi01]

That was gonna be my last option, just sight in for the broadheads and call it good. And yeah, I gotcha elkhunter! But all this dang reading on broadhead tuning I want to get it right!

 

Heat, I'm using one of these... I told ya it was old school.

[GotBowAz]

Sounds like your adjusting your rest to a point where the bow isn’t centered and tuned correctly anymore. I don’t think spine is your issue but there are other options to try first. You might want to check to see if your fletches are hitting. Put some lip stick on the outside edge off each fletch and see if they are leaving a mark anywhere.

 

Personally I would center everything back up again and the cheapest route to start with would be re fletching with quick spin vanes on 6 arrows. You have a short draw with low poundage so it may take a little more spin drag to correct the arrow flight. It isn’t turning/spinning the arrow as fast, quick spin fletches should help that. Then, go back to tuning by moving your rest in small increments. Do not adjust your sight until both BH and FP are hitting in the same spot, unless of coarse your no longer hitting the target. If that fails then try a lighter BH as you mentioned. That should tell you right away if you’re not spine'd correctly but with a short arrow at low draw pounds I doubt its spine.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

GBA

[creed]

Start over again with everything centered. If you can't get it to come together and the groups are nice and tight sight it in with broadheads and go hunting. I have walk back tuned my bows for years and have great groups. My most accurate bow NEVER would group broadheads and field points to the same POI regardless of what I tried. I am sure it was a spine issue since I shot the same arrow spine since I had started archery. I own multiple bows and all of them needed a .340 arrow spine and I was reluctant to buy a dozen arrows for this one bow.

 

Just out of curiousity what kind of cams does this bow have. If it is a 2 cam have you checked timing?

 

Sometimes we get so hung up on something like this that it takes away the fun of archery. Sight it in and go have some fun and quit worrying about it.

[coatimundi01]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I was gonna try my best, but like you said if it doesn't it doesn't and I'll sight in the BHs and call it good. All I want to do is get the old thing set up to kill a pig then it's going back to my bro ready to shoot. But I would like to get it shooting as well as possible.

 

Question: if I center it back to where it was and I then take a turn or two out of the limbs and they start grouping together, that will prove the underspine theory without having to buy new BHs right?

[Scooter]

how's the arrow flight at 30yds? any wobble or curling?

[coatimundi01]

Where the rest was before with FPs, not too bad. They hit pretty straight. I haven't tried BHs at 30yd yet since I only have a little 18in target and all the ranges in Tucson say no BHs...

 

GBA, I used 3" vanes with right helical after reading about the spin helping BHs. I also used te 3" since they were shorter than the blazers as I was worried about rest contact wth the old spring rest.