Broad head vs bare shaft tune

[Clawsar]

Hey archery gurus,
I had been dialed in with my field points and broadheads together our to 50 yards. Not splitting arrows, but within my capability at that distance (under 6 inches farthest apart.
Then, because I saw an article on goHunt and had a couple bare shafts, I thought I’d shoot them at distance. At 20 yards my bare shafts were about 6 inches higher. At 30 yards it was close to a foot. My question is, does this matter? Is it normal for a bow to be “tuned” where field points and broad heads hit together but bare shafts do not? I don’t think I want to change to have good bare shafts at this point but thinking through if something is off.

This year I did walk back tuning to 70 yards, then tune the broadheads in. I thought I was pretty good...

 

[p_ham]

As long as your BH and FP are hitting the same, you're good. I will usually bare shaft tune for a good tear and make sure they are grouping consistently then go ahead and fletch everything and throw on some broadheads and fine tune from there.

 

[ChrisC]

I recently had a conversation with someone about my arrows and how light they were. I hadn't given it much thought because I hit where I aimed and it's what's the archery shop told me to buy (though they later told me it was a bad setup but that's a story for another day). I started shooting with the bare shafts through paper and really found out how much work the vanes were doing to keep that arrow straight. I would think all that energy in keeping the arrow straight doesnt get transmitted into the animal we're shooting. Am I fine with the setup I have with the vane correction - it's always killed the deer i shot at. Is it the most efficient setup - probably not.

I was told to check out the ranch fairy. I'm not sure what the consensus is on him but it got me to look more closely at my setup.

 

[NYSKIER]

Did you make sure you had weight on the back of the bareshaft to simulate and arrow with fletching? I usually use electric tape wrapped. Also of you field points and broadheads match at the distance you'll be shooting then I'd be happy. Now is not tinker time

 

[Dan O]

It would seem to me that no fletching on the shaft would result in less drag. Thus keeping velocity higher as the distance increases which should result in a higher point of impact.

 

[WapitiBob]

I bare shaft tune with field points then screw on Broadhead’s and group tune at 60.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I don’t hunt with bare shafts, so I don’t give a rip what they do. I’m only interested in my broadheads hitting where I aim.

 

[Bigjay73]

Bare shaft? I'm really out of the loop

 

[NYyotekiller]

I bare shaft tune with field points then screw on Broadhead’s and group tune at 60.

Same process that I do with my hunting setup. Works very well.

 

[np307]

The goal of bare shaft tuning is to get the arrow flying straight, not to get it to shoot the same as a fletched arrow or with a broad head.

 

[Clawsar]

Perfect, thanks everyone! https://www.gohunt.com/read/skills/archery-season-knocking-on-the-door-and-shooting-bareshafts this was the article I read that made me curious how close things were. It is nice to be nailing the cross of two strings at 10’ in the garage but I had never looked at bare shaft flight beyond 10 yards when setting up my first bow at the shop.
Thanks again!

 

[Clawsar]

Did you make sure you had weight on the back of the bareshaft to simulate and arrow with fletching? I usually use electric tape wrapped. Also of you field points and broadheads match at the distance you'll be shooting then I'd be happy. Now is not tinker time

As an engineer, and to a fault, it is always time to tinker.

 

[Bluejeep]

In my opion, BS tuning is kind of bunk. You are going to move your rest when you BH tune anyways, which will ruin your BS tune. I just make sure my paper tune with fletched arrows is perfect, then move on to broadhead tuning, knowing I will need to move my rest.

Shooting a BS will show if you have form issues, like torquing the bow. Nothing like walking down range and seeing a BS sitting in a target at an angle to make you go hmmmm...

 

[Craveman85]

My bare shafts were also high at 20-40 yards. But what's important is how good they fly. Mine were good enough where I almost considered not even refletching them but did anyways.

 

[Clawsar]

My bare shafts were also high at 20-40 yards. But what's important is how good they fly. Mine were good enough where I almost considered not even refletching them but did anyways.

Thinking through the difference In drag makes sense that they could be higher farther out.They were always pretty close left to right, and really straight into the target. Sounds pretty good I guess! I’ve got the 22-25th of September off and CANT WAIT!

 

[Craveman85]

I've still got until October first to practice here in NY

 

[Valley1320]

So i shoot 300 spine arrows with a 40 grain insert. With 125 grain point. I insert tuned and knocked tuned and then fletched them. My cutthroat broadheads fly exactly like my field points. And my arrows all fly beautiful. I followed the ranch fairy way of doing things and it all worked out perfect for me

 

[Valley1320]

 

[mplane72]

To the OP. If you're that far off at 20 something is up. I would start by looking for vane contact as BS are flying high.

I start by shooting bare shafts at 20. As long as they're flying pretty straight I knock tune to get all flying the same and then tune the bow to get the best bare shaft flight I can, which is a bullet hole through paper but I don't often bother hanging paper. I then fletch arrows. Fletched field points always hit with a bareshaft as long as there is no fletching contact. I then go through shooting broad heads on every arrow. As long as the bh is straight and spinning true I have never had to move anything on my bow.

IMO shooting a bare shaft past 20 is not needed. When shooting bare shaft correct spine is important. As is a repeatable form and bow fit. Just getting bare shafts to hit with field points, even with a bit of tail kick will help. Fletching really do a great job of correcting arrow flight.

 

[NYSKIER]

In my opion, BS tuning is kind of bunk. You are going to move your rest when you BH tune anyways, which will ruin your BS tune. I just make sure my paper tune with fletched arrows is perfect, then move on to broadhead tuning, knowing I will need to move my rest.

Shooting a BS will show if you have form issues, like torquing the bow. Nothing like walking down range and seeing a BS sitting in a target at an angle to make you go hmmmm...

I disagree with this point, when my field points and bareshafts are flying true I don't need to move anything for broad heads