50 Tips

and Tricks

ArcheryReport.com

for the Archer

and Bowhunter © Archery Report, LLC 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, copied or redistributed in any form without prior,
Presented by ArcheryReport.com written consent of the author.
Author: Michael Larsen
Plastic vanes that have become wrinkled or deformed can often A great way to install pin nock bushings or uni-bushings is to
be straightened out by using one of a few different methods: use plastic grocery bags. Place the bag loosely over the end of
• Using a blow dryer or hot air gun, carefully move the the arrow shaft and push the bushing along with the bag into
airstream up and down the length of the vane until the the shaft (layer the bag for a tighter fit.) Carefully tear the bag
shape is restored away from the bushing; if material remains it can be removed
• Dip the fletchings in hot water and leave them until they by burning it with a butane lighter and/or running a razor or
straighten. If they do not straighten, try increasing the sharp knife along the edge of the bushing.
temperature of the water until they do.
• A butane lighter can be used instead of a blow dryer Before shooting broadheads for the first time after installation,
when in the field. Run the flame up and down the length use a simple fixture to spin the arrows and note the movement
of the vane without letting the flame touch the plastic. of the broadhead tip. If the tip wobbles, this can often be fixed
Be careful not to burn the vane! by rotating the insert in the shaft. Any broadhead/shaft
combinations that do not spin true should not be used (save the
To keep points and broadheads from rattling loose from arrow for field points only) or the arrow may experience erratic
repeated shooting and vibration, coat the threads with a small and unpredictable flight.
amount of string wax (just enough to cover the threads) and
screw into the arrows tightly. Line the arrow shelf with moleskin or similar to help quiet the
noise caused from arrows coming off of the rest or drop away
Practice shooting in positions that will be used in the field. rest prongs slapping the shelf.
Sitting, kneeling, on inclines, from different heights and more.
If you will be hunting in hilly or mountainous terrain, practice When shooting extreme or long uphill and downhill shots always
uphill and downhill shots to understand how your bow will aim lower. Gravity affects arrow flight only along the horizontal
perform during these shots. distance the arrow travels, not the total distance.

When adding or removing twists to bow strings and cables, pull Use a bow sight with a level to make sure that the bow is
the entire string/cable out before twisting. This will ensure that always held vertical. This is especially important when shooting
the twists run the entire length of the string and require less on uneven ground and the tendency is to cant the bow. Even a
"shooting in" to settle down to a permanent position. few degrees of cant can throw and arrow off by several inches.

When shooting on uneven ground, begin the draw sequence by

leaning into the uphill side. This will help to keep the bow
vertical through the draw and aiming sequence. Use the sight
level to make sure the bow is held level.

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When measuring arrow length, measure from the throat of the To gauge if a hunting bow is easy enough to draw, try these
nock (the part of the nock that touches the string) to the tip of two simple tests. Face 180 degrees away from the target, twist
the shaft. Make certain to measure using the type of nock you around to face the target and draw the bow with the sight on
intend to install into the newly cut shafts. Various nock styles target (if you can't twist a full 180 degrees, try the most that
can vary by over 1/4". you can). The second method is to sit on the ground with legs
extended, put the sight on target and draw back. If this can't
When installing a D-loop, coat the cord with a small amount of be done while being able to shooting accurately, lower the
bowstring wax before installation. This will help the loop poundage.
tighten down and seat more easily.
Teach a kid to shoot! Show them how to be safe, how to shoot
If a particular arrow is consistently off target, try rotating the with proper form and what the different equipment options are.
nock in thirty degree increments and shooting again. Keep There is nothing better for the future of the sport than today's
doing this to see if a certain nock position will get the arrow to youth.
group with the others. Once the nock is in the proper position, When choosing different accessories, try as many variations as
make a mark that straddles the nock and the shaft in case the possible before purchasing. Ask friends, fellow club members or
nock is accidentally rotated out of position. This is an excellent people at the range if you can try their equipment or spend time
way to fine tune full dozens of arrows to each other and with a quality pro shop.
improve overall accuracy.

For the best accuracy, especially with broadheads, square the When sighting in it can be very helpful to begin shooting at a
ends of the arrow shaft (both point and nock end) as well as vertical stripe; some kind of contrasting tape and background
the inserts. This can be done using a commercial shaft works well. This will force concentration on lining up
squaring device, lathe or a simple block, with a hole the size of horizontally and getting the windage set properly. Next use a
the shaft drilled in it, set on top of sandpaper. Having squared horizontal stripe to line up each pin vertically at all the
components will ensure that all parts of the arrow are inline necessary yardages.
with each other; this will help create more consistent flight,
especially with broadheads. To do bare-shaft tuning properly, the un-fletched arrows must
have the same dynamic spine as the fletched arrows. Weigh
the fletched arrows then wrap enough tape around the end of
the shaft of the un-fletched arrows to meet the same weight.

A cheap and easy arrow lubricant is bar soap. Keep a small

piece in a quiver pocket and rub the soap on the front 6-8" of
the arrow after every few shots.

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One way to automatically lube arrows kept in a side quiver is to Aim small, miss small. Interpretation: aiming at a very small
finely shave soap into the quiver. As the arrows are inserted object is likely to result in smaller misses than aiming at a very
and removed, they will pulverized the soap flakes and coat the large object. IE aim at a specific hair/blotch/marking on an
arrow tips with a fine, lubricating powder. animal rather than the entire body.

Place a small strip of reflector tape around the arrow shaft just Before applying bow string wax, wrap a piece of dental floss or
above the nock to make an effective way to find arrows with a serving string once around the string and move it up and down
flashlight in the dark. The tape can often be found in the to remove old, excess wax and debris.
automotive section of Walmart or at auto parts stores.

Dental floss makes an excellent repair tool for serving issues in

the field. Keep the floss samples given at dental checkups for a After applying string wax, work the wax into the string:
small and convenient way to keep some handy in a backpack or • Gently use a blow dryer to heat the wax and work it in
side quiver. with your fingers
• Wrap a piece of peep tubing once around the string or
“Zingers” (self-contained, retractable cords) are an excellent use a piece of leather pinched between fingers and rub it
way to carry accessories in the field. Calls, range finders and up and down to melt and work the wax in
flashlights are just a few things that can be mounted with them.
A good selection can usually be found in any good fly fishing Adding a small drop of glue to the front and back of a fletching
department or shop. can greatly increase the ability of the fletching to stick better to
the shaft, especially when experiencing a pass-through or arrow
Many bows have timing marks on the cam to help visualize collision.
where the cams are rotated in relation to the rest of the bow.
Make note of these marks and occasionally check them to The e-clips that hold the bow axles in place can often be a
ensure that the cams stay in time and that your strings/cables source of irritating vibration. To quiet the noise, pack string
have not stretched. If the manufacturer does not have marks wax in between the clips and the limbs.
on the cams, make some using a small strip of tape, permanent
marker or white-out. Removing broken nocks from arrow shafts can be done a couple
of ways if the nock can't be grabbed and pull out:
Always nock an arrow and point in a safe direction before • Use a dry wall screw to screw into the nock and pull it
pulling a bow back! Even if just checking for draw length, peep out. If the nock portion is solid, drill a small hole first.
height or anything else. A single dry fire can be very costly to • Using pliers to hold a small finish nail, heat the nail with
repair. a butane lighter or torch and insert it into the nock,
melting the plastic. Once the nock cools and solidifies,
pull the nail and nock out.

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If using a peep with tubing, check the tubing often for cracks or A couple of ways to detect fletching contact with the rest/bow:
other damage. It's no fun to get smacked in the face with • Spray foot powder on the fletchings and the riser cutout
broken tubing! Always carry extra tubing for quick repairs. and rest. After the shot look carefully for any marks in
the foot powder that indicate fletching contact.
When blind or stand hunting, remove all food items from noisy • Put bright lipstick on the edges of the fletchings. If they
packaging before heading to the stand. If necessary, store the are coming in contact with any part of the bow the
items in plastic baggies that make much less noise. lipstick will leave a streak that is easily seen.

Never, ever use a treestand without a safety harness. Lighted nocks can be a great tuning tool. Shoot with lighted
nocks in the dark and observe the arrow path. This can be
Before sharpening broadheads, use a permanent marker to coat done a few ways:
the blade edge. This will make it easy to see if the blade is • Watch the arrow yourself
being sharpened evenly and properly. • Have a friend stand behind you and watch the arrow
• Use a camera to take a time lapse shot of the entire
When practicing, try to practice 10 or 20 yards farther than your arrow flight (Best!)
longest shot will be, whether it is for hunting, 3D or spots. Using a lighted nock makes observing the arrow flight much
Practicing at distances farther than you will be shooting is the easier. A good time lapse shot of the arrow streaking towards
best way to make the shorter shots seem easier. the target is one of the best ways to see exactly how an arrow
is flying.
Many mosquito repellents can be very damaging to the finish on
a bow. After applying mosquito repellent, wash of any part of When shooting carbon arrows, periodically flex them and listen
your hands that might come in contact with the bow. carefully for any creaking, popping or other noises that may
indicate damage to the arrow. After a shot where two arrows
Leaving a bow in a vehicle on a sunny and/or hot day can do end up touching or the arrow collides with anything, inspect the
irreparable damage to a bow, even causing string a limb arrow carefully along with the flex test. The little time it takes
failures. Always remove a bow from a vehicle that may get to flex and inspect can prevent an exploding arrow incident that
excessively hot. If the bow must remain in the vehicle, crack can cause serious bodily damage.
the windows to help reduce the heat build up.

Place a lightweight string or string with a small feather on the

end of your stabilizer. This will help detect wind and wind
direction when shooting outdoors.

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Spinning an arrow can help determine if there are any To track arrow performance and find any troublesome arrows,
imbalances or straightness issues. Three ways to do this: number all your arrows. Use a permanent marker (silver
• Place the point down in the palm and fletchings to the markers work great on carbon arrow shafts) to mark either the
sky, using your thumb and a finger (middle finger shaft of the arrows near the nock or write directly on one of the
generally works best) quickly spin the arrow and feel for vanes. When shooting a new batch of arrows, record each
wobbles arrow's impact site on the target and look for any abnormal
• Put the fingernails of your thumb and middle finger patterns of impact sites.
together to form a "V", rest the balance point of the
arrow in the "V" and use the fingers on the other hand to If using a sight with a round housing, pick a peep sight that at
give the arrow a hard spin full draw just barely matches the outside of the sight housing.
• Make the same "V" as in the previous method, but place This will make centering the sight in the peep quick and easy.
the "V" a couple of inches down from the fletchings. If the exact size of peep is not available, buy the next size down
Place the point of the arrow in the opposite hand's palm and drill it out (in very small steps!) until it is the right size.
and blow on the fletchings to spin the arrow. This
method is especially good to observe any inconsistencies Once your bow is setup properly, record all of the pertinent
in the rotation of the nock. specs somewhere easy to remember and readily available.
• Brace height
If your cat whiskers or other silencers are moving on the • ATA
string/cables, tie a small amount of serving above the silencers • Nock set height
to keep them from creeping. • Nock set to peep distance
• Top and bottom tiller
Screws on bows are subject to harsh vibrations and can often • Tune string/cable lengths
come loose. A little bit of bowstring wax on the threads can • Rest height with respect to the riser
help keep them in place. For particularly troublesome screws, a • Center of rest distance from riser
small dot of threadlocker will keep them in place. If using • Anything else you can think of!
Loctite brand threadlocker, purple (weak) or blue (medium) Having these measurements on hand can drastically reduce
threadlockers can be used where screws may have to be setup time when any changes are made to the bow.
removed at a later date. Red threadlocker is extremely strong
and should only be used in places where screws are installed Dried seed pods from milkweed plants are excellent wind
permanently. indicators in the field. Gather a couple of pods when they are
available and keep them in a small Ziplock bag. Tossing a single
seed into the breeze can result in a very long flight path that
will give a good picture of how the wind is blowing from more
than your immediate area. Other lightweight, flying seeds may
also be used.