"Straight Shooting"

[stiknstring]

I would say you are not matching your arrows TO your bow but you are matching them to eachother....just my two cents.

If my arrows fly left I shorten them....if they fly right I either sand them or give them heavier points thus changing dynamic spine of either arrow.  It takes time but it is relatively easy once you learn.  I hate relying on tricks such as changing your aimpoint to put the arrow left or right.  I would rather gauge distance and hold up or down and let her fly and let gravity operate.

To me anyway, matching the arrow spine to the bow is half the fun.

[Kegan]

Your method works well for you I'm sure, but I've fallen for shorter, wide handled D bows. These bows are, at least for me, harder to tune arrows to. So, leave them all stiff and I'm fine.

[Badger]

Kegan, someone gave me a red oak wide handled bow a while back, the tiller looks perfect and it looks like it could be shot with either limb as the top. If I hold the bow one way it will shoot stiff spined arrows 2 feet to the left (55spine from 45# bow) If I flip the bow over it will shoot the same arrows perfectly center, I am assuming there is some torquing in the bow I cant see or feel. Spine is important, it sounds to me like those arrows are spined right for your bow the way it is built, have you tried this method with several different bows, or tried flipping this bow over and shooting it? Steve

[stiknstring]

I dont think it has anything to do with how wide my handles are.  Some of my bows are as much as two inches wide at the handle and I dont own one that is cut to center as I prefer the bulbous type handle.  I maintain, as many others do, that proper arrows matched to your BOW first and to each other second will not require "tricks" to get them to fly well.  Arrows are not easy but they ARE simple.  Just ask some of those ole boys that shoot hardware store nutters with great accuracy.

[Kegan]

Kegan, someone gave me a red oak wide handled bow a while back, the tiller looks perfect and it looks like it could be shot with either limb as the top. If I hold the bow one way it will shoot stiff spined arrows 2 feet to the left (55spine from 45# bow) If I flip the bow over it will shoot the same arrows perfectly center, I am assuming there is some torquing in the bow I cant see or feel. Spine is important, it sounds to me like those arrows are spined right for your bow the way it is built, have you tried this method with several different bows, or tried flipping this bow over and shooting it? Steve

I've tried it on six bows so far, and as of yet only the wider handles (1 1/4"+) seem to work well with it. I also tried veral spines, including ones that would match the bow. It seems that the arrow need only be slightly stiffer, as in 5 pounds more. As long as the arrows aren't under spined it seems to work well.

I'd also like to note that in Paul Comstock's The Bent Stick he mentions drawing the arrow straight with the target, and quotes several of the old time archers of doing the same, though he notes that one should still use arrows matched in spine to the bow. I'm going to do alot more tests (I love experimenting ) and see how it all relates. Perhaps it is all just my way of getting used to wide handled bows?

[M-P]

Kegan,  I think everybody tries to point the arrow straight at the target.  If you have to aim left or right, the arrows are not spined for the bow!
I'm not good enough with a computer to make neat little diagrams.  But the simple fact of the matter is that no matter how you twist the bow the arrow points further and further to the side as the string moves closer to the bow.  It happens too fast to see, but for any non-center shot bow the arrow must flex for the arrowhead to move in a straight line.   Ron