Leathersmith​/Archer

Setting Up Your Equipment

 

To shoot well, you gear needs to be set up properly. Let’s start with your bow. Brace height is the distance from the string to the back of where the arrow makes contact with the bow, i.e. the back of the arrow shelf or the back of the arrow rest. Look up the proper brace height on-line if you can. If you can’t here are some basic guidelines. Recurve bows 7 ½ to 8 ¾ inch. Long bows (including most modern reflex/deflex bows) 6 ¾ - 7 ¾. At a minimum the brace height should be high enough so that your arrow fletches do not hit the bow handle when the bow is NOT drawn. Adjust brace height by twisting or untwisting your bow string.

 

Next is the string nocking point, and I’ll assume you nock your arrows under the nocking point. If you nock over, the same thing applies just move up instead of down. You need to identify a point on the string exactly perpendicular to the arrow rest. If you don’t have a bow square nock an arrow as though to shoot. Slide the arrow up or down until it appears to be exactly 90 degrees to the bow string. Mark the CENTER of the arrow nock on the string. Now measure up about ½ inch from this point and place your nocking point. Shoot about 20 arrows Your arrows will probably wag up and down in flight, porpoise. Move the nocking point down ½ it’s thickness, shoot some more. Keep doing this until the arrows stop porpoising. Typically the ideal nocking point is about 1/8 inch above perpendicular.

 

Next your arrows. Spine is a measure of stiffness of the arrow shaft. Higher numbers are stiffer, lower softer. The basic rule is to match spine to your bow’s draw weight. For recurves you can add about 10 pounds spine. Spine is a personal choice dependent upon technique and some archers shoot just fine with arrows not following any of these rules.

 

Flecthing also comes into play. Large fletches stabilize the arrow quickly but cause more wind resistance. Smaller fletches just the opposite. At the distances we shoot, ruling out the clout shot at war, fletching becomes a matter of choice. I would recommend for fletches and nocks pick a bright color. They are easier to see should the target jump sideways and cause your arrow to miss……J…..but you can also see them easier in the target to correct your next shot! Put a small daub of fletch tight glue at the leading edge of each fletch. Should your arrow pass through the target this helps to keep the fletches from being striped off.

 

Once you get your equipment set up it will stay that way until your break a string or get new arrows.