People can boast to me all day long about lasers and paper tuning but there is nothing like tuning a bow at extended ranges. I can definitely recommend the use of a laser to get started. I can without reservation say that bare shaft tuning is an EXCELLENT method for squeezing an extra measure of accuracy from a bow. I can even say that paper tuning is also an effective method for fine tuning your rig; however, if you can think “It looks good!” during a paper tuning session why then does there always seems to be a little more accuracy that may be at the long butts? I believe that the added concentration on form and sighting when focusing at long distance is at least half of the story. Concentration on form, sighting picture quality and release technique all serve to shrink groups at long distance. No one wants to loose or damage their expensive arrows! The following are some tips I have found that will shave inches from 60 yard groups and then lead to Robin Hoods at what will next appear the “too easy” ranges of 20 and 30 yards: First, round up a shooting partner (a patient one) and number your arrows. Have him make notes about where you think each shaft has gone (i.e. “6 o’clock and low”) otherwise known as “calling the shots”. Then, when retrieving your shafts compare the recorded notes to the actual impacts. There will be some shots you know you blew. There will be others that you also know had perfect form and release. These are the shots and groups that count. Remove all of the known “fliers” and measure the remaining group size. Then making incremental adjustments to one’s rest or nock height will reveal major group differences you would never have seen on the torn paper at six yards or at the 20 or 30 yard line. If you get lost, you can always go back to the paper tear method and start over. This process may take days depending on how many shots you can accurately control before fatigue sets in. It’s a long time till hunting season gets here and if everything works correctly, you will need only one shot at that buck. A tired archer makes for poor shooting. Stop before you do get tired. At this stage, where the groups actually hit on the target is immaterial. Group sizes are what need noting. If you make an adjustment in one direction and groups get better, keep going in that direction until the groups deteriorate, then move that adjustment back to where it was best. Shoot again to confirm your original results and ONLY CHANGE ONE SMALL ADJUSTMENT AT A TIME! (I.e. right/left and then up/down on your rest or nock set) After you have found the optimum group sizes you can reasonably expect, you can then adjust your sights to “zero”. Of course, the use of a sight bubble level and making sure the sight has been adjusted for all three axis makes long distance shooting much more consistent. Note how these days levels are showing up on more and more long distance rifles. Even a modest bow cant right or left will throw impacts out of the main group. If you are shooting five inch groups at 50 yards, that’s pretty good but a reduction of just one inch in group size translates into a significant (20% reduction) change. I have also found that using a target spot large enough to clearly see around your sight pin is critical for obtaining repeatable groups. For instance, if you are using a .019 pin, use a bull’s eye that shows at least twice the diameter or the pin bead. The human eye will naturally center the two images if both can be clearly seen. If the spot is partially obscured by the pin, the eye has no repeatable reference with which to center. Remember, small, incremental adjustments and the taking of notes can pay huge dividends. Have fun and watch your buds show new found respect for your skills! Konrad
