# Tips on Tuning Bow to hold steadier



## Bikeman CU (Nov 27, 2005)

Moving the nocking point / D-loop changes the balance of the bow between your grip and anchor point. It also changes how the string/ cables move with the cams. It is some what like Tiller tuning: adjusting the limb bolts which changes how the bow sits in your bow hand/ grip. Adjusting the limb bolts will also slightly change draw length. Some bows have grip inserts with different angles. 
Adjust your draw length for your preferred location of the string on your face. Adjust the D-loop length for draw arm/ shoulder alignment with your back and bow arm. 
Having a bow that shoots a perfect bare shaft is great. If you can't hold it steady, it's not tuned. 
Sometimes a small change is all it takes to make a bow hold steady. Adjust DL a twist or two of the cables, change D-loop length, etc. It may also be a form issue. Don't be afraid to change things, you can always go back. There are so many variables. Minimal effort gives you minimal results.
Opinions will vary.
Look up posts from nuts&bolts, good information, some things you never thought of doing.


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Marl said:


> Been tuning my own bows for a while and have gone through the process many many times and am happy with how my bows tune out (paper, bare shaft, broadhead). I've noticed that for whatever reasons certain times after tuning my bow seems to hold a lot steadier than other times. By unsteady I mean that pin drop where the bow seems to want to pull down, but sometimes the bow will come out and seem to not have that at all. I shoot the same bow, stabilizer, sight, draw weight/length (usually am just trying out different arrows so I re-tune). I've read that moving the D-loop up or down as well as lengthening and shortening it can affect how the bow holds? Is this what could be changing my bow hold? I've read that moving it up can help with that sight pin dropping under the target? How hight would you go? (arrow vs berger) Does nock set size/arrangement also affect any of that as well? I'd like to try and experiment with this but figured I'd try and get some advice on proper ways to do it first so I'm not totally shooting in the dark.


If sight pin drops, move the d-loop AND THE ARROW REST, move both UP, so the arrow stays 90 degrees to the bowstring (level nock travel and all that stuff). Moving the d-loop AND THE ARROW REST in the up direction,
gets the arrow HIGHER above the pivot point of the grip (deepest part of the curve), so that gives you MORE leverage to keep the sight pin UP (no more dropping out the bottom of the spot).


----------



## Marl (Apr 5, 2020)

nuts&bolts said:


> If sight pin drops, move the d-loop AND THE ARROW REST, move both UP, so the arrow stays 90 degrees to the bowstring (level nock travel and all that stuff). Moving the d-loop AND THE ARROW REST in the up direction,
> gets the arrow HIGHER above the pivot point of the grip (deepest part of the curve), so that gives you MORE leverage to keep the sight pin UP (no more dropping out the bottom of the spot).


Ok thanks will mess around with that. Right now I’ve got the bottom of the arrow maybe a hair lower than the center of the Berger hole. If moving up and keeping arrow 90 degrees to string is there a point you would consider too high? Or a point to not pass, like bottom of arrow at top of Berger hole? Seems like best way would to just keep drawing bow and moving d-loop up a hair until you get a good hold then move rest and tune once your find the final loop setting?


----------



## ar1220 (May 18, 2014)

Don't know if it's the design on newer bows or personal feel bit I have found I get the best results out of having the bottom of the shaft through the center of the berger hole


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Marl said:


> Ok thanks will mess around with that. Right now I’ve got the bottom of the arrow maybe a hair lower than the center of the Berger hole. If moving up and keeping arrow 90 degrees to string is there a point you would consider too high? Or a point to not pass, like bottom of arrow at top of Berger hole? Seems like best way would to just keep drawing bow and moving d-loop up a hair until you get a good hold then move rest and tune once your find the final loop setting?


That will work. FEELS good, is only a very very ROUGH tune.
Gotta test by shooting groups.


----------



## Marl (Apr 5, 2020)

nuts&bolts said:


> That will work. FEELS good, is only a very very ROUGH tune.
> Gotta test by shooting groups.


Ok and what would be the highest point to get to or not pass as far as arrow through berger hole?


----------



## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Marl said:


> Ok and what would be the highest point to get to or not pass as far as arrow through berger hole?


The BEST way is post a form photo.
Example.



This guy was stuck low, SOOOO stuck low, he was hitting 12-inches LOW at 20 yards.
Half the folks commenting, said the draw is too long.
Half the folks commenting, said NO, his draw is too short, go LONGER.
HALF the folks said he has Target Panic, cuz it's OBVIOUS, he is stuck low, and cannot hit the 20 yd target any higher than 12-inches LOW.

So, he posted another thread, asking about Target Panic.
Sigh. Soooo much bad advice.

Typical advice about TArget Panic. Blind bale for 3 months. Do the bridge. It's mental. No, its physical.
Regardless, Target Panic can take MONTHS to fix.

Sigh. MORE bad advice.

So, I sent him a pm message. TOld him to try something. Keep the EXACT SAME draw length.
Don't change the draw length 1 iota. If we can fix the STUCK LOW, in one pm message, then, you DON't have target panic.

Here is his fix.



Took out the bend in his elbow.
Had him stand up much straighter.
Told him to GIVE up on string gotta touch the nose.
Had him switch to a kisser button, completely DIY.



Kisser button touches/crosses corner of mouth.
Like this.



With EXACT SAME draw, but with drastically different FULL draw posture...
he test drives the NEW form for an hour, shooting ONE arrow at 2yards, at a SHOULDER high target.

After 1 hr of practice, with the kisser button,
after 1 hr of practice standing up straight,
after 1 hr of practice with NO bend in the bow arm elbow,
he can't stand it any longer,
he test drives 20 yds again.



OMG he says. NOT stuck low at 20yards anymore.
So, he can't stand it. He just HAS to try 30 yards.



BAM! Busted nock at 30yards.

Sooooo, experiment with moving the d-loop AND arrow rest in the up direction.
See what happens. IF you are still stuck low,
post up a form photo.


----------

