# String Walking experts please advise on bow tuning!



## DaemonXR (Sep 17, 2013)

Oki, as title say, i need help on tuning ILF bow for string walking aiming techniques! 
I shoot 68inch ILF for few months now. 
Its WinWin ExPrime 40# limbs on SF Forged+ riser. Even tiller.
I shoot gaping/split vision/intuitive. 
My draw length is 28 inch. My nock point is just a tad below 1/2 inch (10mm). Maybe lil high but i didn't noticed any arrow strange behavior or odd sound on release.Arrow hit target straight, no strange angles!

My anchor is at side of my face with index on corner of my mouth, three under. 
So i am happy with my progress for now but i would really like some input, out of experts on how to tune my bow for string walking. 

I shoot GTI Ultralight .500 spine 29 inch arrows. Yeah probably one will say to go with Easton Carbon one or similar arrows but i like these much.
So if i want to end up with my arrow point at gold at 50 meters- how i need to tiller my bow to achieve that?
I try to shoot at 40 meters with my technique and i need to position my arrow tip at top of my target boss (90x90cm) to end up in gold!
I reckon i need more tiller on lower limb to achieve goal? Or my nock point lower on string?
I am pretty confused  I am more of a compound shooter but started recurves also few months ago and want to know more! 
Can you please do some constructive talk here to shed some light. Its a bit of mystery on internet regarding string walking and ILF bow tiller tuning (or i am unable to find proper info)!

Thanx in advance folks
Cheers


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## Moebow (Jul 8, 2010)

Daemon,

I don't think string walking is a technique you want to use for 40/50 or more meters. You say you have the arrow point above the target at 40m, so moving your hand down the string will shorten your point on distance not increase it. To shoot the longer distances I think you will need to explore a lower anchor point. The Olympic style target archers use an under the jaw bone anchor for the longer distances. I don't think changing tiller will help.

Arne

Posted this on the "General" forum too.


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## Matt_Potter (Apr 13, 2010)

Daemon at fifty meters you should be close to point on ie fingers against the nock tip in the gold. 

Your crawl comes into play for distances closer than your point on. On my tab each stitch gives me 2.5 meters of adjustment so for say 40 meters I would crawl down four stitches and set my tab there. 

Most string-walkers I know bare shaft tune there bow for the middle distance they will shoot so for fita you would tune 25-30 meters. Even tiller is pretty common as is slightly negative. I tend to set it even and forget about it. 

Not slamming archerytalk but tradtalk.com is a much better place to discuss string-walking.


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## DaemonXR (Sep 17, 2013)

Thanx for reply. Yeah its a double post. Ah what i can do  i got advice to post it here also 

I didnt say that i will go lower on string on longer distances but as far as i can understand, string walkers aim with arrow tip on gold at 50 meters and grasping the string just below nocking point. If string walker is shooting shortest distances they will grasp the string lower and lower as that distance is decreasing,
As far as i understand string walking bare bow shooting (three under) work up to 50 meters distance. Or i am misinterpreted?

Anyway thanx


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## DaemonXR (Sep 17, 2013)

Thank you Matt! Well thats the point, i need to point above gold at 40 meters to shoot gold. My tiller is also even??? Is my nock to high or i shoot heavy GT ultralights  this is my confusion...


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## DeadEye987 (Feb 4, 2012)

You don't mention your fletch/vanes or you arrow point weight, but if you want to shoot point on at 50m, you are most likely going to have to lower your arrow weight (40# bow point on at 50m will likely be ~260gr arrow) and/or lower your nocking point (likely ~4mm above center of plunger). 

I no "expert", but recommend leaving your tiller at "zero" until you have got the point on you want. The tiller comes nto play more as you work for the best balance of accuracy walking down the yardage (50 to 5m). Commonly barebow shooters look to optimize their accuracy at about 30m while adjusting to minimizing their right/left error at the closer/farther distances.


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## Taharris66 (Feb 2, 2012)

I am shooting the Hoyt Excel 23" riser and medium Hoyt 40 pound 330 limbs. This is my hunting and target set up. My tiller is 6" on the top limb and 5 1/2" on the bottom limb. I use the Spigarelli rest and just went to a Beiter plunger. I had a cheaper Cartel plunger, but it broke. I shoot 30" arrows spinned at 400 to 500 with 125 grain tips. My point on I'd at 50 yards with that. I anchor with the middle finger in the center of my chin, index knuckle in my cheek bone, and my thumb joint locked under my jaw. Set my arrow and bow tune for 20 yards because that is what I shoot the most. It is also tuned to make it as quiet as I can for the hunting season. Most shots for me in hunting are 35 yards and under. The tune for string walking is a compromise based on what distance is most shot. I have shot a couple of 600 rounds, a field course, 3D courses, and 300 rounds. I have enjoyed this style more than the "instinctive" styles i have shot before.


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## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I am in the process of tuning my light form bow for stringwalking. I am shooting 30 pound limbs at 35.5. pounds at full draw. I went to 306 gr arrows and my point on is 50 meters. That makes it very nice for FITA field. I had been shooting heavier arrows with a 35 meter point on. I was working on crawls using the shelf as a reference for the longer distances. Instead, I changed arrows. You can reference off of the arrow tip, rest wire, or shelf when stringwalking. The advantage of a shorter point on is that you keep your crawls shorter. If 10 meters from point on is 5 stitches, then 10 meters from shelf on is 5 stitches. Using this method, I can stringwalk out to over 70 meters. This is also used by compound shooters. There was a good article describing this method for compound bows in Archery Focus Magazine many years ago. Copies are available on line with a subscription. My biggest problem shooting my recent FITA field was the large length of my short shot crawls. I had difficult controlling arrows on shots where I should have collected a lot of points. I had just changed arrows the weekend prior so I had no time to make any tuning adjustments to compensate for the very large speed increase. I had to change arrows because I did not have enough and my arrows are order for two months were not going to be delivered, in fact, the manufacturer did not know when they would have more.

I am currently shooting -4 mm with a fairly low knock point, which I have not measured. I have added some weight to my arrows and will restart the tuning process.


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## Corene1 (Apr 27, 2014)

I don't know what the weight of your arrows or the weight of your tips are. But my set up is very close to yours. 25 inch SF riser medium Win& Win Winnex limbs 36 pounds on the fingers Tiller is equal top and bottom 27 1/2 inch draw 29 inch 600 spine arrows 6.4 grains per inch 110 grain point with 3 inch feathers right at 310 grains total weight. My anchor is slightly higher than yours. middle finger in the corner of the mouth and 3 under . I figure 8 the spot at 42 meters and I cover the spot at 45 meters. I tune so bare shafts and fletched shafts are shooting together at 20 yards for a start. It seems you may need to lighten the overall weight of your arrow a bit . or lower your anchor. But first the bow tune must be right . Tiller on my bow does not seem to be as important as nock height and button pressure. I tune with nock height at zero tiller then use tiny tiller adjustments for fine tuning no more than 1/16th of an inch at a time. Shortening the arrow shaft will also raise your point on but it will stiffen the arrow in the process.


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## DaemonXR (Sep 17, 2013)

Wow fellas, thanx a lot for your replies 
yeah as i thought my arrows fall on hunting arrow weight  some 420 grains hahaha. well what can i do when i love those thick overweighted fatties and this "thump" sound when it hit target boss. Well i have some Easton Carbon one at my disposal so will try with these later on but will need to adjust my rest lil higher.
My anchor is as explained at first post. I will lover my nocking point for some 4mm and try when i found some time.
Yeah my tiller is even bcoz i shoot three under 

Thanx a lot guys for your replies

Cheers


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

For me the tiller is more about the after shot reaction i.e I either want a neutral or forward roll from the riser and not to tip backwards, I normally shoot 42# Border CV's an have a 60y point on, interestingly my crawls get smaller around 50 to 60 yards, normally one stitch every 5 yards on a Bateman Tab, using C1's 310g weight total.

I've been experimenting with various limbs and setups for indoors and thought it fun to set how good a point on I could get with light limbs, 32# Axiom+ limbs with 28" CT Cheetahs (250g) is 60y point on, I still prefer the CV's they just suck up those poor releases with very little drop on the long shots. 

Don't forget with Barebow Stringwalking your also allowed to facewalk so for IFAA Field I drop my anchor for a 70y point on. :thumbs_up

I recently switched to Flonite K spin vanes, I lost one stitch on my short crawls but still kept my 60y point on, I love how good/accurate these arrows fly with these vanes.


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## DaemonXR (Sep 17, 2013)

Though it is not allowed on competition courses, i outfitted my recurve ILF with Axion SSG 6" silencer. Bow is dead-on on release and neutral roll. Well i am not interested in competitions for now,but i also have set of weights for bare bow class. I was shooting with gloves till now (redudant equipment from shooting my Samick SHT) but i got Spiga Amico BB tab and all i can say is wow. It improved my accuracy and release way beyond i thought it will.
I dont like spin wings (again i don't compete). These are hard to fletch and easily destroyed. I use Easton diamond 2.35" vanes. I have these handy and use Cartel jig to fletch my arrow if damaged in shooting sessions.
Well since i own small archery club in my lil village (though we are using social premises) i have so many equipment to choose. I am compound shooter BTW, but started with recurve bows some half year ago just out of fact that i decide to open private archery club and archery course school (trough our sport society). And now i cant stop shoot my Oly. Its a damned disease 

Hey if you want to peak, be my guest, but just a little warning folks. This is by no means lame excuse to like my page on FB. If you know me personally (i am old school computer freak), you would know what i think bout these social networks, but things changed and is important media nowadays to inform crowd bout events and other happenings. Sorry its not yet on English though 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Streličarstvo-Viganj-Archery-Viganj/805873789471071

And my faithful dear Oly 









You guys rock, and thanx on all info you presented so quickly here. Its nice to be here on AT. Such wonderful community full of helping friendly people. Its a joy to hang here.
If you think that it would be nice to fill this thread with info on String Walking techniques (since its cloudy theme on internet anyway), please keep up with posting!
We all learn trough life and never know everything.

Cheers folks


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

World Archery and IFAA Barebow divs you can switch anchors, Stringwalk, Facewalk etc. I enjoyed Croatia a couple of years ago, I shot WA3D Europeans, I had to pull out after day one, the week before and first day of the tourney I had been suffering from a Stomach bug, I just had nothing to give mentally/physically.

We have our own Field/3D courses at our home, I'm the shooter on the right. When I switched to Stringwalking last Dec I was the only one, now we are 6 









This was Euro champs in France this June, last days top group and great guys we laughed and joked all week and I was lucky enough to win on very last target by 1 point, it was an amazing day because the scores were so tight.


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## DaemonXR (Sep 17, 2013)

I am happy you like my country though sorry for your problems there. I don't find myself that good to participate at competitions. Its not low self esteem but pure fact and more, its fun and hobby for me. Maybe one day, god know  I like archery in general and want to try all styles and find what suits me best. I am fine with compound at 60 meters max. I don't have safe longer range to use for now. I delve in recurves because of my project with archery club i have here and i spare some money to buy all that equipment. I really shoot more with recurve from may than with my compounds. Its really more rewarding and one need more skill to master.
Kinda excited every time i shoot (split vision/intuitive for now)  But i will try string walk. I need to prep some Carbon one these days and raise my arrow rest a bit!

Cheers folks


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## steve morley (Dec 24, 2005)

I've always seen tourney shooting just part of the development process, it speeds up the learning curve because you meet better shooters and exchange ideas/information. I've made some great friends and visited some beautiful countries over the years. You should never think of yourself as not good enough for tourney shooting, even the best archers started from humble beginnings.


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