# Metal Nock Points



## chrstphr (Nov 23, 2005)

i put one in my arm once when the nock cracked/exploded at release. the ensuing dry fire sent the brass nock flying and cut a 1/2 inch V wedge in my bow arm and lodged there. I went to string nocks and have never had that happen again. 

Cant say about the beiter one. It seems to be threaded into the string. I think someone said Jake Kaminski used one. 

Chris


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## w8lon (Jun 2, 2012)

Metal nocks are hard on tab faces. Chris's example is convincing enough for me to not use them on a bow with release either.
Have seen them come off and bounce back off of riser, so could easily put an eye out! I've always tied in nocking points with serving thread and sealed with a drop of Duco cement. Super glue can weaken a string and cause it to break.


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## KenYeoh (Feb 21, 2010)

They are also heavier and slow down the string.


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## icehaven (Nov 30, 2010)

Depends on what you prioritize. If you prioritize adjustment (such as club owned bows that have beginner uses) then a metal nock is very nice. However, they slow down the string very slightly (only an advanced shooter would notice this) and are definitely rough on the finger tab. 

For my club, we strictly use metal points for our club bows because they are just easier to use.

For personal equipment, we recommend simply tying serving to the string to make the nock, and we also recommend using both a top and bottom point.


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## Poldi (Mar 3, 2012)

unwaxed dental floss and a drop super glue works fine for me.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

jp -

I've used every manor of nocking points out there, including a few that most people here wouldn't remember. Can't see one lick of difference in function between any two. Never had and bodily injury or damage to a tab from a crimp on NP either. 

Are there any differences? Sure. 
Do they matter? Not IMHO.

Viper1 out.


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## LittleJP (Nov 4, 2012)

Thanks,

I'll switch over once I have to replace my current strings, but I don't think I'm going to notice the tiny little speed difference at least till the indoor system is over.


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## caspian (Jan 13, 2009)

I like tied ones mainly for low profile and lack of wear on tab faces. brass nocks are best used to establish position though, due to ease of relocation.

glue = bad. use BCY nock tying thread and you will not go back. it costs under a cent per nock and melts down better than anything else into a knot that will not come undone.


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## Sebastiaan (Dec 6, 2009)

Hello LittleJP,

The Beiter nocking points are not metal but plastic. It is a good system but in combination with beiter nocks. It takes some time to tie them in but if its done good its ok. These; http://www.amboproducts.com/s0008n.htm are metal (brass) for recurve also to use with ambo nocks.

Greetz Seb


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## DWAA Archer (Oct 14, 2011)

Metal nock points ok for your first Bow string. If you have a good coach and they do a tuning session with you the first thing they will do is take it off. They slow the string and damage tab faces. use dental floss and glue it's easy to get you knock point height set.

Once you become a bit more consistant or start to shoot a lot of arrows you'll notice that you have to continually maintain a dental floss nock point thats when the Beiter nock point becomes useful because as long as it's fitted correctly its low maintenance and very consistant. 

I've tried dental floss, metal, serving thread nock points but for me my preference is the Beiter nock point and now I can fit one in about as part of the a new center serving in about 10 mins. it's a bit of a faff but it's worth it.


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

w8lon said:


> Metal nocks are hard on tab faces. Chris's example is convincing enough for me to not use them on a bow with release either.
> Have seen them come off and bounce back off of riser, so could easily put an eye out! I've always tied in nocking points with serving thread and sealed with a drop of Duco cement. Super glue can weaken a string and cause it to break.


I've shot the same string for almost 2 years without it breaking and I used nockpoints that were soaked in the cheapest superglue one can find. 48# @ 31.5" gives quite a punch so I doubt your theory. If your serving Is tight there's no way the super glue is able to soak trough.


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## Chinese Tea (Mar 17, 2010)

julle said:


> I've shot the same string for almost 2 years without it breaking and I used nockpoints that were soaked in the cheapest superglue one can find. 48# @ 31.5" gives quite a punch so I doubt your theory. If your serving Is tight there's no way the super glue is able to soak trough.


Anecdotal observation:

When I bond small parts together, the mere presence of super glue fumes is reactive enough to cause a white coating to form on the surface of nearby plastics and metals.
I use superglue nocks for convenience, but on the other hand, I wouldn't apply/reapply superglue nocks on the same string too many times.

I am unfamiliar with Duco cement, but if it doesn't have this reaction it may be worth looking into.


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## gma (Aug 22, 2012)

In addition to metal nockpoints being hard on tabs, the same contact that wears the tab can turn (thereby moving) the nockpoint if it's not on tightly enough. Yesterday while practicing, my top nockpoint, which had been on for about 5 months, started migrating up the string with each shot! I would guess this would be more of an issue with higher poundage limbs due to the increased pressure.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

I have used sewing thread and superglue for a long time now. But right now, my indoor setup has a small, thin brass nocking point on top and sewing thread below. I used the weight of the brass nock for tuning.

John


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## Rick McKinney (Mar 4, 2008)

Darrell Pace used dental floss and I used metal nock set. Both worked well enough to win or set a few world records. As for them flying off, I would hazard to guess that maybe they were not clamped on correctly. Although there isn't much to them, it is still important to use the correct tool and pay attention to how you do it. Doreen Wilbur who won the 1972 Olympic Gold Medal used no nocking points. She just had a marking on her string where to place the string. She used a glove instead of a tab. I guess my point is that it is up to you on what to use. I used the metal nock set because there was nothing more accurate when clamping it on the string and the nock against the nocking point was always exactly the same place. I figured a string material nocking point had even a little movement that made me feel uncomfortable and it did take a lot of learning to be able to learn to tie it on the string exactly where you wanted it, each and every time. Again, it is dependent on what you think will work and what does work for you.


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## tori_mish (Jan 13, 2013)

Rick McKinney said:


> Darrell Pace used dental floss and I used metal nock set. Both worked well enough to win or set a few world records. As for them flying off, I would hazard to guess that maybe they were not clamped on correctly. Although there isn't much to them, it is still important to use the correct tool and pay attention to how you do it. Doreen Wilbur who won the 1972 Olympic Gold Medal used no nocking points. She just had a marking on her string where to place the string. She used a glove instead of a tab. I guess my point is that it is up to you on what to use. I used the metal nock set because there was nothing more accurate when clamping it on the string and the nock against the nocking point was always exactly the same place. I figured a string material nocking point had even a little movement that made me feel uncomfortable and it did take a lot of learning to be able to learn to tie it on the string exactly where you wanted it, each and every time. Again, it is dependent on what you think will work and what does work for you.


_(my first post here, hello guys - I've been lurking this forum for a while now )_

Good advice Rick, and confirms that different strokes work for different folks. When I first picked up a bow, I used brass nocks ... then due to peer pressure and apparent superiority of tie-on, I switched to tie on. 

I set up some new strings recently, and thought I'd use a pair of brass due to ease of correct nocking point location. In my bare-shafting tests etc, I was surprised how sweet my bow sounded with the pair of brass. I did some shooting at various ranges, and once happy with my bareshaft tune I took off the brass and tied on some nocks. At 50m, my arrows were falling about 3 inches above the brassies, so I assume I lost a little speed - perhaps a loss of 1-2 FPS (the difference of one sight increment at 50m). Ok, so yes - of course you'll get SLIGHTLY more speed with tie on vs the weight of brassies ... but it's negligible. I did also notice that my sweet sounding string didn't sound so sweet with the tie-ons. I think the pair of brass were adding just enough weight to my bowstring to ease it's vibration on release, quieting it down considerably.

Now, I'm considering going back to brassies. I lose maybe 2 FPS, ... and in the trade off I gain the ability to very quickly set and adjust a nock point on a string, as well as a string that sounds so much better. I also do away with maintenance, I've found that the tie-ons do require more TLC. 

I also remember Alan Eagleton telling me that he got all kinds of grief from other archers over his brassies; but they obviously don't hurt his recurve shooting. When I see archers like Alan and Rick advocating brassies, I listen, and re-evaluate


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## ATbluechip (Dec 19, 2012)

This is a great thread! Good information guys. I shoot compound with a Carter rope release. My tied in top nocking point has started to slide up on me. I'm not a fan of the brassies and didn't know if using glue on the string was taboo or not. So I created a nocking point from duct tape on the top of the tie in to prevent sliding. Works but have to keep an eye on it creeping back up. The black duct tape is ugly though. Now that I know I'm not alone with Duco cement, I may be removing that tape and dropping a dab on knot to see what happens. Anyone ever have their serving slide where the cams roll over? Spent last night slidign it back down tight. Now thinking about a dab of Duco at the top of the serving to prevent slip. I shoot barebow recurve in the summer months. Tie-ins on all 3 of my strings with no issues. Only issues with the compounds. Too many moving parts!


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## HikerDave (Jan 1, 2011)

caspian said:


> I like tied ones mainly for low profile and lack of wear on tab faces. brass nocks are best used to establish position though, due to ease of relocation.
> 
> glue = bad. use BCY nock tying thread and you will not go back. it costs under a cent per nock and melts down better than anything else into a knot that will not come undone.


I switched to my light arrows in preparation for field and tied on a couple of new nocking points with a nail knots. To fine-tune the nocking points I just twist the nocking points up or down on the string like a small nut.

A guy watching me came over and asked "Where did you get those adjustable nocking points?". Once I get a good tune I just superglue the nocking points in place. I don't think that the string will weaken because the glue mostly wicks into the nocking point. Anyways, I'm using 16 strands of D97 and I'm pretty sure that the string is strong enough -- I could probably tow a car with my bowstring.


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## caspian (Jan 13, 2009)

the issue is more around cracking, and abrasion from rigid "bits". melt the ends down into the nut and there's simply no need for it, any more than you'd glue the ends of your serving down.

also, there is no way known to man that you're relocating my tied nocking points without a knife. if they need moving - cut them off and do them again.


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