# How far can you bare shaft tune?



## Jim Sim (Mar 18, 2021)

how far is it reasonable to bare shaft tune? just out of curiosity I was shooting a bare shaft at 40 yards today. Elevation was good but was consistently hitting 6-7inches right. Should I be trying to correct this or is this beyond reason for bare shaft

thanks


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## Robspartacus (Feb 20, 2017)

I use to start at 10 and usually end up at 20, sometimes out to 30 or 40. Now, I do out to 20 then line tune to 60. On some bows no change is needed. On some, I make adjustments to the best line tune possible. Then I go back and check my bareshaft at 20. On some bows, I find a perfect bareshaft tune doesn't deliver the best down range accuracy. For me, the Hoyt Prevail 37 SVX shot best with a slight right tear (bareshaft hits about 3 inches left) and a little low. On the Hoyt Invicta 37 SVX its about 3 inches right and a little low (left tear). The Elite Rezult 38 with a perfect line tune is also a perfect bareshaft at 20 yards. Im sure arrow spine plays a role in this. As a target/3D guy, I generally shoot stiff spines. Currently, I'm shooting Gold Tip 30X (150 spine) with blazers and 100 grains. When I was bareshaft tuned my bow didn't group well at distance. After "un-tuning" it, I consistently shoot 2" groups at 50 yards (no wind and on my game). When bareshaft tuned I was about 4-5" groups at best. 

This is for TARGET bows and target arrows. This is NOT for hunting rigs. 

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## toxy2020 (Jan 24, 2021)

I have heard of top shots bare shafting out to at least 70m, but I used to be able to miss the boss at 20 yards, the distance you can shoot depends on your ability and consistency, I have always relied on proper initial setup and walk back tuning. 

If the groups are good then I do not particularly care, I have had mates comment on arrow flight but if I'm putting 4 in the spot, so what. If I'm not putting them in the spot then I'm not shooting consistently. 

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## arctic hunter (Sep 7, 2004)

I go to 40 yards. I’ve found if I can bare shaft tune to that distance, I can shoot about any broadhead I want. 5 or 6 inches right might be able to be nock tuned out. If not, cut 1/4”-1/2” off and try it again. 

One of the best pro archers in the world told me once that he bare shaft tuned to 50 meters. Then he told me the best field shooting set up he ever had shot a bare shaft 6” left at 50 meters. So....there’s that.


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## nuts&bolts (Mar 25, 2005)

Jim Sim said:


> how far is it reasonable to bare shaft tune? just out of curiosity I was shooting a bare shaft at 40 yards today. Elevation was good but was consistently hitting 6-7inches right. Should I be trying to correct this or is this beyond reason for bare shaft
> 
> thanks


When shooting a bareshaft a 40 yards, you are subject to wind (cross wind) effects.
So, our other option is bareshaft tune in your garage at 7 yards.







Bareshaft tuning beyond 20 yards, is more about shooter tuning, than bow tuning. So, cross wind effects,
difference in grip, difference in form (full draw posture) is gonna affect the bareshaft impact at 40 yards.

So, see if you can stuff a bareshaft in the sAME HOLE at 7 yards. Took me 2 tries. ZERO adjustments to the bow. Mostly grip pressure (thumb) affects the sideways impact for the bareshaft going into the same hole, the exact same hole at 7 yards, as the fletched arrow hole.


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## Norush24 (Nov 13, 2019)

60-80 yards as long as your form holds up. Lots of room for error and input shooting that far with no fletch.


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## Robspartacus (Feb 20, 2017)

My Bowtech Reckoning i can bareshaft to 40 yards. I don't have good enough form (consistency) to go to 50. After 40 it takes the mildest of anything to shove you left or right. I have yet to line tune but I image its gonna be dead on. 

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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

If there's no wind and you can get repeatable and consistent results, you can bareshaft tune as far as you dare to shoot them. I've shot them to 50m before but don't tune with them past 30 yards. 20 yards is almost always good enough to even have fixed heads hitting with field points so I don't go past that unless I'm just curious.


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## TMan51 (Jan 25, 2004)

nuts&bolts said:


> Bareshaft tuning beyond 20 yards, is more about shooter tuning, than bow tuning. So, cross wind effects, difference in grip, difference in form (full draw posture) is gonna affect the bareshaft impact at 40 yards.


I've been bare shaft tuning compound bows since the late 70's for hunting and target work. If the bare shaft is still going straight in to point of impact at 20yds, you're pretty much there for targets and mechanicals. BH tuning is still necessary for fixed heads. The shaft starts to spin up after about 15-20', or you need more offset on the fletch. Once the shaft is spinning, the fixed blade broadhead stops steering and goes where the shaft is pointed. The point of BH tuning is to have an arrow that flies where it's pointed until spin takes over. Some big fixed heads of the past were nearly impossible to to tune for on a very fast arrow.


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## Ermine (Jul 17, 2016)

I’ve shot out to 90 and 100 yards with a bareshaft just for fun


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## RavinHood (Sep 17, 2015)

45 yards here and 50 yards with a V3. Mathews Tophat system isn't fine enough to do it out at further distances from what I've found. It was tedious enough to get it like that. Playing with the top and bottom then finally moving the rest. From my results I don't gain much if any bareshaft tune out to 100 yards






























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## Tipe (May 19, 2018)

I shoot to 20m usually.
Shot up to 35m but I haven't seen any difference between those what it comes to tuning bow.
Indoors of course as I do all my tuning. Can't shoot longer than 30m at indoors now so that limits.
When I tune I never tune in bad weather if I need to shoot something outdoors.

That 10-15 grain vane weight starts to show at longer distances.


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

I bare shaft to 20 yards. For my 3D and spot bows, that's seems to be the right distance. I still broadhead tune my hunting bow after bare shafting to 20. I haven't needed to make an adjustment to my tune with broadheads since I started bareshafting.

I've tried shooting bare shafts further than 20 and haven't seen any real benefit. The slightest breeze or slightest inconsistency in your form will really throw that bareshaft out. I chased my tail for an entire weekend trying to bareshaft to 40 yards....


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## Cspencer (Apr 28, 2021)

usually 20 yards but have got to 40 for kicks


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Farthest I've ever tuned is out to 70 meters, shot out to 90m. Whatever the farthest distance you can shoot a regular fletched Arrow, you can shoot a bare shaft... the only thing that's stopping you is your tune and skill set.


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## msh441 (May 22, 2020)

I’ll get out to 40 yards. I can’t keep them as tight as the pictures above, but they do ‘group’ well enough to provide tuning direction relative to fletched. So I see some usefulness to it.


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## luke308 (Nov 12, 2020)

for a great bow tune 25 yards for me. thats as tuned better then i will be able to shoot. cant out shoot that tune


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## Huntinsker (Feb 9, 2012)

I'm envious of the guys living in places where the wind is light enough to shoot bareshafts that far haha.


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Funny thing is a fletched shaft will blow off course a little more than a bare shaft. At distances like 60 and 70 M you can watch the tale of the shaft being pushed aside while the tip appears to still be pointing On Target. The bear shaft does the same thing just a little lesser extent


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## Bbd16 (Feb 13, 2013)

do most tuning at 20 and will fine tune bareshafts at 40-50. I have shot bareshafts at 100-125 yards with no issues on calm days. I think the furthest I’ve shot a bareshaft accurately was 135 yards. It’s just not needed.


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## Bbd16 (Feb 13, 2013)

That at 135 yards.


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## rossN (May 5, 2021)

Great information.


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## Swede (Aug 26, 2002)

Shot BS group at 70m. At that distance it's all about FOC. The higher the FOC the better BS will do a longer range.

I usually BS-tune at 20 y


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## luke308 (Nov 12, 2020)

RavinHood said:


> 45 yards here and 50 yards with a V3. Mathews Tophat system isn't fine enough to do it out at further distances from what I've found. It was tedious enough to get it like that. Playing with the top and bottom then finally moving the rest. From my results I don't gain much if any bareshaft tune out to 100 yards
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man,if i get that at 15 yds im pretty happy


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## huntnfish5 (May 5, 2018)

Beyond reason man


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

luke308 said:


> man,if i get that at 15 yds im pretty happy


 The next piece of equipment you should buy is a coach...lol
It's an all seriousness, assuming to assuming fletched and fair shafts are heading together at 15 is painting together at 15 and are parallel alone you can do 25 or 30...
Grab 2 bare shafts, plan on throwing them in the garbage... Go have fun. Either you're gonna find that your bow needs more tuning, you need more tuning or you're gonna impress yourself… it's pretty cheap schooling


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## PrunedaleMike1 (Mar 27, 2021)

Jim Sim said:


> how far is it reasonable to bare shaft tune? just out of curiosity I was shooting a bare shaft at 40 yards today. Elevation was good but was consistently hitting 6-7inches right. Should I be trying to correct this or is this beyond reason for bare shaft
> 
> thanks


Target bow, Matthew's Conquest 2 , bare shaft out to 100 yards . Flew very well. 1 inch vanes flew like darts.


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## Grissom13 (Aug 19, 2021)

RavinHood said:


> 45 yards here and 50 yards with a V3. Mathews Tophat system isn't fine enough to do it out at further distances from what I've found. It was tedious enough to get it like that. Playing with the top and bottom then finally moving the rest. From my results I don't gain much if any bareshaft tune out to 100 yards
> 
> 
> 
> ...


do you not add tape to the back of your arrows to mimic the weight of the fletchings.


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## 1/2 Bubble Off (Dec 29, 2016)

Grissom13 said:


> do you not add tape to the back of your arrows to mimic the weight of the fletchings.


I don't add tape to the shafts.... I hot glue a loop of weed whacker string inside the nock that weighs the same as my vanes... So my TAW is exactly the same (+/- 1grain), the weight is distributed as close as I can make it for tuning purposes and the tape isn't there to disrupt the air flow over the bare shaft.


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## Fury90flier (Jun 27, 2012)

Grissom13 said:


> do you not add tape to the back of your arrows to mimic the weight of the fletchings.


No need to. The difference in weight is minimal as is the effect on dynamic spine. Bareshaft is exactly that, bare.

I can do BS tuning to 70m, nothing on the shaft. But if you want to add the tape, go for it


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## Grissom13 (Aug 19, 2021)

Fury90flier said:


> No need to. The difference in weight is minimal as is the effect on dynamic spine. Bareshaft is exactly that, bare.
> 
> I can do BS tuning to 70m, nothing on the shaft. But if you want to add the tape, go for it


thanks for the advise. I've never done it before and I've read where some ppl say you got to have tape and some dont.


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## toxy2020 (Jan 24, 2021)

Many years ago Rick McKinney shot six bare shafts in the gold at 70m, for a bet, recurve, he was a bit good


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