# Right-Left Alignment in Barebow: Change Plunger Tension or Sight Picture?



## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Do whichever works best for you. I rarely adjust my plunger. If I am grouping left it's usually because I'm not tight enough with my anchor.


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## cpnhgnlngct (Dec 9, 2010)

Agreed with John here.

I wasn’t 100% sure what JD would do in that situation, but felt he would opt for string blur tweak over a plunger adjustment especially with only 12 arrows to shoot. However i discussed with Dewayne Martin after his round and he said by the end of the Finals, he turned his plunger a full revolution 1/4 turn at a time during the Finals.

So like John said, depends on what you’re comfortable with.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

One reason I much prefer outdoor barebow is because indoor lighting can really, really screw with a person's aim. To the point in some venues where I literally can't even see my arrow (A&M for instance). LED lighting is the worst. Outdoors, I never have a problem. I had the same issue with recurve, but there are ways to deal with it in recurve. IMO this is one factor that makes indoor barebow incredibly challenging - to be able to go from one venue to another and still shoot well.


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## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

limbwalker said:


> One reason I much prefer outdoor barebow is because indoor lighting can really, really screw with a person's aim. To the point in some venues where I literally can't even see my arrow (A&M for instance). LED lighting is the worst. Outdoors, I never have a problem. I had the same issue with recurve, but there are ways to deal with it in recurve. IMO this is one factor that makes indoor barebow incredibly challenging - to be able to go from one venue to another and still shoot well.


It changes my point on more than left/right at different venues. Concur on not changing my plunger unless it’s a consistent thing, then it’s time to recheck my tune.


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## luckman88 (Nov 11, 2017)

@limbwalker, cpnhgnlngct, rsanrns - thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered the lighting. Now that you mention it, it was interesting that the stage was far more brightly lit than LAS Classic 2017. Is it legal to paint the front of the arrow shaft? I'm just thinking of a way to mitigate the lighting variable.


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## cpnhgnlngct (Dec 9, 2010)

Sunday’s shoot off Finals were just like 2017 in that the venue lighting in the ceiling was turned off giving the stage that nice dark look. 

But on Saturday for the Barebow Finals, there was more shooting going on at the venue on the main lanes so the ceiling lights were still lit up.


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## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

luckman88 said:


> @limbwalker, cpnhgnlngct, rsanrns - thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered the lighting. Now that you mention it, it was interesting that the stage was far more brightly lit than LAS Classic 2017. Is it legal to paint the front of the arrow shaft? I'm just thinking of a way to mitigate the lighting variable.


NFAA allows powder to be used. Don’t think paint is legal.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

luckman88 said:


> @limbwalker, cpnhgnlngct, rsanrns - thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered the lighting. Now that you mention it, it was interesting that the stage was far more brightly lit than LAS Classic 2017. Is it legal to paint the front of the arrow shaft? I'm just thinking of a way to mitigate the lighting variable.


I have tried paint before. It didn't help at the A&M venue. There is nothing in the World Archery barebow rules that prohibits paint on the arrows, that I know of. I think so long as they are all the same you're okay. NFAA is their own beast.

I can be competitive outdoors because I can see my arrow. Indoors, I have always struggled to be competitive. It's an exercise in futility for me. Was somewhat the same for recurve, but as I said, I could mitigate that by choosing an aperture I could see.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

luckman88 said:


> @limbwalker, cpnhgnlngct, rsanrns - thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered the lighting. Now that you mention it, it was interesting that the stage was far more brightly lit than LAS Classic 2017. Is it legal to paint the front of the arrow shaft? I'm just thinking of a way to mitigate the lighting variable.


Stainless steel points show up fairly well against carbon shafts.


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## Bender (Dec 6, 2006)

I don't stringwalk, but Eagleton does and he and I were talking about it. He was having a hard time dealing with remembering to adjust plunger to go with the crawl. I suggested he alter string blur. Last I heard that is still his preferred method. 

Of course it is all about the individual shooter doing what works best for them. Its just that after having run with altering string blur for a while Alan just found it easier to remember and actually do it.


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## luckman88 (Nov 11, 2017)

@rsarns, limbwalker, grantmac - thanks. Might try a little paint in the next couple of days. Probably won't help me see that gold any better at 18m lol.

@Bender - that's pretty fascinating insight into how one of the greats deals with the downsides of string walking. Thanks!


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## hammer08 (Aug 28, 2012)

For indoor shooting I never move my string blur. I try to keep the shot as consistent as possible. Consistency is key indoors. I'll change my plunger centershot(not plunger tension) or my crawl if I need to. For instance this weekend at Spooky Nook I was hitting high and left. I ended up having to crawl 3 additional hash marks on my Yost tab and turning my plunger centershot in a full turn.


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## j.conner (Nov 12, 2009)

I have done both over the years. These days I tend to adjust the plunger tension, especially in a target game where I can readily see a pattern, and keep the string blur the same.


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## JimDE (Aug 3, 2008)

Limbwalker, i’m Sure you probably have but have you tried various tints in shooting glasses to alter your visions contrast in various indoor lighting?

I’m more of a sporting clays shooter than a archer since my stoke and companies like Pilla make lens tint configurations for just about every lighting situation one can imagine outdoors. I know guys that carry more than a half a dozen tints to choose from on a given day or even a given station. I carry 2 one for darker conditions and one for lighter conditions but I am a minimalist  I know Pilla makes a archery version of lenses that are without a nose bridge but I don’t know the tints they have available in that configuration and if any are for indoor lighting situations. 

Thinking about glasses and what I observed at the Classic I can’t recall seeing anyone wearing any light correction glasses last weekend but then I was not looking for that either. Maybe there is a reason why that I can’t think of or are unaware of. Any glass will detractvon the amount of light getting to the eye but some of the brighter tint dramatically effect the color and contrasts which negates the lower light transmission. 

I’m sure you have probably tried glasses but thought I’d mention it....


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

I did see a couple of pairs of what looked like target yellow lenses in shooting glasses up there last weekend.


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## JimDE (Aug 3, 2008)

I'm old so for shooting one of my two Pilla lenses is the 60HCP which is a sort of yellow/persimon high definition lens which brightens everything up for my eyes. It is my preferred lens but when conditions are too bright I will go to the 44ED which are darker. But that is for clay shooting..... never have tried my Pilla's for archery.


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## Rjennings10 (Oct 22, 2017)

For target distance at 20 yards it’s easier for me to just adjust my string blur, quick and simple. If it changes your hold to the point where you feel it’s not repeatable consider adjusting plunger. Currently I’m using a neon green string. Nice and bright.


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## luckman88 (Nov 11, 2017)

Thanks, everyone

@JimDE - I did notice one of the recurve women's finalists use tinted glasses at last year's LAS - first time I'd seen them and was wondering why she wore them. I can't remember her name but she eventually lost to Casey Kaufheld in a great match.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

JimDE said:


> Limbwalker, i’m Sure you probably have but have you tried various tints in shooting glasses to alter your visions contrast in various indoor lighting?
> 
> I’m more of a sporting clays shooter than a archer since my stoke and companies like Pilla make lens tint configurations for just about every lighting situation one can imagine outdoors. I know guys that carry more than a half a dozen tints to choose from on a given day or even a given station. I carry 2 one for darker conditions and one for lighter conditions but I am a minimalist  I know Pilla makes a archery version of lenses that are without a nose bridge but I don’t know the tints they have available in that configuration and if any are for indoor lighting situations.
> 
> ...


Actually, you are right to mention it because I've never tried shooting glasses for indoor archery. That's not a bad idea.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

luckman88 said:


> Thanks, everyone
> 
> @JimDE - I did notice one of the recurve women's finalists use tinted glasses at last year's LAS - first time I'd seen them and was wondering why she wore them. I can't remember her name but she eventually lost to Casey Kaufheld in a great match.


shooting glasses were heavily marketed to recurve archers about 5-6 years ago, and pushed by USArchery. For a couple years, you saw every JOAD kid with wealthy parents sporting a pair. That has faded away but there are still a few who are willing to spend whatever it takes to get an edge or just feel like they have an edge. Most of it is pure placebo IMO


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## JimDE (Aug 3, 2008)

Limbwalker, at one time I thought the Sporting Clays guys with Pilla shooting glasses were nutz to pay that much for a pair of shooting glasses. I said there was no friggin way I’d pay even 1/4 of that for a pair of glasses. A few years ago I shot with one of the top three sporting clays shooters in the world over at his sporting clays facility in NJ. While talking to him the subject of glasses came up and he handed me a try pair of Pillas to take out on the course that day. I shot the round and every target popped and was much easier to focus on a edge. I shot that round 10 hits better than I had ever shot the advanced course. Placebo or not it sold me on their real value to my focus on clays. 

Not all tints work for all shooters and it seems everyone’s eyes see color and contrast differently and they have their own preferences. Pillas are a system in as much as you can mix and match lenses and frames as well as adding or removing RX lenses if needed. Every lens is optically pure Zeiss made lenses with colors and contrasts pushed to its limits.

All the above stated I have not tried them with archery but will not shoot a clay sport without them. They have become as essential to my shooting as the right choke, shot size, or stock fit. Can I hit targets without them? Sure but I surely won’t see them as well or as clearly meaning I may have some I miss because I did not see them as well. 

Limbwalker I do see your point of view if one top archer wins using a blue/green Pilla lenses so every aspiring archer feels they need to rush out and get blue/green Pillas inorder to win; they will be primed for a major disappointment. But if someone has a specific vision issue and a great high contrast Zeiss lense corrects it then his results would be real and not just a placebo effect. Ya just can’t hit what you are having difficulty seeing right. Granted in Sporting we are dealing with various size, color, and speed targets with the gambit of various backgrounds colors and light intensities so great target visual acquisition is critical I can see if indoor lighting is causing vision issues that a contrasting tint glass could be possibly beneficial.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

limbwalker said:


> shooting glasses were heavily marketed to recurve archers about 5-6 years ago, and pushed by USArchery. For a couple years, you saw every JOAD kid with wealthy parents sporting a pair. That has faded away but there are still a few who are willing to spend whatever it takes to get an edge or just feel like they have an edge. Most of it is pure placebo IMO


I have heard Kathleen say that the shooting glasses indoors help mitigate the lighting differences from indoor venue to indoor venue. Don't know if they help make the arrow point more visible.


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## Popes (Mar 31, 2021)

limbwalker said:


> One reason I much prefer outdoor barebow is because indoor lighting can really, really screw with a person's aim. To the point in some venues where I literally can't even see my arrow (A&M for instance). LED lighting is the worst. Outdoors, I never have a problem. I had the same issue with recurve, but there are ways to deal with it in recurve. IMO this is one factor that makes indoor barebow incredibly challenging - to be able to go from one venue to another and still shoot well.


I had not thought about this (right/left errors) in the past.

Now that I have a plunger I do. It's on a new rig, my 1st and probably my only well engineered rig (since I began archery with an off-the-shelf some three years ago).

Up to a week or so ago I had simply adjusted for right/left errors intuitively. In fact my first experience was 7 or 10 days ago. I was patterning right at 40 meters, I decided to experiment. I decided patterning right meant my plunger was too soft. I added some clicks and my next arrows were virtually on center vertically.

Haha, admittedly work in progress...
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