In the world of archery, strong opinions on gear is the norm, not the exception. Hop on any forum, YouTube channel, or talk to a bow tech at your local shop, and there will be no end to the varying opinions (often presented as indisputable facts) about all things archery. Arrow spine. Arrow weight. Front of Center (FOC). Fixed or Mechanical broad heads. Paper tuning. Bare shaft tuning. Walk back tuning. And after that long list, we haven’t even mentioned releases, bow manufacturers, draw weight…archery is a highly technical discipline, so it naturally lends itself to a lot of confusion.
But, for the average bowhunter, what do you really need to know? I mean, some of us are geeks that just like knowing the minutiae of a subject just for the fun of it (absolutely guilty), but for the most part a bowhunter simply needs to know what works for me? Sure, it might be interesting to know exactly what a change in a few grains for your nock might do to your arrow flight, but at the end of the day all that really matters to the hunter is what will help you make the most consistent, accurate, and ethical shot in the field. The problem is that because of the encyclopedia of scientific mumbo-jumbo in the archery world, and the fact that everyone’s archery setup is at least a little bit different (often A LOT different) from the next guy, it can be nearly impossible to get a straight answer that will accurately answer your question.
Don’t we all want to have to replace fletchings ‘cause we’re just stacking them in there so tight?
This off-season, I’ve been trying to really dial in my archery setup for the coming Fall seasons. I decided I wanted to try a couple different broad head options (after the unfortunate shot on my javelina this Spring that should have done more damage than it did), and after the first couple shots with some new heads, I knew I had just uncovered a significant tuning issue. It could be the heads, the arrows, the bow, the archer (maybe a combination of all four), but I knew I had just a few months to get it all figured out and hit the ground perfectly dialed on opening morning. It was a frustrating process to say the least trying to sift through all the conflicting advice out there, but after some trial and error on all fronts, here are some key things I learned that helped me start shooting the tightest groups I’ve ever had in my archery career…
Don’t Dismiss the Archer (you) as Part of the Problem
Okay, this isn’t a fun one to talk about, but all the more reason to get it out of the way first. There’s a lot of chest-puffing and bravado floating around the bowhunting world, and no one wants to act like they don’t have it all together. So, when an issue arises in our shooting, we immediately want to figure out what external source we can blame. But, if the problem is actually the guy holding the bow, you can throw all the tuning time and parts you want at the problem, but it’s probably only going to get marginally better, if not worse. Take a second and check on all your fundamentals…bad habits like to creep in undetected, and you may have picked one up without even noticing. Personally, I love taking slo-mo video of my shots…that slo-mo doesn’t lie!
When I first started sending broadheads low and left by 6-7” at a mere 20 yards, I knew something was wrong. I hadn’t had my beloved Elite Ritual looked at since it spent weeks with me on backcountry hunts the previous Fall/Winter, so I took it in to have it checked out and re-tuned. Turned out, there was a massive left paper-tear going on. Sadly, as the bow tech started making adjustments, it wasn’t really going away. Out of confusion, the tech grabbed the bow and sent a perfect bullet-hole through the paper. Turned out, I was putting a bunch of torque on the riser of the bow with my grip. This was a grip I switched to years ago that really helped me out then, but somewhere over the years and a couple different bows later, it was now impeding my accuracy. He finished getting the bow as tuned as possible, but I left with some homework to re-train myself to grip the bow with no torque.
I’ve gone back to the wide-open, less torque-inducing grip. Took a little time to retrain the muscle memory, but I think I’ve got it now.
I tell you all that to say if you automatically rule yourself out as part of the problem, you might end up chasing your tail for quite a while. Now, there are obviously a billion and one things that are NOT you that could be affecting your accuracy, so let’s talk about some of those here as well.
Arrow Spine
I would bet that most of us don’t give a lot of thought to our arrow spine (or to many parts of our arrow setups, for that matter). We find the kind we like, or that fits our budget, or that our favorite pro uses, and we let the guy at the bow shop pick the right spine off the shelf, cut them to our length, and we skip out the door ready to fling them at the range. When we find ourselves in need of new arrows, we just bring one of those bad boys down, grab the box that matches, and the guy behind the counter cuts them to match…and so we shoot the same arrows, without really digging into whether or not they’re the ideal match for our archery setup.
Maybe I’m just projecting my story onto you, but I think there’s a bunch of us out there that don’t investigate much further than “this is what the guy at the bow shop told me.” (For the record, I’m not hating on bow shops…I love my bow shop…I’ve just learned that there is a whole lot more than meets the eye when it comes to arrow setup). Now, some of what makes an arrow perfect for your setup is what you plan to use it for. Bowhunting and competitive target archery are two very different pursuits, and will likely involve some significantly different arrow setups. Since mosts of us on here are bowhunters, we’ll stick with the arrow needs of the hunter.
What I have learned through a mind-numbing amount of research and my own personal trial and error is that many of us are shooting under-spined arrows. The chart on the back of the box is simply a starting point, and often we’re pointed towards the weaker end of the recommended arrow spines by well-meaning salesmen at our favorite outdoors store. But, when you really dig-in and factor in every aspect of your bow, your arrow, and how the two will work together, you may find that a stiffer spine is in order. The general reason is that a stiffer spine will course correct for any slight variations in arrow flight much quicker than a weaker spine. But, get a spine that’s too stiff and that sucker won’t tune either…it’s a balancing act, for sure.
I embarked on this arrow adventure a few weeks ago, and it was beyond frustrating for a while. I was confident I was shooting too weak of a spine for my draw length and bow speed, but through a simple oversight and miscalculation on my part, I over-corrected and went with too stiff a spine (went from a 340 to a 250). I attempted ALL the tunings: paper, bare shaft, walk back, broadhead…I could get marginal improvement on all of these, but could never get it dialed. Finally one morning at the range when my very last idea hadn’t fixed it, I thought, “what the heck, I have two old arrows of the next-weaker spine sitting in the bag (300 spine). Why don’t I just send a broadhead and field point downrange and see how they’re doing?” I sent three pairs at 50 yards that all locked in right next to each other. So, I have obviously made the switch to the correct spine, and I can FINALLY finish locking in my pins and getting dialed-in for the upcoming seasons. I share all that to say that I can tell you from experience that too weak or too stiff will cause you no end of headaches (especially once you start adding broadheads to the mix)…make sure you’re shooting the right arrows.
The closest I ever got the wrong spined arrows to bare-shaft tune…broadheads were still not happy.
Front of Center (FOC)…what’s the deal?
In general, FOC simply means the percentage of your total arrow weight that sits at the front of your arrow (affected most by your broadhead and/or insert). The argument is that a heavier FOC will add to your kinetic energy and in a way “pull” the arrow further through the target/animal. There has been a massive pile of hype over this particular aspect of arrow setups in recent years, and I’ve heard everything from “it’s a total fad,” to “it’s the number one factor that will determine your effectiveness.” Well, it can’t be both of those, so what’s the truth?
Well, as annoying as this answer probably is, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I don’t think you can discount that there is an ideal range of FOC that will be best for your hunting setup, but I also don’t think it’s worth obsessing over fractions of a percent (or loading up 1,000 grain broadheads to try and create a semi-truck of an arrow). Too much FOC, and you end up messing with your previously determined arrow spine numbers (since the arrow is being pushed from behind and an overly heavy FOC will cause more flex in your arrow). Too little FOC, and there isn’t enough weight helping to pull that arrow downrange once the initial acceleration has taken place, which can affect accuracy and momentum punching through an animal.
While there’s some variation in ideal numbers depending on who you’re reading, the most common range I found recommended specifically for bowhunting with broadheads was in the 11-15% range. In my quest for the proper arrows, I finally landed at about 13.5% FOC, and it seems to be perfect. I started my quest with a sub-10% on a weak arrow…that didn’t work. I pushed it up to about 20% on too stiff an arrow with a huge broadhead…also not great results. But with the right spine and an FOC in that recommended range, I’m finally getting consistent flight with field points AND broadheads. So again, I wouldn’t lose sleep over fractions of a percent, but I think if you shoot for that 11-15% range, you’ll have pretty solid results. And I realize that broadheads can be very expensive, so don’t be afraid to pick up some much cheaper FOC by simply grabbing a heavier insert. I was able to get 13.5% on a 300 spine arrow while still using the 100 grain broadheads I’ve been loving simply by ordering a heavier brass 42 grain insert.
You can play around with different head and insert weights to get the perfect FOC for your setup.
How do you calculate such a thing? Well, I’m glad you asked…
Tools of the Trade
As I’ve been diving into all this research, I find myself fantasizing about a full-blown archery setup in my garage…bow press, draw board, doing ALL my own tuning, re-stringing, setups, etc.. Knowing myself, I’m sure I’ll get there someday because of my slightly obsessive personality. But, seeing as most of us aren’t going to invest the time and money into becoming fully self-sufficient in the world of bow tuning, what are a couple basic tools every archer can have in their quiver (see what I did there?) that will help them on their journey towards tighter groups?
Archer’s Advantage
I stumbled upon this tool during my research, and it has proven to be worth every penny. It’s an online software that lets you input everything about your archery setup. Then, you can play around with different weights, arrow spines, etc. to find the ideal arrow for you. It will even produce a list of optimal arrows from virtually every manufacturer out there. The software costs $12 annually, and if it saves you from buying just one high quality arrow that won’t work for your setup, it’s already paid for itself.
Basic Arrow Building Tools
If you intend to try a few different arrows for your setup, you could buy several at your bow shop and have them set them up for you. But if you want to play around with different inserts, lengths, fletchings, etc., then you’ll either need a few basic tools, or you’re going to become very close with your bow tech. As I looked into it, I found that everything I needed to begin setting up my own arrows was surprisingly affordable. I picked up this mini-circular saw from Harbor Freight. Yes, I’ve had tools from the good ol’ HF before, and yes half of them have failed me at some point down the line. But, when compared to the price of an “official” arrow saw, I could replace this one four times before it would cost as much as the high-end archery saw. I’m not running a bow shop, I’m just cutting a handful of arrows for myself…I’ll take my chances.
For $30 after a coupon, I couldn’t be happier with my little arrow saw!
Aside from that, most boxes of arrows will come with inserts, but as stated earlier, you may need to order some of a different weight. You’ll also need some serious glue for those inserts; I chose to order a bottle of Bohning Archery’s Insert Iron because it had quite the reputation for being absolutely bullet proof. If you’re ordering bare shafts, you’ll need a fletching jig and fletchings, but even that can be acquired fairly inexpensively. And honestly, that’s it. Yes, there are a few specific tools that you may want or acquire over time, but building your own arrows can be as simple as cut, insert, fletch, shoot.
For more info on selecting a spine and a detailed step-by-step on building your own arrows, check out this video.
Don’t be Afraid to Try Something New
If your archery setup is already dialed and you’re driving tacks from as far out as you could ever dream, then just keep rocking it (in fact, why did you make it all the way through this lengthy article in the first place?). But, if you’re still struggling to feel totally confident and dialed with your setup, don’t assume it must all be you as the archer. Yes, consider that, but maybe there are aspects of your setup that are actually working against you, as well. At the very least, grab an arrow or two of a different spine/type, try a slightly heavier (or lighter) broadhead, maybe pick up a different fletching combination…the sky’s the limit. While you still have time before season, what’s the harm in trying a few different things with your archery setup? Worst case, you shoot it, you don’t like it, and you keep working to dial in your current setup.
Side-Note: If you’re looking to try some different broadheads this season, check out Vantage Point Archery. Great American company, good dudes who run it, and you’ll get 15% off if you use the code HUNTINGSTORIES at checkout…which reminds me, if you haven’t already, check out the Hunting Stories Podcast!
I shot the same exact arrow/head combination for a solid year, never fully satisfied with the results, but too overwhelmed by the tidal wave of information and opinions out there to really mess with it. Turns out, I should have started experimenting with some different setups a long time ago. And as always, once you find the setup that works best for you, put in the time…send those arrows downrange…and know that you’ll hit the field fully confident that your gear will get the job done when the opportunity presents itself.