Helpful Hints for Good Arrow Flight!

1. Fletch interference generally accounts for most bad arrow flight. We spray Desenex foot powder on the fletches before we shoot an arrow and if the arrow doesn’t sink too far into our target, we are able to see if the fletch is hitting anything that it shouldn’t.
   
2. Shooting with a mechanical release. The best and most consistent arrow flight is easier to get with a mechanical release. We all prefer hand-held releases as opposed to wrist-strap type releases. (Wrist-strap releases work well with a good consistent trigger pull. Variations in your trigger pull can affect impact.)
   
3. Use a loop-on-the-string nocking point (D-loop). We have used string-loops exclusively for the last 8 to 10 years because they give the best arrow flight starting from the moment of release. They also help to orient the peep sight in the string. Add a release that works well with the string loop and that is as good as it can get. For hunting purposes, the right release with a D-loop is very fast to load.
   
4. Arrow rest location with respect to nocking point and the bow grip. We all use fully micro-adjustable arrowrests so that we can move the arrow up, down, left, and right. None of our bows have ever preformed their best at factory center-shot.
   
5. Type of arrow rest can greatly affect arrow flight. Some bows will do better with an arrow rest that provides side support to the arrow. In some bows there is a left and right movement of the arrow on the arrowrest that will cause the arrow to ride up on the inside launcher prong which allows the fletch to hit, bouncing the nock end off the rest. It is easy to mistake this problem for a too high or low nocking problem. It is really a left and right problem and is more easily dealt with by using a side-support arrow rest. But if we have pretty straight arrow delivery, we really do like the fall-away rest. Maximum fletch clearance really does seem to translate into the most forgiving arrow delivery.
   
6. How straight the arrow is delivered by the bow. We have found very few bows that really deliver the arrow even close to a true straight line. Some will deliver the arrow pretty straight when measured in the up and down directions but precious few will deliver the arrow straight when measured in the left and right directions. The cam lean has an affect on left and right nock travel and by aligning your cams it can help minimize or straighten your left and right nock movement. (Just because it is a solo-cam does not mean it has good straight arrow delivery.)
   
7. Arrow spine and point weight. If bows delivered arrows perfectly straight, the arrow’s stiffness would not matter. Arrow spine matters because most arrows are not delivered perfectly straight. With the spine matched to the bow, draw length, and draw weight there can be a big difference in forgiveness and accuracy. Point weight affects arrow spine as does arrow length. If the arrow is to stiff it will tend to “bounce” off the rest instead of flowing through the rest, and if the arrow is to limp it will try to “wrap” itself around the bow and be very erratic. The straighter the arrow is delivered by the bow, the less influence the stiffness of the arrow matters.
   
8. Good strong helical helps a lot. A helical on your vanes helps straighten out your arrow a lot faster than straight fletching. Meaning that the bad releases, bad nock travel, or bad bow movements will have a much smaller effect. (The larger the fletching the quicker the arrow will correct itself). A fall-away rest makes this work really well.
   
9. Aligning broadheads improves your accuracy. We take care to spin our arrows on an arrow straightener and align the broadheads so they don’t wobble. The truer the broadheads are aligned the better your groups with your broadheads will be.
   
10. Broadhead Alignment. Broadhead flight can also be affected by how the blades are oriented with respect to the string when the arrow is nocked. How straight the arrow is delivered by the bow dictates how sensitive the arrow flight is to blade orientation. Generally, three blade broadheads are easier to work with and are less critical.
    
11. Arrow straightness matters. When shooting field points and especially broadheads, the straightness of the arrows has a big influence on how well they group. Good straight arrows can increase the “effective shooting” distance and provide better hits on the close shots. Get the straightest arrow you can afford. (Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to the shots that are important.)

Good Shooting!