DEMYSTIFIED: PIN NOCKS

Pin nocks are by far the most popular choice for top shooters. I fit them pretty much as a standard item for my customers. Regular insert nocks have an post that press-fits inside the shaft, whereas the pin nock has a hollow chamber. The rear of the arrow it fitted with a small aluminium post known as a pin adapter. The post of the adapter fits inside the pin nock. The pin nock system has a few distinct advantages over the insert system. Firstly, it makes changing nocks really easy. So much so that it can be done as a running repair during a round. Just pull of the nock to be changed and press the new one on. Secondly, the metal pin that sits inside the arrow shields the end from rear end impacts. I see many arrows that have damaged pins, but the shafts are still fine as the top end of the pin is chamfered which deflects arrow strikes. I'm sure that these arrows would have ended up in the bin if not for the pins. The pin nock system isn't bulletproof, but they will save your arrows more often than not. The popularity of pin nocks means that they are available in many sizes, shapes and specific designations. They also come in a wide spectrum of colours so you'll definitely find something to suit your style and maybe even match your vanes.

I don't really think there are any real downsides to having pin nocks, but there are a few things to consider before making a choice. The pin adapter will add a little bit of length onto an arrow. This will need to taken into account when the shaft is cut. Ideally the shafts will be cut to length having been measured with the adapter and choice of pin nock in place. The adapters need to be glued into the shaft with a very tiny amount of hot-melt adhesive. It's not too difficult to do this, but it does give the arrow build another fiddly factor. Should you decide in the future that you want to change to an insert nock system you would have to apply heat to the adapter to remove it. The application of heat could affect any wraps that are fitted. Also, once the adapter is removed you may then encounter a fitting problem with the insert nock. The rear of the shaft will have glue residue inside it which may stop the insert nock fitting inside.

Finally, don't forget that with pin nocks you need both the nocks and the pins. This means that you'll be spending around £10 more on your build due to the extra set of components. If you are an obsessive, numbercrunching arrow builder like me you may want to consider the weights of different systems. You'll need to put all the parts on a set of grain scales and factor all the results into your overall weight and front of centre calculations.