Compound micro tuning

Duncan Busby dials it in

We all know the merits of shooting a well tuned set up, but how much do you really know about the finer points of compound tuning? Micro-tuning is often overlooked but it’s an important part of your set-up procedure, especially when you haven’t been able to practice or compete much. If you’re feeling a bit rusty a highly tuned bow can often save the day and help you find you those precious few points you need. In this guide you’ll find some of the more overlooked micro-tuning methods you can use to boost your postlockdown performance.

Micro tuning comes after your initial equipment tune, so it’s important you carry out a basic set-up before you start. This means that you should make sure that your cams are in sync and your draw length is comfortable, you should also check that your arrows are the correct spine and are sitting straight in your bow. A bullet hole or at least a small tidy tear on a paper test will confirm that everything is where it should be, however if you get a large tear through paper try to fix it before attempting to micro-tune.

Fine tuning your aim

Micro tuning isn’t all about tweaking your arrows and rest; one of the most overlooked parts of this process is fine tuning the way your bow aims. If you can’t aim steadily then your arrows will group sporadically, making it difficult to diagnose any tuning issues you may have with your bow.

Observing your bow's aiming pattern will

help you to identify which fine tuning methods you need to use to achieve a steady, predictable hold over the target. Does your bow bob up and down the target? Is it moving left or right? Is it making fast, constant movements that never seem to settle? Or does your bow seem to initially hold well but then make jerky movements once you start to execute the shot? These aiming patterns are suggestive of what changes you need to make, so pay attention to what your set-up is telling you as not all aiming problems can be fixed by adjusting your stabilisers. It’s possible you may be experiencing more than one of these aiming patterns, if this is the case work through the following micro-tuning methods systematically in order to avoid confusion…

Option 1: Micro-tune your draw-length

Being in correct alignment at full draw is important if you want to achieve a stable hold over the target; if your are under or over drawing by even a small amount your body will be out of alignment, meaning more of the load will be put on your muscles rather than your frame. This increase in muscle tension will often create more bow movement resulting in an unstable aiming pattern and difficulty in correctly executing the standard shot.

If you find your bow constantly moves around the target and never settles then your draw length may be a little too long; just one or two twists out of the cables or into the string can shorten your draw length enough to see a big difference in your holding pattern. If however you find that your bow holds well initially but gets suddenly erratic once you start to execute the shot, your draw length may be a little short, so lengthen it a fraction by putting one or two twists into the cables or taking them out of the string. Once you have made the adjustments shoot a few ends to see if it’s helped, it can take a bit of experimentation but you should find a point where your bow will float slowly and predictably over the centre of the target.

As this process uses the string and cables to micro-adjust your draw length, you need to ensure that your cams remain in sync; double check them every time you make an adjustment and re-sync them if necessary. If you use the string to make adjustments take note of your peep sight rotation and ensure it continues to come round straight to your eye.

Poor alignment can create a number of different aiming patterns; if the line of force between your bow hand and release aid is not straight your bow can pull to the left or right of the target during the shot. If adjusting your strings and cables hasn’t improved this particular aiming pattern then try fine tuning the length of your D-loop instead. The D-loop is often overlooked when it comes to draw length but it plays an important part in achieving good alignment and consequently a solid hold on the target. As always make micro adjustments and test each new length thoroughly before moving on, remember that you may also need to adjust your peep height slightly in order to maintain a solid anchor point.

Option 2: Micro-tune your nock point

"DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CAMS EVERY TIME YOU MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT AND RE-SYNC THEM IF NECESSARY”

If your bow constantly dips below the centre of the target or pulls above it during the shot, you may need to adjust the position of your nock point. There are two points of contact with your bow; the grip where your bow hand sits and the nock point where you attach your release aid. In order to achieve a steady hold on the target there needs to be a balance between these two points, this is largely pre-determined by the manufacturer when they designed the bow, but you can influence this slightly by adjusting the position of your nock point on the string. Most manufacturers recommend you tie the nock point so that the arrow runs level through the middle of the rest mount holes, 90 degrees to the string and this is the best starting point when you are setting up your bow. However if you find that the bow is constantly dipping below centre you