How to Tune a Recurve

Archery is a sport that teaches discipline, patience and accuracy. It can be enjoyed as an occasional recreational activity or at a more serious level. Tuning your recurve bow is an essential part of taking your archery to the next level. Your bow will not perform consistently without tuning. Tuning allows you to concentrate on perfecting small deficiencies in your technique and helping you get the best out of your shooting.

Things You'll Need

  • Bow
  • Arrows
  • Target
  • Pressure button
  • Clicker
  • Sight
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Instructions

    • 1

      Shoot consistently. This means that you are drawing back to the same nocking point, have the correct bow and arrow length for your drawing style and are not twisting the bow when shooting. Check your gear to make sure that it is straight. Risers should be free from damage, limbs should be straight and the string should be perfectly parallel with the bow, with no damage to it.

    • 2

      Place your archery target 10 yards away. Set the pressure button so that there is no movement. Shoot a group of arrows (three) at the target. The arrows should be perfectly horizontal. If they are pointing at the ground, with the tail in the air, the nocking point is too high. Lower the nocking point until the arrows are hitting straight. If the nocking point is too low, the arrows will be pointing upwards, with the tail low. In this case, raise the nocking point. Shoot until you consistently get your arrows horizontal and at the same height.

    • 3

      Adjust your sight until you are grouping around the center of the target.

    • 4

      Set the spring tension of your pressure button so there is a little resistance when you gently push it in. Shoot a group of arrows. Lengthen or shorten the button depending on where the arrows fall. If your arrows fall to the left then move the pressure button right and vice versa. Shoot until you are hitting the gold area of the target consistently.

    • 5

      Set the target back to 30 yards. If the arrows are hitting where you want them to hit, your bow is adequately tuned. If they are not, check the riser and the limbs. Check that your draw length and technique are consistent. Ask another archer to observe you. Remove the flaws in your technique and repeat the process.