The author uses identical white vanes on his arrows. This way, any vane can easily become the new cock feather when nock tuning. (Photo by Jeffrey Miller)
July 26, 2024
By Jeffrey Miller
The herd of bison milled in the noonday sun. The South Dakota prairie grass offered little cover, and time was running out for me to get a good shot opportunity. Finally, a mature cow edged toward the outside of the herd and I brought my bow to full draw. The arrow, tipped with a four-blade broadhead flew perfectly through the still air, driving deep into the animal’s chest. Having shot my hunting arrows religiously over the previous summer, and nock tuning them to perfection, there was never a worry about their performance at the moment of truth.
WHY NOCK TUNE? The final step to ensuring accurate arrow flight prior to each season is—or should be—nock tuning. Many archers take the time to tune their bow by shooting through paper and adjusting the nock point. Once the arrows are shooting bullet holes, no further action is taken. Arrows are affixed with broadheads, and the archer feels he or she is ready for the woods.
However, every arrow, whether made from carbon or aluminum, has a stiff side and a weak side. This is most apparent when vertical force is applied. As an arrow is released, it undergoes a violent transformation. The arrow flexes from side to side as energy is transferred from the bow to the arrow. A bow will shoot a bunch of arrows most accurately when all the nocks are properly aligned with the stiff sides of the spines. This can be accomplished very simply by nock tuning. Nock tuning every arrow ensures accurate arrow flight and provides confidence when a shot opportunity presents itself.
Repeat the nock-tuning process any time you swap a field tip for a broadhead. Store arrows tuned for fixed and mechanical broadheads separately. (Photo by Jeffrey Miller) THE PROCESS Whether you purchase your arrows already built or roll your own by applying fletchings to bare shafts, the first step to nock tuning is ensuring all arrows are set up for hunting. The combined weight of an arrow’s nock, insert, vanes and field point must equal that of the componentry once the point is replaced with a broadhead. If 125-grain field points are used to nock tune, but the hunter uses 100-grain broadheads, the results will be inconsistent.
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I start by shooting the first arrow at 30 yards. Lighted nocks make it easy to watch the arrow’s flight, and I will shoot the arrow a few times to ensure it is flying accurately. If an arrow doesn’t seem perfect after a few shots that otherwise felt good, I set it in the pile to tune.
I repeat this with each new arrow. It might seem like there is no rhyme or reason to arrow accuracy; some will fly perfectly while others seem a bit off. Regardless, each arrow gets shot a few times.
The arrows in the bad pile are ready to be nock tuned. My bow, an older Mathews model, is fitted with a drop-away arrow rest. All my arrows are set up with three 4-inch vanes, with the cock feather pointing downward.
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After selecting the first arrow from the “to-tune” pile, I’ll attach it to the bowstring, then rotate the arrow until the first hen feather points downward, becoming the new cock feather. As my arrows are all fletched with identical white vanes, I put a tiny mark on the cock feather to ensure it is rotating correctly.
I shoot the arrow at least three more times. If the accuracy improves greatly, the arrow goes into the good pile. If not, the third vane becomes the new cock vane. The process is repeated with each arrow in the “to-tune” pile.
A quick note: While making any adjustments, always ensure that none of the vanes are positioned in such a way that they will strike the bow’s cable on the shot, as this will ruin both accuracy and the string.
Sometimes, accuracy will improve but doesn’t feel quite “there.” A small tweak on the nock, turning the arrow a nearly infinitesimal amount, will often align it perfectly with the sweet spot on the spine.
After any adjustment, shoot the arrow a few times to make sure there isn’t any shooter error. If you find yourself drifting as you shoot, take a break and come back rested. Poor form and tired muscles introduce variables that cannot be rectified by tuning and can lead to undue frustration.
Every once in a while, an arrow will seem to resist nock-tuning efforts. If it appears to be free of defects, I’ll either relegate it to the practice pile or strip the vanes and re-fletch. It’s not worth spending too much time trying to tune an arrow that refuses to fly well.
Once the arrows are nock tuned, the process is repeated, this time with broadheads attached. I use both mechanical and fixed blades, depending on the quarry, and make sure each arrow is tuned to the broadhead. A small line, from the throat of the nock to the back of the arrow, gives a reference to ensure the nock doesn’t move. Arrows tuned with fixed blades are stored in one box; those tuned with mechanical broadheads are stored in another box.
Beyond giving the archer confidence in his or her equipment, nock tuning also helps increase the accuracy of economically priced arrows. More expensive arrows have tighter tolerances in straightness and spine, but nock tuning fine-tunes arrows with looser tolerances. For me, the cost savings in arrows are applied to out-of-state hunting licenses and other expenses.
ULTIMATE CONFIDENCE Just as a basketball player might have a lucky pair of shoes or a softball player might prefer one bat more than others, I find there’s always one arrow that feels the best. When setting out to hunt, I place the best-feeling arrow in my quiver’s number-one slot.
Having total confidence in one’s equipment can make a big difference in the field, and I want all the help I can get. With nock tuning, I know which arrow feels best, and I’m certain that I’m as dialed in as I can be.
This article was featured in the August 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe
