Paper tuning a bowhunting rig
Paper tuning reads how an arrow leaves the bow. You shoot a bare-shaft or fletched arrow through a paper frame at 6 feet and read the tear. A clean bullet hole means the arrow is leaving the string in-line with your release; anything else is a rest, cam-timing, or nock-fit issue.
Five steps to a clean bullet hole
- Frame a 24 in by 24 in sheet of butcher paper at 6 feet from the shooting line, target 4 feet behind the paper.
- Shoot a fletched arrow first. Note the tear direction: nock left, nock right, nock high, nock low.
- Nock high (2 in tear) means rest is too low or nock point too high on the string. Move rest up 1/32 in per shot or the nock point down 1/16 in per shot.
- Nock left for a right-handed shooter means the arrow spine is stiff for the point weight or centre-shot is too far right. Move rest 1/32 in left, retest.
- When tears fall within 1/2 in vertical and 1/4 in horizontal at 6 feet, walk back to 15 feet and retest. A clean tear at both distances confirms tune.
Tear diagnosis chart
Nock high with fletched arrow, low with bare shaft: overspined arrow. Nock left (RH): stiff spine or rest right. Nock right (RH): weak spine or rest left. Nock high (both): rest low or D-loop knot climbing. Nock low (both): rest high or D-loop knot dropping. Erratic tears: fletching contact, replace vanes and retest.
Common errors
Shooting from 12 feet instead of 6 (magnifies tears you cannot chase). Chasing tears with a broken peep alignment. Shooting through paper with broadheads (broadheads paper-tune only after field-point paper tune is bullet holed).
What bowhunters are saying
Bullet-hole paper tune from a bare shaft at 6 ft and 15 ft is my minimum before I sight in. If I cannot get a bare shaft to fly clean, no amount of broadhead tuning will save me at 40 yd.
ArcheryTalk, Tuning subforum, 2025