As the archer moves down the string with his various finger positions, the bow limbs are loaded differently, and the arrow is drawn a lesser distance. It helps to be in the middle of a spine range for your arrow, since the dynamic spine varies from position to position. For hunting situations, String walking is a bit cumbersome. It requires distance determination, corresponding finger position on string, which could take more time and cognitive thought during the moment of truth.
I have noticed that arrows can come out of the bow rather odd at times with String walking. Broadheads may be very unforgiving to poor arrow flight. If an bowhunter wanted to modify the String walking technique for hunting situations, I would recommend determining an average distance. For example, 20 yards, establish one string position at 20 yards where the point of the arrow is on the target.
Tune the bow and arrow for that position. The bowhunter could always shoot from that position, and could just gap for shorter distances or stack for others. A little like gun barreling. The biggest advantage to using String walking is that it allows an archer to keep his arrow point on or around his target. It allows for a consistent anchor, and a fairly precise and consistent finger position for a given distance.
It's also worth trying the weight on the stabilizer bush as it may give less vibration. After fitting the weight, the unbraced bow has to fit through a Spigarelli and GasPro do weights at about grams 6. The lightest should work on most bows, to grams will give more stability. Adding more weight than necessary will probably have little effect on accuracy. Use the arrow makers tables to find the correct spine. Light fletchings, heavy points and string walking will need a stiffer spine. Start with the best guess spine and arrows 2 inches too long, they should be too weak.
First adjust the nocking point height. If the arrow flies with the nock high, move the nocking point down. After that adjust the length to get the correct spine.
Use a bow square to fit temporary nocking points, they will probably need to be moved during tuning. Measure, make notes and fit permenant nocking points after tuning. String walking needs a higher nocking point than if the index finger is touching the nock. Centre shot is not always adjustable.
Barebow Notes
If there is padding on the arrow shelf then the thickness of the padding can be changed a small amount, possibly by using a thin piece of wood like a bit of matchstick behind the padding. If there is a button then the button position and spring strength can be adjusted. Start by setting the spring to a mid strength and the arrow position to be just outside of centre shot.
When the arrow is released it will push the button in a little so that it becomes centre shot. After the arrows are matched to the bow, the button position and spring can be adjusted in small steps to get the arrows hitting the centre at all distances and the smallest group size. Various documents on the internet say the button only moves about 0. When the bow is at full draw the button is a couple of inches from the arrow pile, and should also be about 0.
Then when the arrow is released, the button will compress and bring the arrow into centre shot. It should then go straight to the centre of the target at any distance without having to adjust left or right. So with the string aligned with the centre of the limbs, the tip of the arrow needs to be about 1. Beiter limb gauges are an easy way to find the centre of the limbs. For a string of about 2mm diameter and standing roughly twice the arrow length from the string, the center of the arrow tip should be inline or just outside the outside edge of the string. A less experienced archer with a more variable loose, may use slightly more movement of the button and need the button to be set slightly further out.
Button pressure is best set at some mid position, a high bow draw weight will probably need a higher button pressure, and a low draw weight a lower button pressure. Easton recommends fine tuning of the button pressure for the smallest group size, which makes sense if the button is to compensate for slight variations in the release. After fine tuning the button pressure it may be necessary to make a small adjustment to the button position to get the arrows going to the centre of the target at all distances. If there is no rest or a stick on plastic rest, then there is nothing to adjust.
The wire arm of an adjustable rest should not be much further out than the side of the arrow. For string walking there needs to be a strong rest to take the extra vertical forces. Keep spares handy, string walking puts a lot of stress on the rest. The thin wire type of rest can fail slowly over a more than a hundred arrows. First your sight marks will become a little variable, then the arrows will start falling off the rest more often.
Archery Interchange UK String walking too low?
Lastly you would notice the arm seems a little soft and a close inspection will reveal a small crack inside the 90 o bend, this is just before the arm falls off. If the maker gives a brace height for the bow then start at the lower end of the range and work up to the high end by adding twists to the string. Find the quietest brace height for the bow by shooting. If the maker does not give a range use the following table. For string walking a higher brace height usually works best.
The nock should hold the arrow on to the string with the string horizontal and the arrow hanging down.
It should fall off the string when the string is tapped. If one nock is loose, replace it, don't try and adjust it by biting. If all the nocks are loose, replace the center serving with something slightly thicker, or use a string with more strands. If the nocks are tight, try a thinner serving or a string with fewer strands. There are several methods to check the arrow flight, since the fletchings correct the flight, shooting unfletched arrows shows up more errors. Bare shaft planing is probably the best method. Paper tuning can record the flight in a clear way but only at one point.
Walk back tuning can check that the arrows go to the centre of the target at all distances. Success depends on how good and consistent your loose is.
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If you are string walking then tuning is difficult since it will vary with the distance down the string. Pick a mid distance and tune the bow for that. With a couple of unfletched arrows start at 10 yards and move back to 20 yards as the tuning improves. Watch the arrow, for a right handed archer, if arrow is too weak the nock will be to the left and will impact to the right of the target. If it's too stiff the nock will be to the right and the arrow will impact to the left of the target. However, it's almost impossible to watch your own arrows in flight, and the arrows may be deflected from there path as they enter the target.
Bare shaft planing is an easier method than watching how the arrows fly. Shoot a few fletched and unfletched arrows from around 10 yards. Move back to 20 or 30 yards as the tuning improves. The nocking point should be only be adjusted at a mid string walk position. If the unfletched are above the fletched arrows move the nocking point up at little. If they are below, try moving the nocking point down. Once there are at the same height work on the left to right difference.
If the unfletched arrows are to the right for a right handed archer , then they are too weak. Try cutting down the arrows or use lighter points. Heavier fletchings or wraps might also help. If it's adjustable, reduce the bow weight. If that does not work get stiffer shafts. If the unfletched arrows are to the left, then they are too stiff. Try using a heavier point weight 10 to 30 grains or increase the bow weight. Lighter fletchings may help. If that does not work get longer or weaker shafts. Another alternative is paper tuning, which can be started in less space.
Shooting bare shafts or fletched arrows from 4 to 6 feet at a sheet of paper about the same distance from a boss. Bare shafts will look slightly weaker than fletched arrows due to the slightly lower weight at the nock end, it is also much harder to read the direction of the tear in the paper from the bare shaft.
The tear in the paper shows how the arrow is flying. The thick tear is the shaft and the thin tears are from the fletchings. So the picture shows the nock slightly low and left, so the nocking point is low and the arrow weak for a right handed archer. Adjust the arrow length, centre shot and nocking point height as above until the arrow is making a small hole.
Unfortunatly, while a long tear means the tuning is wrong, a small hole does not always mean it's right. You need to try from several different distances, even as far as 20 yards, and get a small hole every time. Remember changing the string walk position will change everything. Moving down the string will make the nock fly lower and the arrow act a little weaker. So only tune for one position. Barebow Notes Archery in films is usually barebow, which makes it look easy. String Grip Either 3 fingers under the arrow nock or Mediterranean split fingers, one finger above and 2 below.
Instinctive Aiming Like throwing a ball, just concentrate on the target and release the arrow. Gap shooting or Split Vision Simple but the gap can be large unless used with other aiming systems. Most of what I've read on the subject has people using an anchor point at the side of their mouth. I've had a little play with this but was much happier anchoring under my chin as it felt much more consistent, firm and repeatable.
String walking too low?
My arrows group together much better with the under the chin anchor. As the under chin anchor is a lot lower my fingers have to be a lot lower on the string to aim the point of the arrow into the gold. At 20m with the under the chin anchor to get the tip of the arrow in the gold for aiming my fingers are actually below the serving approx.
Is this excessive in terms of possible damage to the bow or impaired performance of the bow? Thanks for any advice.
Setup and Tuning
You have put your finger on the issue, a low anchor will give a longer crawl but better back tension and a nice string picture too. I don't know about limb damage, I suspect not though. You are basically screwing up the tiller, firstly, compared to normal split-finger anchoring, and secondly, compared to more-common SW technique. You will be able to moderate it by going to a negative tiller which should do something to reduce noise levels.