Arrow nock too tight...need guidance

[Briar Friar]

I am paper tuning some Carbon Express Heritages. I have a few arrows that will throw a stiff tear. Some that throw a weak tear. Some that punch straight. The ones that punch straight do it consistently.

All of the nocks are loose in the valley but what cued me was a few times when i removed arrows from the string the nock pulled out of the shafts.

What might help remedy the being too tight? Could or should I just use a fine grit sandpaper and go slow? What grit might yall suggest?

(Side bar: My H nocks on my Beman Centershots I have the opposite problem...they often fall off my string. Ive combated this before with masking tape and it helped...alot. Ive been told wrapping the nocking point with waxed dental floss can remedy looseness.)

Thanks for any guidance.
Byron

[DRT]

I adjust my nocks with almost boiling water and outward pressure. I have a knife blade that is the right thickness and taper to do the job. Let it cool and check for appropriate fit. Lather, rinse and repeat.

Gary

[jerp]

The two common methods are using boiling water like Gary said or sandpaper. I use a folded piece of fine grit sandpaper. I make a few strokes then test on the string. I keep sanding until the arrow falls off with a a firm tap on the string with the arrow pointed down

[Briar Friar]

Awesome! Thanks Gary. Thanks Jerp.

[DRT]

The two common methods are using boiling water like Gary said or sandpaper. I use a folded piece of fine grit sandpaper. I make a few strokes then test on the string. I keep sanding until the arrow falls off with a a firm tap on the string with the arrow pointed down

I may try that one. I like that. Can do in the field as well.

[Wayne Meuir]

I just use the same brand/style of nock all the time and make the strings to fit.

Wayne

[Bisch]

The best way to adjust nock fit is to reserve your string with the proper size serving.

That being said, it sounds like you may have inconsistent nocks if some fit right, some are loose, and some are too tight from the same type arrows. If that is the case, I would try to find a different nock that was more consistent, or even a different arrow all together.

Consistency is what makes trad archery work. You need consistent gear and consistent form. I hate having to deal with either!!!

Bisch


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[Briar Friar]

The best way to adjust nock fit is to reserve your string with the proper size serving.

That being said, it sounds like you may have inconsistent nocks if some fit right, some are loose, and some are too tight from the same type arrows. If that is the case, I would try to find a different nock that was more consistent, or even a different arrow all together.

Consistency is what makes trad archery work. You need consistent gear and consistent form. I hate having to deal with either!!!

Bisch


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Thanks for the serving size adjustment input Mr Meuir and Mr Bisch.

Ive been bestowed with a boat load of various arrows and am trying various shafts that Idve otherwise probably not purchased.

[TXMark]

I was told to use sandpaper or a small file. Use is very slowly and same amount of strokes each time. However, I usually just use my teeth to adjust them.

[Wayne Meuir]

Having a bunch of different arrows to try is a good thing. Just make sure the nocks fits the string properly and you will get a lot better trial results. Slightly loose is better than slightly too tight, especially if you are shooting split finger.

If you are shooting three under (my recommendation--but that is just me) you need to have the nocks and string sized correctly. If they are too loose you can dry fire you bow pretty easily, and that ain't good.

Just shoot the various arrows you have and see which one seems to shoot best.

If you can shoot well enough to keep the arrow on your bale/backstop, try bare shafting at 10 first and then to 20 yards. That will tell you if your nock is placed correctly and if the arrow spine is correct for your bow.

Play with the brace height. Usually when brace height is correct, the bow gets really quiet.

The serving that is used on your string comes in a bunch of different diameters from about .017" up to .030" and maybe ever larger than that. This will allow you to make the string fit the nocks---IF the nocks are all consistent---and that is a big IF. Using the same brand and style helps with that.

Wayne

[Briar Friar]

Awesome! Thanks for the guidance Wayne.

I sanded and it worked Awesome! Used 100 grit, went perpendicular to shaft plane and only went too far on one nock. I sanded the nock parallel to shaft plane once close to remove the scour lines. (Sanding a nock parallel to the shaft plane is alot like “strokin off a field mouse”...An old ism from my boss from my electric motor repair days). The one nock that went too far...I brought back to adequate tightness using DRTs hot water technique but in reverse...Heat pinch cool. Im anxious to see how they fly and punch paper.

[Briar Friar]

I bareshafted at 10 yds. They fly great!...CONSISTENTLY...stiff.

Time to change point weights.

[RickBarbee]

As others have mentioned above, serving your string to fit your nocks is best, BUT on occasion there is need to adjust a nock.

Makes me cringe to even think about removing material from a nock to make it fit.
Doing that "DOES" weaken the nock.
Maybe not so critical for some, but if you've shot heavy/high energy bows with relatively heavy arrows, you know exactly why I don't like it.

To that end, I use the hot water method:

(1) Boil the nock to soften it.

(2) Pinch it together at the calipers/lips.

(3) Clip it on the sting (reheat if necessary) at one of the tied of ends end of the serving.

(4) Allow to cool while clipped on the end of the serving.

Voila. Perfect fit with a one finger lite tap off every time, and you don't have to worry about having weakened the nock any.

Rick

[Wayne Meuir]

If the arrows you have are showing to be stiff, just start adding a weight to the point and see if you can get it to come back to center and still fly well. Heavy front of center usually flies well, but it slows the arrow down considerably and may make your impact point become lower and you have to make the adjustment to the aiming point accordingly. It usually doesn't take long to do that.

Wayne

[Briar Friar]

As others have mentioned above, serving your string to fit your nocks is best, BUT on occasion there is need to adjust a nock.

Makes me cringe to even think about removing material from a nock to make it fit.
Doing that "DOES" weaken the nock.
Maybe not so critical for some, but if you've shot heavy/high energy bows with relatively heavy arrows, you know exactly why I don't like it.

To that end, I use the hot water method:

(1) Boil the nock to soften it.

(2) Pinch it together at the calipers/lips.

(3) Clip it on the sting (reheat if necessary) at one of the tied of ends end of the serving.

(4) Allow to cool while clipped on the end of the serving.

Voila. Perfect fit with a one finger lite tap off every time, and you don't have to worry about having weakened the nock any.

Rick

Thanks for bringing up that point of weaking the nock by removing material. I hadnt considered that.