Ok, got my recurve (Ben Pearson Mustang), Have a New string (freshly made locally). The guy that made the string went ahead and crimped the nock into place but, I'm questioning his placement after stringing the bow. He installed it alittle above the shelf and the arrow is alittle above perpendicular. I've always started at perp. on my compounds and then went to paper. Where do I need to place my knock on this set-up? Should I try Paper? It seems as if the finger release would inhibit proper paper tuning.

Now to the shooting.... It's going ok so far, I can shoot so so w/ my release (Hit a pie plate pretty regular at 10-15 yards) but when I try w/ my fingers I'm still all over the target. W/ lots of practice I think I may be able to sharpen up.

Thanks for any Help

Reloader

I don't think recurves are meant to be shot with a release. I grew up shooting compounds with fingers and didn't switch to a release until much later. Good finger shooters can tune a bow just as easy as a release shooter. You just need a lot of practice with fingers. Also, not sure if you've been told this before or not, but sometimes it is difficult to be both a good traditional shooter as well as compound. Over time, most end up picking 1 discipline. For me, I'm not ready to go traditional although I think it looks like a lot of fun.

Congratulations on your new bow! I always use a bow square to check for nock placement.Your new string will stretch a little after you shoot it some and you will maybe have to move the nock again.You have to tiller a recurve where the string is a certain distance from the back of the bow.You need to find out how many inches is reommened.You twist your sring to make the distance shorter or longer.I think mine are around 9inches or so,but every bow is different.You dont want your sring to long or to short untillered.If you have any doubt about your nock,look at your arrows and see if the hit the target nock end high or low.You want a a good stright arrow sticking back -nock pretty much level.On shooting fingers,some archers love the tree finger under hold which is also called -apache style.It puts the arrow right under your eye like looking down a shotgun barrel and is deadly at close range.Try it you might like it.try to find your anchor point which for me is the corner of my mouth using the one finger on top of arrow,two under,slight cant on bow.Consistance is what you need to strive for.I cant comment on the release aid as i have never had a desire to shootthat way,Three finger glove has always worked for me and i like to keep the primitive in primitive weapons as much as possible.......Tabs are good too.Also a pro shop will/can help tons with arrow selection and set up if they know trad bows.Trad bows are really simple/basic to tune.
Good luck & have fun!

I forgot to ask,What poundage did you get?What size are your arows and did you get aluminum or carbons?

Nocking point placement is part of the tuning process, just putting it on without any tuning involved is strictly a guess. Mine always end up about a half inch above the shelf, but vary a bit, depending on the arrow and bow. You can play around with it a bit, moving it either up or down, until you get very little nock high in paper or shooting into sand. Shooting off the shelf will always result in a slightly nock high condition, you won't get rid of it all and don't need to. A tiny bit of nock high and to the left is OKAY and normal(for a right handed shooter). As you tune the bow, it will tend to get faster and shoot better, so things may have to be adjusted more than once. You can adjust the string height by twisting it. The lower the string height, the faster the bow will shoot, BUT the bow will be more critical and harder to shoot acturately and louder it will be.

Most manufacturers have a recomended brace height-it's measured from the indent on the handle to the string. The arrow will probably end up being about 3/8 inch above perpendicular. You should shoot with fingers unless not physically able to. Shoot off the shelf not a rest. After brace height and nock height there isn't much to tuning -after that it's the arrows. Spine makes a huge difference in most traditional set ups. Do some long shots and watch the arrow flight if it's wonky then start tinkering...if they fly well get to the blank bale shooting. Shoot very few arrows at an actual target and when you do, shoot your best form for each arrow.

The chef

Yes, the string maker was right in his guesstimate. Your sting will need a good 500 arrows to streach. Don't get to "Compound" about the whole thing for now.

Take your time & learn to shot your recurve.

The best I've read on the traditional bow tuning process is on OL Adcock's website.

http://www.bowmaker.net

under bow tuning

Some good string makers pre stretch the string. Then there should be minimal stretch. A fellow in Lethbridge comes to mind. His company is called the Worlds best bow strings.. I bought a couple from him and they improved my shooting quite a bit.....and no stretch.

the chef

depending on string material, it may stretch a bunch or very little.

Either way, shoot about a hundred arrows and leave the bow strung for a few days and the stretch will take care of itself.

Measure the brace height that works best and then put a reference mark on your arrows, that way you can check the brace height with each shot .

I do this by cresting my arrows at the appropriate measurement. It is also an easy way to adjust your brace height in the field if you happen break a string and have to replace it. I always carry two extra strings when hunting. I have only had to replace strings in the field twice, once in Idaho and the second in Alaska. It was easy and I didn't have to carry a bow square, or tape measure.

The mark on the arrow thing is a GREAT idea. Thank you for a good idea.

the chef

I thought everyone new that crest/brace ht. thing.