Why we need this tool!

 

Many years ago I used to shoot a bow without a sight.  I just lined up the arrow with the target and shot really good.  I could go hunting and shoot running rabbits using this method called “instinctive shooting.”  Then I discovered a bow sight and shot better with the sight when shooting at targets.

 

When I returned to archery recently after a long layoff I was shocked at how much archery technology had advanced.  The old sights I had used just slide up and down the bow with crude left and right adjustments.  Now we have micro adjustments and some even use magnifying scopes.  Everything is precise and very high tech.

 

I was surprised to find that modern day arrows had nocks that could be rotated by just twisting them.  Then when I was told that this feature was very useful in being able to adjust the nock alignment so the arrow could clear the bow and arrow rest correctly.  It also allowed you to use the same arrows when shooting with fingers or a release aid.  I was also surprised to discover that everyone was lining up their nocks “instinctively by eye.”  This didn’t seem too high tech to me.  After all we buy arrows that are maybe + or - .003 in straightness and aligning the nocks by eye. 

 

Since I have a square that allows me to position the knocking point on the string and even check the brace height I thought there must be a tool that would allow me to check the position of the nock in relationship to the fletching.  I found one tool that would do this on the Internet but I felt it was a bit expensive.

 

At this time I was paper tuning my bow and arrows.  By making all of the adjustments possible I found that I was still getting a hole in the paper that was not a bullet hole but a tear that indicated the point of the arrow was piercing the pager to the left of the nock end of the arrow.  I reasoned that the problem was the arrow fletching was not clearing the bow or arrow rest cleanly.  I then went to work carefully twisting the nock on one arrow and shooting it over and over again until I was shooting the bullet hole in the paper I wanted.  Then I had to repeat this process with all of the other arrows in the set until they were all lined up properly.

 

I thought there must be a better way and the result was the “Archery Nock Tool.”  With this tool the whole process can be made much easier.  All you have to do is get one arrow to shoot properly, and then mark the position of the cock feather on the tool.  You can then, in a matter of a couple of minutes, transfer this information to all of the other arrows in the set.

 

Now, does precisely aligning the nock with this tool make me shoot better that aligning the nock by eye?   I think do shoot better knowing the nocks are aligned.  I know that all the arrows I am shooting are adjusted properly.  I can quickly check this alignment before practicing or shooting in a tournament.  If I shoot an errant arrow I can check this alignment.

 

What I am trying to do is to get all of my equipment in proper order before I shoot.  Then I know that when I miss the target it was me and not the equipment.  After all shooting good in archery is at least 90% between your ears.  The slightest doubt about your equipment can cause you to shoot poorly.  In my mind this is just a tool that eliminates one possible problem. 

 

I also believe all the arrows in any set of arrows should be fletched on the same fletching jig to make sure the fletching on all of your arrows are the same.

 

 Ray Basso