All you need to know about Recurve bow alignment !!!

Vulcan

New member
If I may chuck my six eggs in-I've tried most of the above except placing arrows across the limb bases to check for riser twist. I would still check using two arrows across limb tips aswell though just to be sure the whole length is ok.
I tried using a straight edge alongside my Matrix sight window and various places but was not convinced it was a reliable reference point. I resorted to using a laser fixed to the sight block fixing holes which allowed me to swing an arc 360 degs and check everything in one go including the longrod. However I then considered that even the sight mounting surface might not necessarily be entirely flat and in line.
I did have a misalignment on a longrod on one setup, but rather than mess about with the bushing and being satisfied with the rest of the setup I modified an old allie V bar. I only filed a thou or so off one side and after a few attempts the longrod came into line.Just got to remember to fit the V bar the right way round!
All I know is my groups got a bit tighter afterwards.Thanks for the above article,really informative.
 

buzz lite beer

Well-known member
If you use the centralised limb tip check (Image 6), there is no need to start slotting arrows between limb and string (and hoping they'll stay in place) and it will give exactly the same feed back. Never been a believer in lasers for alignment, again as suggested mounting surfaces can't be guaranteed to be in true, that's why they have adjustment screws on the vertical sight track to allow for compensation to get them to run parallel with the bowstring
 

julle

New member
I tried the alignment thing with the arrows and they are not lining up perfectly, almost an arrow thickness difference. But my string runs central using the bolts and beiter gauges as a reference .Is there a way to fix this?
 

EVC

New member
I tried the alignment thing with the arrows and they are not lining up perfectly, almost an arrow thickness difference. But my string runs central using the bolts and beiter gauges as a reference .Is there a way to fix this?
How about if you look from this perspective, from both bow ends?



The limb tips should be nearly (not necessarily perfectly) centered on the limb as well as the striing over the opposite limb (now Beiter gauges might be useful.)
 

buzz lite beer

Well-known member
Limb pocket shimming.

I tried the alignment thing with the arrows and they are not lining up perfectly, almost an arrow thickness difference. But my string runs central using the bolts and beiter gauges as a reference .Is there a way to fix this?
If you do have signs of a twist in your riser you can easily shim the edge of one of your limb pockets by attaching a section of metal taken from a feeler gauge of the required thickness to get your riser back into "true"
Yes, by limb pocket shimming.
It's usually pointless trying to get your alignment right if your riser is twisted, just using limb pocket adjustment will in all cases just mask the problem and cause others issues, such as, that as you draw the limbs that they will move out of line, read the bit bellow picture 6
 

Whitehart

Well-known member
You are using ACE shafts these are barrelled so will not sit flat you need to use parallel shafts.
The limbs look reasonable from the pictures camara angles can be deceiving, work with the shoulders of the limbs not the limb tip as this is usually hand finished and might nit be square.
 

mechcad8

New member
EXTRA THIN SHIMS (0.1mm INSTEAD OFF 0.254mm) FOR HOYT BOWS ARE FOR SALE ON EBAY AT THE MOMENT.

GREAT FOR FINE ADJUSTING THE ALIGNMENT.
 
To add to the longrod alignment issue:

My longrod bushing was off. I know because I aligned the limbs to the riser and using tape on the bolts and the riser's bolts, yet both my long rods pointed left.

I thought there was nothing I could so about it. Then a senior at my range suggested aligning it with long rod anyway. The bow jumped so much better! No wobbling; just a straight 'pure' thwack out of my hand and into the sling!

Of course, I would have preferred my rod bushing to have been true to start with. Failing that that though, it might help to align it with the rod anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Same here. I used to be able to see all of them. Looks like it has been done deliberately. Perhaps a message to Dave about it.
 

nsaints

New member
Great thread

As a beginner to archery I had setup over the recent Christmas break my bow using some of the basic alignment guidance using Simon Needham's book (excluding the long rod alignment check), and after making some adjustments was reasonably happy everything was how it should be.
Note - I'm a beginner so obviously my form still needs lots of work (recently achieved 252 @ 40 yards), and I can't totally blame wide groups on my equipment.

Having just checked my alignment using the above method my riser is well out of alignment :( (approx 15mm arrow tip to nock end using 29 inch length arrows). I did go to the trouble of making sure both chair backs were aligned to each other using a spirit level, and had to adjust one chair shimming it to run almost near parallel with the opposing chair's back using a magazine.

I suppose I'm seeing the reason why my SF Axiom + L riser is at the cheaper end of the riser price scale, and with this much misalignment if I'll ever be able to shim to to correct this much 'twist'.

Edit - just checked my son's SF Premium + riser (slightly more expensive riser), using the same arrows - here I'm getting approx 6mm of twist (arrow tip to nock end). Hardly scientific, however a more expensive riser seems to buy you a greater manufacturing tolerance (hardly shocking news!)
 

buzz lite beer

Well-known member
Sometimes on lower budget bows the paint distribution in the limb pockets can effect limb alignment, packing the limb pockets to counter this will go a long way to get things back on track :)
 

nsaints

New member
With such a large correction to make, I'm now wonder which limb pocket to correct. All on one end of the riser, or some on the top and some on the bottom, and by how much top versus bottom. The combinations of possibles are making my my head hurt :)

Alternatively I accept the riser for what it is (budget riser) continue to work on my form and when the time is right upgrade to a better quality riser with tighter tolerances

currently favoring the latter.
 
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