EDITOR'S NOTE: Ralph Cianciarulo of Lanark, Illinois, professional bowhunter, the host of the "Archer's Choice" television show on the Outdoor Channel, producer of Archer's Choice hunting videos and a member of Hunter's Specialties' Pro Hunt Team enjoys the sport and art of bowhunting and talks with us again this week about how to tune a bow.
Make sure your limbs are in sync. You may have your top one decreased in poundage over your bottom one. Have your limbs checked to make sure that they are performing together, and there is not an increase or a decrease in power in either one, causing the limbs to be out of sync.
Some guys actually pre-load their bows, but I don't recommend it. The average deer hunter should take their bow to a qualified pro shop and let the professionals put it in sync. Check out the brace site with the manufacturer's specs. A safe brace site is from the throat on your grip to your string. Each manufacturer has specific measurements on where that bow will work the most efficiently. So have your brace sites brought to the specs of the manufacturer's recommendations. You'll be amazed at the difference that will make.
A lack of axle tuning can become a critical problem for those who have longer draw lengths. I have a 27-inch draw length. I wish I had a 30-inch draw, but I don't. So I deal with the shorter axle. The longer you draw back, the tighter everything becomes at your entering position. So you change that angle from a mild angle to a very steep or a severe angle.
A lot of bowhunters need to consider using a rope loop. If you shoot an old-style release, and it doesn't have a pivoting head, you still can torque the string on a metal loop. When you set up a bow, pay close attention to your personal specifications.
Let's face it, we've survived years with 45- to 50-inch axle-to-axle length bows. But the market drives toward shorter axle-length bows. We have to pay close attention.