Thoughts?

absolutely!!!

I wouldn't hunt without a paper tuned bow. I wouldn't buy a bow either without it being tuned before I left the shop, period.

those close problems grow exponentially with distance of shots.... it's worth getting it tuned.

I have not paper tuned any of my last 10 bows. I had somebody comment about a year ago that I was full of you know what and was probably having all kinds of problems. Well, to prove to him, we set up paper and I shot perfect bullet holes.

The shop I go to, and use to work at, we used levels and lasers for center shot and got it right all the time.

Now, I will tell you, I usually don't shoot great distances, unless it is at targets, and all those work out well. I am more of a bowhunter and the way I set up my stands, I usually don't have more than a 25 yard shot. I don't believe I've shot a pig or deer at more than 18 yards in the past five years.

I've noticed that some people are talking about getting their bows tuned. My question is, "Are you having somebody paper tune your bow, or do you do it?"

If you shoot targets fine out to 40 yards and don't take shots over 30...what would be the benefit? I haven't paper tuned mine in 7 years and can't shoot the same target without busting nocks or fletchings...

How can you tell using laser and levels if the bow is tuned. SOunds like hooey to me, how can the laser tell you how a boradhead is going to effect your setup. I can tell you with montecs at 30 yards I am dead on, with muzzys at 30 yards I am 4" to the left, unless I tune the bow for muzzys. How can the laser tell you if the spine of the arrow is too weak or too strong. How can the laser tell you, you have cam issues causing your fletching to graze your drop away rest. You find a pro who can read paper well, and he can tell you all of these things.
Now on a pro shooter level, I know Mathews and Elite Factory shooters and they all paper tune usually before each tournament and at the start of every practice. Also during my second trip to SOuth Korea in 07, I got to watch the Koreans Women's Archery team practice for several days. Each lady probably put 10 arrows through tuning paper a day. I guess it depends on how good you want your bow to be, if you are fine with it potential being off if you shoot a different broadhead or your not trying to be in the money in a tournament go for it. It is just the difference between a imjured animal or a check. Oh the only times I have ever seen a level and laser used is to set the nock point on a bow, so maybe you could educated me on how it is done. I can only read paper so far, and I don't have an eye for the touchy stuff just how to adjust my rest.

tells you real quick if it's a you issue or a bow issue. I always treated my hunting bows like my tourney bows and expected them to shoot similar.

Understand your point Chuck, to an extent, but I site mine in with field points and shoot mechanical broadheads. Tested them and they fly the same. In 12 years of using mechanical, only had one issue and that is when I switched to a broadhead that was all the "rage" at the time.

I shoot plenty in the off season and have no issue hitting the target and feel confident in my shot placement when it comes to taking an animal.

Am I wrong for not tuning the bow and am I at "more of a risk" to wound an animal, even though my bow shoots perfectly fine?

Geez... All this babble about tune this, tune that, cam this, yadda, yadda, yadda... Maybe I should keep this Martin compound I got for S&G's (mess around) and hunt with a recurve. They seem so much more simple (technically speaking... I know they require more skill) and more exciting to hunt with. Heck, Eichler hunts strictly recurve. Maybe I'll start a new thread to get some thoughts on that.

And you expected something different when you started the thread

Nah. I knew it would turn out like this. All my threads do.

Though, I do appreciate all the input you guys are giving. Sometimes, compound bows can be so aggrevating and involved when recurve/traditional archery seems to be more inviting.

The way I see it is if you are happy with your setup shoot it. Myself yes I papertune, not as often as some but still will check it. If your arrows are flying straight penetration on game will be better.

With a recurve or long bow same holds true but there is much less to go wrong with one and forget papertuning, fletching is going to contact rests and the fletching stablizes the flight of the arrow. Worked for over 1000 years and still does today

I don't waste anytime paper tuning; I like walk back tuning. Gets the bow right on the money and if you don't believe me ask those eggs I've hit at 70 yards doing exhibitions.

Hey bjankowski, can you take me though walk back tuning. I have heard of it mentioned several times on the green screen, but no description of how it is done.

Chuck check out this site; better than I can explain it. The only thing I do different is I use one inch masking tape, instead of a string, and that's cause I'm lazy.. lol

http://lakeviewarchery.org/walk_back_tuning.htm

There is a great article in Bowhunter this month that explains all this paper tuning stuff. Dr. Randy Ulmer, please check it out.

Thank you for posting that link, I am going to give that a try this year

I run a 50 yrd pin should I walk back 50 also or will 20, 30, and 40 be good enough

Yes if you're shooting at fifty yards.

Hell yeah. Everytime.

Read the article.....

Very interesting on this topic.

I bare shaft tune all my traditional set ups to make sure my arrows are flying true. If you don't your penetration will suffer greatly. I hunt trad only and I'm as confident at 20yrds as I was with my compound.

Clay

Only for a target bow. For hunting Im only worried about point of impact being the same with fieldpoints and broadheads.