A bow that shot perfectly last October may not be shooting perfectly today. String stretch, cam timing drift, peep rotation, and rest position all shift over a season of shooting and months of storage. Heading into hunting season with a bow that hasn't been checked is asking for a miss at the worst possible moment. Here's a systematic pre-season tuning process that catches every common problem, in the right order.
Do these steps in order. Bow tuning is sequential — fixing cam timing before checking your rest position, for example, can send you in circles. Work through the list top to bottom.
Step 1: Inspect the Bow
Before anything else, do a complete physical inspection. Look for problems that can affect tuning or safety before you start shooting.
Physical Inspection Checklist
If your strings are showing wear at the cam tracks, take the bow to a shop for a restring before doing any other tuning work. Worn strings will continue to change as you shoot them, making accurate tuning impossible.
Step 2: Check Cam Timing (Dual-Cam and Binary-Cam Bows)
On dual-cam and binary-cam bows, both cams must reach full draw simultaneously. When one cam rolls over before the other, the result is a bow that pulls sideways through the draw cycle, torques the arrow, and produces inconsistent nock travel. This is one of the most common causes of unexplained tuning problems.
To check cam timing, draw the bow slowly while watching both cams. Both should reach their draw stop or valley at the same time. Most manufacturers provide timing marks on the cam tracks — consult your bow's manual for the exact reference marks. If timing is off, it's adjusted by adding or removing twists from the yoke cables (the short cables that connect the string to each cam).
Single-cam bows don't have this issue by design — the idler wheel doesn't affect timing.
Step 3: Set Nocking Point and Arrow Rest
Arrow flight starts at the nocking point. Before paper tuning, make sure your rest and nock point are in the ballpark:
- Arrow height: The arrow should be at dead center or very slightly above center on the cushion plunger or rest launcher. Use a bow square to verify nock height — most setups start with the nock point 1/8" above level.
- Center shot: Looking down the arrow from behind, the arrow point should be aligned with the string. Many hunters set this by eye; a more precise method is the "string bisect" method using a ruler against the bow riser.
- Rest timing (drop-away rests): Your rest should be at full height when the arrow leaves — this is usually adjusted at the cable connection point. A rest that drops too early causes vane contact.
Step 4: Paper Tune
Paper tuning tells you exactly how the arrow is leaving the bow — whether it's flying straight or porpoising (up/down) and fishtailing (left/right). You need a paper frame with a sheet of paper stretched across it, and you shoot through the paper at close range (6–8 feet) and read the tear pattern.
| Tear Pattern | What It Means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect bullet hole | Arrow leaving bow perfectly | Nothing — you're done with paper tuning |
| Nock high (tear above point hole) | Arrow porpoising upward | Move nocking point or rest down |
| Nock low (tear below point hole) | Arrow porpoising downward | Move nocking point or rest up |
| Nock left (right-handed shooter) | Arrow fishtailing left | Move rest toward riser (left) |
| Nock right (right-handed shooter) | Arrow fishtailing right | Move rest away from riser (right) |
| Combination tear (e.g., nock high-right) | Both issues present | Fix vertical first, then horizontal |
Move your rest or nocking point in small increments — 1/16" at a time — and re-shoot after each adjustment. Paper tuning works best with field tips, not broadheads. Once you have a bullet hole with field tips, you know your bow's baseline is correct.
Step 5: Walk-Back Tune
Walk-back tuning (also called "point-of-impact tuning") verifies that your arrows are flying consistently at multiple distances. Set a vertical strip of tape down a target. Aim at the same point at the top of the tape from 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 yards — only adjusting your sight, not your aim point.
All arrows should land in a vertical line. If they drift left as distance increases, your rest is too far from center — move it toward the riser. If they drift right, move the rest away from the riser. Walk-back tuning is more sensitive than paper tuning and catches small center-shot errors that paper won't reveal.
Important: Walk-back tuning requires good form. If your grip, anchor, or release is inconsistent, the arrows will wander regardless of your tuning. Make sure you're shooting repeatable form before reading the results.
Step 6: Verify Peep Height and Sight Picture
After tuning your rest and nocking point, your peep height may have shifted slightly. Draw the bow with your eyes closed, anchor, open your eyes — the peep should align perfectly with your sight housing with no head movement. If you have to tilt or shift your head to see through the peep, adjust the peep position up or down on the string.
Once peep is confirmed, verify your sight picture at 20 and 40 yards with field tips. Your first pin should be dead-on at 20 yards (or wherever you set your zero) before you do any broadhead shooting.
Step 7: Confirm Your Sight Tape
Your sight tape needs to reflect your actual hunting arrow — including broadhead weight, not just field tip weight. A 100-grain field tip and a 125-grain broadhead will have meaningfully different trajectories at 40+ yards, and your yardage marks will be off if you don't account for the difference.
The right process: shoot and confirm your sight is accurate at 20 yards with your hunting arrow setup, then generate a new sight tape at SightTapeGen using your actual arrow speed, draw weight, and arrow weight. Print it, install it, and verify at 30, 40, and 50 yards before calling your setup ready.
Pre-Season Final Checklist
When to See a Pro
String replacement: If strings show wear, take it to a shop before tuning. A press is required and worn strings won't hold adjustments.
Persistent cam timing issues: If you can't get both cams to roll over together after adjusting the yokes, a bow technician can diagnose whether it's a timing issue or a limb deflection problem.
Unexplained inconsistency: If groups are inexplicably scattered even after completing this checklist, a fresh set of eyes at a pro shop is often the fastest path to a solution.