Center Cut Longbows

[Coach]

Why is it that all the longbows I have shot arent center cut on the shelf ? Is it a "thing" for longbows to be not center cut/shot ? I reckon more people would take them up if they were cut that way . I might be blowing hot air outta my butt as I know stuff all about longbows and really dont know if many are cut this way . I took delivery of a longbow today , and it shoots great , IE No handshock , smooth and fast , but it could be a lot better if it was center cut on the shelf ,, and God knows , there is enough wood there to do it . That way , I wouldnt group to the left all the time I was using arrows that I shoot outta my Bear Grizzly at 55# , this bow must be at least 65 # and they still went left .
So whats the go , bowyers ?

[otis.drum]

i'm no bowyer coach, but i cut mine centre or very close too. like you say there is plenty of wood there.
when i built my defiant with glenn we cut it to centre or very close too also.

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[Coach]

That looks better Nice large sight window as well

too also.

TOO , also means , ALSO Gotta love this spelling and Grammar lesson ,, so , what you wrote was a double positive OK I'll stop now !

[Jeffro]

to me it looks like one side of the arrow will be on the centre line.
Not the middle of the arrow
therefore not centreshot

[Coach]

How can you say that when the string isnt even visible ?

[otis.drum]

i cut mine centre or very close too.

[Coach]

i cut mine centre or very close too.

I was talking to Jeffro OTIS

[otis.drum]

yes i know. i was coming to my defence

[rodlonq]

Looks like Otis's bow is not strung to me, cant see a string in the shadow either..... ........Rod

[Roadie]

From what I have been reading the TRUE ELB didn't have a shelf and the archers created mayhem to their opponents, French and Scottish and anyone else who stood in their way, also they seemed to get their fair share of wildlife to eat.
This tells me that they learnt to shoot the bow in the correct and proper way and to compensate for the idosyncransy of the chosen weapon, Long live the true LB and shoot of the knuckle. Cheers Roadie.

[rodlonq]

More seriously, this is something I have been wondering about also.

Wouldn't a centre cut allow stiffer arrows which would at least be more durable / last longer and perhaps even get better penetration????.....Rod

[Jeffro]

How can you say that when the string isnt even visible ?

thats just how it looks.
As he says he cut it very close.
I'd bet that that bow is not true centre shot.

[otis.drum]

jeffro, it is not true centre.

[Jeffro]

no worries otis .im not knocking it i'd love to own one.

[Tommo]

Coach, PL Widows are cut to centre. You could sell some golf accessories and get one of them.

[Coach]

Coach, PL Widows are cut to centre. You could sell some golf accessories and get one of them.

OK , at least someone has had the sense to center cut one
I'll keep my "Golf Accessories" , Thankyou

[Glenn]

There is no reason you can't cut a longbow to or centre. Having a centreshot sight window is no guarantee of good arrow flight but it will give you a broader range of spines that can be shot out of the bow, or not so critical on spine at least.
I offset the handles on my longbows so that if someone insists on having their bow centreshot I can do it and still have plenty of meat left in the riser...Glenn...

[Gringa Bows]

Ay Coach,if your shooting to the left try canting the bow,and dont grip the handle to tight. ......................Rod

[stringnstik]

ripper bow there otis, nice.

[Coach]

Ay Coach,if your shooting to the left try canting the bow,and dont grip the handle to tight. ......................Rod

I already cant the bow ,, I did try it with an exaggerated cant , and it seems to bring the arrows to the right more though .
Cheers

[longbowinfected]

You actually tune your arrows to the bow.

My bows are made by Steve Farrell. They are cut to centre but the arrow rests against centre plus a layer of leather. Centre shot is allowed by AA.
I aim my arrows at centre and they hit the centre. I do use a bowsling, so I do not really hold or twist/torque the bow. My bow is 49# my draw length is 27.5 inches. My timber arrows are POC 28 ", three 4" feathers, spined #45-#50 [actually 47#], 125 grain points mass 430 grains. My alloys are 1913 Platinum plus with 145 grain points, just about 400 grains, 4 three inch flights.

Slightly different aim points but very close, say about a half target difference for each distance.

There is no need to cant or aim off, but canting does open up your sight window. I was trained initially as a target archer. I can kneel, crouch or lie on my back or stomach and shoot my longbow.....I just do not need to most times.

If an arrow goes to the side, either way, it is perhaps a spining issue, or a form issue or might even be an issue of bringing your string back to a slightlt different point on the nose for instance.

Kevin

[Coach]

You actually tune your arrows to the bow.


Kevin

Yeah , I know that ,, but surely something that shoots out of my 55 pound recurve should shoot well out of a 65 pound longbow ? Well , thats what I thought anyway ,, But obviously I will have to go lower in spine again . I really think bowyers should go with a center shot bow ,, it makes things so much easier .

[kimall]

Coach it may be one of the new "High FOC" bows so you shoot your normal arrows but add heaps of weight up front to make them fly right AND end up with high foc.
Seriously though that bow was tuned to suit some arrows I had and my longer draw length but having said that I have to say that I never even checked how close it was to centre I just went with what looked good(having no real idea) and shot a bare shaft until it worked well.What weight points are you using as I use over 250grains up front on cx350's
and never allow for off centre.Hope you get some success on the tuning.
Cheers KIM

[longbowinfected]

Coach

I can shoot my arrows tuned for my 49# longbow out of my 33# and 43# longbows but they do not fly quite as well......I still aim at the centre and hit the centre. So close to centre shot and you have very few problems with a broader range of spines.
You still have to select the right arrow which works the best. I used 1916 Jazz for my 33#, 43# bows so used the same for my 49#. I bought a set of second hand 1913 Platinum Plus from John McDonald and the difference was incredible. Part of the improvement being using heavier 145 rain points and smaller nocks.

I have always held the view that you shoot much softer spined arrows for ELBs and slightly softer arrows for non centre shot modern longbows.

Get a set of bare arrows with a range of spines going up by 5# and see how they go before you put their war bonnets on. My guess is that you will need a 11/32 POC timber arrow with a spine around 62/63# weighing about 600 grains [pretty heavy point required]. This might work out similar to a Platinum Plus around 2113 or 2213 if they make those sizes but you would need extremely heavy points with those hand made brass inserts.

Just a thought.

Kevin

[Coach]

Coach it may be one of the new "High FOC" bows so you shoot your normal arrows but add heaps of weight up front to make them fly right AND end up with high foc.
Seriously though that bow was tuned to suit some arrows I had and my longer draw length but having said that I have to say that I never even checked how close it was to centre I just went with what looked good(having no real idea) and shot a bare shaft until it worked well.What weight points are you using as I use over 250grains up front on cx350's
and never allow for off centre.Hope you get some success on the tuning.
Cheers KIM

I use 400 carbons , full length ,(only 26" draw ) with a tip weight of 350grains
I wont comment on the bow till I do a review on Stumpy AND BLOOD it

[Nephew]

That looks better Nice large sight window as well

too also.

TOO , also means , ALSO Gotta love this spelling and Grammar lesson ,, SO , WHAT YOU WROTE WAS A DOUBLE POSITIVE OK I'll stop now !

Yeah, right!

[Coach]

That looks better Nice large sight window as well

too also.

TOO , also means , ALSO Gotta love this spelling and Grammar lesson ,, SO , WHAT YOU WROTE WAS A DOUBLE POSITIVE OK I'll stop now !

Yeah, right!

Shut up Wordsworth ! Check ya string when ya get it ,, for knots I thought you may need something to THINK about It was a bit long ,, so I tied knots in it to shorten it

[Nephew]

...

[Nephew]

SO , WHAT YOU WROTE WAS A DOUBLE POSITIVE OK I'll stop now !

Yeah, right!

Shut up Wordsworth ! Check ya string when ya get it ,, for knots I thought you may need something to THINK about It was a bit long ,, so I tied knots in it to shorten it

OOOhhh! Biting rejoinder there, Jeffrey! TOUCHE!

" Yeah, right! "...

You like that, mate? I did!

[Paul]

I was always told that a bow cut (or arrow plate adjusted) so that the arrow lined up directly with the centre line(centreshot), would be more unforgiving to shoot then one that was cut to centre or just before centre.

This is quoted from O.L. Adcock's tuning page and may shed some light on the question Coach:

Your side plate in the sight window should be adjusted so when you line up the string down the center of the limbs, a nocked arrows tip will be 1 to 1 1/2 shaft diameters left of the string for a right handed shooter. If possible. If the bow is "cut to center" or not quite center, this may not be possible. In that case use as thin a side plate as you can with the contact point straight above the low point of the grip. Bows cut "centershot or past center" are desirable ONLY from the standpoint it gives you more left/right adjustment capability. Not that they should be shot that way. Bows that are adjusted too close to centershot requires a much higher spined arrow than it's draw weight. This is not as forgiving as one adjusted with the arrow left of center using arrow spines closer to the bows actual draw weight. Not that they can't be shot well, they just can't be shot as well.

I'm not saying that O.L. Adcocks words are gospel, but he's done more testing than most. I've also been told by 3 other very experienced bowyers that the above is true and it makes sense to me.