One of the most critical—but often overlooked—steps in preparing for hunting season is tuning your bow. Some hunters will simply sight in their broadheads and head to the woods. But doing that leaves a lot on the table in terms of performance, accuracy, and overall hunting effectiveness.

If you want your bow to hit hard and fly true, it starts with a proper setup and a complete tune. Here’s how to do it right.

Step 1: Begin with a Solid Setup

A high-performing hunting bow starts at the most basic level—how it’s set up. Sure, it’s easy to just screw on accessories and start shooting, but this is where most headaches can be avoided.

Start by carefully installing your accessories. As soon as you mount your sight, make sure to level all sight axes properly—this step is often rushed but sets the foundation for accuracy. Next, set your rest to center shot. A good starting point is 13/16" from the riser to the center of the arrow. Some people use the center of the grip as a reference point, which is fine, but it should still be close to that 13/16" mark for most bows. After that, level your arrow so it runs through or just above the berger hole. Once everything is aligned and leveled, tie in your D-loop and check the nock fit. The arrow should snap on with a snug fit—not too tight, not too loose—for consistent performance.

To help speed up the sight-in process, we like to set the sight pins slightly to the left of the strings (for right-handed shooters), using the center of the shaft and main string as a reference. After that, install your peep sight and finish mounting any remaining accessories.

Before you shoot, check the timing of both your cams and your rest. For cable-driven rests, the launcher arm should be fully up at full draw with good tension on the rest cord. If it's pulling the bow cable down, that’s a sign there’s too much tension, which can cause timing issues and added stress on the rest.

At this point, your bow should be leveled, timed, and dialed to a great starting point. Taking the time now can save hours of frustration later.

Step 2: Make the Bow Fit You

Once the setup is solid, it’s time to fit it for you. Start by checking your draw length. You want to have a proper grip, consistent anchor points, and solid form when determining if the bow is set at the correct draw length. Once that's dialed, adjust your peep sight height so it aligns naturally with your scope housing—your head should stay level, not tilted up or down to see through the peep.

Once your peep is set, tie it in securely and double-check your timing again. Small adjustments here make a big difference in consistency down the road.

Step 3: Pick the Right Arrows

Your arrows need to match your bow’s setup and your intended use. Use a spine chart based on your draw length and poundage to find the correct spine.

When cutting your arrows:

• For half-outs or outserts, mark and cut them at full draw to sit about halfway into the riser. The component will make the field tip and broadhead sit closer to the front of the riser.
• For standard components, mark and cut closer to the front of the riser or to about the middle of the riser, depending on your comfort and the size of your broadheads.

Step 4: Paper Tuning for a Clean Launch

Now that your bow is fitted and your arrows are cut, it’s time to paper tune.

Shoot through paper from a few feet away using good form. We do see bad tears come from grip or face pressure, not just the bow. Shoot at least two arrows and make sure the tears are consistent before making adjustments.

For vertical (up/down) tears:

• Small fixes = rest adjustments
• Major fixes = twist the D-loop up or down the string or reinstall a new D-loop

For horizontal (left/right) tears:

• Start by shimming/shifting cams or twisting yokes
• Avoid moving the rest far from center shot

If your paper tear won’t clean up, check for contact issues. Look for wear marks on your vanes, rest, shelf, or roller guard. Sometimes simply rotating the arrow’s nock or refletching with a lower-profile vane will fix the issue.

Step 5: Broadhead Tuning

Once your bow shoots a clean hole through paper, it should be close to broadhead-tuned. Start by sighting in at 20 yards with field points. Then shoot a broadhead followed by a field point to compare impact. If they don’t hit the same, follow this method:

• Left/right differences: Move the rest toward the broadhead impact
• Up/down differences: Move the rest away from the broadhead impact

After each rest adjustment, you may need to slightly adjust your sight in the same direction. Keep backing up in 10-yard increments and continue verifying broadhead and field point alignment. Most bows, with a consistent shooter, can stay tuned out to 70 yards. Past that, physics take over—broadheads may start to plane differently due to drag.

Step 6: If You're Still Not Tuned

At this point, about 90–95% of bows should be dialed. But if yours still isn’t shooting right, don’t worry—some setups just need a little extra work.

Try a slightly stiffer or weaker arrow spine to see if that helps. You can also tweak your timing to be just slightly off—let one cam hit a touch earlier than the other. Usually, a half-twist is enough, but going one full twist off is okay if it cleans up your tear.

Step 7: Limb Deflection – The Last Resort

If everything else checks out—form, arrow spine, rest timing, no vane contact—but your tune is still off, it could be limb deflection. But first, inspect your bow:

• Check for bent cams
• Look for splintered or cracked limbs
• Make sure strings are not fraying
• Confirm your rest is dropping correctly

If all parts are in working order, try swapping the top left limb with the bottom right. If that doesn’t help, experiment with different limb positions and keep track of any configurations you have tried. If swapping doesn’t fix the issue, it may be time to request a new set of limbs from the manufacturer.

Finish Strong This Season

At the end of the day, tuning isn’t just about clean paper tears or stacking arrows at 60 yards—it’s about confidence. A well-tuned bow removes doubt when it matters most. Whether you’re chasing bull elk in the mountains or whitetails in the back 40, knowing your setup is dialed means you can focus on the shot, not second-guessing your gear.

Take the time, follow the process, and don’t cut corners. When the moment of truth comes, you’ll be ready—and your bow will be too.

- Corben Branch, Korbin's Archery