Walk Back Tuning Your Arrow Rest
What is walk back tuning, and why should you do it? Maybe you have just installed a new arrow rest on your bow, or perhaps you find that your shots aren’t as accurate as you want them to be. Below I will go over how to walk back tune. Walk back tuning is different than paper tuning your bow. When we paper tune, we are looking to set proper nock height, center shot, and that we have the proper spine arrows for our bows. Walk back tuning not only gives us a glimpse of the arrow flight at about 8 yards, but also what our arrow is doing at 30 or 40 yards. Walk back tuning can help us fine tune our bows for the most consistent shots.
What is walk back tuning?
Walk back tuning is a process where you will shoot arrows at a single point on a target, but your distance increases from the target while still using the same pin. For example, you shoot at 20, 30, and 40 yards while still using your 20-yard pin. So, you will need a fairly large target to allow for the drop in the height of the arrows. This allows us to see how our arrows are flying at further distances and allows us to ensure we are having a clean, consistence arrow flight.
How to walk back tune
Find a large target and make a vertical line from near the top of the target to the bottom, ensuring that it is straight. I found that using the blue painters tape works great for this!
Create a horizontal line at the top of your vertical line to create your aiming point. You will be aiming where your tape meets.
Sight your bow in at 20 yards ensuring that your point of impact is where the 2 pieces of tape intersect.
Do not move your sights after each shot at 30, 40, and even 50 yards. Leave the sight set in the position you found in step 3.
Shoot 1 arrow at 30, 40, 50 yards, etc. if you have the capability. If you find your arrow to be hitting near the bottom of the target, stop at this distance. Make sure you still use the 20-yard pin for each distance and aim for the same spot as you did at 20 yards.
Analyze your results: If your arrows all do not hit on the that vertical line, you should move your rest at this point. Remember, a small amount of movement on your rest can make big changes on your point of impact. Below is a chart that shows which direction to move your rest based on the impact of your arrows. (See above image)
Once you have moved your rest, start the process all over again, beginning with Step 3 and re-sighting in at 20 yards and moving your sight pins until your point of impact is at the intersection of the 2 pieces of tape. Then continue with the rest of the steps once again.
Once all your arrows fall on the vertical line, your job is done! Your bow is now tuned to give you the most accurate shots at those further distances. I hope you found this information useful and will try it out for yourself.
Thank you, and happy shooting!
-Adam Sites, Fall Obsession Pro Staff