Bare shaft arrow tuning "The Process" (Update 2021) 

Still amazes me how many people go out of their way on videos and podcasts, at least mention their arrow setup and say “you don’t need a heavy arrow and broad head to kill a deer I use a Easton blah blah 340!!” And then when they show their “kill shot” the arrow is sticking out 16” and the deer runs 200yards before it expires.. and of course they are so pumped about it and think they are Fred bear reincarnated..

This guy's the Real Deal. E-mailed him a question and he answered in less than 10 minutes with spot-on advice. Looking so forward to the 2021 Michigan whitetail season! Thanks Troy, for keeping it real

Absolutely the best Archery channel on RU-vid, Thanks Troy.

I had a complete pass through with my first deer because of this guy. The deer walked 100 yrds and laid down in less then 10min. Yes walked, because he didn't know what hit him.

Hey, let them hate all they want. We all know the DUST is the truth.

Great video Troy, about to go through year two of the process, I posted my videos last year and will do the same thing again this year! Have a new sight, strings, and rest. So should be interesting to see how much that changes my arrow setup. Thanks again for helping the archery industry the way you do.

Just got my test kit today from Sirius can't wait to begin but I'm going to go through your play list for the process yet again.

Thanks for another great vid . Keep me coming . A fresh pig hunt and autopsy would also be nice . You deserve to make a coin off your great name , hard work and help you give us basic hunters . Thankyou ranch fairy

Thank you Mr. Troy! I feel more confident with future arrow purchases because of your videos. I've learned so much! I love that you don't pay any mind to those "perfect" bow hunters and their hate mail... the rest of us love what you do and appreciate every bit of knowledge you teach/pass on to us. 🙂

Most helpful video yet! Thank you for everything you do an responding to emails so quickly.

Love all your videos glad to see there are a few good people left in this country

I've been shooting the RF test kit for two months, maybe 80 shots per week, and it exposed a handful of technique issues that I can now avoid in the woods. I still haven't had bullet holes, so I've been to the shop three times and three different guys have found setup issues with my bow that should have been avoided when I bought it from them. The moral is; 1. Troy never said it would be easy. 2. I'm getting closer. 3. I'm glad I started now and not in July. Between me and the shop, we really suck despite many years of archery for them and myself.

Finally a video longer than 10 min..... Great video sir as always

Great breakdown! Tuning/shooting the projectile that works best for your weapon is always going to be simpler and cheaper that trying to tune the weapon to the projectile.

I love this guy, he makes it easy to kill stuff, I've gotten a ton of people to switch over to the killing arrows, and tracking these things are a lot easier when you watch them go down.

This Dude F’n awesome!!! Iv done it , followed the “ system “ after getting my kit last year .. Darts , absolutely Darts !! ... ty ty ..keep being you brother!!!

Here you go Troy using logic in your video. Keep doing what you are doing. Around the mid 80s we were shooting Easton aluminum 2219s with a 200 grain Rothhaar Snuffer up front. If you were shooting over 225 fps you were the big kid on the block but we were killing stuff buy shooting through them

Perfect, Had to watch this 3x times to pick up all the gold nuggets you're dropping all over of the place. Can't wait for my field point test kits to come in the mail so I can start the process on my Two sets of arrow shafts I have lined up for this.

I ran the RF hand load process this past summer and cannot thank Troy enough for the informative videos. I will admit I spent a lot of time getting the right combination and nock tune results. I shot through paper during my testing and will admit this can send your patience out the window quickly since "we are human" and not a "Hooter Shooter" stated many times by RF. I also remember a few arrows taking almost an hour to tune trying to get the best arrow flight due to myself being so picky. Thanks again RF!!!

Tuning the arrows to the bow rather than the bow to the arrows is the “old school” way. It still works!

You deserve your own show on Sportsman Channel.

Thanks for the offer for help! I’m just getting into archery, but I’m sure I’ll have questions. Enjoy your videos!!

I followed what you said from begging to end last summer and I was just building more arrows from nosing them when I get pass threws haha, but I can shoot my new bareshafts 20 yards right next to my old fletched arrows got about 80 gr up front of a 300 peirce platinum total weight between 515 and 520 they fly perfect and I live your system it works great! Thank you R.F.

Purchase the kit last season, put in the work, and reaped Rewards, quartering away muley 40 yards complete pass through barely made it 50 yards. Thanks for your help

Thanks for teaching this old bow hunter a bunch of new tricks! I've never had the penetration and broadhead accuracy that I do now. Nock tuning carbons makes a big difference! My problem was changing everything because of a shoulder injury. Turning my bow weight down and going to lighter spine arrows.

You got me convinced , I’m doing all my friends arrows now

Great stuff Ranch Fairy...really appreciate your style brother 👌.

"I'm not bending the barrel so it'll shoot better!" Brilliant!

Here's what a good dude Troy is. He says all the time to email for help or advice. So I did. Got an answer back within a day, with straightforward answers, and links to videos to further illustrate the points I asked about. Biggest lesson I learned; watch these videos, then watch them again and take notes. Pretty much all the answers are in there, but you'll miss some on the first watch. Anyway, thanks Troy, for putting all this good info together and pointing me back at the stuff I missed.

Second time watching this video, clears up a lot to a novice archer! Just startet fiddling with dynamic spine a part of my bow tuning process.

YES! More FairyDust Please and ThankYou. Fixing to run through the process on my Turkey bow after I get some new strings. I'm SO excited, been kind of boring since I finished the Whitetail bow. Penetration is not a problem with a 50lb.Turkey bow at ultra close range, but I'm anxious to hear the sound of silence with say 150, or 175? grains up front. YES- New Toys👍

Great video as always! 👌

Love this guy! Shot through the shoulder of two deer this year. Walked 40 and dropped. Dead deer don't run! 175 zwickey with a 65 grain insert. Ordered some 200gr tuffhead for this year!! Can't wait to build my new arrows

Fantastic I have followed your instructions to the T it works after 34 years I have it right 64 years old never to old to learn

Bending the gun barrel to match a bad shooting bullet is the absolute best analogy anyone has ever used to explain tuning a bow to shoot a bad arrow set up. Absolutely the best way to explain it. Kudos.

Keep doing what you do!!! Thank you for supporting bowhunting!

Troy is awesome, & his Fairy graduates know it! Thanks Ranch!

Man I love what you are doing thank you for what you are doing

Correct, you helped me out a lot. Shooting 676 grain approximately 26% Foc never had an opportunity this year to put some venison in the freezer but hopefully next year. Guarantee you it won't go far!

I know I’m behind others, I have a test kit on the way. As well as 2 sets of evolution broad heads. I’m excited to see what a difference weight makes and my KE’s with those. Thanks for getting this out there

Troy I want to thank you. I have become convinced that high FOC and bare shaft tuning with your methods are the way to go. I was one that got tricked into using mechanicals years ago. I have had penetration issues on more than half of the deer I have shot over the years and couldn't remember the last time I had a full pass through buried in the dirt. They normally run away with the arrow still in them. Last year with all your advice I switched to heavy arrows and got them tuned perfect with heavy heads. I shot 4 deer last year all pass throughs and buried 8+ inches in the dirt. All short track jobs. 3 out of the 4 did not even know they got hit!!! I could not believe it. I even reduced my weight down to 65lbs from 80 just so I could get higher FOC. Thank you so much you have made a believer out of me and I have passed the word to all that will take the time to listen. Helping fellow hunters become more efficient and lethal is only bettering the sport for our youth. I went from a 440gr arrow to a 200 spine apollo cut at 28 inches, 220gr insert, 200g tuffhead 786gr arrow weight. 65lb draw 28.5 inch draw length

Keep it up!!! I like your closing music a lot!!!

Awesome! One thing I discovered in this process, is that an arrow/field point combination that is not in tune with your bow set up, will NEVER fly right, even accidentally. A bare shaft that approaches straight flight with the correct spine/point weight combination, may fly a little off, then dart, maybe dart again, then be a little off, etc.. My final test, for my recurve set up, was to soak my 4 inch feathers with water and shoot my broadhead. WOW. It darted to the target with my BROADHEAD, and wet feathers collapsed. Think about that next time you are hunting in the rain and your feathers lay down. Tuning makes all the difference.

At least you are promoting bare shaft tuning and nock tuning your bare shaft. That is what’s missing today. Most shoot their new bow a couple of times through paper at the shop and say “it’s tuned.”

I really wish more people would understand what your trying to do. This process could really help alot of people.

Thanks Troy more good info again 👍

Just did bareshaft tuning for this upcoming season - last year was my first time trying and I wasn't very successful because I really overcomplicated it. Today, I was able to get 200 spine Sirius Apollos to fly real dang straight with a 100 grain insert and 250, 275, and 300 grain field tips... that puts my arrows between about 740 grains to 818 grains with FOC between 18 to 22%... They're like little javelins haha I think I'm pulling around 60 to 65 lbs with a 30" draw

Man stop making sense you'll drive them insane, I shoot 250 up front 590 total @ 268 fps. @ 55 yards. Love the penatration and flight characteristics. Keep preaching brother

Thanks for all the info, been looking to do this for a while but just didn’t have an idea how to.

I have a 29” draw shooting 60lb draw. My best shooting combination is a full length arrow spines at 240. Total arrow weight is 847 grains. My FOC is 24 percent.It took some trail and error but this is what works for me. I shot a whitetail at 23 yds slightly quartered toward me. He walked 20 yards and dropped . He had no idea he was shot never ran. I’m totally convinced. Troy just keep doing what your doing. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

I am new to compound bows but i have tuned arrows, with your method, on a trad bow. And this makes soo much sense that "bending" the bow to shoot a particular arrow. Much easier to find an arrow that the bow likes as it is. Thanks, this info is gold!🎉

I followed RF last year and made new arrows over the summer. 125 grain insert 175 grain broad head total arrow weight 565. Passed through hogs and deer this year🤘🏻. He wouldn’t make these videos if he didn’t know what he was talking about. Listen to what he’s saying guys and gals

As usual solid info.

Love the process. Was shooting light weight but through these videos am moving to heavy weights. Looking forward to 2022 pass throughs

hy another great video !! it is a pity that I am not living in USA... I would come to your place for little help !!! you are one of my favorite youtube video

Great stuff as usual! My season ended the 18th wasnt able to connect. I'll be ready to rock next season, thanks for all the info you share so cool of you man! To the haters Schlupp off! Lol

Great video Troy

That one thing that a person doesn't have to worry about when they are watching one of your videos is that you will respond to them and that is saying a lot when someone is new to bow hunting just responding is giving that individual direction and the right direction.

Thanks again for the great Info

Troy. Keep up the great work. I tinker like you. Have always shot heavier FOC. Keep doing what you do. If you need a distributor in Canada I have the perfect guy.

Bottom line start with a tuned bow. I know some people say if you strip the vanes you change the foc and tune of the arrow.. use a lighted nock to add weight during tuning. It allows you to see the arrow In flight.. I don't hunt with lighted nocks but I do like to use them for tuning. I bareshaft out to 30 yards. At that point any properly spined arrow broadhead combo will fly with your field points .. Keep up the good work Troy!

New to archery here. Just bought my first compound last week. $300 hoyt nitrum 30 #60-70. I will be using your process before attempting my first hunt next season. Currently shooting 29" VAP TKO .300's RN with 150gr single bevels and a 50gr sleeve outsert until I upgrade after your test kit. Thanks for all the info, man. I look forward to learning as much as I can.

I use florescent mason line string running perpendicular from the target to where I shoot. This gives a great visual indications of where your arrow is pointing is in relation to where you shoot from. I prefer the paperless bare shaft method that the RF uses.

Great video👌 And thank you for keeping it real. When you were mentioning people hating on you John 15:18 came to mind. God-bless🙏

So, got the test kit. I emailed you with my results. I'm impressed. Now shooting bare shafts at 20 yards. Liking what I'm seeing. Just verifying that the adjustments I made on my rest to where my fletched shaft impacts....tail left or right are correct. Continuing tomorrow. I was questioning my tail position bare shaft vs fletched. They're all, almost perfectly in line. You warned this process was arduous. You're absolutely correct. What I'm seeing is arrow flight perfection coming into reality.

Just great stuff.

Thank you for helping me to see what I was told when I got into bow hunting wasn’t true. The light and faster arrows caused me to loose deer because of low penetration.

This is awesome. I have been bow hunting since I was 14 and following most of the "trends" with the exception of using flappers. I have always used the stinger buzz cuts with good success. However this all just makes sense. Like all things worth doing it seems like you have to put in the time but the logic is sound. I'm scrapping all of that nonsense and setting up adult arrows this year. Thanks for the info.

Completely agree with you, all your doing is what’s been done for a long time before bows became so tunable. Neither side is wrong as long as your achieving straight arrow flight. It’s like arguing over how you both got 2+2=4, same answer different methods. I prefer to build arrows and tune my bow but I like that you are making it easier for everyone 👍🏼

Awww man. My kit didn’t come in the fancy box. But the kit itself makes up for it. Really fun and interesting to test and see what my bow liked best. Thanks again for the help when I messaged you!

Nailed it! Keep spreading the Fairy Dust!

Ordered the kit before this past season. Had to "settle" for the 250 spine (100g insert, 300g head) because I may or may not have put the 200s arrow through a 2x4 while tuning and it got a little gouge in the fiberglass. The shoulderblade(s) didn't stand a chance with the 250s, so I'm not complaining 😉

I hope you make a lot of money! I feel you are saving some animals from undue suffering, so you earned every dime!

LOVE YOU RANCH 🧚‍♀️

abundance of good information from the ol RF. It's all about experimenting and learning. If you don't like it or already know everything, just move on

Just described the process and reasoning I used 30 years ago for bare shaft tuning of heavy hunting arrows.

I think your philosophy is correct, tuning your arrows to the bow. I believe the reason certain bullets/loads fly best in a rifle has to do with the resonance frequency of the barrel. A fully floated rifle barrel vibrates when the round is fired like a tuning fork. A bow has a resonance frequency as well as the arrows.

Funny started bow hunting in 84 now my bow setup is going back where i started from .I just hope that flock of seagulls hair doesn't show up again lol!

Excellent video! Getting my taxes done and that's exactly what I'm going to do. 👍🏹

Dude, I wanna come to hang out and bring you a case of beer. You are funny as hell. Great info with a funny delivery. I love it. I don't own a bow anymore but id still come watch others hunt and drink beer while everyone skins their stuff out haha. On the subject of bows though, i shot 70lbs at 32" draw.... Yes, 32".... im shaped like a gibbon lol got some long ass draw. I found what worked for me then but now im curious as to what my setup would be with this new info.

I shoot 100 grain broadheads NAP HELLRAZOR FIXED BLADE .all steel. And I get pass throws all the time.i went to fixed blade after watching your channel.

It has amazed me how many video I have watched that say don"t follow the ranch fairy tuning because you should go to a pro shop and have your bow tuned. That might work for guys on the east coast or guys living in big cities but the ranch fairy system works for everyone. I have to drive 45 minutes to my nearest pro shop then wait an hour or 2 to be helped and in the end if Im not happy with the result I'm told its close enough and charged 50 bucks for their help. The ranch fairy system is for the common man who like diy. It works great.

Just in case it helps anyone else, I was able to get Maxima Red 350 spine arrows to paper tune perfectly with 300gr up front for a total weight of about 600gr. I thought those arrows might be too weak on spine to handle that, but the spine charts say that the 350 is good up to 90lbs draw weight so I figured I would give it a try. They advertise that they have some kind of special dynamic spine, so not sure if that's why but they seem to work. I was impressed. For reference I shoot 70lbs at 30" draw.

OMG!! This guy is so awesome!! We love you! XOXO, Boerne Babes (aka your little sisters)

Well Said Sir!!!

Just wanted to say thank you for the information you put out man having fun I build my own arrows and shooting two different bows , pse bow madness xs 60 lbs 30 inch draw and my old timer golden eagle juice cannon @ 77 lbs 31 draw the versatility of different arrow spine and weight is endless I can shoot 625 grns @ 35 and 40 yards with both bows and keep them in a tennis ball size group a man can go mad having so much fun so keep em coming love all the info ,and by the way making fun of the know it all's makes me smile too. Florida tom

This video makes total sense with knock tuning , it's like magic that actually works lol . I did that but I did it at 30 yds , it was amazing you can take an arrow that consistently flys left and tune it to hit where you want it to hit .

keep it up troy

love this channel, even though I transitioned to crossbow a while ago. Can't pull a 60lb vertical anymore. Most of this stuff can be used by us crossbow guys with a few tweaks. If nothing else get guys away from mechanicals ! I just got in a set of six Sirius bolts last week and hope to get 3 of the six that are flying nails. Sadly, nock tuning is not in the cards as they are pre fletched. Bolt weight is 400 grains or so as is, hoping a 200 grain Tuffhead single bevel will be my winner.

Perfect!!!!

I’m subbed to the channel and like what you bring to the table, keep it coming! But let’s be honest with ourselves... you fired the first shots towards the 5% who have bow presses before they responded back LOL .

I use your method of bare shafting by shooting at a playing card at 25-30 yards. If I hit it bare, then I fletch it. On target for each arrow.

Ok, I hope some where in these videos you show how to calculate FOC Not that I am complaining, I am grateful for all the info you have given.

I havent run throught the process yet, but I bought the heavy kit and my brother bought the lighter kit. I did however stick the 300 grain point on my normal arrow a 340 Beman ICS Hunter Vibrake and man did it fly pretty dang good. And my bow was noticeably quieter when I shot it.

Ha good job on everything. Got a question have you very done a test on arrow vane noise test. To see with one is the quietest. That would be great to find out

Not knocking the test kit at ALL, but I went with Gold Tip Warrior 300 bare shafts. $62 per dozen. I have too many irons in the fire so I’m headed down this road in a budget minded way. Last night I found my first successful combo: 62 lbs bow, 30” carbon to carbon, nocturnal lighted nock, 50gr insert, 125gr field point, 513gr total weight. Absolute laser beam flight! I’m definitely sold on your process and I appreciate the wealth of knowledge. I’m working on something heavier as well with some Black Eagle 250’s………

I sprinkled some fairy dust on a little doe this past season. It was nuts. Went through the deer and buried to the fletching in the ground. 530 grain arrow with Strickland Helix. I could fist the hole.

I just got my order from sirius I went with 200 spine arrows though and not the kit. I have a 30 inch draw shooting 70 lbs. I also got the strop. Reviewing your videos before I do anything. Looking forward to the process.

So I'm new to all this FOC and heavy tips and inserts and all the other fun stuff but I'm just curious on your thoughts about a 250 grain insert with a 125 grain broadhead and 340 spline arrow, it shoots well just curious on feedback being I'm so new to this

Freakin love it go bend your barrel boys!!! Lmao!!! Your the man RF! Side note shoot a oneida! No bow press required! I can field strip my oneida in 10 min and have it back together killin stuff. Will the rest of them are headed to the bow shop!!