How Do You Set Your Knock Point?

[Elktracker]

After reading on here while doing a search something about setting your knock point 3/8 to 1/2" higher than 90 it has me wondering if I havent been doing this wrong all allong, I usually preffer to knock my arrow bellow my knock point on the string. Then I have always just taken a normal square off the string with the arrow knocked to the arrow resting point and tie my knock point when the arrow is square to the string. All of the bows I have built thus far I find center measure 1" up for arrow the rest and three down from center giving me my 4" grip not sure if this matters as far as where I place my knock point on my string? Am I doing this wrong? If so how should I be doing this or how do you do it? hope this isnt too confuseing Thanks

Josh

[Lee Slikkers]

Good question Josh...one I was going to ask but felt rather silly for not knowing the answer too.  I have an Aluminum T type tool that I used with my old compound bow and was wondering if this same tool would work for a selfbow?  Hopefully someone will chime in with all the juicy details 

[Del the cat]

Theoretically it would make sense to have the nock point exactly in line with the arrow rest at 90 degrees from the string...
But that's only if you have a softish arrow rest.
Us hardy English fellows shoot our longbows off the knuckle, which can get gouged by the quill of the lower fletching as it leaves the bow.
The cure for this is to raise the nocking point just enough for the back end of the arrow to clear the hand as it leaves the bow.
Raise it too much and it will porpoise.
Having the nocking point too low is also likely to cause porpoising.
Like most of this stuff I think experimentation is the best way to find out. also taking it to extremes may also illustrate what happens. so if you nock 2 inches low and then let the bow down slowly you will see what the arrow has to do to get away.
Del

[Elktracker]

Ya I felt stupid asking but I would have felt more stupid if I sent out my trade bow and couldnt even tie a knock on the string in the correct place kinda scarry lol

[Elktracker]

thanks Del I shoot off the hand as well so I guess I will just mess with knock high a bit and see how that works.

[Del the cat]

thanks Del I shoot off the hand as well so I guess I will just mess with knock high a bit and see how that works.

I s'pose if you knock low it would force the arrow head high and at the moment the arrow leaves the string that could cause the tail of the arrow to spring upward and miss your knuckle too?
Without a high speed video camera it's anyones' guess what actually happens.
Bottom line is, it's down to the individual archer. A while back I set a ELB up just right for me, but the guy who had it adjusted the nocking point up a tad to suit how he liked it.
Del
(It amuses me that those target archers with their modenr centreshot bow with magnesium allow and carbon limbs still go rambling on and on about 'paradox', when there isn't really any on their bows, they are just tuneing the arrow to suit their release (the 'proof' of this is that the compound guys with their mechanical releases don't suffer as much.... dunno why they don't go the whole hog and get crossbows )

[Elktracker]

 

[Pat B]

When I set up the nock point on the string I go 3/8" above horizontal and use a standard bow square to measure it. From there I will sometimes play with this to find a sweet spot where I get the best arrow flight. I have always nocked my arrows on top of the string nock so my results will be different from those who nock under(probably the majority).
  Also when I set my arrow pass I grasp the bows handle with the center of the bow(symetrical layout) in the center of my hand and make a mark on the bow at top of my hand. With the bow square on this mark,  I go 3/8" above horizontal on the string and place the string nock there.

[Matt S.]

I make my nocking index (glue saturated thread wrapped around the string to make a small bump) so that the arrow is nocked above it, not below it. I don't think this is "normal", but it works for me. The nocking point is also a hair above being perpendicular to the arrow rest because I read somewhere that it was better to have the arrow nocked a little bit high than a little bit low.

[Del the cat]

When I set up the nock point on the string I go 3/8" above horizontal and use a standard bow square to measure it. From there I will sometimes play with this to find a sweet spot where I get the best arrow flight. I have always nocked my arrows on top of the string nock so my results will be different from those who nock under(probably the majority).
  Also when I set my arrow pass I grasp the bows handle with the center of the bow(symetrical layout) in the center of my hand and make a mark on the bow at top of my hand. With the bow square on this mark,  I go 3/8" above horizontal on the string and place the string nock there.

I bind two bits of waxed thread so the arrow sits between them... does that count as over or under?
Del

[Pat B]

That's only with two arrows, Del!  One with a blunt and one with a broadhead. 

[Lee Slikkers]

Ya I felt stupid asking but I would have felt more stupid if I sent out my trade bow and couldnt even tie a knock on the string in the correct place kinda scarry lol
[/quote

Yup, you and me both Josh!  I still need to learn how to make a string so you may be already leaving me in the dust.   

[Elktracker]

Thanks guys for the info. Im not sure what the difference is between knocking your arrow above or below your knock point, I just do it because I noticed thats how Strunk does it, I will have to ask him if there is a benifit to one over the other. I have noticed when I knock my arrow bellow the string knock point the arrow doesnt tend to slide up the string when im not holding it with the hand I draw with. Thanks again for the info and if anyone else would like to share there method or any other info please do.

Josh

[Buckeye Guy]

I usally dont use any !!
It drives the technos crazy !!!

[Pat B]

Josh, most hunters nock under for the same reason, to keep the arrow on the string while on stand. Years ago I read that in the 40s and 50s when most American hunters used back quivers they would nock over because it was a fast way to load without looking. Draw an arrow, lay it on the string, draw and shoot...repeat over and over again until your quiver is empty of your quarry was dead.    They also would make one of the ears of the arrow nock shorter than the other as an index for proper arrow orientation.
  While I am on stand my bow is across my lap, an arrow is nocked and my hand on the string. I've been caught unprepared too many times so I'm aways ready while on stand now.
   I don't use a nocking point on my "primitive" bows either. I go by feel.