Set and Accuracy...

[Onebowonder]

I am wondering if a bit of set in a bow aides in the accuracy of the bow.  I'm not even sure why I think it to be so, but I kinda anecdotally do. 

Has anybody else noted this at all?  Am I crazy as a bed bug again?

In the logical side of my mind I think:
           set = sluggish cast = not very flat = greater probability of error in aim!

....BUT dang it all if I don't still shoot better with my old set ridden Hickory Stave bow.  ...and I notice that as a new bow gets more broken in, (aka gains a little set), I start shooting it a little better!

Someone set me strait here cause I can't stand to think this idea is right!  Now, for penetration power set is definitely the DEVIL's own daughter, ...but for pure accuracy of aim, ...it seems like it helps me for some stoopid reason.

OneBow

[Crogacht]

Pretty sure that claim is made in one of TBB volumes. Whether or not that makes it true, I wouldn't know. I've been reading religously while I try and get the stuff together to actually start making one of the bloody things

[Pat B]

A bow is inherently accurate. It does the same thing over an over if you do your part. It is the nut behind the string that makes them less accurate. 
 No matter how a bow shoots, if you learn the trajectory of the arrow you can be accurate no matter if your bow has set, only shoots 130fps or whatever.

[huisme]

It could be that as a bow takes more set you've had more practice with the bow. It could be that the bow becomes more comfortable as it takes set. You would have lower cast as the weight drops, but you would have an easier time holding full draw and aiming.

[bushboy]

I may be way off base but I find slower arrows more forgiving in that they have more time to right themselves. Before hitting the target.fast arrows will clearly show timing and tuning issues more pronounced when shooting at plus or minus 20 meter.

[artcher1]

It has to do with what the arrow feels when the limbs hit home. You get a softer send-off of the arrow vs one that's hammered. Howard Hill even suggested you build a little string follow into your bows. And the man made a living out of hitting his mark.

Sure, most bows are inherently accurate, question is, can you shoot them accurately ........Art

[Traxx]

Sure, most bows are inherently accurate, question is, can you shoot them accurately

Thats it,in a nutshell,right there.

When the focus of bows became raw speed alone,SF was denigrated by many as unacceptable to a good bow.There have been a few holdouts,concerning having SF in a bow and seeing it as a positive attribute,to a straight limbed longbow.In fact,the FG laminated bow guys have recently stated to Realize this and you are seeing many incorporate it into their design now,with a strong following by guys who have shot the faster designed models previously,so...

You are not alone,in this way of thinking.

 

[bow101]

A bow is inherently accurate. It does the same thing over an over if you do your part. It is the nut behind the string that makes them less accurate. 
 No matter how a bow shoots, if you learn the trajectory of the arrow you can be accurate no matter if your bow has set, only shoots 130fps or whatever.

As allways you make sense Pat.  I often heard from the old timers say that;  its not the tool in your hand that makes a good mechanic but the guy using it.  I read an article in a bow mag. that proved using a $200.00 bow vs. a $1,200 bow made no difference in accuracy. 

[H Rhodes]

It has to do with what the arrow feels when the limbs hit home. You get a softer send-off of the arrow vs one that's hammered. Howard Hill even suggested you build a little string follow into your bows. And the man made a living out of hitting his mark.

Sure, most bows are inherently accurate, question is, can you shoot them accurately ........Art

I think artcher1 touched on what is forming your opinion.  That softer send off from a bow with a little string follow probably lends itself to better accuracy for most folks.  My most accurate bows seem to have a little string follow -  an inch or inch and half...  Past that, and performance suffers too much for my taste.  I make mine to hunt with, so a quiet shooting, accurate bow is what I am looking for.  If I were a flight shooter or heavy into how fast I can make it shoot, I think I would be more focused on keeping all the reflex I could.   

[wood_bandit 99]

All stated so dar has been true or at least partially. I find just a little  stringfollow makes the bow more forgiving, like a recurve vs a longbow, the long bow is easier and more accurate to shoot than is a recurve. So the stringfollow vs flat vs reflex may just make the bow a little more forgiving the more stringfollow it has up until a point. By forgiving, I mean accuracy but a skilled person with a less forgiving bow can usually out shoot a poorly skilled person with a highly forgiving bow. So basically, old uncle bob from down the street can shoot just as good as Mary Jane from Kansas  but Bob doesn't practice with his forgiving bow and jane practices a bunch with her highly unforgiving bow.

[Onebowonder]

Sorry guys - did not mean to orphan my own thread!  Thanx for your thoughtful responses.

I did a little practice on my day off for New Year's Day and I may have found something interesting.  I put a piece of masking tape on my arrows so that I could make sure I was drawing the same length on each bow.  I have short arms, so just 26 inches of draw.  Well, that's what I thought anyway!  Apparently, on my older bows that have taken a bit of set, I am overdrawing them to about 27.5 inches, ...which is more than I knew I could do!!!  I'm using the same anchor point, so I don't know what could be that different unless my bow arm is more straight.  My newer bows are about 10 pounds heavier in draw weight too, ...but that has never made much difference to me.

All of this tells me that I really need to spend some more time in practice if I ever hope to get any good/accurate.

OneBow

[dbb]

Imho the feel is the important thing.
Alittle stringfollow makes for a softer feeling and less handshock.
That makes a bow comfortable and you relax and shoot better.

If you build a bow with NO follow and NO handshock i bet it is better!
still comfortable and better performance
Its just easier to build with a bit of follow, atleast for me..

[adb]

A little bit (<2") of set is actually a good thing. You know the limbs aren't excessively massive or overbuilt, and a bow with a bit of set feels sweeter in the hand and is a bit more forgiving to shoot. A bow that feels better, will likely shoot better, all else equal. However, like Pat said: it's the nut behind the string that makes a bow inaccurate!