It’s your day off and a bright sunny day as well. You feel like shooting some open-air targets. And you’re all prepared with your bow and arrows. But all of your arrows flying here and there.
So, you’re wondering what’s the deal, and why do arrow fly sideways, right?
Using the wrong arrow or the unaligned limbs and screws can cause constant off-target shooting. Your shooting form and sight have to be proper for hitting on target. Moreover, leaned cam can make you frustrated by flying your arrows right, left, above, or even below.
To make your shot perfect, read the article because it comes up with the solution for each reason. It provides you with the drill that will greatly improve your accuracy.
The Common Reasons and Solutions: A Quick Overview
The arrow can fly sideways for a number of reasons. It would be useful to have a brief glance at the causes and solutions before moving on to the in-depth examination of them.
| Reasons | Solutions |
| Using the wrong arrow | Feather vaned arrows |
| String is deflected | Draw the string properly |
| Bow’s parts unaligned | Adjust limbs and screws |
| Sight isn’t stable | Adjusting the sight |
| Improper shooting form | Relax the grip from the elbow |
| Cam may be leaning | Aligned the cam with string |
| Canting the bow | Use a sight |
Flying arrows sideways is absolutely annoying. So, understanding the causes and solutions in detail will help you to avoid a lot of hassle in the long run.
Reason 1: Using the Wrong Arrow
Maybe the arrow you’re using isn’t rigid enough and it is one of the biggest reasons to fly sideways your arrows. Also, the arrow may be kind of kicked by the bowstring.
In fact, the arrow “kicks sideways” as a result of the arrow buckling. The arrow sways back and forth as it moves in the direction of the target until it strikes.
Solution:
If you want to shoot straight, ensure that you’re shooting with feather-vaned arrows. It may seem a matter of concern if you’re not ready to spend some extra money on the arrow.
So, I’ll suggest using a whisker biscuit arrow rest that is capable enough to shoot perfectly. Also, go for the one with less diameter if you’re confused about the 4mm or 5mm arrow.
Reason 2: String Is Deflected
Your arrow can fly sideways for deflecting the string from the fingers while liberating the arrow. This will also result in sideways string movement if you apply any sideways stress to the string with your releasing aid.
Solution:
To fix this issue, take great care to draw the string completely away from the target and not even slightly to the side.
Normally, stronger bows require arrows that are stiffer and have more spine since the bow’s acceleration will have a far larger bending effect on the arrow. The arrow will excessively distort if there is an insufficient dynamic spine. It could possibly crack.
In order to suit the arrow stiffness to the bow, this is necessary.
Reason 3: Bow’s Parts Unaligned
Unaligned bow is a great cause for not shooting a straight arrow. Maybe the limbs of your bow are out of line up. This is highly responsible to make sideways flying.
To get rid of this issue, you need to focus on some special ways.
Solution:
You need to know how to align your bow limbs if they are not in proper alignment. To achieve proper alignment, adjustment screws are typically available. However, each bow varies slightly.
You can paper-tune the bow to adjust unaligned parts. With this technique, you shoot an arrow through a piece of stable paper to determine what alterations are necessary.
Also, you can go for walk back tune. It especially looks for horizontal alterations.
Reason 4: Sight Isn’t Stable
If your sight is moving, you’ll absolutely suffer from arrow drifting issues. Normally this happens when your sight’s screws are not tight enough.
Older bows are more prone to have loose screws because the modifications you make over time cause the screw holes to deteriorate with time. In a brand-new bow, it is less likely to occur. But if the bow was not built properly, it might happen.
Solution:
You can easily fix this issue by using Blue Loctite which holds the screws tightly in their place. Remember one thing that never ever use red variety. Otherwise, you won’t ever be able to correct your sight once more.
Reason 5: Improper Shooting Form
To achieve the maximum best result from the shooting, you have to confirm the right form of shooting. When drawing, the bow will snap back if you hold it in a position that causes it to turn against the pressure in your hand.
In fact, shooting in the wrong form can cause your arrow to wobble in flight. You should always find the proper shooting form otherwise you’ll be ending with sideways flying.
Solution:
You’ll never gonna have a successful shooting segment without fixing your shooting form. The sideways tear can frequently be eliminated by altering your grip (pressing straight at the target with a consciously relaxed hand).
Also, ensure that your string elbow is not at all pilled behind you and is facing straight away from the target. At full draw, sideways string movement and sideways arrow flight will result from any sideways pressure being applied to the string.
Reason 6: Cam May Be Leaning
The arrow cam is a very essential part of shooting. If everything is perfect but the problem lies with the cam then arrows fly sideways. Especially, cam leaning is responsible for arrows flying sideways.
Well, don’t get upset, here I’ve provided with you a fix so that you can have a proper and perfect archery portion.
Solution:
To ensure that the string doesn’t move sideways, the cam must be exactly aligned with the string. So, simply sight down the string to check that the cams are lined up. If not, there are occasionally some fixes you can make.
The best course of action is to take it to a reputable pro shop and ask them for advice. I’m aware of what to do. But it needs technical knowledge and goes beyond the scope of this brief.
Reason 7: Canting the Bow
The arrow’s path is altered by canting the bow. The arrow will miss the intended target if your bow is even slightly canted unintentionally.
Solution:
You might only need to be conscious of what you are doing to stop this. Use a sight with a level if you can. Whether you keep an eye on the level, it will be obvious if you are canting the bow
As an alternative, you can shoot yourself on video while carefully watching for any movement in your bow that might indicate you’re bending it.
In fact, there is always something you can do it stop drift from spoiling your shot, regardless of whether the cause is something you’re doing a problem with the bow or external factors like the wind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What happens if your arrows are too long?
Shooting an excessively long arrow will result in a heavier, slower-flying arrow due to the greater shaft weight. Also, it may be necessary to switch to an even heavier, stiffer arrow spine due to the increased length.
Do shorter arrows fly better?
Shorter arrows fly quickly due to their lightweight. Also, they tend to be stiffer than the long arrows. In fact, a shorter arrow flexes less, aiding in increased speed and range.
What weight arrow should I shoot?
Arrow weight depends on the draw weight you’re comfortable with. An ideal arrow should have 5 grains per pound of draw weight. So, if your bow has 70 lbs of draw weight, you should use arrows weighing 350 grains.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found out why do arrow fly sideways throughout the discussion above.
Hunting depends on successful arrow shooting. Once you point and remove the reason for sideways flying, you can enjoy shooting properly.
Have a great day and good luck with the shooting.
