# Why I love Hybrid cams....Here are some tips too.



## Kris87 (Jan 24, 2014)

I could write a lengthy post on all the reasons I love hybrid cam bows, but I will try and make it short.  Most here have seen Alligood's hot red PSE Dominator he just got.  I looked at it last weekend at a shoot, and it didn't look right to me.  He swore to me it was shooting a bullet hole through paper, but we wanted to do some fine tuning on it.  We got together today, David shot it, and sure enough, perfect bullet hole through paper.  The bow had some cam lean at brace, not much, which I thought was odd for a shoot through bow, and the rest tuned way left of center.  

The beauty of a hybrid cam bow is you can tune one at different rest positions using the yokes to adjust to different variables such as arrow spine, point weight, release type, facial pressure, etc...So we moved the rest back to center, straight down the string track, and I removed all of the cam lean out of the bow(realize here that I do not always think cam lean is a bad thing, when its minimal).  We went back to paper, and boom, perfect bullet hole again.  By moving the rest, and changing the position of the top axle with the yokes, the bow is tuning dead down the middle with no cam lean....as it should be on that particular bow.  

My hunting bows that are non-shoot through systems will not tune the same as what we did above.  They generally have a little bit of cam lean at brace, and they move to a straighter position at full draw as the load is transferred from the string to the cables during the draw cycle.  Because the cables are pulled to the right(on a right handed bow), this generally pulls down the right side of the axle at full draw.  That's why the lean at brace is required to counteract which way the cam rotates during the draw cycle. 

The same type of adjustments can also be done to affect vertical nock travel as well, but not quite as much.  Hybrid cam bows generally have downward nock movement, unlike dual cam or binary cam bows where the vertical nock travel is straight.  By advancing, or retarding either the top cam or bottom cam, you can influence the vertical travel as well.  For the most part, I like to sync the cams with the top advanced slightly, since there's more pressure on the buss cable than the control cable, this will make the back wall feel firmer.  By advancing the top cam ahead of the bottom, this will also clean up that downward nock movement I mentioned earlier.  If you really wanted to fine tune cam sync, then the next step would be creep tuning.  I generally don't do that much on my hunting setups, but it is definitely something that can help long range vertical grouping.  Its just very time consuming, and I don't think of myself a good enough shot to analyze the results.  

Also, some things of note.  I'm a big fan of shooting a bareshaft at various distances, as well as through paper.  After David left, I thought it would be good to shoot my bows through paper and snap some pics to show you one thing you may see if try tuning yourself.  If you shoot a bareshaft through paper up close(say 5 feet), its imperative you shoot at shoulder height, and not downward to the target.  This can give you a false tear, I've seen it many times.  To illustrate, I did this on two different Hoyts.  

Here's two different bareshaft shots out of my Carbon Element at 5 feet.  You can see the difference the tear made just by aiming 3 inches higher.  I did the same test at 10 feet, and it was identical.  




To make sure it wasn't just this bow, I did the same test with my Spyder 34.  It tore a little more, which told me that this bow might need a little more fine tuning than I've done with it, but the same principle applied.  




Its a long way until hunting season starts, but when you broadhead shooters start flinging arrows this summer, you're shooting a hybrid cam bow and field points and broadheads aren't grouping together...then take a closer look at your tune.  You have one of the most tuneable bows/cam systems made.  Once you understand what all those cables, cams, axles, and rests are supposed to do, and can correct flight issues yourself....then I promise you'll become a better shooter, have more confidence, and be a better bowhunter!!!!!!  Hope everyone enjoyed my little rant.


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## alligood729 (Jan 24, 2014)

Kris has the patience of Job, when working on a bow. Took about 5 shots to get the sight back in line when I got home. It's shooting darts now, if only I can learn to shoot it! lol I need to know more about how my equipment operates rather than depend on someone else. The shop isn't open 24 hrs a day, I plan to keep learning, it's never too late. Everybody could probably stand to learn a little more about the in's and out's of their stuff.....


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## davidhelmly (Jan 24, 2014)

Great post Kris!!


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## MossyCreek (Jan 24, 2014)

Great post Kris and I completely agree with everything you said, as I have done enough tuning and testing now to experience these exact same results.  Gotta love them hybrids!


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## SGaither (Jan 25, 2014)

alligood729 said:


> Kris has the patience of Job, when working on a bow. Took about 5 shots to get the sight back in line when I got home. It's shooting darts now, if only I can learn to shoot it! lol I need to know more about how my equipment operates rather than depend on someone else. The shop isn't open 24 hrs a day, I plan to keep learning, it's never too late. Everybody could probably stand to learn a little more about the in's and out's of their stuff.....



David, keep learning by hanging around Kris, Scott and Steve so I can rely on you


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## alligood729 (Jan 25, 2014)

SGaither said:


> David, keep learning by hanging around Kris, Scott and Steve so I can rely on you



LOL, a press is next on my list! I have never seen a Bowmaster press, like Kris has. It's not really designed to break a bow down, but for string changes, peep install, tuning the yokes or the twisting the string, and changing a draw module, it's simple and easy. Ebay here I come...lol


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## MossyCreek (Jan 25, 2014)

I upgraded my old press when when LCA had them $100 off for archerytalk members on black Friday.


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## Kris87 (Jan 25, 2014)

Tuned Mossycreek's Spyder Turbo to a solid bareshaft bullet hole tonight.  It was the ideal case of tuning to the shooter.  After we got his results close, I shot it, and it shot the prettiest hole you can imagine for me.  Bow needed one more half twist in the upper left yoke, and quarter turn in upper limb bolt for Mossyoak, and it cleaned up perfectly.  Very minimal difference in grip and release, but different nonetheless.  Did I mention I love Hybrid cams? 

Hope you enjoy your bow brother!


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## The Arrow Guru (Jan 25, 2014)

One of the biggest advantages to Hybrid is the reaction to slight changes in the system. Most importantly if you get stretch or creep in the string or cable. In the case of single cam bows, if you start getting stretch in the cable, which is normal to a lot of strings in high heat, the nock point starts creeping up and arrow flight and point of impact changes dramatically. Binary cams are probably the most efficient cams ever created, however if ANYTHING changes in the system the perfect beautiful system goes all crazy. Hybrids can have some stretch or creep and other than the back wall getting a little soft, the system will still work predictably. Point of impact will not change and if it does it is very minimal. I do like the way hybrids work.


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## kevincox (Jan 25, 2014)

I miss having a guy like Chris Cape here locally to help with my OCD with my equipment. LOL


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## MossyCreek (Jan 25, 2014)

Kris87 said:


> Tuned Mossycreek's Spyder Turbo to a solid bareshaft bullet hole tonight.  It was the ideal case of tuning to the shooter.  After we got his results close, I shot it, and it shot the prettiest hole you can imagine for me.  Bow needed one more half twist in the upper left yoke, and quarter turn in upper limb bolt for Mossyoak, and it cleaned up perfectly.  Very minimal difference in grip and release, but different nonetheless.  Did I mention I love Hybrid cams?
> 
> Hope you enjoy your bow brother!



Cant thank you enough man to let me come over and do that with me! You definitely know your stuff. Amazing how a very slight difference in grip makes that much of a difference in the arrow flight. Kris really takes the time to make sure your bow it is exactly how you want it, he's the man.

We will keep in touch man would love to do some huntin or 3d with ya,
Thanks again bro!


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