I have 2 different bows that shoot the same left and right, but shoot a significant difference in height.
Like at 15 yards, one bow will shoot around 8 or so inches low. I can shoot it a few shots and mentally make the adjustment, but it naturally shoots a lot lower than my other bows.
Is it the shelf height? any thoughts?
Yep that can happen. A different tiller, a bow with a one limb heavier than the other, glue lines not equal. Maybe that is why one bow people can outshoot a lot of many bow people.
Id take a stab at it being a different sight picture or possibly ergonomics of the other bow. a lot of little factors can make big changes (i.e. grip angle, shelf distance below the eye, etc)
I had this variation experience with nock height.
For me it was nock too high resulting in lower impact point.
F-Manny
I have this issue with a Hoyt Buffalo. No matter what changes I make to the bow, tiller or nock height whatever, it just shoots higher than the other two bows in my signature below.
Size of sight window.
I think tiller and grip type play a significant role.
Are you shooting off the shelf with both bows, or do you have a rest on one? Different limb architecture, arrow weight, and speed?
both are shot off the shelf, and the one that shoots lower is made by one of the worst bowyers I know... myself.. haha.
It used to be all I had so it was all i shot. Now that I have "upgraded", it's always a big adjustment going back to it.
Not uncommon for bows to shoot different .
I have two bows that shoot exactly the same , and both of them are my go to bows for hunting .
Arrow speed plays a major role in trajectory. I'm betting the one shoots a lot slower than the other
Back in the early 70 I had two identical weight limbs for my Bear takedown. They were not the same. I know I did not have them mixed because one set was white and the other black, they required a different knocking point setting. The white set required a higher nocking point and shot faster, but they would not tolerate any kind of nocking point lower than what looked way to high to me. I put them on a middle riser that had an elevated arrow rest and they were perfect. They just didn't like the short riser and shooting off of the shelf.
Are they the same draw weight and design? Either could account for a large difference in vertical impact. Of course, arrow shelf height above the hand and nocking point can also affect impact, as others have already pointed out.
For me, low wrist will impact higher than high wrist, and visa-versa.
Yup for me switching my bows it's the grip style that make me make adjustments. I shoot instinctively so it takes about 5-10 arrows and I'm dialed right in. But like Graps said I also use my 2 how's that are the most similar for my main hunting bows.
If you use gap aiming, yes. All the little differences between bow's grip type will alter the result.
I see no difference when I shoot two bows with their matched arrows while instinctive - maybe because I use them often, even in tandem in same session sometimes.