bareshaft

Bareshaft refers to a type of arrow that lacks any fletching or nocks. In its simplest form, it is just a straight rod, often made of wood, bamboo, or more modern materials like carbon or aluminum. Historically, bareshafts were used by archers who would manually attach fletching and nocks to them before shooting. This allowed for customization and experimentation with different materials and designs.

The term can also be used in a more specialized context to describe a practice or test of shooting arrows without fletching to assess their straightness and consistency. A truly straight arrow, when bareshaft, should fly predictably and group tightly, even without the stabilizing influence of vanes or feathers. This bareshaft tuning is a crucial step for many archers seeking optimal arrow flight and accuracy, as it helps identify any inherent flaws in the arrow shaft itself or in the archer's release. If abareshaft arrow flies erratically compared to a fletched arrow shot under the same conditions, it often indicates a tuning issue with the bow or a problem with the arrow's straightness.