About the Author: Austin Murphy is a skilled hunter with a passion for archery. With 17+ years of experience, he possesses extensive knowledge of various archery equipment, including compound bow, recurve bow, and crossbow. His expertise in these accessories allows him to pursue his love for archery while honing his hunting skills with precision and finesse. As participant in NFAA and ASA competitions, Austin own around 8 Recurve Bows, 6 Compound Bows, and 2 Crossbows.
If you’re an archer or a hunter owning a compound bow then cam timing is super important for you. Although it’s important, some beginning archers or hunters don’t know what cams even are, or even how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow.
That’s why we are here to walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to adjust cam timing on your compound bow. This will help you further enhance your accuracy and help you utilize its potential a bit more.
Read More: How to Tune a Compound Bow
How to Adjust Cam Timing on a Compound Bow
In order to know how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow, you need to learn that there are two types of bows; single cam and dual cam and we’re here to walk you through a step-by-step guide of both. So without further ado, let’s begin!
Single Cam
Steps to adjust the cam timing of a single-cam compound bow are as follows:
Prepare the Bow for Adjustment
The first step is that you need to adjust your bow for adjustments, make sure that your bow is ready for adjustments and modifications and ensure that there isn’t anything stopping you from doing that properly.
Identify the Timing Marks
You need to identify and know the suitable timing marks on your compound bow. Many Compound Bows come with pre-marked alignments for easy adjustments and ease of use.
Untwist/Twist the Bowstring
Now you need to untwist or twist the bowstring accordingly in order to tune your cam timing. Make sure to untwist or twist slightly to ensure that you don’t mess things up by loosening or tightening it too much.
Read More: How to Adjust the Draw Weight on a Compound Bow
Determine the Desired Timing Position
Remember we talked about pre-marked alignment points, adjust your bowstring or cable according to those to ensure that you get your desired cam timing. You can adjust it according to your likins too but it’s recommended to follow these marks to eliminate chances of any human errors.
Dual Cam
In order to adjust cam timings on a dual-cam compound bow, follow the steps below:
Place Bow in a Bow Press
Firstly, you need to place your bow in a bow press position to remove any tension from the bowstring. This will allow you to have easy access to both of the cams to easily adjust it.
Twist/Untwist the Bowstring
Now you will need to twist or untwist the cable or the bowstring accordingly to tighten or untighten it in order to adjust the cam timing accordingly.
Adjusting the Dual Cam Timing
Now you will need to rotate each cam separately. You will also need to keep your eyes on its movements to ensure that you don’t do anything wrong. You will also need to make sure that you adjust both cams equally so that they are synchronized perfectly.
Re-evaluate Timing
You will now need to check the timings, if they’re now tailored to your liking now, you can stop and enjoy your compound bow with changed cam timings. But as we all know things don’t always go as planned, if they’re not yet good enough, you need to repeat the whole steps and start over until you get your desired cam timing.
Read More: How Long Does a Compound Bow Last?
How to Test Cam Timing
Now that you know how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow, now it’s time for you to test if you followed the steps properly. This step will ensure that your compound bow’s cam timing is adjusted properly and there isn’t any human error.
You might be interested in: Learn the essential steps for tuning a compound bow for accuracy in our guide on Tuning a Compound Bow.
Draw the Bow
The first step you need to do to check or test your newly adjusted cam timing is to draw the bow. It’s important to check it using this method as it can indicate an error. You need to fully draw the bow without an arrow.
Once you’ve done that, you need to carefully observe it and pay special attention to the cam’s rotation and also its alignment.
Observe Cam Movement
Next step is to observe your cam movement carefully. Carefully see how the cam moves and functions. If you notice any fault, contact a professional immediately.
Check for Synchronization
Now you will need to check for synchronization. Both cams should be synchronized or it will cause precision and aiming issues. Adjust your cam accordingly if you notice that the cams aren’t synchronized.
Read More: How Fast is a 50 lb Compound Bow?
How to Adjust Cam Lean
While we’re talking about how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow, adjusting your cam lean can also increase your compound bow’s performance.
If you’re interested in adjusting your cam lean too, make sure to follow the steps provided below:
Gather the Required Tools
If you’re interested in adjusting your cam lean, you need specific tools, make sure to gather the required tools mentioned below before adjusting your cam lean:
- Bow Press
- Allen Wrenches
- Leveling Tool
Prepare the Bow for Adjustment
If you want to make any adjustments to your compound bow, you first need to position it in a certain way where you can make adjustments to it quite easily.
As mentioned above, this position tends to be a pressed position so that your bowstring doesn’t have tension in it.
Locate the Cam Adjusting Screws or Bolts
You will need to find the necessary screws and bolts to adjust your cams. You can find them using the manual that came with your compound bow or consulting a professional.
Measure the Cam Lean
Use your leveling tool to measure the degree of the cam lean to have a better idea of what you’re dealing with. You need to place your leveling tool with the side of the cam to know what adjustment to need to make.
Verify Cam Alignments
Now that you have successfully made the necessary adjustments, you will need to check how you did. You can do that by visually inspecting your compound bow’s cams. The thing you’re looking for is that both cams are parallel and leveled. They should be leveled and parallel to each other.
If you notice that they’re not quite parallel or leveled, you need to make necessary adjustments to ensure that there isn’t anything left behind to hamper your accuracy.
Fine-Tuning and Repeating the Process
If you still notice that there are still some adjustments and improvements to make, adjust your cam lean using the screws and bolts as mentioned earlier. Be sure to use a level to make sure that both cams are parallel and leveled.
Repeat the process until you’re satisfied that it’s finally tuned. If it’s done then congratulations, you have successfully adjusted your cam lean for optimal performance.
Read More: How Much Does It Cost to Tune a Compound Bow?
Tools We Need for Adjusting Cam Timing
If you’re looking at how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow, you will need to have the following tools ready to ensure that you adjust your cam timing properly.
Bow Press
Bow Press is extremely important if you’re looking to make any type of adjustments on your compound bow. Bow press secures your bow in a position where you can easily access the cams and other components.
Bow Press makes the bow available for easy access or adjustments and even relieves the tension of the bowstring.
Allen Wrenches
You will need to have different sizes of allen wrenches available to you in order to properly adjust the nuts and bolts of the cams to adjust them. Allen wrenches can ensure smooth adjustments without stripping or breaking the screws or nuts.
Timing Marks Reference
You will have timing marks reference available to you by your bowstring or by the manual guide provided with your compound bow. These bows can help you make the correct adjustments so you don’t tighten or untighten your bow too much.
Read More: How Much Does It Cost to Tune a Compound Bow?
Level
A level is an extremely important tool when it comes to adjusting your cams or even cam lean. You can use a level to check if both cams are parallel and properly adjusted. This can make sure that your bow provides optimal performance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Questions people frequently asked about how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow are:
What makes a cam more torque?
Cam torque is dependent entirely on its design and configuration. A cam with a larger diameter can generate more torque than a cam with a much lesser diameter.
Does Cam affect RPM?
A cam design contributes a lot to the RPM (rotations per minute) of the cam. If the cam isn’t properly adjusted, it can’t take full advantage of its potential but if it’s properly adjusted, it is fully optimized to take full advantage of its potential and increase the overall RPM.
What happens if cam timing is off?
A compound bow can experience many issues if the cam isn’t properly tuned. A cam is one of the most essential parts of a bow. If the cam timing is off, it can experience decreased performance and accuracy due to uneven power distribution.
What happens if cam timing is advanced?
Adjusting the cam timing to be a bit more advanced can also create accuracy issues. It can increase the speed and the draw length and even the draw weight. These factors can result in a loss of precision and aiming.
Can cam cause a misfire?
The chances of a misfire due to cam adjustment issues are slim. They don’t cause misfires. Misfires are usually caused by other things like faulty bowstring, arrow rests, or even a bad release. So the chances of a misfire due to a faulty cam are pretty low.
Does the cam sensor control timing?
No, the Cam sensor is only used to monitor the data of the cam and provide it to the system. They can’t control the timing as they have to be adjusted manually. These sensors are usually found in some modern compound bows so not even every bow has them.
How do I check my cam duration?
Cam duration means the time taken to complete a full rotation by a cam. It can be measured by using a chronograph. A Chronograph also measures the arrow speed. You can also check it by checking the specs of your compound bow.
How long does a cam Last?
The lifespan of a cam can’t be predicted because it depends on care and maintenance. With Proper care and an ideal environment, it can last up to many years before ever needing a replacement.
You might be interested in: Find out the arrow speed of a 50 lb compound bow and how it affects your shooting.
End Note
Finally! Now you’ve learned about how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow and even the cam lean. We talked about how adjusting your cam timing and lean can help you squeeze the extra bit of performance out of your compound bow. You can do that to take full advantage of the potential of your bow.
We hope you found this article informative and got the information you needed on how to adjust cam timing on a compound bow. Thanks for staying with us!
