Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

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2019 Bulldog 440
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Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by 2019 Bulldog 440 »

I don’t know if anyone knows the answer to my question. So I have a set of airbrakes on my BD440 and I don’t know if there’s a correlation to my accuracy problems. I just replaced my limbs because the right limb had a splinter and had to be replaced. After installing the new limbs I installed the original airbrakes I had on my previous limbs. I installed it the same way and the right pad is not touching the right limb at full draw but the left one is at full draw. I just tried to dial in my crossbow yesterday and without making any adjustments I took a few shots and they were all low and to the right.

The crossbow was “zeroed” before I installed the new limbs, new strings, and original airbrakes. The left airbrake is more flattened than the one on the right. I installed it the same way I installed it before and i had no trouble. As I mentioned the right airbrake is almost not touching the limbs but the left one is at full draw.

Do anyone know if this will effect my accuracy or not? If it does, do I just need to get new airbrakes or what should I do? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks in advance to all those that respond! I’m a noob when it comes to crossbow’s so please excuse my ignorance.
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xcaliber
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by xcaliber »

I have an equal gap on mine when cocked, it is the Axe. I would think accuracy would be affected. Sounds to me like your tiller is out of whack. I would think maybe you have one limb not down in the pocket correctly. I would take it all down again and slowly put it back together checking every detail as you progress.
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by Riflemanz »

If that doesn’t work I’d call Dan Miller if your in the States.
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by flightattendant100 »

Swap limbs, one side to the other and see if it changes too. Worth a shot.
longbow joe
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by longbow joe »

Yea check the tiller first.
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Montana Mark
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by Montana Mark »

Boy, don’t call me an expert. When I put air brakes on my bow, the pads were literally smashed against the limbs while uncocked and cocked. I didn’t like that so I backed off the bolts and adjusted them so that the pads were equal distance from the limbs when cocked. I had no idea if it was a functional thing to do but I liked it better for some reason. Having backed off the bolts, the plastic spacers rattled when I shot the bow so I put a dab of super glue on them to quiet them. Either way, accuracy was the same. The air brakes quiet the bow in my opinion. I mainly bought them along with REDS hoping they (might) protect the limbs from damage. Come to think of it, the guardian antidryfire is the main thing that protects my limbs (cracked my limb accidentally dryfiring).
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by xcaliber »

Montana Mark wrote:
Fri Oct 25, 2019 1:17 am
Boy, don’t call me an expert. When I put air brakes on my bow, the pads were literally smashed against the limbs while uncocked and cocked. I didn’t like that so I backed off the bolts and adjusted them so that the pads were equal distance from the limbs when cocked. I had no idea if it was a functional thing to do but I liked it better for some reason. Having backed off the bolts, the plastic spacers rattled when I shot the bow so I put a dab of super glue on them to quiet them. Either way, accuracy was the same. The air brakes quiet the bow in my opinion. I mainly bought them along with REDS hoping they (might) protect the limbs from damage. Come to think of it, the guardian antidryfire is the main thing that protects my limbs (cracked my limb accidentally dryfiring).
Backing off the bolts is a bad idea in my opinion. I would not do that without consulting Excalibur, or Danny Miller.
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by Bcxbow »

xcaliber wrote:
Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:03 am
Montana Mark wrote:
Fri Oct 25, 2019 1:17 am
Boy, don’t call me an expert. When I put air brakes on my bow, the pads were literally smashed against the limbs while uncocked and cocked. I didn’t like that so I backed off the bolts and adjusted them so that the pads were equal distance from the limbs when cocked. I had no idea if it was a functional thing to do but I liked it better for some reason. Having backed off the bolts, the plastic spacers rattled when I shot the bow so I put a dab of super glue on them to quiet them. Either way, accuracy was the same. The air brakes quiet the bow in my opinion. I mainly bought them along with REDS hoping they (might) protect the limbs from damage. Come to think of it, the guardian antidryfire is the main thing that protects my limbs (cracked my limb accidentally dryfiring).
Backing off the bolts is a bad idea in my opinion. I would not do that without consulting Excalibur, or Danny Miller.
I 100% agree with Dan on this. There is a very high potential for a trip to the dentist at any time when shooting recurve crossbows with the limb bolts not fully tightened.
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Montana Mark
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by Montana Mark »

Bcxbow wrote:
Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:54 am
xcaliber wrote:
Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:03 am
Montana Mark wrote:
Fri Oct 25, 2019 1:17 am
Boy, don’t call me an expert. When I put air brakes on my bow, the pads were literally smashed against the limbs while uncocked and cocked. I didn’t like that so I backed off the bolts and adjusted them so that the pads were equal distance from the limbs when cocked. I had no idea if it was a functional thing to do but I liked it better for some reason. Having backed off the bolts, the plastic spacers rattled when I shot the bow so I put a dab of super glue on them to quiet them. Either way, accuracy was the same. The air brakes quiet the bow in my opinion. I mainly bought them along with REDS hoping they (might) protect the limbs from damage. Come to think of it, the guardian antidryfire is the main thing that protects my limbs (cracked my limb accidentally dryfiring).
Backing off the bolts is a bad idea in my opinion. I would not do that without consulting Excalibur, or Danny Miller.
I 100% agree with Dan on this. There is a very high potential for a trip to the dentist at any time when shooting recurve crossbows with the limb bolts not fully tightened.
Thanks for your concern. Of course I didn’t loosen the large main bolt that attaches the limb to the riser. That is tight with locktight. I backed off the little bolts that hold the strap/bar over the air brake and limb. I figured those could be loosened as Excalibur redesigned the system to put spacers holding the bar off the limbs. Before I backed off the bolts, the airbrake pad was literally smashed (like a pancake) against the limb (both cocked and uncocked). Maybe I shouldn’t have backed them off but I felt like the pads would disintegrate as severely as they were smashed. I also figured the severely compressed pads (even when cocked) would take some of the power out of my limbs. My bow shoots great. I’ve shot it many hundreds of times. My only other alternative is to take them off but I’d feel like I wasted my money. They do seem to quiet the bow and I suspect they protect the limbs. I have it adjusted so that the pads are about a millimeter off the limbs when cocked. They are partly compressed when uncocked.
Last edited by Montana Mark on Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by xcaliber »

Mine have the gap when uncocked. I think you need longer strap bolts, or spacers. Something is not right. You did go in the right direction, but not enough I think.
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Montana Mark
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by Montana Mark »

xcaliber wrote:
Wed Oct 30, 2019 9:09 pm
Mine have the gap when uncocked. I think you need longer strap bolts, or spacers. Something is not right. You did go in the right direction, but not enough I think.
You’re right. When I study pictures of bows with air brakes, there is a noticeable gap. I need longer spacers. The bolts have plenty of length/thread in the riser. Next time I have to order some parts, I’ll inquire about longer spacers.
Matrix Sapphire 325 (forward riser)
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Re: Airbrakes and Accuracy Issues! Help!!!

Post by xcaliber »

Call Danny Miller. 740-483-2312
He'll make sure you have all the correct parts.
If you added them onto the bow, I would take them off until you get the right chit. If you're dead on at 20 / 40 yards after removal, go hunting!
It’s not the way you rock, it’s the way that you roll!
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