Nocks

Nocks

That little plastic piece on the back of your arrow that clips onto your bowstring? That’s the nock. Seems minor until one breaks mid-hunt or you realize your arrows keep falling off the string because the fit is wrong.

Nock fit is weirdly critical. Too loose and your arrow can fall off while you’re at full draw – ask me how I know. Too tight and you get inconsistent releases because the string has to rip the nock off instead of letting the arrow fly clean. The correct fit is when you can hang the arrow from the string and it stays, but drops off with a light tap. That’s it. That’s the test.

Sizes vary by arrow shaft – you need nocks that match your shaft’s inside diameter. G nocks, H nocks, X nocks, GT nocks – the letters correspond to specific shaft sizes. Check your arrow manufacturer’s specs or just bring an arrow to the shop and test fit.

Lighted nocks have a little LED that turns on when you shoot. Game changer for tracking arrow flight and finding your arrow after the shot, especially in low light. They cost more and the batteries eventually die, but watching that lit nock tell you exactly where your arrow hit is worth it. Some 3D ranges and tournaments don’t allow them – check the rules first.

Colors matter for visibility. Bright nocks help you see your arrows in targets. Some hunters prefer dark nocks so deer don’t catch movement at full draw. White and orange are most common.

Nocks wear out. Cracks, chips, or loose fit means replace them. Keep spares in your pack. They’re cheap and swapping a bad nock takes 30 seconds with a lighter or nock pliers.

Press-fit nocks just push onto the shaft. Outsert nocks thread into an aluminum collar and give you adjustability for tuning. Most hunting arrows use standard press-fit.

Buy a dozen that fit your arrows. You’ll need them eventually.