The Beginner's Guide to Setting Up Your First Compound Bow

Welcome to the club.

You’ve just unboxed your first compound bow. It’s an exciting moment—holding this piece of modern engineering in your hands. But let’s be honest, after the initial excitement, a wave of intimidation can set in. You’re looking at a complex system of cams, cables, and screws, and the included manual might be… well, a bit brief.

You’re probably asking: “How do I make this my bow? How do I adjust it to fit me? And how do I do it without breaking it?”

You are in the right place. This isn’t a review or a sales pitch. This is the mentor’s guide we all wish we had when we started. We’re going to walk through the two most critical “out-of-the-box” adjustments every new archer must perform: Draw Weight and Draw Length.

And we’ll start with the most important rule in all of archery.

The Golden Rule: Safety First

Before we touch a single screw, let’s establish the cardinal sin of archery: DO NOT DRY FIRE YOUR BOW.

Dry firing is shooting the bow without an arrow. All that incredible power the bow stores has nowhere to go except back into the bow itself. This will, at best, destroy your strings and, at worst, cause the limbs to splinter and the cams to shatter, turning your new bow into a very expensive paperweight and a serious safety hazard.

Always have an arrow nocked when you pull the string back. Always.

With that out of the way, let’s get you set up.

Part 1: The “Big Two” Adjustments for a Perfect Fit

A new compound bow is like a new suit—it looks great off the rack, but it’s useless until it’s tailored to you. This tailoring comes down to two key numbers.

1. Adjusting Your Draw Weight

What it is: This is the amount of force, in pounds, required to pull the string to its full draw. A bow like the Lanneret P10 is a great example of a beginner-friendly design, as its draw weight can be adjusted from a manageable 30 lbs all the way up to 70 lbs.

Why you should start low: Do not try to be a hero. Your goal is not to start at 70 lbs. Your goal is to learn proper form, and you can’t do that if you’re shaking, struggling, and developing bad habits. Start at 30 or 40 lbs. You’ll build muscle quickly, and you can increase the weight as you get stronger.

How to Adjust it:
1. Locate the Limb Bolts: Look at where the limbs (the flexible “arms” of the bow) connect to the central riser (the handle). You will see a large bolt on the top and one on the bottom. These are the limb bolts.
2. Use an Allen Wrench: To decrease the weight, you will turn these bolts counter-clockwise. To increase the weight, you turn them clockwise.
3. The Critical Rule: Keep it Even. You must adjust the bolts in equal amounts. If you turn the top bolt one full rotation counter-clockwise, you must immediately do one full rotation on the bottom bolt. Keeping them balanced is essential for the bow’s timing and health.
4. Know Your Limits: Most bows have a maximum number of turns you can back out the bolts (e.g., 5-7 turns). Never unscrew them so far that the limb pocket becomes loose. Check your manufacturer’s manual for this specific limit.

2. Setting Your Draw Length (The Part That Confuses Everyone)

This is, without a doubt, the most important adjustment for accuracy, and the one that stumps beginners most.

What it is: Draw length is not how far you can pull the string back. It’s a specific measurement, unique to your body, that dictates the perfect distance from the bow’s grip to your anchor point (the spot on your face you touch the string to every time).

Why it’s critical: An incorrect draw length means you’ll never be consistent. Too long, and you’ll be leaning back. Too short, and you’ll be cramped. Both wreck your form and your accuracy.

Step A: Find Your Draw Length
There’s a simple, reliable way to get a great starting point.
1. Stand and spread your arms out to your sides (like a “T”).
2. Have a friend measure your wingspan in inches, from the tip of one middle finger to the other.
3. Take that number and divide it by 2.5.

Example: Your wingspan is 70 inches.
$70 / 2.5 = 28$
Your starting draw length is 28 inches.

Step B: Adjust the Bow to Match You
This is where modern bows shine. On older bows, you needed a giant, expensive tool called a bow press. On many new models, including the Lanneret P10, the adjustment is built right into the cam system.

1. Look at the Cam: The cam is the “wheel” at the end of the limb. It’s the bow’s engine.
2. Find the Module: You will see a smaller plate, or “module,” screwed onto the cam. This module will have a series of numbers printed on it (e.g., 25.4, 26, 27, 28… 32).
3. Find the “Draw Length” Screws: There will be two or more small screws holding this module in place. On the Lanneret P10, these are clearly visible on the cam.
4. The Process:
   • Using an Allen wrench, loosen (do not remove) the screws holding the module.
   • Rotate the module until the indicator mark or arrow lines up with your draw length number (e.g., “28”).
   • Tighten the screws firmly.
   • IMPORTANT: Go to the other cam (top or bottom) and do the exact same thing. The modules on both cams must be set to the identical number.

You’ve just done something that used to require a trip to a pro shop. You’ve tailored the bow to your precise body dimensions.

Part 2: Understanding Your Bow’s “Engine”

Now that you’ve physically adjusted the cams, let’s take 60 seconds to understand what you just did.

The cam system is the “magic” of a compound bow. It’s a system of levers that do two things:
1. Store Energy: They store massive potential energy, which is why a compound bow is so much faster and more powerful than a traditional bow.
2. Provide “Let-Off”: This is the feature you’ll love most. “Let-off” (the P10 has a 75% let-off) means that while the peak weight might be 60 lbs, once you pull past a certain point, the cams “break over,” and you are suddenly only holding 25% of that weight (just 15 lbs!). This is what allows you to hold the bow at full draw, aim calmly, and make a precise shot.

What are “Timing Marks”?
You may hear advanced archers talk about “timing.” This simply means ensuring the two cams (top and bottom) roll over at the exact same moment.

On your cam, near where the cable tracks, you might see small indentations or “timing marks.” When the bow is at rest, the cable should pass directly through these marks. If one is off, the timing is out, and it can affect your shot. For a beginner, simply being aware of these marks is enough. If your accuracy seems wildly inconsistent, this is one of the first things a pro shop will check.

Part 3: Bolting on the Essentials

Your bow is now adjusted, but it’s “bare.” The “archery set” part of your purchase includes the accessories you need to actually shoot.

• The Sight: This bolts onto the side of the riser. The pins (often 3, 4, or 5) are your aiming points. As a beginner, just focus on the top pin. You’ll “sight it in” by setting your top pin for 20 yards.
• The Arrow Rest: This is where your arrow sits. It might be a “Whisker Biscuit” (a ring of bristles) or a “drop-away” rest. It bolts onto the riser just above the grip. The goal is to have the arrow line up perfectly with the center of your bowstring.
• The Peep Sight & D-Loop: These should already be installed on your bowstring. The Peep Sight is the little plastic circle you look through, aligning it with your main sight. The D-Loop is the small cord loop where you will attach your mechanical release. Never pull a modern compound bow string with your fingers. Always use a mechanical release.

Your Journey Starts Now

Take a step back. That object in your hands is no longer an intimidating box of parts. You’ve set the power (draw weight) and you’ve tailored the fit (draw length). You’ve inspected its engine (the cams) and bolted on its dashboard (the sight and rest).

You now understand your equipment better than 90% of people who buy a bow and give up.

The Lanneret P10, or any modern beginner bow, isn’t just a tool for hunting or target practice. It’s a tool for learning—a highly adjustable platform that’s designed to grow with you. You’ve just completed the first, and most important, lesson.

Now, grab some arrows, find a safe place to shoot, and get to work on lesson two: practice.