Modern archery equipment has many advancements and gear that help to increase things like speed and efficiency. While some of these things are complex, others like the D-loop, are very simple but make a giant difference. Let’s go over everything that you need to know about the archery D-loop!

What Is A D-Loop?

A D-loop is a small piece of material that attaches to your bowstring and provides you with a connection point for a mechanical release aid. Most D-loops are made out of a cord and attach to the bowstring above and below your arrow’s nock. D-loops serve an important role in allowing you to use a release aid without attaching it directly to the bowstring..

Benefits Of A D-Loop

So why would you need to use a D-loop anyways? D-loops serve many functions and provide a large number of benefits to the shooter. First, they give you much greater arrow consistency. Because the arrow nock is supported above and below thanks to the D-loop, you get a consistent nocking point every single time. With support above and below, the nock of the arrow will not slide along the bowstring.

Another added benefit of a D-loop is the forgiveness that they provide during the shot. D-loops are usually made of a flexible cord. This material helps to reduce the transfer of mistakes that can be made due to poor archery form.

One of the biggest advantages of D-loops, however, is that they protect your bowstring and increase the life and longevity that you will get out of it. Since you are not attaching your release directly onto the bowstring and onto the D-loop, you won’t prematurely wear out the string. D-loops are much easier to replace and cost significantly less than a bowstring.

Lastly, a simple D-loop allows you to let down your draw without worrying about your arrow coming off of the string. Without a D-loop, any time you let down from full draw, the arrow will come off the bowstring and no longer be nocked. While this may seem like a huge deal, for many shooters this tiny detail could be very important and is something to consider.

Tools You Need To Tie A D-Loop

In order to properly tie and install a D-loop, you will need to assemble a few simple tools together. Some of these you most likely have sitting around your house or garage, while others are a little more specialized and may require a quick trip to an archery shop to purchase.

D-Loop Cord (#24 Rope)

The most commonly used material and the choice of experts for a D-loop is #24 stiff braided polyester rope. This D-loop material is extremely durable, easy to find, inexpensive, and burns consistently for proper installation. D-loop material is generally sold by the foot, allowing you to have plenty of extra on hand for future replacements.

Lighter

You will need a simple lighter in order to carefully melt the ends of the D-loop material. This will prevent the ends from fraying and destroying the integrity of the rope. Any kind of lighter or heat source will work, but a smaller lighter tends to work the best. You will need this to properly prepare both ends of your D-loop material before installing it.

Bow Square/T-Square

One of the tools that you may need to purchase online or at a bow shop for future archery projects is a bow square. Also known as a T-square, this simple tool helps you to keep everything properly squared and lined up as you are working. This tool clips onto the bowstring and can be used for other things in addition to helping install a D-loop such as measuring brace height.

Scissors

A simple pair of scissors are necessary to cut the exact length of cord you need to tie your D-loop. These can be of any shape or size, just ensure that they are sharp! This will prevent the ends of your D-loop material from becoming too frayed and make the lighter’s job much easier.

Pliers

A pair of pliers will help you to properly tie and place your D-loop onto your bowstring. For this purpose, there are specialty D-loop pliers that are made to help with this task. These pliers have special notches that help secure the material as you are creating the D-loop knots as well as tightening the knots against the string. While these can be picked up at any archery shop, you can also use a regular pair of needle nose pliers as well if that is all you have.

How To Tie A D-Loop

Once you have all of the basic items, you can begin to tie and install your new D-loop. Luckily, the process is very simple and after a little bit of practice, you will be a master at installing your own D-loop in no time!

Step 1: Find the Proper Nocking Point with the Bow Square.

Take the bow square and clip it onto your bowstring. Use the bow square to line up where your arrow will go and place it on the Berger hole. Cut the Berger hole in half and mark an ⅛ inch high of the location given by the bow square with a marker. The Berger hole is the hole above the arrow shelf on a compound bow that the arrow rest is screwed into. It is common practice to have the arrow centered on the center of the Berger hole in most cases.

Step 2: Cut and Prepare the Proper Length of the D-Loop Cord

Next, cut the right length of cord and prepare it for installation. Cut a length of around eight centimeters (roughly 3 to 4 inches) to start with. This length can and does vary from shooter to shooter. This depends on your release aid design, nock lengths, and personal preferences with your shooting style.

Once cut, you will then need the lighter to burn the ends and prevent them from fraying. Place the flame near the end of the cord until it catches fire. As soon as it does, blow out the flame and quickly press this heated end of the cord onto a flat surface. Make sure that this surface is non-flammable as well. By doing this, you should see a mushroom shape forming at the end of the cord. Repeat this process for the other end as well.

Step 3: Tie in the First Knot

Now it is time to start tying the D-loop. Double the rope material over and place the entire thing under the bowstring. Thread both loose ends back through the loop that you made and pull one up so that it tightens on itself. This should produce a tight and neat cinch knot with one end of the D-loop material. Tighten the knot so that the burned end of the material is flush with the knot and doesn’t slip through.

Step 4: Tie Another Knot on the Opposite End of the Material

Taking the loose end of your D-loop material, fold it over the bowstring and repeat step 3 with the other end. This end knot should end up facing the opposite direction from the first knot, as this will help strengthen the integrity of the knot and keep it from slipping. It also helps the knots to tighten themselves when pressure is applied. Again, position the end of the material (which should be ball or mushroom-shaped) so that it doesn’t slip through the knot and provides strength.

Step 5: Position the D-Loop and Tighten

Before fully tightening the D-loop, ensure that it is in the proper position for your archery setup. You can even test it out with an arrow and your arrow rest. Before it is tightened, you should be able to slide the D-loop up or down to get it exactly where you need it to be. During this step, you can also double-check your positioning with your bow square to ensure correct positioning. Once you are happy with where it is at, you can tighten the D-loop on the bowstring.

To do this, use the pliers (either the specialty pliers or needle-nose pliers) inside of the D-loop and extend them to stretch and tighten the D-loop. Make sure that it is as tight as you can get it! Ensure that the melted ends are seated well and that there is no other slack anywhere in the material or in the knots.

Step 6: Test the D-Loop and Adjust As Necessary

Once you have the D-loop completely installed, you are ready to give it a test run! Pull back on it with some force to ensure it can hold some weight. During your first few initial shots, it is a good idea to keep the D-loop away from your face. It is during this step that you should test out the placement and length of your D-loop as well. If it needs it, you will need to go back to a previous step in order to make adjustments. Be warned, however, as it is extremely hard to adjust a D-loop once it has been completely tightened! It is far better to ensure you have it right before tightening with a pair of pliers and test shooting.

Final Thoughts

The D-loop is a small but vital piece of equipment on your bow setup. While it is small and often overlooked, it plays an important role. Without one, you will notice a giant difference in accuracy and bowstring longevity. With just a few simple tools and a little bit of practice, you will never have to pay someone to install and tie a new D-loop ever again!