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Main Boards => The Shooters FORM Board => Topic started by: toot on October 20, 2008, 06:30:00 PM

Title: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: toot on October 20, 2008, 06:30:00 PM
Selling my Compounds and having a recurve built.. Trying to learn, and read up here..

 So, do most shoot off a felt covered shelf, or off a little rest??

Thanks, and hi...
  :campfire:  
toot
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: buckeye_hunter on October 20, 2008, 07:21:00 PM
Shelf for me.  Some like a rest though because you can use vanes and they are water proof. I personally like feathers and shooting of the shelf. You can also "water proof" your feathers if you like.

My 2 cents,
Charlie
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: toot on October 20, 2008, 08:04:00 PM
So if I'm gonna shoot vanes, I would want a rest??

Thanks
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: BLACK WOLF on October 20, 2008, 09:54:00 PM
I prefer shooting off the shelf for hunting and slightly prefer using a cushion plunger and elevated rest for target competition if I had a choice.

If I had to pick one...I would pick shooting off the shelf...because I'm primarily a bowhunter and a trick shot...and I can get most bows to shoot just as well off the shelf as I can with an elevated rest.

Ray  ;)
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: BLACK WOLF on October 20, 2008, 09:56:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by toot:
So if I'm gonna shoot vanes, I would want a rest??

Thanks
Preferably...Yes...but if you watch slow motion video of the archer's paradox...you can actually position the cock feather into the shelf at 3 o'clock and it should clear the riser.

Ray  ;)
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: toot on October 20, 2008, 10:09:00 PM
O.K.  Guess I'll experiment.. I'm just picturing the shaft screaming down the shelf, hitting the fletching, and kicking up/down/somewhere..
Toot
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Terry Green on October 21, 2008, 11:07:00 AM
toot, I don't have a clue on the percentages of the community, but an over whelming number of the guys I've hunted with over the years shoot off the shelf.....like over 95%.

Proper brace hieght, nock point, proper arrows etc will keep your fletching from riser contact and your won't have any kick issues.

If you do want to shoot plastic vanes, an elevated rest will likely be best....from what I've 'heard'.  I really don't know cause I've never fooled with vanes or a rest.

Best of luck to ya either way.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: JRY309 on October 21, 2008, 05:42:00 PM
I shoot off the shelf,just seems more traditional to me.And shooting longbows with an elevated rest just doesn't look or seem right to me.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: toot on October 21, 2008, 08:30:00 PM
Well, it sounds like there is absolutely nothing wrong with firing these babies right off the shelf..

Finally got the money from my Oneida sell. Gonna send a guy the money and have him start putting the recurve together..

It's gonna resemble this green/black one here on page 3.  The limbs will be a little different though..
 http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=628251&page=3

The guy lives in Arizona.. His stuff his called, "Zona Bows."
 I am wayyyyy jazzed about this.

Thanks for the responces, and save me a seat. I'm gonna crowd in on you guys now..

Toot
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Friends call me Pac on October 21, 2008, 10:08:00 PM
I use a rest on my recurve.  I think it is called a flipper style rest. My bow has a hole predrilled into it for a rest so I put one on it when I started shooting my recurve.  I like mine.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Bowferd on October 21, 2008, 10:13:00 PM
I've switched to feather rest from Trap on my older model recurves. Shoot off the shelf on my longbows and my new to me Kodiak II double shelf and my Ghost.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Gehrke145 on October 21, 2008, 10:15:00 PM
I shoot a NAP 750 rest on my titans and shoot vanes.  I dont see myself changing its easy to tune, and quite.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Paul WA on November 08, 2008, 12:29:00 PM
I shoot off the shelf but my brother swears by the Hoyt pro rest, if you can find one...PR
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: freefeet on November 08, 2008, 01:25:00 PM
I borrowed a bow for my first lesson and that had a rest.  I then bought a Martin X200 and decided to try shooting it off the shelf and found i much prefer shooting it that way - it's far less fiddly in the hands and more importantly there's nothing to break.  

I think shooting off the shelf looks cool as well, so maybe there's a just a tiny hint of an ego trip thing in my thoughts.     :D
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: McDave on November 08, 2008, 05:19:00 PM
Whichever way you decide to go - shelf or rest, mention it to your bowyer.  He might tiller the bow slightly differently, or he might say the bow will work fine either way.  But I've had bows that don't work fine either way.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: MI_Bowhunter on November 08, 2008, 08:56:00 PM
I now shoot all of my recurves off of a rest.  I just feel the rest is a little more forgiving.

I continue to shoot my longbows off of the shelf.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Toklat1 on November 08, 2008, 10:54:00 PM
I shoot off of the shelf and use feather fletching!
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: toot on November 09, 2008, 04:40:00 AM
Boy......  

Thanks, people...

Toot
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: smokin joe on November 09, 2008, 08:32:00 AM
Shelf -- the Bear hair rest -- feathers on all of my arrows. I like to keep it simple.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: SteveB on November 09, 2008, 05:24:00 PM
Rest only.

Steve
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Stan the bow man on November 09, 2008, 10:47:00 PM
SHELF FOR ME 20 YEARS
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: strcpy on November 10, 2008, 12:12:00 AM
First off - if you are competing - read your class description and you may get your answer there. Generally speaking a rest - especially a flipper and plunger - is WAY more forgiving. They are also very fine tunable. I know I pick up 10 points or so on an NFAA indoor target with one. Though in many cases competitive venues that allow elevated rests allow modern riser/limbs (carbon, foam, aluminum, etc) so you aren't going to be competitive anyway. Though some traditional shoots will allow an elevated rest.

When I'm hunting or shooting for fun I shoot off the shelf. I like the simplicity of it - nothing to worry about coming out of adjustment, get hung on vines, or need a tool to handle those situations. Off the shelf also tends to be easier to shoot in all sorts of contorted positions (when we play "follow the leader" once the shelf shooters get to choose it's easy to make it rough on the guys with rests). For me I like shooting from odd positions when shooting 3-D and the local traditional shoots do too.

So in short, for competition shoot the most forgiving and consistent thing you are allowed. For fun (be it at a tournament or on your own) - well none of us can answer that for you.
Title: Re: Do Most shoot off shelf ?
Post by: Encino Man on November 12, 2008, 04:49:00 PM
I shoot off of the shelf. My only thought is this. Simplicity is always best. I have seen hunts ruined because of a broken or lost rest.