recurve design shelf or rest?

[whittler01]

Does it matter if a recurve is shot off the shelf or off a rest?  I read an opinion that a particular recurve bow I am interested in due to cost considerations is unsuitable because it is not designed to be shot off the shelf.  Reviewer stated that an individual might just as well buy a compound bow and all the 'stuff' that goes with em.  I'm scratchin my head.

[JC]

In my opinion, you can make any bow shoot "off the shelf"...you just may have to build the shelf up some. I've got an old Browning Cobra with a shelf as flat as a pancake...shoots like heck off that flat surface. Put a small 1/4" piece of leather on the shelf surface so it was the only contact point the arrow would have (directly over the deepest part of the grip) and voila...shoots great off the shelf.

It's true some bows of yesteryear were built to be used with a rest. A rest is certainly a cheap and easy alternative, but don't give up on making them work off the shelf. It certainly can be done.

Good luck!

[Tom A]

I would just get a plastic stick on rest and be done with it.

Just ignore any ignorant people that tell you that you might as well buy a compound. You can probably make it shoot off the shelf but it could be a big pain. And you can get better fletching clearance with a rest anyways.

It took me months of messing with the last bow I converted to shoot of the shelf before I had it shooting like I wanted. I only did this for 3D competiton purposes. If not for the rules I would be shooting it off the arrow rest.