String alignment to arrow rest

[Bradford]

I am working on my second bow.  I am now getting to the finishing touches on the riser.  My question is: When making my arrow rest, if the string is dead center of the bow, shouldnt the arrow rest wall be just a little wider than half of the width?
Seems to me if the arrow rest width is half and string is half, then the arrow will have a tendancy to shoot off to the right?
Any ideas please would help.

Thanks,
Brad

[formerbutcher]

You will need to find the right spine arrow for that bow.

[Curtis Haden]

Brad, if I understand your question correctly, the short answer is "maybe".    :rolleyes:  

First, I'm not an expert so take my opinions for what they are; opinions!  Anyway, here goes...

If you cut your riser to center, and then add some shelf/rest material, it will naturally place the arrow slightly left of center (for a right-handed bow).  This is good, IMHO.  An arrow shelf that's cut past center, where the arrow is perfectly centered, or even pointing off right of center, will be a beast to tune properly.

Now, a bow that's cut close to center (vs. one that's farther away) will shoot a stiffer arrow.  In most cases, stiffer means heavier, so that's a good deal for most traditional archers.  You can still make a past center or center-cut riser, and then use shelf material to build it out to a point where tuning is easier.

Make any sense?  Hope that helped.

[Pat B]

No matter whether your bow is center shot or you are shooting around the bow the arrow will go where you point it...if your arrows are spined correctly for that bow. Using the correct arrow is more important than whether your bow is center shot or not.

[Bradford]

I am still trying to find some more info on arrows.  Spined correctly.. from what I have read that means that the arrows weight is appropriate for the poundage of the bow?

My mind is having a hard time understanding why you would want the arrow to sit to the left of center?  This will not make the arrow shoot off kilter eh?

All your opiniions and suggestions are appreciated by the way.  I have a lot of things down, but just trying to figure out the last few tech issues to help me make a better bow.

So what I am understanding "shooting around the bow" is okay because the arrow will curve under the force of the push.. Meaning that the string can be center and the arrow shelf cut out can be center (a little left with arrow rest)

Thanks again.

[Apex Predator]

Yep, you got it Bradford!

[Curtis Haden]

Brad, "spined correctly" simply means that the arrow is the appropriate "stiffness" for a particular bow/weight combination.  Here's a page of some very good reading:

 http://www.bowmaker.net/tuning.htm

Here's the parent website:

 http://www.bowmaker.net/index2.htm

The information there deals mostly with "bare shaft planing" testing, but also gives some good insight into the "why" of spine and paradox.

O.L. says it much more eloquently and understandably than I can, so I won't attempt to intrepret for you.

(At least not this time)    

[Pat B]

Center shot bows are a relatively new phenomenon in archery. For 12,000 years very few bows, if any, were center shot and man and archery have survived and fared well without center shot bows until recently...and still survive today.
   I've been shooting bows for almost 30 years and have never owned a center shot bow...except for 2 with training wheels and that was almost 20 years ago.

[Bradford]

Thanks for the web sites.. that is exactly the type of info I was looking for.

And thanks to all for the info and help.

[TomMcDonald]

[Bradford]

That is just amazing... I can not believe how much those arrows bend...
That really answered my question.. thanks for that

[Roy Steele]

You can either leave it like it is and get the righr arrow spline.Or cut your shelf deeper so when you but on your arrow rest is center.The closer to center shot your bow is the less you have to worry about arrow spline.

[BigJim]

Be careful, not all bows are strong enough to be center shot. The weekest part of the bow is in the shelf area. When in doubt, it would be better to use a weaker spine arrow than weaken the bow.
my bows are center shot but they are designed and built to handle it. Added strength in the riser/ shelf area.

good luck, BigJim