Dual Shelf Bows?

[Ed Q]

Hi All,

Anyone know who makes dual shelf bows? I shoot both right and left handed and would like one bow that would allow shooting from a shelf on either side. Only ones I routinely find are usually kids’ beginner bows.

[SteelyDan]

Mike Mecredy at Maddog made me a dual shelf bow last year. I have been very satisfied with the bow.

SD

[ron w]

Steve Turay, Northern Mist, Hill Longbows, and Chad Holm did make them but he just passed away!  Mc Broom also makes them. I think if you talk to most bowyers they can work with you and get you what you want

[evgb127]

Leon Stewart makes a great one.

[Ed Q]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone!

[Terry Green]

Yep. Maddog!!! Great Guy that made a lot of kids bows and gave them away. Told ya he was a great guy!

[Bow man]

We do www.stjoeriverbows.com

[Terry Green]

We do www.stjoeriverbows.com

Great to know another sponsor that does this!!!

[YosemiteSam]

I like the idea of a dual-shelf bow & even thought about trying some different eastern-style bows to do this.  But I haven't ever been able to get the tuning right.  I can get the arrow to fly straight-ish but, shooting right-handed, the arrow still flies pretty far left.  Going weaker in spine brought the arrow's path back to center but it came out so far nock-left that I couldn't get a broadhead to fly worth a darn.  Field points would hit where I'm looking.  Bareshafts would land pretty centered but so far sideways that some snapped on impact at 20 yards.  I gave up and started cutting shelves, <0.25" off center, into my homemade bows.  Problem solved after that.  The only thing I can figure is that they have to be run with some version of khatra that pulls the riser away from the arrow mid-flight.  I've seen some Native American short bows shot this way -- more of a drop of the bow-hand than khatra.  But same idea.  If anybody has any tips on  how to run these better on a more common form-archery style of shooting, I'd welcome the help.

[RJonesRCRV]

Jay St. Charles makes the St. Charles Thunderbird recurve in dual shelf.

[Ed Q]

We do www.stjoeriverbows.com

This is good to know. My 7 year old is ambidextrous. He shoots lefty for now, but has shown interest in shooting my light weight right handed bow. As corny as it sounds, I think it would be neat to get matching bows for us, and then pass it down to my younger son when he gets older.

[Ed Q]

I like the idea of a dual-shelf bow & even thought about trying some different eastern-style bows to do this.  But I haven't ever been able to get the tuning right.  I can get the arrow to fly straight-ish but, shooting right-handed, the arrow still flies pretty far left.  Going weaker in spine brought the arrow's path back to center but it came out so far nock-left that I couldn't get a broadhead to fly worth a darn.  Field points would hit where I'm looking.  Bareshafts would land pretty centered but so far sideways that some snapped on impact at 20 yards.  I gave up and started cutting shelves, <0.25" off center, into my homemade bows.  Problem solved after that.  The only thing I can figure is that they have to be run with some version of khatra that pulls the riser away from the arrow mid-flight.  I've seen some Native American short bows shot this way -- more of a drop of the bow-hand than khatra.  But same idea.  If anybody has any tips on  how to run these better on a more common form-archery style of shooting, I'd welcome the help.

Thanks for that response! I’ve never shot a dual shelf bow, but do shoot both left handed and right handed bows. I didn’t realize there might be some difficulty in getting the spine just right with what I assume to be a necessarily narrower shelf. Definitely something to consider.

The main reason I’m interested in such a bow is so that I don’t have to lug around two different bows to the archery range. I suppose I could always learn how to shoot lefty with a thumb ring, but I know nothing about that style of shooting, measuring for proper thumb ring fit, etc. But it’s another, admittedly less expensive, option for shooting both sides with one bow I guess.

[ron w]

  Never  had a problem tuning one side to the other. I think getting a clean release on both side is a bigger issue !!!

[John Krause]

Have an old friend who has built about 20+ bows building me a dual shelf . I sent him pics of Ron’s bow and he said he can do it. It will be Osage with a Black phenolic stripes in the riser. Longbow in the low 50’s at 62 inches. He’s building another bow now so probably not for this season. I’m shooting lights out right and left, will hunt both sides this year.

[maxwell]

Leon Stewart makes a great  dual shelf three piece, of excellent bow.