Newbie in need of guidance

[saburai]

And this is the arrow rest:

[Friend]

Welcome....you should acquire much good advice and support here on Trad Gang.

[saburai]

  thanks friend!

[McDave]

What you are showing in your photo is indeed an arrow rest, or more specifically, a shelf rest.  This means that the arrow rests on a shelf carved out in the process of making the bow.  I believe what the earlier post was referring to is an elevated rest.  Sometimes a bow has a threaded hole for mounting a rest, but I can't see if yours does or not, because the area where the hole would be is covered by your strike plate, which in your case appears to be made out of the same material as your arrow rest.  Other times, an elevated rest is stuck onto the strike plate (minus covering), usually with a peel-off adhesive that comes with the rest.

Whether you really need an elevated rest is the question.  Many people, including me, use a fixed crawl on their hunting bows without an elevated rest.  An even more basic question is whether you should use a fixed crawl at all right now.  My recommendation would be to get used to shooting the bow and learn good shooting form without a fixed crawl, and then put one on later if you still want to.  I would guess that less than 10% of traditional bowhunters use a fixed crawl, not because there's anything wrong with it, but just because they have learned to hunt without using one and they don't see any need to change.  Same thing with an elevated rest.

[saburai]

Thank you sir. I'm still a bit foggy on exactly what a "fixed crawl" is...

[Deno]

saburai
 
  Welcome to the Gang.   Good advice from all above posts.  Absolutely recommend the TBOF and
  North Florida Archers. 

  Good Luck....... 

  Deno

[McDave]

Thank you sir. I'm still a bit foggy on exactly what a "fixed crawl" is...

This is the fixed crawl on my hunting bow:

The orange nock is the top nock.  The black nock that extends for about 3/4” is the lower nock.  The arrow goes between the two nocks, and the string is held below the lower fixed crawl nock.  The shooter draws the bow to his normal anchor, which positions the arrow closer to the eye than it would be using normal nocks.  The closer the arrow is to the eye, the closer the point-on distance is to the shooter. 

The point on distance is the distance where the point of the arrow can be placed on the spot to be hit when gap shooting, rather than above or below the spot to be hit.  When using a fixed crawl, the point on is set right in the middle of the distance the shooter expects to shoot when hunting.  I construct my fixed crawl so my point on is 20 yards, giving me good hunting accuracy from 15-25 yards.  This enables me to be more accurate and to think less about aiming when hunting.

The downsides of using a fixed crawl are that the bow must be held upright, or at least close to upright, when hunting.  In certain hunting situations this could be limiting, when a cant is needed to shoot under limbs or through a hole in bushes, etc.  The fixed crawl is not allowed in most tournaments, and would be of only limited use there anyway, as many shots are outside the 15-25 yard optimal range.  It is likely that you will be offered a friend's bow to shoot, or want to shoot a bow for sale somewhere, and it won't have a fixed crawl, making those situations awkward unless you also are comfortable shooting without a fixed crawl.  It's kind of like only learning to drive with an automatic transmission; it limits the driver's options.

I only shoot my hunting bow with a fixed crawl, in an effort to avoid confusing myself in a hunting situation (I confuse easily).  I only shoot my target bow with normal nocks, because I like to shoot in tournaments and see very little use for a fixed crawl when target shooting anyway.

[saburai]

Thanks David!

[saburai]

My new 45# limbs arrived today!
The 20# limbs that I bought the bow with have some black thin foam tape where the string contacts the bow. Is it for sound mitigation? Is it recommended? Thanks all!

[saburai]

Can anyone offer any insight on the foam tape? Thanks all!

[McDave]

The only purpose of the pads on the limb tips is noise reduction.  There is a type of noise called limb slap that is made when a recurve string hits the part of the limb where there is contact between the string and the limb.  This only applies to recurves, because there is no contact between the string and the limbs of a longbow other than at the string nocks.  This noise can be reduced by not waxing the part of the string that contacts the limbs.  It can also be reduced by applying material such as soft sided Velcro or foam tape in your case to the limbs.  This is controversial, because it is thought by some people and bowyers that it might encourage limb twist.  I don't personally apply tape to my limbs to reduce noise, but I wouldn't remove it either if it was put there by the bowyer.  It's probably not a big deal either way, but i don't like excess junk on my bow.  If I did, I would probably be shooting the type of bow whose name may not be spoken here🙈

[saburai]

Thanks again David!

[saburai]

Dominant eye shocker!
I've been shooting since starting as a seven year old with a Crossman 760 .177 pelet gun and progressing to firearms as I got a bit older. I played around a bit with bows and slingshots but never really seriously. Lefthand, left eye. Eventually defensive/fighting practice with pistol and rifle. Thirty, maybe more years ago I did  the eye dominance test. Lefthanded and left eyed... Yesterday while reading the beginer article here, sitting on the couch, I checked my eye dominance. I was shocked to find out that I'm not left eyed any longer! I'm sixty and I've had more than my share of injuries of all types including trips to the hospital to have metal bits removed from one eye or the other from various mishaps, mainly from working on and under vehicles. More than one head injury as well and probably a bunch of TBI's too... In any case, for whatever reason, I'm now a lefty with a right eye dominant situation. IMHO it's too late in the game to try to switch to shooting a bow right handed. I've got some physical difficulties that pretty much rule it out...
Is there anything that I can do to adapt to the situation?

[Pmringer]

Watch The Push on YouTube and buy the online course. It’ll help explain a lot if you are green.

[McDave]

Yes!  Learn to shoot both right handed and left handed, and then you won't worry about it anymore.  Plus, your body will get a more balanced workout.  Eye dominance is something that can be controlled.  For example, I am right eye dominant, and I realize when I shoot left handed, my right eye might try to take over aiming the shot.  I need to be alert to that and squint my right eye if necessary to help my left eye stay in control.

[saburai]

Thank you gentlemen!
So I should be ok with just squinting my right eye as if I were aiming a rifle, great news! In regards to "The Push", I found a 2+ hour trad bow hunting movie on YouTube, is that what you were referring to?

[saburai]

Morning gentlemen!
I found "The Push" website as well as the YouTube channel and I'll investigate both, thank you for the resource. I do need to buy at least a few field point arrows for the 20# limbs so I can at least get started practicing. However, other than the 28 - 30 inch (depending on where I anchor), I don't know what to buy. From what I've learned here, I think carbon is the most consistent so that would be the best choice to remove equipment error and help me work on my form and accuracy. Can someone please recommend a spine and brand? I'd really like to get 3-6 arrows in the next day or two so I can shoot some over the holiday. There's a place in Ocala that I might be able to use as a local source. If not, perhaps some online store will offer expedited shipping and of course there's always Amazon Prime. Thanks again for all the help!

[saburai]

Watch The Push on YouTube and buy the online course. It’ll help explain a lot if you are green.

Thanks Patrick!
He's got quite a few different course offerings. Which one do you suggest for a green horn like me?

[bowmaster12]

Look up and listen to some of Tom Clum's teachings.  An anchor point shouldnt be a random place you choose although thats what most of us do.  If shooting with correct back tension the place your shoulder blade bottoms out is your draw length length anything past that you are over drawing using your shoulder and bicep muscle.  In one of his seminars on YouTube you shows how to find your natrual true anchor.

[saburai]

Look up and listen to some of Tom Clum's teachings.  An anchor point shouldnt be a random place you choose although thats what most of us do.  If shooting with correct back tension the place your shoulder blade bottoms out is your draw length length anything past that you are over drawing using your shoulder and bicep muscle.  In one of his seminars on YouTube you shows how to find your natrual true anchor.

Thanks Jesse! More good advice! Any recommendations for a couple of three arrows so I can get some shot practice in?