arrow rest...why? Help...........

[maxfit]

If  Trad bows are meant to be shot off the shelf, what are the benefits of a rest. I remember that Barry Wensel on Masters video said he preferred to shoot arrows off the shelf, but that his currrent favorite bow(dale dye) shot better with a rest on. So in that case how do you know you need a rest, not other tuning issues,i.e.brace hieght,arrows, string silencers etc.... Thanks.

[Shaun]

An elevated rest is more forgiving than the shelf - smaller contact point for the arrow. It can also handle plastic vanes for wet weather and you can use a plunger button which adds additional tuning functions and makes the bow more forgiving yet. Your bow never "needs" a rest unless it has a big flat shelf or none at all.

[Charlie Lamb]

First of all, who said trad bows are meant to be shot off the shelf? They are meant to be shot... period!
What the arrow sits on during the shot is completely up to the tastes of the archer.

When all tuning issues have been addressed, an elevated rest can sometimes be added with improved tuning characteristics.

As Shaun said, the elevated rest is more forgiving than a less flexible shelf rest of leather, etc.
It should not be a substitute for proper tuning of the bow and arrow.

[Charlie Lamb]

and I'd like to add that the elevated rest far predates the compound arrow shooting device.
They were developed for trad bows to help attain cleaner arrow flight.

[maxfit]

Charlie
I should have said made to? I know some put a match stick under the shelf material for less contact. Does this help? Thanks

[maxfit]

Also, my daughter was having problems with keeping the arrow on the shelf and wild arrows caused by form...(shes 7) and i put a bear rubber rest on and bingo...much better so it got me thinking.

[Charlie Lamb]

Chuck,

I know what you meant. Just nit pickin!    

Here's more "pickin". A bowyer can say his bow is made to shoot off the shelf but you can put an elevated rest on any bow and usually see improvements.

About all that's done to bows that are "made" to shoot off the shelf is the shelf is cut low to the hand.

[Charlie Lamb]

Forgot to address the matchstick thing.

Minimizing contact of the arrow with the rest and arrow plate will almost always help.

I shoot off the shelf and also use a cushion plunger arrow plate. The shelf rest I make from two layers of Velcro and it's very "cushiony". That with the plunger makes for a very forgiving set up.

[CDR]

From my limited experience, I had a much easier time being able to tune, although she squeeks a little bit, I will fix her today.

I was trying to shoot the same CX150 from both of my bows, and could not get the silvertip in tune, so I put the rest on and bingo worked great.

[Pinelander]

For the older bows that I occasionally use when hunting (ex: 63 Bear Kodiak, '75 Shakespeare Necedah), I use an elevated rest because they have a flat shelf. Even some of the newer bows with a crowned shelf will show better and more consistent arrow flight with an elevated rest.

It's mostly about arrow shaft and/or fletching contact. An elevated rest simply provides less of it, but that doesn't mean you can't get good arrow flight off-shelf... folks do it all the time with selfbows and longbows. But also keep in mind that those type of bows generally have less shelf area.

I've often wondered why some people shoot the older flat-shelfed recurves off-shelf. Simply placing a rug on the shelf and then using a high knocking point (have seen that a lot) seems like a "forced setup" just to keep the arrow close to hand. I think the close-to-hand approach is overrated, and in some cases when it is extremely close to hand.... it can be a hinderance in cold weather when wearing heavy gloves.

[George D. Stout]

The  "trad"  thing is not old, it's new...a state of mind I suppose.  However, those of us who lived during the era, know that elevated rests were used quite a bit during the 1960's. I have used one since 1967.  It doesn't create any issues with barebow shooting and it does allow for a wider variety of spine usage.

By the way, sights, clickers, cushioned plungers, and stabilizers were all used before the confound device came along.  Trad?  Yep, that's a new term.

[Stone Knife]

I like a flipper rest and also the Bear weather rest, this allows me to shoot vanes. I like not having to mess with wet feathers.

[Jerry Wald]

Ok charlie - post a pic of your setup. I remember watching the Black Widow bow tape and when Ken Back set up the shelf he created a gap between the shelf and the plate material to as he put it "leave a gap for the feather".

Then I hear ppl say that it shouldn't make any diffence because your arrow should be flexing away from the side plate (riser) anyway so your fletch shouldn't make contact..

Sure would like to have access to a slow motion camera to see if mine actually comes anywhere near my riser when it is shot.

Jer Bear

[Charlie Lamb]

Jerry,

This pic doesn't show much. Just the rest. Cushion plunger is behind leather which makes it quiet and excludes dust/dirt from the plunger.

Rest is fuzzy side of Velcro... small (1/4") piece is put down first then larger chunk is laid on over it loosely.
 

[rp65]

I switched to a rest a couple of years ago and never regretted it. More forgiving, easy to tune? Whats wrong with that!

[Jerry Wald]

Charlie it looks like your shelf is pretty narrow that must help with feather clearance.

I used to have a piece of leather then velcro over top of that but then I created a space between the riser and the shelf (just enough for the feather to go through so it wouldn't hit the quill.

but since i got my shrew i have been shooting just the way it came and I think I am going to go back to the old way with her. I asked some other shrew ppl and they said there was no need, but maybe becasue of my style (or lack of style) I do something with the release and I have a hack of a time trying to bareshaft test and arrow.

I get the bareshat going good but the fletched don't fly great then.

Jer bear

[George D. Stout]

Here's my Red Stag with a shelf rest....velcro.
 

And my Necedah with an elevated rest.

 

Both work well, but I do prefer the stick-on rest.

[Drumstick63]

I shoot both - depends on the bow.  Longbows usually off of the shelf, recurves lately off of an elevated rest.  I have several elevated rests, some pretty expensive.  However, my favorite elevated rest is the Bear Weatherest (about $3).  I usually trim it to make it sit closer to the hand (ain't necessary at all), stick it on, and shoot.  Works well.