Shooting recurve without arrow rest

[Kaluza]

Hi guys,

I'm new to traditional archery and recently ordered a Samick Sage recurve. It is going to be delivered tomorrow. However, when I ordered it I forgot to purchase an arrow rest and plate. I ordered them later and they will not be here until Monday.

My question is, can I shoot my bow without the arrow rest and plate? It's going to be torture to have to wait until Monday to shoot if I have to just let my bow sit there unused all weekend.

[KentuckyTJ]

Go get some velcro and use the soft side.

[kat]

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Go get some velcro and use the soft side.

X2-  Many people use velcro as replacements.

[Kaluza]

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Go get some velcro and use the soft side.

What about for the plate? How necessary is that?

[D.J. Carr]

Velcro rest is all I use

[pumatrax]

every Sage I've bought includes the rest and side plate....I've bought (and sold) ten of them so far...

[FerretWYO]

Use velcro for the rest and the plate. No worries.

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by Kaluza:
   

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Go get some velcro and use the soft side.

What about for the plate? How necessary is that? [/b]

Masking tape. You can keep piling it up until you get the proper windage for your arrow spine. I do that will all new bows. That way you will know the proper thickness to use for your permanent side plate.

Or what I usually do is lay down a layer of masking tape then start using duct tape as it is thicker.

[woodchucker]

You can shoot right off the wooden shelf if you wish... However, there are a few minor issues with that. 1) you might bugger the finish. Todays finishes are very tough, but is IS a slight posibility. 2) When you install a rest & side plate, it will be about an 1/8" higher than your shelf. If you put a nocking point on the string, you will have to raise it about an 1/8" as well. 3) without a rest of some sort,you have no cushion for your arrow. It could cause some squirrely arrow flight... At the least, it will be noisier.

All that being said, I shot old recurves as a kid many times(and quite a few after I "grew up") right off the wooden shelf, and NEVER damaged a single bow!!! However, a quick trip to about any local store, and you can pick up some peel&stick Velcro. Use the fuzzy side, and put a piece on your shelf, and another piece for a side plate. You'll be temporarily in business, and you probly won't even have to move your nock point at all.

Good Luck!!!! and Welcome to the Gang!!!!      

[Kaluza]

Originally posted by pumatrax:
every Sage I've bought includes the rest and side plate....I've bought (and sold) ten of them so far...

I wasn't aware of this. That would certainly solve all of my problems.

[Kaluza]

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
 

Originally posted by Kaluza:
   

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:
Go get some velcro and use the soft side.

What about for the plate? How necessary is that? [/b]

Masking tape. You can keep piling it up until you get the proper windage for your arrow spine. I do that will all new bows. That way you will know the proper thickness to use for your permanent side plate.

Or what I usually do is lay down a layer of masking tape then start using duct tape as it is thicker. [/b]

Which leads me to my next problem - I have no idea what arrow spine to use. I've also never heard the term "windage". I'm going to a archery shop today and was hoping they could help me, but they specialize in compounds.

[monterey]

You probably won't get much help at the compound pro shop.  At least that's been my observation.  :(    By "windage" he meant adjusting the centershot location of your arrow on the rest.  IOW the building up of the strike plate to tune the arrow.  If your bow is center shot then you will have a broader range of adjustment in getting your arrows to fly.  

If you have arrows already, you might just play with them and the center shot adjustment.  Since you are new to trad, it would be a great learning experience.

[ddauler]

Try these.


 http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=130424


 http://www.acsbows.com/bowtuning.html

[Kaluza]

Thank you all for the responses.

[ddauler]

No problem more idea's for side plate and rest. Use commercial velcro soft side put piece of a match under it to make a bump if needed to build it out if it's flat sided. Same on the rest make the bump at same spot as the deepest part of the grip.

[Stephengiles]

Piece of Velcro for your rest small piece of leather for your side plate. If they don't send you those things you can order them or make them yourself if you're handy with a pair of scissors. Shipping charges start to add up if you're ordering six dollar arrow rest and paying six dollars shipping. The computer spine calculators will get you close but I would leave the arrows a touch longer than what they say for a while. As you become a better shot ,what you thought was a good tune may turn out to be not as good as you thought. Especially as you move further and further away from your target. As a side note my side plate was cut from a leather purse I found at the thrift store for three dollars.,and my rest is from a pair of boots if found on the ground.lol.