Stupid rest question

[pdk25]

This may be obvious to some, and I think I know the answer but wanted some input before proceding.

I have a bow that I shoot with an elevated rest currently.  The sight window is just a tad too short, so I end up having to aim a little low for close in shots. I have been pretty succesful, but would like to see what I am aiming at, lol.  In my mind, shooting off the shelf would cause me to lower my nock point and effectively give me a larger site window.  True/False?  I don't want to make the change to find out that I am wrong.

Thanks in advance,
Pat

[McDave]

If you have a bow that is designed to be shot off the shelf, then shooting off the shelf would give you a larger sight window.  Some bows that are designed to be shot off a rest do not shoot well off the shelf, and I don't know any way of telling that other than by shooting bare shafts off the shelf and seeing if you can get good arrow flight.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by having to aim low for close in shots.  Isn't that normal if you're shooting at something closer than your point on distance?  Or if you mean that you are having to aim so low that you hit below your target, I guess I don't understand that either.  If your sight window is cutting off your view of the target, wouldn't aiming lower just cut off more of your view?

If you are able to shoot off the shelf, then you can cant your bow, which should help get the sight window out of your line of vision.  

You could also change your anchor point, which would change the POI of shots at different distances.

[Pine]

Can't your bow like McDave said . Get the bow out of the way and it don't matter how big the sight window is .

[pdk25]

My shooting style is not to cant the bow, but is more uprght.  I will try to explain.  When at anchor, and viewing the sight picture, if I release the arrow and hold completely still, the arrow would impact just barely above my field of view, being obscured by the riser.  For further away targets, say 30 yards and over, they impact within my field of view.  If I anchored with my middle finger rather than my pointer finger, it would not be an issue.  Similarly, it would not be an issue with 3 under.  I really don't want to change my shooting style right now.  An example of what I meant by aiming lower, would be aiming for the place where the leg meets the body of a hog by putting the top of the site window at that level, with the body obscured by the riser, knowing that the arrow will impact several inches higher than that.

[McDave]

I think I understand what you mean. I wouldn't like not seeing the spot I want to hit either, although in earlier days when they used point of aim, they would do that all the time and I guess it wouldn't bother them. Although I don't know you, I would guess that you have enough experience to make a pretty good guess as to whether your bow will shoot well off the shelf or not.  With your shooting style, there are definite advantages to shooting off a rest, as it avoids any fletch contact with the bow, for the most part, and also avoids any inadvertent sliding around of the arrow on the shelf. The only advantage that I know of shooting off the shelf is that it puts the arrow close to your hand so you can cant the bow without affecting the POI very much.  Since you don't want to cant, all the advantages are in favor of a rest.  Without seeing your bow, it's hard to tell, but I doubt you will gain enough extra visability if you switch to the shelf to be worth the loss of precision you have with the rest.