recurve bow arrow rest

[flyfitch]

I think I will put away the compound bow this year and go back to a recurve...for old times sake. My recurve has a stick-on arrow rest, but I am thinking of taking it off and shooting off of the shelf. Does anybody know about shooting off of the shelf. Is it as accurate, reliable as a rest. I just want the nostalgia of an old archery hunt. I haven't used the recurve in about 15 years. I pulled it out, tuned it up a bit [new string (how much can you tune up a recurve)] and am excited to shoot it again.
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

I've shot my recurve "off the shelf" and I learned one thing......one very important thing. I was using plastic vanes with a simple stick on "flipper" arrow rest and life was good. When I took the arrow rest off I was all over the place. The problem was the vanes hitting the shelf when I let one fly. I was reading a book about Fred Bear and found out he only shot feathers, which collapsed when they hit the shelf. I switch over to feathers and it worked perfectly. My groups tightened up immediately. Anyway, thats my advice for shelf shooters.
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[Elkoholic]

If your going off the shelf deffinately use feathers. They have some powder now (can't remember the name) that you can put on your feathers to help keep them dry. I don't mind the feathers but I am rough on them and they get damaged easily. But yes, that's what I shoot with my recurve.
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[Zippx]

I would have to echo what BLfishguy said, Feathers will give and not deflect your arrow as much as vanes, I can also verify that Fred Bear did use 5 inch feathers on Bearglass shafts. He was shooting a 60# Takedown I think. I shot with him a couple of times when I was a kid in Maryland. He came to our home club's big tournament called the Gold Cup at Eutaw Forest Archers.
I remember how nice and helpful he was, He gave me a few pointers and helped me fix my bow. Just a super nice guy... and MAN COULD HE SHOOT!
I can also relate to the nostalgia of the old recurve, I just cleaned up my 1969 Bear Kodiak thinking of maybe selling it, and I just couldn't! It still looks brand new and I just had to go out in the back yard and shoot a few! It was great to feel that the old skills are still there... No sights, fancy rests, releases, or any of the modern dodads... I could still drill a paper plate at 25 yards every time. []

Best of luck to you in your old school shooting!

Don
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[cbfish]

I have shot both a recurve and longbow since I was five and have always shot off a rest. I have also shot wood shafts that I have made. Shooting off a shelf is accurate and allows for more instinctive shooting abilities because your arrow, hand and eye are more inline with each other. At least that is my opinion. G. Fred Asbell has some great books on shooting off the shelf and they are an enjoyable read.

cb
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