# Shooting off the shelf vs arrow rest.



## woof156 (Apr 3, 2018)

Just curious to hear what differences you all feel shooting off the shelf vs an arrow rest. Does the shelf affect accuracy, arrow speed, arrow stability?


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## LMJames (Apr 21, 2018)

Check out this thread. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4247618&p=1094073362#post1094073362


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## Draven Olary (Jun 12, 2016)

If the arrow is tuned to the bow there is no difference between the two for me - if you are talking "stick on" elevated rest and if the shelf is not a flat one. If I add a plunger in the mix, it's another story - the micro-tuning has a visible result for me.


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

In the last few days I've shot off of a feather rest, springy rest, rug rest, velcro rest. I could not see any difference between all of them. Don't overthink rests, you can tune to any of them.


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## Bender (Dec 6, 2006)

Note how "tuning" was already mentioned a few times. If you refer to the linked thread you'll see "foregiveness" mentioned. Also keep in mind the level you're shooting at. Close yardage? New to Archery? Its all related.

The rest is more forgiving of shooter error. Therefore it seems easier to tune to. But if you're a little OCD, and/or insist on continuing to examine state of tune at ever longer distances, or you're have high expectations of your level of accuracy, you'll find that tuning with a rest & plunger is not "easier." To achieve higher levels demands just as much time and effort as shooting off the shelf. The end result though will be a higher level of accuracy at both short and long distances. 

Since ANY shooter, at ANY level of proficiency can make errors both large and small, the forgiveness of a rest can pay off. But over the course of time it's attention to detail that assists the shooter in bringing home the bacon, whether its a trophy award or a trophy buck. 

Just remember though, that attention needs to be spent on BOTH the equipment AND the shooter himself.


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## Captainkirk (Sep 18, 2014)

It sort of depends on you and your needs. I think a rest can be dialed in for better accuracy if you put the work in, especially with a plunger. That being said, I shoot instinctive, off the shelf, with hand made woodies simply because I got tired of gadgets and dependence on them. That was what caused me to walk away from my compounds and the gadget blitzkrieg that goes with it. Yes, my target distance is less than half of what it used to be, but I'm much happier for it.
You have to assess your personal goals and decide what works for YOU and nobody else, then pursue it.


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## BowFlight (Jan 25, 2008)

I use an ILF setup with a Shibuya arrow rest and plunger button. Certainly makes all adjustments an easier process. If you gap shoot you can tune an
arrow to the bow without cutting the shaft to length. A longer arrow helps with smaller gaps. This setup has more bells and whistles and things to go wrong in a hunting
environment, still works but this is where off the shelf is a better setup.


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## Nick728 (Oct 19, 2014)

Coming from compound with its unlimited technical problems I've been trying different setups. Since my recurve shooting went from Olympic to Trad I've had occasion to see first hand some of the differences. Most of my Trad shooting is short range 3D, off the shelf, stick on rest, adjustable rest and plunger makes very little different with bows setup for a particular choice. 
Once I shoot at spot targets the differences become more evident. Most of what I do is from testing by trail & error. 
A rest that I've been using is a NAP Flipper on a Trad Tech. It shoots very well but with its limitations lacks the finer adjustments only my Olympic ILF's setups afford. I saw differences today while shooting an SF with adjustable rest and plunger. I needed a slight adjustment and was able to make that adjustment just with the plunger pressure. Making that same adjustment shooting off the shelf could only be done by a good deal or trail and error tuning or aiming corrections. 
Is one better or worse? Not at short distances but at longer yardages the more options available the better. 
When I run into issues well over my pay grade to solve or I royally screw up, I ask Viper for help... 
Nick


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## woof156 (Apr 3, 2018)

I have a Samick sage with a NAP centerrest arrow rest and on cold days when the plastic is stiffer it shoot quit differently from warm summer days-- just have to adapt I guess the fun is still there tho accuracy is a bit sketchy


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## woof156 (Apr 3, 2018)

.
Just remember though said:


> That seems to sum up what most poster are saying.. and what makes archery a life time learning sport...


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## Bill 2311 (Jun 24, 2005)

The Morrison riser is nice because is has plunger hole for both shelf and elevated. I shot mine with a leather pad and used a TT button to get true center shot and then adjust plunger tension to fine tune arrow flight.


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## SARose (May 31, 2015)

I shoot two different recurves quite regularly, a 50+ year old Root Rangemaster off the shelf with a simple 50 year old sight, and a fancy new W&W Black Wolf Carbon Riser with full carbon limbs, flipper rest and plunger button, shooting barebow with no sight. I use the same arrows with both bows and like the fine tuning I can do with the Plunger button that lets me keep the same sighting off the arrow point. With the older rig, I have to move the sight if lighting conditions are different at the dozen+ different ranges I shoot at during a season.


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## Stephen Morley (Aug 11, 2016)

Depends on the type of shooting you do.

Stringwalking with an elevated rest/plunger is a challenge in itself, to do it off the shelf would be very tricky.

Elevated rest offers advantages on long range Field/Target distances, for short range 3D/Hunting most don't have to skill to make the elevated rest work to their advantage.

Off the shelf has some advantages for non standard close range shots but I only ever did it for trick shooting.


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