# Recurve arrow rest



## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

archangel86 said:


> Hello sorry for reposting. My fist post was in the "wrong" section.
> 
> Could anyone share with me why do most if not all international recurve shooters use a stick on rest instead of a wrap around magnetic one?
> 
> So far I've not come across an answer thats based on "facts" just people's opinion why...


Because they are expensive and for the most part totally unnecessary, way overengineered imho.


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## archer982 (Jun 6, 2007)

Seattlepop said:


> Because they are expensive and for the most part totally unnecessary, way overengineered imho.


This and that wrap-around rests tend to have its small parts loosen as time wears on.


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## pilotmill (Dec 10, 2008)

*rest*

I have tried the wrap around mag rests, of a couple manufactures, and my wallet is alot lighter now thank you. I really havent found all the adjustments and movements necessary helped my bow tuning, just made it more complex, but thats just me of course. I like the ease of stick and go. I know thats not scientific but bottom line for me is simple is better. Gar.


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## LoveMyHoyt (Nov 29, 2008)

The only other thing I can think of is that the wrap around magnetic type can be adjusted if you change arrows. I recently changed arrows and my new ones are a bit thinner so I had to adjust my rest to keep my spin wings from getting ripped off by the plunger. I kind of like the simplicity of the stick on type, though, if you know you don't have to change anything later.


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## Vittorio (Jul 17, 2003)

- Price is generally not an issue for top level shooters, as they get their stuff as sponsorship. Anyhow, an ARE rests costs usually same or more than a magnetic wrap around cheap rest
- Preference is to stick on rests because of less chanses of clearance problems
- Preference goes to magnetic wrap around quite often for bare bow, as a stronger rest arm deals better with the string walking technique and this gets priority 

Wrap around arm is very static and hard to move in cheap magnetic rests (they are not all the same, of course...), so you need a slightly week arrow to get proper clearance in all release conditions. A stiff arrow will usually have vanes interfering with the arm before leaving the bow. So, definitely don't use a magnetic wrap around rest with low poundages + stiff arrows = children's bows ...

There will be a "Secrets of the arrow rest" chapter in THA2 ....


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

i used to use a cavalier wrap around, all the bells and whistles, waste of time and although its not very much it was unnecessary weight. i use an ARE stick on that has locking up and down adjustment and a magnet. i've also found that my cavalier tended to shift much easier than my stick on ARE. i'll never go back to an over complicated flipper arrow rest on my recurve.


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## archangel86 (Jan 18, 2009)

thanks everyone so far for their replies.

I dont mind personal experiences on this matter. It adds more insight to me.



Vittorio said:


> -
> Wrap around arm is very static and hard to move in cheap magnetic rests (they are not all the same, of course...), so you need a slightly week arrow to get proper clearance in all release conditions. A stiff arrow will usually have vanes interfering with the arm before leaving the bow.


Vittorio, thanks for your insight into the difference, is the above ture for feather fletchings on aluminium arrow also?


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

Vittorio is right on the young shooters, or beginners withr low poundage bows. At our club we are now using the simple Hoyt SuperRest in those situations. Better grouping, less frustration and less fletching damage.


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## Canjapan2003 (Jun 3, 2006)

If you use the super rest with a clicker and plunger should you cut the little curl off the end of the arm? What about the little tab close to the plunger hole?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

OK, Canjapan2003, thank you for coming back on that.

1- If you are using a plunger along with the SuperRest, the small plastic flap (close to the plunger hole) is better removed to let the plunger act alone and correctly. Without a through-hole plunger, that little flap acts as a plunger.

2- With a clicker I would not see the point in cutting down (reducing the size of) the little arm, since it is quite slight. But one can.

3- In any case one has to rotate the nocks so that the fletching does not touch the riser

4- It usually makes the groups get smaller and confidence get better quite fast

5- Talking about that type of rests, the Hunter Rests are much sturdier and are used on the basic training bows. Then the arm can be cut down, because the Hunter Rest is so sturdy that it may interfere with the light arrows propelled by a weaker bow. But once the archer gets better we are using The smaller (white) Super Rest.

6- Hoyt's rests are the best, because they are durable. Cartel makes similar but cheaper rests, but they wear down so much faster that it is not worth the savings.


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## Xcreekarchery1 (Aug 7, 2007)

i used to shoot with a cavilier elite wrap around, then when i got my inno i couldnt b/c it wont fit  so i was forced to use a hoyt super rest that was trimmed down. well i will never go back, i love it and it gives great clearence, shown by a high speed the arrow dosnt even touch it. i think if i ever have to upgrade rests i will go with the beither because it is simble.


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## filoktetes (Feb 11, 2007)

My vote goes to the hoyt super rest (trimming the hook a little)


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## archangel86 (Jan 18, 2009)

haha can anyone be so kind to post some picutres showing how they have trimmed their rest? I'm sure it would benift everyone :wink:


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## Blackfletch (Dec 2, 2006)

SLANT i said:


> . i use an ARE stick on that has locking up and down adjustment and a magnet.


I agree.


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## Canjapan2003 (Jun 3, 2006)

*While we are on the topic of rests*

A simple way to setup the adjustable rest height on your Olympic recurve. Take some paint and put it on the tip of the plunger. Nock an arrow and draw it back and forth a few times over the painted plunger tip. Check to see where the paint is worn away and if it's in the centre of the plunger your rest is in the right place. I did this using the brass tipped plunger pin that came with my Shibuya DX. It has a nice mark in the centre so its easy to see if you are in the right place.


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

Blackfletch said:


> I agree.


ARE :thumbs_up


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## Xcreekarchery1 (Aug 7, 2007)

archangel86 said:


> haha can anyone be so kind to post some picutres showing how they have trimmed their rest? I'm sure it would benift everyone :wink:


i can try


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

Canjapan2003 said:


> A simple way to setup the adjustable rest height on your Olympic recurve. Take some paint and put it on the tip of the plunger. Nock an arrow and draw it back and forth a few times over the painted plunger tip. Check to see where the paint is worn away and if it's in the centre of the plunger your rest is in the right place. I did this using the brass tipped plunger pin that came with my Shibuya DX. It has a nice mark in the centre so its easy to see if you are in the right place.


I always thought it was best to put the arrow just slightly below center so that the plunger tip turns a little each time as you draw. This way the wear is more even. This also helps keep the plunger body tightened since the rotation would exert pressure in the tightening rather than loosening direction.


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

Seattlepop said:


> I always thought it was best to put the arrow just slightly below center so that the plunger tip turns a little each time as you draw. This way the wear is more even. This also helps keep the plunger body tightened since the rotation would exert pressure in the tightening rather than loosening direction.


with my physics based thought process this makes sense but at the same time i never worried enough about my button to get that deep, i centered my shaft, tightened my button down on the riser and that's where it stays. i've never had it back out, and if the tip starts to get grooved or worn i just replace it or sand it flat again and adjust it out again.

i believe you have it a little backwards though, if you mounted shaft below center on the button it would rotate the tip in direction that would want cause the whole plunger assembly to back out of the riser. in addition to that if the tip is a screw in type then mounting it above center to use your tightening theory could unscrew the tip from the plunger shaft.

one other thing to think about is every button i've used the shaft that the tip is mounted on rotates freely of the rest of the body.

just my $0.02 :wink:


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## Canjapan2003 (Jun 3, 2006)

I picked the centre of the plunger only because the tip has the dimple and I wanted a point that was definite. I suppose you could get out the ruler and set your position at say 3mm from the bottom of a beiter tip, but what if you change brands?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

Canjapan2003 said:


> I picked the centre of the plunger only because the tip has the dimple and I wanted a point that was definite. I suppose you could get out the ruler and set your position at say 3mm from the bottom of a beiter tip, but what if you change brands?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


another good point, center is generally going to be center despite the button being used so it does make tuning for a new one a bit easier.


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

SLANT i said:


> with my physics based thought process this makes sense but at the same time i never worried enough about my button to get that deep, i centered my shaft, tightened my button down on the riser and that's where it stays. i've never had it back out, and if the tip starts to get grooved or worn i just replace it or sand it flat again and adjust it out again.
> 
> *i believe you have it a little backwards though,* if you mounted shaft below center on the button it would rotate the tip in direction that would want cause the whole plunger assembly to back out of the riser. in addition to that if the tip is a screw in type then mounting it above center to use your tightening theory could unscrew the tip from the plunger shaft.
> 
> ...


When you draw the arrow, the counter-clockwise rotating plunger tip would cause friction on the barrel of the plunger which would cause the plunger body and collar to turn in a clockwise direction when viewed from the plunger body side, not the tip. This would tighten the plunger body on the riser. Admittedly this is way over thinking it, but I believe the principle is correct as stated. Perhaps most important, I've never had to worry about uneven wear on the tip.


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

If the moveable part (button or tip) of the plunger assembly does rotate, it actually makes sure that there shall be uniform wear over all the face of the tip. I have been using a Beiter plunger for quite a long time and it still is FLAT.

I also have to say that the wear process may depens on the tip's material properties. I once had to change the phenolic tip on a Spigarelli Secur. But the button itself did not turn as easily as Beiter's.


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

*Cutting down*



Fred Pitzl said:


> Can the trimming down of the hoyt super rest be explained??? Much appreciated.


Just take a nail clipper or sharp scissors and reduce the height of the "horn". It is pretty much useless to cut it down since that small implement is so tiny it does not interfere much anyway


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

Seattlepop said:


> When you draw the arrow, the counter-clockwise rotating plunger tip would cause friction on the barrel of the plunger which would cause the plunger body and collar to turn in a clockwise direction when viewed from the plunger body side, not the tip. This would tighten the plunger body on the riser. Admittedly this is way over thinking it, but I believe the principle is correct as stated. Perhaps most important, I've never had to worry about uneven wear on the tip.


true but an arrow drawn back is going to come forward again, so its arguable that even if this arrow motion back and forth had an affect on the button's torque to the riser (not that it will because we've established the shaft in the plunger rotates free inside of the body) which direction, forward or backwards, would have more rotating force on the plunger itself.


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

SLANT i said:


> true but an arrow drawn back is going to come forward again, so its arguable that even if this arrow motion back and forth had an affect on the button's torque to the riser (not that it will because we've established the shaft in the plunger rotates free inside of the body) which direction, forward or backwards, would have more rotating force on the plunger itself.


It may rotate "free" but it is not without friction. Take your plunger and finger turn the pin and you will see that it takes effort, it doesn't just spin "free" because there is a spring pushing against it. When drawing the arrow a significant length of arrow shaft exerts pressure, or drag, across the face of the pin. In my case, I measured 21" of arrow are drawn against the plunger tip. How much pressure there is against the pin depends on the clicker. 

At release, the pressure on the plunger is short and abrupt, significantly higher, and the direction of the pressure would be against the pin as opposed to creating drag across the surface of the pin. This would cause even greater pressure against the spring and this increased pressure would actually inhibit rotation imho. 

But even if the pressures were equal, the applied length of arrow drawn is much greater than the length applied at release. I think any of the high speed films available would show this.


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

Seattlepop said:


> It may rotate "free" but it is not without friction. Take your plunger and finger turn the pin and you will see that it takes effort, it doesn't just spin "free" because there is a spring pushing against it. When drawing the arrow a significant length of arrow shaft exerts pressure, or drag, across the face of the pin. In my case, I measured 21" of arrow are drawn against the plunger tip. How much pressure there is against the pin depends on the clicker.
> 
> At release, the pressure on the plunger is short and abrupt, significantly higher, and the direction of the pressure would be against the pin as opposed to creating drag across the surface of the pin. This would cause even greater pressure against the spring and this increased pressure would actually inhibit rotation imho.
> 
> But even if the pressures were equal, the applied length of arrow drawn is much greater than the length applied at release. I think any of the high speed films available would show this.


ya the length of the shaft drawn across the button rearward is longer but the inward force on the button is incredibly higher forward when finger shooting. you mentioned high speed photography, in high speed photography of finger released arrows you will see that the arrow exerts an incredible amount of pressure inward compared to the clicker. the whole reason why arrow spine is so crucial, especially with finger release. so you would have to conduct controlled environment experiments to determine which exerts more force. you'd also have to consider the fact that during the forward motion after release there is exponentially more vibration compared to being drawn back which would also add to the likelihood of the button backing out on the release rather than the draw.


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## SLANT i (Feb 5, 2009)

anyways, now that we've hijacked this post (sorry) i think we should let it get back to its original intention :thumbs_up


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## django (Jun 18, 2007)

Stick-on all the way.

Hoyt super rests are great but they get brittle and break in cold weather, so take replacements.

ARE's are the way to go, or a KAP adjustable rest for an economic alternative.


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## Duss (May 23, 2006)

django said:


> Stick-on all the way.
> 
> Hoyt super rests are great but they get brittle and break in cold weather, so take replacements.
> 
> ARE's are the way to go, or a KAP adjustable rest for an economic alternative.



Remember that when the Hoyt Super Rests were mentioned it was in the context of beginners with low-pressure bows and insufficiently flexible arrows where the shooting system (arrows, bow AND archer :wink: ) is either not TUNABLE or not tuned.

In those cases, the (unprotected) back end of the moving wire in the magnetic stick-on arrow rest eats into the fletching and causes a lot of problems. If that back-end points upwards it is worse, downwards, like the AREs it is less of a problem.

Once the shooting system is tuned any type of rest is good.


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## vaframer (Jan 28, 2012)

*homemade rest*

I've been looking through all kinds of rests since I bought my first bow last month, but I couldn't decide what I wanted. So I decide to try to make my own, using layered duct tape and some heavy wire from a sticky hook, and a couple inches of spider wire braided line. I've only shot from it twice, but it seems to be quite a bit better than shooting right from the shelf.


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