# Newbie question about blade arrow rests



## peholden (Nov 27, 2019)

I'm getting back into target archery after 25 years and have just bought a used bow, a Diamond Medalist 38 with an Infitec Crux Rest installed. My old bow, a 1980's vintage bow, had an arrow rest with a spring-loaded "plunger" on the side that sort of held the arrow in place as it was supported by the rest. Hence, it was easy to keep the arrow from falling off. The blade rest on my new bow doesn't have that plunger, so the arrow drops off the rest very easily if I don't keep the bow perfectly upright and still. Is this normal, so I'll just have to get used to it, or am I missing a part?

Thanks for your advice. Pete


----------



## "TheBlindArcher" (Jan 27, 2015)

First general thought is you might be drawing too much weight and haven't conditioned into getting a smooth draw yet. Especially if you're picking up any bow for for the first time in a long time. 

Next, blades come generally in 3 different widths [ironically narrow, normal, and wide, or some variant of that]; when draw isn't as smooth it's more critical to get the right width blade [larger diameter shafts generally need wider blades]. Key here is not to go too wide as to getting fletching contact. 

Other issues may be things like nock pinch, where the d-loop knots are too close to te nock and actually lifting the arrow off the blade; nock fit on the string may be another issue [don't want it too tight as again it will lift the arrow off the blade]. 

But IMO first, work on that smooth draw, even if it means turning down the weight until you build up.


----------



## blademan (May 8, 2005)

Agree smooth draw is key, and to add, the blades come in different thicknesses to match to the weight of your arrow. Usually .008,.010 and .012". Too thin of blade made for lightest arrows matched with too heavy an arrow will cause the blade to move more as you draw bouncing the arrow off the rest.


----------



## Corneliu (May 8, 2020)

You are not missing a part, there are no plungers on modern compound bows. You can try to adjust to it, to adjust the rest (or the limb) or change to a "Fall Away Rest", it is easier to draw even in the wind.
Have fun!


----------



## merlinron (Mar 23, 2020)

nine times out of ten, when the arrow keeps falling off a blade rest, you are likely over bowed, or there is some nock pinch going on. make sure there is a bit of up and down play in your nock on the string at rest and start backing off poundage until the arrow stays on the rest consistently while drawing. when you reach that condition, that is the poundage you should shoot at and only work up as your draw gets smooth enough to keep the arrow on the rest. some times it can be a blade angle problem as well. if your blade is layed down too far below the suggested 30 degree angle, it will not keep the arrow on it. basically there are a few reasons. ...too low a blade angle, not the right blade for the arrow weight, being over bowed, or nock pinch.


----------



## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

The width of the V on the blade MUST fit the arrow. A 23 arrow on a standard blade will fall off every time. They make 3 sizes of blade thickness and 3 sizes of V width but there are several different sizes of arrows and all the blade do not fit all the arrows. My Fatboys are too wide for my standard width blade and too skinny for my wide width blade. The Fatboy fall off the standard width blade and sits too low allowing the vanes to hit the rest on the wide blade. the .244 - .245 arrows are the biggest arrow to fit the standard blade and the 25 arrows are the smallest arrow to fit the wide blade.

Solution is to take a standard width blade and by using a Dremel tool, make the V a little wider until the 23 arrow like the Fatboy fits the arrow without hitting the vanes. A rattail file also works. A friend also shoots Fatboys and had every other arrow fall off his blade rest. Two days before Vegas this year, he had an arrow fall off his rest and dry fired his bow breaking the top limb. I loaned him my back up bow and ran a rattail file on his blade about 4 times until his arrow fit. The only problem that I had was that he beat me by 3 points at Vegas.


----------



## Doublea17 (Jan 30, 2017)

Not sure if this helps but it helped me. I was shooting 27s on a wide blade I had trouble keeping arrow on rest, shooting low pound so not over-bowed my arrows were weighting around 600grs and arrow would fall off like 6 out of 10 times, got frustrating 
I dropped my arrow weight to like 450grs and didn't have any issues drawing the bow back and keeping the arrow on the rest. I like shooting a heavier arrow so I got a Vaportrail Limbdriver drop away rest and really liking it so far.


----------



## redman (Feb 22, 2003)

Lot of pro's are shooting limb driver style rest for target You can change arrows and not have to change the launcher size like a blade rest .


----------



## harrison_floyd (Mar 14, 2016)

yeah id check for nock pinch or ultimately swap to a hamskea limb driven rest


----------



## peholden (Nov 27, 2019)

Thank you all... Lot's of good advice.. Pete


----------



## britesite (Aug 22, 2020)

Doublea17 said:


> Not sure if this helps but it helped me. I was shooting 27s on a wide blade I had trouble keeping arrow on rest, shooting low pound so not over-bowed my arrows were weighting around 600grs and arrow would fall off like 6 out of 10 times, got frustrating
> I dropped my arrow weight to like 450grs and didn't have any issues drawing the bow back and keeping the arrow on the rest. I like shooting a heavier arrow so I got a Vaportrail Limbdriver drop away rest and really liking it so far.


Check out britesite.us for our ez draw head . Will shoot any size & any weight arrow . The Protuner rest


----------



## drjeep (Oct 23, 2017)

huteson2us2 said:


> The width of the V on the blade MUST fit the arrow. A 23 arrow on a standard blade will fall off every time. They make 3 sizes of blade thickness and 3 sizes of V width but there are several different sizes of arrows and all the blade do not fit all the arrows. My Fatboys are too wide for my standard width blade and too skinny for my wide width blade. The Fatboy fall off the standard width blade and sits too low allowing the vanes to hit the rest on the wide blade. the .244 - .245 arrows are the biggest arrow to fit the standard blade and the 25 arrows are the smallest arrow to fit the wide blade.
> 
> Solution is to take a standard width blade and by using a Dremel tool, make the V a little wider until the 23 arrow like the Fatboy fits the arrow without hitting the vanes. A rattail file also works. A friend also shoots Fatboys and had every other arrow fall off his blade rest. Two days before Vegas this year, he had an arrow fall off his rest and dry fired his bow breaking the top limb. I loaned him my back up bow and ran a rattail file on his blade about 4 times until his arrow fit. The only problem that I had was that he beat me by 3 points at Vegas.


Never thought to dremel the blade! I have the same trouble with my indoor target arrows. Gonna give it a try!


----------



## Nick72 (Aug 14, 2020)

I got my first ever bow 5 weeks ago. A PSE Drive 3B, and the shop put on that very same Infitec blade rest.

I was also over bowed at 45lb.

Same thing. Arrow would bounce out every other draw, or even four times until a draw as I fatigued.

I decided it wasn't for me and got the QAD Ultra drop away rest, also dropped down to 38lb draw weight.

I'm loving the drop away rest in so much as I never have to think about it.

I'm now up to 50+lbs draw weight and plan to go back to a blade rest at some point as they are said to be more accurate than drop aways - but not yet.

A drop away will let a novice like me concentrate on my form and also gradually increase my draw weight without having to worry about dropping the arrow.


----------



## Mahly (Dec 18, 2002)

With a good setup, a drop away rest is just as accurate as a blade.


----------



## msh441 (May 22, 2020)

Hamskea drop away. Heck, I even use their synthetic wide ‘Y’ whale tail AND the hunter’s capture ring, for now.


----------



## Lightning (Jul 13, 2009)

On a spring steel launcher blade, shoot with the cock feather straight up (3 fletch). Also, the weight of the shaft matters-- .008"(under 325 gr.) .010"(325-425 gr.) .012" (over 425 gr.--- Stiffer launcher blade for stiffer shaft..


----------



## fddarchery (Aug 20, 2020)

peholden said:


> I'm getting back into target archery after 25 years and have just bought a used bow, a Diamond Medalist 38 with an Infitec Crux Rest installed. My old bow, a 1980's vintage bow, had an arrow rest with a spring-loaded "plunger" on the side that sort of held the arrow in place as it was supported by the rest. Hence, it was easy to keep the arrow from falling off. The blade rest on my new bow doesn't have that plunger, so the arrow drops off the rest very easily if I don't keep the bow perfectly upright and still. Is this normal, so I'll just have to get used to it, or am I missing a part?
> 
> Thanks for your advice. Pete


Do you know why its bad to use a blade rest when hunting? Is it because there is more chance of the arrow falling off compared to a drop away rest?


----------



## BDZ65 (May 20, 2004)

I have shot V blade launchers forever and agree with the comments about wide and narrow launchers vs. arrow size. The one thing that has been mentioned but easily overlooked, specifically when shooting a D-loop is nock pinch. A little nock pinch can easily lift the arrow off the blade during the draw, be sure to check here first.


----------

