# arrow rest for recurve bow question



## LFate (Nov 6, 2007)

I shoot recurve and and I don't know much about compound shooting or bows. Recently a guy who shoots compound who just got a recurve bow asked if he could put a compound rest (the drop away kind) on his recurve. I have never seen this done and wondered if anyone else had experience with this.

Thanks


----------



## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

Physics: A fingers bow's arrow rest is dealing with side-to-side oscillation caused by inevitable displacement of the string to the left (right-handed bow) and archer's paradox tuning issues. 

A compound deals with a smaller amount of vertical load. A dropaway rest deals with the latter, but not very well with the former. 

(A guy on e-bay was recently advertisiing a Helix with 50# limbs ("@29" - not how you rate recurve limbs - they are listed at standard 28") and was using a whisker biscuit rest. I'm guessing he was frustrated by his inability to: a) handle 50# on a recurve vs. 50-60# on a compound or b) get decent arrow flight.)


----------



## Hank D Thoreau (Dec 9, 2008)

I have a center shot prototype Sabo SSR bow from about 1970. In principle, it can be shot either left or right handed. In practice, since the arrow only gets support on left side (Hoyt Superest floats in the middle sight window), it must be shot right handed. Shooting left handed, my arrows fly all over the place, shooting right, my son's arrows fly straight. This is an example of what Archeryal is pointing out. You need something (e.g. pressure button) to apply force to the side of the arrow to counteract the small side force from the string rolling off the fingers. This is needed to reduce arrow bend (cause of archers paradox) which makes the arrow curve and oscillate as it flies. You do not need that with a mechanical release which is designed to release straight if used correctly.


----------



## Joe T (Apr 5, 2003)

Having a certain amount of vertical play in a rest (so it's like a vertical spring) is of benefit to the archer (like me  ) with a less than perfect release. Sort of like a drop-away rest. Surprised me, when I tried it, how much vertical oscillation amplitude you could get with a rigid (Beiter) rest. However during the shot the rest has to accommodate a sideways movement of the arrow shaft on it which rules out the compound rest type.

Nearest thing to a drop away rest I've seen on a recurve was an archer using a wrap around rest with the bar nearly parallel to the riser. When the arrow moved inwards it effectively dropped off the bar - ended up trapped between the bar and the riser for most of its travel. Not so great for the fletchings.


----------



## Greg Bouras (Nov 17, 2006)

8 or so years ago I bought a new Pro-Tec with Cam &1/2. At the time my interest was to use it for 3D. I shot compound bow instinctively with fingers. Playing around I put a Trophy Taker Drop away rest on in. (had the Pro shop set it up to function correctly.)
It was a disaster shooting fingers. I worked with it for an hour before putting my plunger and Hoyt rest back on. I cannot even begin to imagine what I was thinking. Definitely nothing I would try or recommend for a finger shooter. During a conversation found out my older brother tried a Barner drop away rest on a wheel PSE Magna-Flyte some years earlier (fingers.) He told me it was about the dumbest thing her had ever done. I agreed he was dumb and never told him about my experience.

Cannot imagine how had that would be on a recurve.


----------

