down range when the control surfaces are able to act upon flight and stabilize the projectile, no arrow is going to be stable on the rest

 

So an arrow can travel on a rest for a couple inches and its path is set? I was wondering if there is an advance in accuracy the longer an arrow travels along a rest.

 

Some say yes.
Some say no.

Take a look at the BLADE launcher arrow rest.

 

Set the drop away arrow rest,
so that the ARM comes up to the FULL UP position,
1.5-inches before you hit full draw.

This will provide ENOUGH support and guidance
for the arrow to be "stable"
and
this also allows the arm on the DROP away arrow rest
to fall down OUT of the way of the arrow.

 

the longer the arrow is in contact with the rest the more of a set launch angle and start to the flight path it will have, but it has barely started to spin and it not stable in flight while on the bow

 

So a blade rest is likely to be more accurate than a drop away rest?

 

Some folks swear by the blade launcher arrow rest.
Some folks swear by the drop away arrow rest.

What you are REALLY asking is...

will the drop away be more accurate in YOUR HANDS?
or
will the blade arrow rest be more accurate in YOUR HANDS?

That, we cannot answer for you.

Take a chance,
purchase an arrow rest USED in the AT classifieds,
and find out.

 

I believe that a well set up bow the less contact once the string is launched the less form influence we give to the arrow. In other words if your form is not near perfect the less contact the less chance of sending the arrow in a direction we did not intend it to go. One of the biggest reasons to use a drop away. Less contact with the arrow during launch, less influence we give to direction due to a hiccup in our form.

 

It all boils down to your follow thorough.

For me, as long as I do my part, I'm more accurate with a LimbDriver [on longer shots] that stays up longer on the shot, than I am a QAD. That may be becasue of the fact that most of us time our QAD's to drop faster due to fletching contact issues.

Follow through is the main focus point on this. That's why some of the good target shooters perfer blade rests over a launcher like a QAD. It's easier to control the arrow during the shot the longer the arrow remains on the rest.

Also, in terms of the OP's question; after an arrow leaves the bow, fletchings and speed is the main factor on arrow stability.

Skeet.

 

I have been using a Hoyt Tec sight and I found that it stays up longer than the Qad and my accuracy to 80 yards improved dramatically. What rests are the ones which tend to support the arrow longer? I heard limb driver and Tt Smackdown are good choices. Does any one recommend these? I only shoot target, 3 D, IFAA and field.

 

These are all EXCELLENT arrow rests.

At some point,
you will purchase a used blade arrow rest,
and give that a try, someday.

 

The arrow isnt on a blade rest any longer than a drop away. the blade will cave, and be out of the way until the arrow is long gone

 

So,
WHY do I CONSTANTLY say set the BLADE to only 30 degrees above horizontal?


So,
when you load the arrow onto the BLADE,
the BLADE BENDs SIGNIFICANTLY...while supporting the FULL weight of the arrow.


Ever seen a downhill racing mountain bike?
Ever compare the shock absorber travel for a racing mountain bike to a big box store discount mountain bike?

The shocks on the big box store mountain bike has maybe 2-inches of travel...max up and down motion.

The shocks on the racing mountain bike has say 6-inches of travel and the shocks alone, cost $1,000.


So,
we want a LIGHTER, THINNER blade on the blade arrow rest,
maybe say the 0.008 thickness or the 0.010 thickness.

We can adjust the BLADE ANGLE to adjust the amount of TRAVEL for the blade.

FLATTER blade angle, more TRAVEL on the blade in the up and down motion,
cuz the FLATTER blade angle allows for the same thickness of BLADE to behave SOFTER....cushier...MORE SHOCK absorption.


SLIGHTLY STEEPER blade angle, less TRAVEL on the SAME BLADE in the up and down motion,
cuz the STEEPER blade angle allows the SAME THICKNESS OF BLADE to behave STIFFER...less cushy...LESS shock absorption.


HOW do we know what blade angle?

Try 30 degrees.
Use the 0.010 blade thickness.

Shoot 60 yard groups.

Measure the group height.

Let's say that a 12 arrow group measures 8-inches TALL.


Now,
try 35 degrees for the blade angle.
Lower the blade launcher arrow rest elevation
so that the TOP OF THE ARROW shaft is at the same height as before....helps to have a digital caliper.

Fire a 12 arrow group at 60 yards.

DID THE TOTAL VERTICAL SPREAD of the arrow group get better or worse?

Continue trying different blade angles for the blade launcher arrow rest,
until YOU find the blade angle that provides the SWEET SPOT of blade angle
so that
YOU get the ABSOLUTE BEST...as in MINIMUM vertical spread for your 12-arrow group
at 60 yards.


6-inch group at 60 yards is a very good goal
for most target shooters.

BELOW 6-inch group at 60 yards,
is also,
VERY VERY attainable...with a little tuning help
and with a little shooter technique help.

When you can tune your 60 yard groups BELOW 6-inches...

then,
just IMAGINE what happens to your 20 yards groups?


hehehehehe.

 

Alan,
Thank you for sharing this as it is very useful to all indeed! I do understand what you have said and will make good use of the knowledge in years to come. Cheers!
Fred

 

Alan, best description of blade theory and adjustment I've ever read. Thank you for posting it.

Maybe a little off topic but why would target shooters want a shaft that was WAY over spined (extremely stiff)? Would that be for all distances? That's contrary to everything I've read.....so far.

 

GoldTip makes the CRAZY stiff target arrows...these are thin wall, FAT shafts in carbon,
so when you make a FAT target shaft...the side effect is you also get CRAZY stiff.

So,
the FAT GoldTip target shafts (carbon)
typically called LINE-CUTTER arrows,
can work very well out to say 80 yards (MAX NFAA target distance)...

but,
these are not beginner arrows,
these are not forgiving arrows.

If your draw length is too long, these arrows will group not so good.
If you do not have your top cam lean angle dialed in.. (sideways nock travel)...these LINE CUTTERS will not group so good.
If your shooting technique is not so consistent..(you have trouble getting multiple bareshafts to group together)...these LINE CUTTERS will not group so good.


BUT,
if you do meet the three criteria above,
you do have your sideways nock travel under control,
you do have consistent shooting technique (bareshafts slap at 20 yards)
you DO have your draw length dialed in....

the GoldTip X-Cutters and the Series 22 LINE CUTTER arrows work just fine,
and group really nicely at medium to low poundage target bows (50-60 lbs)
and
with only 90 to 100 grain bullet points up front.

So, not for everyone,
but they CAN work extremely well.

 

Stiffer arrows, on average, group tighter but fliers are farther from center(not forgiving). If you can make the same shot or very close to the same shot, stiffer arrows win out- line cutting has nothing to do with it