Like everything else in archery, the answer is “it depends”. What do you want from the rest? Durability? Adjustability? Accuracy? Do you want an elevated rest or prefer to shoot off the shelf? Budget?

If your rests are wearing out, it’s likely a tuning issue, not a problem with the rest. Even a cheap rest can last for years - the problems come when the arrow is bouncing off it rather than clearing it properly. Usually the culprit is a too stiff arrow or a too low nocking point.

 

Personal opinion. I prefer to shoot off the shelf, so easy choice for me.

 

Do you use a rug on the shelf or what?

 

After "it depends" you have to make your view or argument why you went with this rest on this particular bow. Most of these I am replacing are because they have been on since the 60's use here or there and stored in this place and that place. I am sure you know how it goes with bows. I just now started to get used to getting rid of some of my bows but never in the past, they were family and you take care of your family. So, it is easy to peel off the cover of some foam tape and stick a plastic rest on but should this bow use a smooth cool looking Turkey feather rest? Some of my bows like a off name Marksman Deluxe, I don’t see a difference between any rest I put on but on my Howatt Hunter Turkey feathers hand down are the best.

 

I prefer a stick on rest. I use both a Bear weather rest and an NAP Flipper II. My groups got tighter when I switched to a stick on rest. Correct arrow spine is huge. Like others have said, an overly stiff arrow will destroy any rest quickly. With the correct arrow both work well. Just comes down to what you like.

 

I got my first bow in the early '60s. It came with a brush rest identical to the one sold by 3Rivers and other vendors. It still has the original rest. A brush rest lasts nearly forever, helps achieve optimum arrow flight, is waterproof, allows you to shoot vanes in wet weather. The only downside is that the traditional police may not like it when shooting that expensive recurve made with fiberglass, modern glues and finishes, phenolic tips and exotic rainforest hardwoods.

 

I like the brush rest and if it came with the bow when it was sold then the Traditional Police will have no issue. These rest do last a long long time.

 

I think the feather rests work great and trad police approved

 

S -

You're never going to beat a flipper rest and plunger or consistency and tune-ability. But that's not always an option on all bows. The bow obviously needs a bushing for the plunger and the sight window has to be cut far enough past center shot for the plunger to work (properly). If you don't know how or care to tune a rig, it's a wast of time.

Next you have simple stick on rests. Despite what you might hear, they all do the same thing. The cheapest is the Hoyt Super rest, and the design has been around for over 50 years. Brush rests, feather rests, the "heavy arm" rests like the Bear Weather and even stick on flippers can actually be lumped into the same category.

Lastly, shooting off the shelf has only become popular in more recent years. 50 years ago, no one who shot seriously would even consider that. First, your tune has to be spot on and that implies your form is consistent. But then again, using a stick on rest on a Hill style longbow, may not work that well and just looks fugly.

I shoot my LBs off the shelf, "trad" (vintage) bows with some type of elevated rest, and ILF/Olympic bows with a flipper and plunger. BUT, what I or we do should have little bearing on what you do.

Viper1 out.

 

S -

You're never going to beat a flipper rest and plunger or consistency and tune-ability. But that's not always an option on all bows. The bow obviously needs a bushing for the plunger and the sight window has to be cut far enough past center shot for the plunger to work (properly). If you don't know how or care to tune a rig, it's a wast of time.

Next you have simple stick on rests. Despite what you might hear, they all do the same thing. The cheapest is the Hoyt Super rest, and the design has been around for over 50 years. Brush rests, feather rests, the "heavy arm" rests like the Bear Weather and even stick on flippers can actually be lumped into the same category.

Lastly, shooting off the shelf has only become popular in more recent years. 50 years ago, no one who shot seriously would even consider that. First, your tune has to be spot on and that implies your form is consistent. But then again, using a stick on rest on a Hill style longbow, may not work that well and just looks fugly.

I shoot my LBs off the shelf, "trad" (vintage) bows with some type of elevated rest, and ILF/Olympic bows with a flipper and plunger. BUT, what I or we do should have little bearing on what you do.

Viper1 out.

Thanks for the insight. I agree a stick on rest that is used on a longbow is "Fugly" I use all data points to help me decide so what everyone else does in a back of the mind way does have a bearing on what I try and do. Plungers are a great tool to tune your shots. Not every bow can use a plunger and if not original from the factory it does require a hole to be drilled into the riser,,,ouch!

 

I have used Brush rests for more years than I care to admit. Was my first raised rest on my first hunting bow. An old man put me on them when I asked why my fiberglass arrows with vanes bounced of the shelf.

 

Whatever you select I do recommend using indoor/outdoor tape instead of the tape that comes wit the rest.

 

For me its a springy. If not tapped for springy I just use velcro

 

I shoot with a magnetic flip rest and plunger for my "spots" bow; I shoot a bump shelf and adjustable side plate for my "3D" bow and shoot off the shelf for my "hunting" bow. So.... it depends.

 

A rest does one of 2 things as opposed to a hard wooden shelf.
It either makes less contact with the arrows or it damps the bows contact with the arrow.

A hard wooden shelf is the worst because the arrow will bounce off it often which amplifies inconsistencies in your release.

A flipper type and a few other modern rest designs get out of the way. If the rest isnt there you cant bounce off it rub your fletching on it.

Rests that damp minimize the bounce. This is why a piece of velcro or furniture pad on a wooden shelf helps.

A Hoyt Super rest also damps. But the Super rest has an advantage over most shelves in that its narrower so it your arrow is also less likely to catch on it.

 

Like many said, it all depends on the bow type/design, your personal style that shoots best for you, what type of shooting are you predominantly focused on, and the list could go on. It never seems to be a cut and dry answer.

 

I've been using stick-on rests since 1967 and have no desire to go back to shelf shooting. It's much easier to tune you bow, and if you stick to what you normally use, you rarely have to make any adjustments. I use either Hoyt Super Rests or my own make, but as Viper said, they all do the same thing. If I were using ILF setups I would go to the Flipper II and a cushioned plunger, like I used in the 1970's.

 

Perhaps not “pc” any longer, but my seal skin side plate and rest glued on with barge cement show absolutely no signs of wear after 15+ years.


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All of the above is great info, I've personally liked the bear weather rest modified to bring it as low to the shelf as possible and feather rests.

 

I prefer to shoot off the shelf and use a stick on Velcro shelf along with a plunger (depending on the bow I'm using).

Though for hunting with my longbow I'll use velcro on both the side/shelf areas... less to worry about.

I've had the shelf plate velcro fly off during a 3D tournament with my longbow; I took off the side plate of velcro, cut off a strip and attached it to the shelf to carry on

I prefer fuzzy velcro as it remains relatively quite during the draw when hunting critters... by the looks of it I need to replace the velcro on my long bow!

 

Fred Bear filed his bow down so he could shoot off his finger. I thing finger in the right place with a soft glove on it is better. For target I used a flipper and a plunger. For hunting a Para rest is tough and works, but you may want something better than the sticky pad it comes with to kept on the bow.

 

Depends if on the bow. Most of my recurves are set up to shoot off a stick on rest and they all shoot well with the same arrow. My newest recurve shoots better with the same arrow off the shelf. I would shoot whatever allows for the best arrow flight. Arrow flight is the number one factor in determining what you should use.

 

What are you trying to do, if hunting and 3D and the bow can take it, get a shoot off the rest. Then if the bow can't be shot off the rest with a Bear Rug/similar item like it is more target style and you want to try hunting/3D get the Bear Weather Rest or the Hoyt rubber rest or a recurve bowfishing drop-away rest made to fit into a hole. Then if you have a true target bow either get a target rest setup or get a stick on plastic target rest preferably a better made one then a generic Chinese one. Lastly if the bow can be both set up for both off the shelf and a rest, try to see what you like best.

Feather rests I only recommend if you have a flat shelf and you want to do as close to shoot off the shelf as possible.

I do not unless this is the only option for the bow, recommend using the screw in plastic rests like SAS makes as those tend to unscrew after a few shots or they tend to not be great even if they stay screwed in.

 

Many of the local trad only tournaments only allow shooting off the shelf. That said, when I made my dad and I a couple bows for an Alaska moose hunt where we knew it was going to be wet, really wet, I opted for a brush rest and vanes. I don’t claim to be the best shot out there but I did notice a slight improvement in accuracy at distances above 40.


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