Drop away rests

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
I’ve been toying with the idea of one of these for a while now and did a bit of research; it seems that the limb driven ones are best (the arrows remains in contact for far longer than cable driven) but prices vary from £40 to almost £200.
The Vapor Trail v7 looks very good but it’s not cheap.
As I don’t do target at all and many of our shots are at weird angles, the added confidence would be handy although I’d not go back to the slightly iffy “biscuit” rest of old.
Anyone tried these or some kind of full capture rest? Completely removing any chance of an arrow bouncing off would be good but I also fancy trying one. My SS2 is okay but looking a bit sorry for itself.
It might be a daft idea though...!
 
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geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Some drop away rests, lift early on the draw stroke and could cause the arrow to bounce off the rest. Limb driven ones can be like that. Also some have the blade laying down on the shelf almost at the start so getting the arrow to stay on can be a problem.
Full capture ones are safer if the arrows are falling off on the draw; but I have never shot any of those as they seem complicated and gain me nothing.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
This little video is interesting and shows the Vapor Trail plus others and compares cable to limb driven rests.
I’m doing daily bungee exercises with my bow (I happened to find a perfect length and tension one in our garage; like a crude bow trainer) and generally on a mission to improve my draw.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
If you look at the size of the V on the vapor trail rest, how much bigger than your current blade do you think you would need to stop your arrow falling off? With the V they have shown, why have anything to stop it falling off?
I made my own drop away rests. Limb droppers and cable droppers. I even made one that I could adjust the drop time, from very early all the way to very late. None of them grouped any better than any of the others. On the adjustable timing one, none of the settings made any difference either. I like the drop away idea because I get clearance so fletchings don't get damaged.
Bow hunters use totally enclosed rests mainly because they often carry the bow with the arrow already in place.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
If you look at the size of the V on the vapor trail rest, how much bigger than your current blade do you think you would need to stop your arrow falling off? With the V they have shown, why have anything to stop it falling off?
I made my own drop away rests. Limb droppers and cable droppers. I even made one that I could adjust the drop time, from very early all the way to very late. None of them grouped any better than any of the others. On the adjustable timing one, none of the settings made any difference either. I like the drop away idea because I get clearance so fletchings don't get damaged.
Bow hunters use totally enclosed rests mainly because they often carry the bow with the arrow already in place.
I changed to a wider “tongue” when I first had problems and I haven’t actually had an arrow drop off for a very long time. Once at about half draw: the arrow almost “locks” to the rest groove and is pretty solid; it’s just a little doubt from when I was all over the place a while back. I’m probably barking up the wrong tree. I’m focussing on re-strengthening the affected shoulder/back with my home made bow trainer; hopefully that awkward (inconsistently so) last couple of inches will smooth over. It’s not jerky, I don’t sky draw, it’s just a slow pull on the last bit to that back wall.
The shoulder thing is weird; I’m almost unusually strong at almost any angle after a lifetime of hard training but certain very precise angles of motion just don’t work. Usually things where my arm is fully extended. And possibly (I’m not even sure) that last position of the draw. I feel it on my right lat muscle. Half annoying, half a thing to overcome.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
This is my rest.

I have it fairly “flat” so I could raise the blade a bit to support the arrow more but as mentioned, I don’t really have issues, just that flicker of doubt that has plagued me for a long time!
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
One of the things, I feel, about drawing a bow is that watching others drawing their bow can lead to "copying what you see".... but not getting the essence of what is going on.
As the body gets used to the way the cams start to let off, and where in the draw that happens, there is a routine that develops almost without realising it. That "routine" is more obvious when you draw a bow with a different draw profile. I think you already know about that as you still have two bows, yes? I believe the draw should feel quite easy; so at no point is there a tricky bit that has to be avoided or worked around. Again, I think you have discovered this already.
I have hardly shot more than a couple of dozen arrows in the last 6 months. I would not struggle to draw it if I went into the garage for a shoot in the next few minutes. The ease of the drawing is part of how it happens.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
Nice picture. The V of the blade looks like it is picking up something from the shafts as you draw. Perhaps a rub in that area with very fine wet and dry paper could round off any sharp edges. The draw should be just about silent.
 

AndyW

Well-known member
If you're worried about the arrow dropping off in the wind or while moving then these are good. I shot the older version for a couple of years 'til I went back to a flipper - these are a big improvement in terms of less bulk.
Bodoodle Pro Lite II Rest Black RH or other supplier.
The fins are on a spring so you just set it so as the arrow is fully supported at 2/3 draw - any contact and it gets out of the way. Not a full capture but you won't get the arrow to drop off.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
If you're worried about the arrow dropping off in the wind or while moving then these are good. I shot the older version for a couple of years 'til I went back to a flipper - these are a big improvement in terms of less bulk.
Bodoodle Pro Lite II Rest Black RH or other supplier.
The fins are on a spring so you just set it so as the arrow is fully supported at 2/3 draw - any contact and it gets out of the way. Not a full capture but you won't get the arrow to drop off.
Looks good but expensive!
I may have come up with a possible crude but effective (maybe) plan. I’ll try it ASAP.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
Well my cunning plan is to use some aluminium 1.5mm sculpting wire (in green to match the bow; on its way via Ebay) and fashion an arch between the front edge of the arrow “shelf” and the riser (obviously wide enough for an arrow to clear). It’ll take some thought to make it sturdy enough but it doesn’t take much to “catch” a wayward arrow that’s bounced off a rest. I also need to think about what happens if it did fail but I can’t see anything worse than a bit of lightweight wire pinging off.

This should remove that little worry so I can concentrate on getting that draw back to “don’t have to think about it” mode. Meanwhile I’m doing daily exercises with my bungee “bow trainer” to try to firm up that last part of the draw.

The only other bow option is to change the limbs which means sending it back and it’ll cost me around £200. And still might not be the “solution” so £2.20 on some wire and an old bungee are almost free and will hopefully work.

I’ve looked and looked at drop away rests and semi capture ones; I might not end up any better off (my blade rest is dead simple but it works) and am probably at risk of spoiling what accuracy I have. That’s the plan anyway.
 
D

Deleted member 7654

Guest
Nice picture. The V of the blade looks like it is picking up something from the shafts as you draw. Perhaps a rub in that area with very fine wet and dry paper could round off any sharp edges. The draw should be just about silent.
Yes, it looks like it's been designed as a scraper 😮 . I expect they are just punched out by the thousand with no deburring. Dunno why people can't experiment by making their own blade... hardly rocket science... all sorts of suitable material that would be less likely to scrape the shafts. And a few minutes could be spent ensuring a nice finish on the offending edges.
To easy during Covid to get lured in clicking "buy" for stuff you neither need nor really want!
Del
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
I’ll give it a good rubbing over; it’s the only part of the bow that’s picked up a bit of corrosion too. You’d think for £60 for such a simple thing, they’d at least make or rust proof!
Day 5 of bungee exercises today. I think it’ll help.
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I make my own blades from spring steel, Del. Costs vey little but I can make it the way I want. it's easy to change the stiffness, too.
I do think arrow rests, like bow sights, are too expensive for what they are. We are being "sold" an idea of how they should look etc; and the more adjusting screws the better.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
I make my own blades from spring steel, Del. Costs vey little but I can make it the way I want. it's easy to change the stiffness, too.
I do think arrow rests, like bow sights, are too expensive for what they are. We are being "sold" an idea of how they should look etc; and the more adjusting screws the better.
Having had a good search around, I have to agree. Over £100 for a simple blade rest?!!
£200 for a drop away?
I’m often an advocate of quality and paying for it but when you see perfectly decent looking rests for around £25, you have to wonder.
It’s similar in shooting world; yep my actual rifle was fairly pricey (but great VFM) and the scope is decent but I’ve managed to pick up both a chrono and rangefinder for amazing money and both work as well as products costing multiple amounts more.
Sometimes, if you know your stuff, cheap can perfectly decent.
 
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KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
... Over £100 for a simple blade rest?!! £200 for a drop away?
Some people like to spend money and are not happy unless they can spend the equivalent of a new small hatchback on a piece of archery equipment. Personally I have no issue with that :)
 
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