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You are bidding on a brand new left handed rip cord Fall Away arrow rest camo style. Hunt knowing your arrow is safely secured until you release it. The secret to this innovative rest is in
the unique containment arm that cradles your arrow. For added security, the launcher cocks in the
upright position before you draw and remains there until you release the arrow. The cord "clips" to your
bow cable without the need for serving, so you get all the advantages of a fall-away rest as well as
hassle-free connection. The rest can be cocked before the shot or you can let the cord lift it from the
down position when you draw. Calibrated vertical and horizontal adjustments set windage in two
places, so there is plenty of room to accommodate thick or thin risers. Internal dampeners eliminate
metal-to-metal contact for totally silent operation.
One of the great things about archery is that individuality is not only encouraged, it's catered to, even celebrated.
While there may be a few knuckleheads who are
overbearing about espousing their approach as not only the best, but
also the only way to shoot, the majority of passionate archery
enthusiasts will tell you that if you want to shoot a bare bow with
fingers, have at it.
Archers also tend to try a lot of different
things, looking for the right combination of components that fits their
particular style of shooting.
The two archery components most often replaced
in the off-season would be the sights and rest. The quest for the
ultimate combination of bow, arrow, sight and rest has left me, and
probably most archers, with quite a collection of all of the above.
Now, I'm quite convinced that frustration for many archers results from
picking the wrong piece of equipment and trying to make it work.
An understanding of archery involves a
curiosity of the laws of physics known as the archer's paradox, which
dictates this simple rule: What works great for one style of shooting
is horrid for another. Here's how it works.
When you sight down a right-handed bow and look
at the position of an arrow in relation to the target, it appears that
the arrow will strike to the left of the bull's-eye, however, when
released the arrow strikes home. That's where the paradox comes in.
Arrows fired using a mechanical release tend to oscillate vertically,
while finger-released arrows tend to oscillate horizontally. High-speed
cameras have documented these phenomena, first described by Dr. Robert
P. Elmer, a well-known archery writer who coined the phrase, archer's
paradox, in the 1930s. When an arrow leaves the string it flops like a
carp on the beach. Although the arrow recovers quickly, looking at one
just leaving the rest, it's amazing that any consistency can be
achieved. By matching the right rest with the right technique, you can
eliminate needless frustration.
Selecting the perfect arrow rest is somewhat of
a misnomer, since perfection is an illusive quality, especially when it
comes to archery. Everything designed by man has strengths and
weaknesses, and this principle applies to both individual rests as well
as broad categories. The rest that has more pros and fewer cons will
depend on your shooting style and, to some degree, personal preference.
Here's a breakdown and some general recommendations for narrowing your
search.
Three designs dominate the field, with two of
those three making up the lion's share. Shoot-through rests remain
popular, but it's the capture or containment rest and the drop-away
rest that are most frequently used.
Shoot-through rests
At one time the shoot-through arrow rest was the most common type of
rest. Installation is simple, because the design is simple, easy to use
and reliable. This style of rest consists of two prongs with spacing
that is adjustable to about two thirds of the diameter of the arrow and
works well for most applications. The arrow rests in this pronged
cradle, settled in the gap between the prongs. These prongs are
generally spring-loaded. At the instant of the shot, they tilt down and
forward, creating added clearance as the arrow passes over. Once the
arrow passes, the spring-loaded prongs flip back to their original
position for the next shot.
Arrow orientation for this rest requires the
cock feather or vane to be pointed down, so it can pass between or
shoot through the two prongs. Ergo, the moniker, "shoot-through" rests.
With proper tuning and alignment of arrow, nock and rest prongs, the
cock-fletch will pass cleanly and fly true. It's the simplicity of this
design that makes it popular, but the price is also attractive. A good
shoot-through rest can be had for a base price around $20. The price
moves up with added features such as microadjustment and other
refinements.
Here are the disadvantages of the shoot-through
rest. The first and most common is a vane or feather coming into
contact with one of the prongs in flight. This causes a noticeable
disruption in arrow flight and possible damage to the fletching.
Usually this problem is minimal or nonexistent with straight vanes, but
helical or offset fletchings require more tweaking to achieve good
flight.
The second challenge with this style of rest is
the difficulty of keeping an arrow on the prongs from draw to shot. An
inclined shot, canted bow or shaky stroke on the draw created by
nervous hands can cause your arrow to fall from the prongs, delaying
your shot or spooking your quarry. Some shooters have constant
difficulty using this type of rest, while others have no difficulty at
all. Refinements to the basic concept, and add-on products that serve
as arrow holders, have minimized the problem for those who prefer this
type of rest, but true containment-type rests have become very popular
in recent years.
Shoot-through rests work well with a mechanical
release since the slot in the prongs and the arrow's oscillation are
both vertical.
Capture/containment rests
This type of rest eliminates the problem of arrows coming off the rest
by totally encircling the shaft or "capturing" it on at least three
sides and containing it until the release. These two terms are used
interchangeably, and for the sake of clarity I will refer to them as
capture rests.
The capture rest is a good choice for new or
young shooters, and anyone who wants to minimize the chance for errors
their shooting process. When you don't have to worry about the arrow
coming off of your rest, you can concentrate on your form and the
ultimate goal: placing the arrow in the kill zone. Capture rests will
work with any type of arrow or release technique.
The downside, according to some shooters, is a
less-forgiving nature when it comes to flaws in shooting technique, a
slight reduction in speed and the possibility of fletching damage for
those rests that come into contact with the arrow's fletching. In
particular, this concern would most apply to the very popular Whisker
Biscuit; however, improvements in the bristles with new models
virtually eliminate this potential problem. Certainly, the Biscuit's
positives far outweigh the potential for fletching repair.
Other capture rests are designed not to touch
the fletching, but they require a bit of tweaking to ensure that the
fletching and nock are aligned properly, similar to a shoot-through
rest. Three-point capture rests also have tight tolerances that limit
you to straight alignment of fletching, since helical fletching would
come in contact with the rest in flight.
While it is less of an advantage to target shooters, bowhunters will benefit greatly from using a capture rest.
Drop-away rests
Sometimes they are referred to as fall-away rests, but both terms refer
to the same style of rest that drops or falls out of the way and does
not touch the arrow after it has been released. This type of rest
totally eliminates any concerns of fletching clearance, and even the
most radical helical slips by untouched. Improved and lengthened prongs
on most drop-away rests provide deep notches that cradle the arrow,
eliminating the problem of arrows dropping off, and some manufacturers
have added an ingenious twist that provides the best of both concepts.
By adding a containment arm that is positioned above the cradle, your
arrow is secure until release.
Drop-away rests are raised into position, and
most use a nylon cord or cable to accomplish this task. Once the arrow
is released, these rests drop when actuated by movement of the bow's
cable slide or buss cable, and some are triggered by the forward
inertia of the shot. The timing of the drop is critical, since the rest
must stay in position until the arrow establishes a stable flight, and
drop before the fletching arrives. Naturally, the speed of your bow
will have an impact on this timing, with faster bows narrowing down the
gap. It can take quite a bit of fiddling to get them set, so if you're
inexperienced in setting up a bow, you can seek professional help or
take the dive into the learning process.
The rest of the rests
Finger shooters are very familiar with the pressure rest. Some refer to
it as a shoot-around rest. This specialized rest pushes back from the
side to help counteract the horizontal arrow oscillation created when
fingers are the chosen method of release. While mechanical releases are
by far the more popular choice of release, there are still a few
dedicated traditionalists and manufacturers that meet those needs.
Intended for use on bows with a center-shot cutaway riser, this style
of rest is tuned by adjusting the amount of tension or pressure exerted
on the arrow shaft.
Older bows, without the center-shot cutaway
riser, should use a standard flipper or spring rest, since some
pressure rests do not have adequate horizontal travel to accommodate
the center-shot style of older bows.
Hopefully this information has given you an
overview sufficient enough to make a decision on which rest will work
for you. Just keep in mind that selecting a rest isn't akin to picking
a mate. It's not a lifetime commitment. As shooters' abilities evolve,
so do their preferences in accessories. We all have our quirks when it
comes to what we like and what we find irritating. For some it's
dropped arrows, for others it's a passion for perfection. Find your
itch and scratch it.
Containment arm cradles arrow securely
Easy connection without need for serving
Independent adjustments
Internal dampeners for added silencing
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