IMO the best fletching you can use would be 4" helical feathers. You can shoot off the shelf provided you have some sort of cushioning on it like a thick felt pad. And like Bowguy said, a raised area on the side plate. I like to use a stick on leather patch with a slight high point in the center for the same reason he stated. I prefer shooting directly off the rest but should you decide on using an after market one my choice for a rest though would be a stick on flipper rest.