Paul L Mohr

Most people that use prong rests don't have them set up properly from the get go. And the new skinny carbon arrows made them a pain to use as well.

You can shoot a helical with a prong rest, it will have contact though. However the prongs will push down out of the way if set up correctly. I know plenty of hunters that used 5 inch helical vanes with TM style rests and had no trouble with arrow flight. A large helical vaned arrow will correct itself pretty quickly anyway, that is the whole point behind using them.

I personally don't see the need for helical fletchings with todays heads and good tuning though. A slight offset has always worked fine for me.

The bodoodle is probably my favorite rest, I just love those things. I'm telling you in my eyes a good aluminum arrow with feathers launched out of a bodoodle just can't be beat.

As far as the arrow falling off the rest, that really shouldn't happen. There is either a set up issue and/or form problem. You should be able to draw your bow straight back and not pull the arrow off the rest.

My girlfriend shoots 18/64 diameter arrows with a target style prong rest and she has never pulled the arrow off the rest. Normally when I see this it is because someone is drawing too much weight, too much length or both. There are various other things that can cause it as well. But if you are doing it there is an indication that something is wrong. With a drop a way rest or similar you wouldn't know something was wrong. When I start someone out shooting I like to make them use a prong rest just so they learn how to draw properly.

I have seen many people do it with some of the drop aways as well.

I will admit that you can knock an arrow off while in a tree though, or it could fall off while drawing at an odd angle in a tree stand. You can't always get that perfect form while hunting.

And by the way I don't consider the prong rests a shoot through rest. A shoot through rest to me would be the whisker bisket type rests. Depending on the model I guess a bodoodle could be a cross between the two.

Whats wrong with them? Nothing when you consider that almost every record set in target archery was done using one. I'm sort of upset I can't find them in stores anymore.

My opinions anyway.

Paul

Seif5034

My girlfriend was looking to start archery and this is a great idea to teach her.

Thanks Paul!!

txmarshmonkey

I know I had much better groups using my old Star Hunter rest. I've been going round & round with my Ripcord. I'm getting closer to having all the wrinkles ironed out though. I'm not giving up yet.

paka

Doegirl75 ,
Give the WB Droptine a try. Its so solid. Put it on , adjust it , and its done. I love being able to nock my arrow and walk around or wait with it ready to go. I drew back years ago on a goat and my arrow jumped of my prong style, that will never happen again.
Good Luck

Arthur P

Walking around with a nocked arrow is dangerous, both to you and any hunting companions you might have. Basic bowhunting safety rule: Never carry an arrow nocked on a bow unless in the final stage of actively stalking an animal.Making it more convenient for the hunter to violatebasic bowhunter safety rules is NOT a valid reason to recommend any rest.

Overbowing is the most common reason arrows get knocked out of the rest during the draw. But there are a couple of mechanical reasons for it to happen as well. Fortunately, they are easily cured.

I've found the most common mechanical reason an arrow lifts off a rest during the draw is nock pinch. Mostly happens to folks using the old rubber cushion/brass nockset shoot off the string style setup, but it can happen with a string loop as well. The bottom knot can slide up the string and squeeze the nock. Therefore, I always set a brass nockset between the bottom knot and the arrow nock when using a loop. It will keep the knot from pinching the nock. If you're shooting off the string and have the problem, install a brass nockset between the nock and the rubber cushion or, better, switch to a loop.

The second most common mechanical reason is poor bow tiller. See my thread pinned at the top of the page for that.

As to the question of what is wrong with shoot through style rests, the answer is NOTHING. They are excellent rests, consistent and reliable. It's just that so many people have worked so hard at finding flaw with them to urge on the movement to the full containment or dropaway designs that nobody has heard about the good side to them in quite awhile.

bigcountry

You know I was doing some tests lately troubleshooting a drop away. I put a old TM hunter on the bow. I haven't shot one in 7 years. I was shooting thru paper, and couldnt' believe how unforgiving it was. If I didn't have my shoulder down, and if I gripped the bow at all, I would get a bad tear. I went back to another replacemnt drop away and was able to get away with much more slop in my grip, and shoulder placment and release arm.

But it was refreshing not to have to deal with timing and tieing in things. I forgot how easy it was to tune a prong rest. I will be looking at the hostage pro when it comes out. They had a bodoodle on clearance at a bowshop and I about bought it for 20 dollars.

OHbowhntr

While I agree with everything else you posted, I will tend to disagree with this under MOST circumstances. I hunt in rather easy to navigate terrain, and have on a couple of occasions filled an antlerless tag on my walk into my stand, and never even made it half way to my tree. Certainly if trying to climb difficult terrain, such as in mountains, or even on one of the steeper parts of my own property, it's ill advised to walk around with a nocked arrow where there's a risk of slipping or falling, but under most hunting conditions, I tend to disagree, "basic bowhunting safety rule" or not.

I agree also that while the prong rest ARE quite easy to tune, I've found that I'm far more consistent with a drop-away than with a prong, but it certainly makes a HUGE difference if that drop-away is out of time, vs. being "in time" also. I have an older Golden Key Premier micro adjust on a bow I just recently bought, and it is probably the EASIEST rest I've ever tried to tune, bar none.

Arthur P

Under 'most' circumstances you're not going to accidently trip or slip and drive a broadhead through your thigh and bleed to death. Accidents do happen though. Walking around with an arrow nocked is an accident WAITING to happen and it's pure stupidity to do it. Disagree all you want, but facts is facts.

Roskoe

When I weigh out the consequences of walking around with a nocked arrow, against the benefits of having one ready to go if a previously unseen animal suddenly appears; I'm going to leave the arrow in the quiver. Bows do not lend themselves well to jump shooting anyway - and if an animal won't stand there for several seconds while I get an arrow nocked, I guess it was his day to walk away.

TFOX

I usually don't walk around with a nocked arrow but I have,usually AFTER I have spotted the game and I am trying to get into position to get a shot.I have even crawled around on the ground with a nocked arrow trying to get into position behind some hay bales for a shot on turkeys.A full containment rest is nice for these situations but they are not absolutely necessary.