I've been shooting the recurve quite a bit and this weekend noticed the feather that contacts the shelf is really taking a beating. Shelf has a fur bed on it and that looks as ifa groove isforming righton the edge as the feather crosses. From reading Millertimes post I'm thinking knock has shifted a bit, I don't have a squareandin eyeballing itif it has shifted it must be minimal.Confirmation please or other possibilities? Thanks

Most often with this problem, the nock point is too low. With the groove occurring off to the edge of the shelf, it's also likely that your arrows are slightly overspine.

What arrows are you using and what is your setup including location of your nock? I get some wear on the side plate (I usually use leather), but it is usually after shooting an aweful lot of arrow. I may have to change it once a year or so.

Arthur is right on the money.

If you have to raise your nock point higher than you usually do, and you are getting wear on the shelf plate, your arrows are over spined. Idally, the fletchings should never make contact with the shelf and strike plate.

How would you achieve that? I thought that is why we have to use feathers so that they can collapse upon hitting the shelf so it does not disrupt the shaft when it passes by.

PAstew, I was under the same impression as Redneck here (and just got same explanation from the shopalthough I still think the fletch is getting chewed up more than it should). Can you explain a bit more for me? Thanks

Took the bow to the shop and nock point is dead on with square so I'm leaning toward a spine problem.Actually, from what I have picked up here in the forum and havingfound I have another issue that I have to take up with the Pro when he gets back I'm certain of itso it's into the closet with it until tuesday. Thanks all.

Feathers do fold down to pass an obstruction and spring back up when they're past but, if they hit something too hard and too often, they are going to get the crap beat out of them. A nockset too low will cause the web of the feather to hit the shelf. Spine too heavy will cause the nock end of the shaft, along with the feathers, to slam into the window.

What PAstew is referring to is paradox. The arrow flexes as the string is released, flexes back the other way once it clears the string and continues that cycle until it finally stabilizes some distance down range. If the arrow is too stiff for the bow, it will not flex enough to let the feathers clear the bow at all.

Here's a link to a page with some slo-mo videos of a fingers release that really shows paradox very well. Watch them and you'll get a better understanding. The site is in German but don't ask me to translate. I was kinda stupid when in college and scheduled my German class for 8 AM. Don't hardly remember anything I might have actually learned. [&:] Just click where it says MPEG or WMV to view the videos.

http://www.wernerbeiter.com/de/produkte/videos/video.php

Yep, Arthurs' the man. That is one of the best videos I have seen that describes archers paradox. I use it in the store to show customers why it is important to have a properly spined arrow.

An arrow flexing after releasing the string goes through paradox. It bends side to side. If the bend is too great, you are under spined, too little, over spined. If over spined the feathers will take a beating from hitting the shelf plate too much and/or hard. A properly spined arrow, usually achieved with a 15 yard bare shaft, will bend around the riser of the bow and stabilize when it passes. Some of the top edge of the feather will touch the shelf but, only the very edge should do so.

BKE, you say the nock is dead on square with the shelf? Meaning the arrow, while on the string is level from shelf to string? Is so, it is too low. If you shoot split finger, start the nock 3/8" above level, Gradually increase 1/8" at a time to 1/2 or even 5/8" above level. Some where in that range you will find the sweet spot. If you shoot 3 under, start at 5/8". I have rarely seen astrings nock point be perfectly level and shoot well.

This chart maybe helpful:

Update here. Thank for the replies folks, very helpful. Did end up moving the nock upas you recommended PAstew. Arthur P, very interesting videos. It's amazing what that arrow is going through once loosed, wow!

I'm still playing with this thing and also trying to work on getting consistant fundamentaly, wish I could take a week off from work just to shoot and get things straight. This is mentally taxing, in shootinggroups of 4 arrowsat times Iget 3good ones and say "I'm figuring this out" and then the very next set will suck, maybe 1 good shot out of the 4 [:@]. I can see this is going to take some time.

I'm still looking at the spine thing but will save that for another post with more questions. Thanks again !