Instinctive Shooting Modern Equipment - Need Help

[Lazy K]

I’ve been a fairly successful traditional shooter for the last 15 years. Will readily admit the modern archery world passed me by. Am experiencing some shooting problems that have me frustrated to the point I am wanting to experiment with instinctive shooting modern equipment. Need suggestions on bow set up.

Bow is a PSE Dakota. I do plan on shooting with a release. My biggest question… which rest? I know from years of traditional shooting that the closer your arrow is to the shelf, the easier it is to shoot instinctively. Which of the modern rests will allow me to shoot closest to the shelf and/or am I making this too much of a concern? If I keep my arrow close to the shelf, do you think I’ll need to adjust the tiller differently on the top and bottom limbs? Any other suggestions for instinctive shooting modern equipment?

Thanks, this is an awesome sight!

[rzdrmh]

Lazy - I'm not sure about the best rest.. however, i just got a video at home about instinctive shooting. (i'm not into traditional yet, just looking for more tips on shooting). anyway, one of the guys on the video uses a darton compound and shoots instinctively. i'll try and see what type of rest he's using. but i would think, if you're not shooting with your bow canted, that you could use about any rest. even with a cant, i think any fixed rest (prong style) would be a good choice. hey, that might be the first good reason i've seen to shoot a whisker biscuit.. ;-)

[rzdrmh]

hey - you might also want to pose the question on the traditional section of this forum - a lot of good guys and pretty darn knowledgable.

[Lazy K]

Thanks for your thoughts. I know what you mean about canting the bow. Just seems like the closer to your hand you start the arrow, the more natural and instinctive feeling the shot will be. Maybe that's just my years from shooting recurves. Hell I don't know.

Must not be very many guys have experimented with it. Yours is the first response I've had to this question and this is the second board I've posted it on. I might try the traditional page.

[rzdrmh]

if the shelf is deep enough, with some mole skin, couldn't you just shoot off the shelf? i know you probably don't want a flat shelf, you need something with a little curve to it, but seems like that could be easily remedied. there's a lot you can do with that stick on mole hair. i use it with a couple of pieces of arrows, parallel, on my shelf as a means of keeping my arrow in place when at rest cause i shoot a drop away.. seems like there would be some option for something like that..

don't give up though - i'd love to be able to shoot my compound instictively. i know you have to get close to your hand though, and most rests don't allow for that..

[mparks]

Tom Nelson wrote in Michigan-out-of-Doors about gap shooting w/a compound and disregarding the sights in certain situations like real close shots, busted pins, or maybe low-light.

Agree that if you don't cant it doesn't matter what type of rest. But you'll probably want to cant at longer ranges to see the target better.

I have G. Fred Asbell's Instinctive Shooting II and the book of the same name. The compound used in both has a homemade shelf of some kind that is just mimicing a recurve shelf. It looks to be covered in a dark-gray moleskin type stuff.

[The Mutt]

Use a Flipper rest. Shot one for years instinctive with a Browning Mirage.

[Lazy K]

Ya know, I thought about a flipper. I shot off them in the old days too and always thought we were shooting good. Just seemed like with all the hi-tech stuff out there today there must be a more solid rest. I might try it just for kicks.

I have one of Asbells books but not sure it's the second. At any rate, I'll check out the homemade shelf your talking about. Thanks.