Arrow Shelf

[bow101]

I have read tons of stuff in the last 2 months it's getting confusing.
Exactly where is the arrow shelf made on a bow.....Is it dead center..?
Or 2 inches above center.
I know most guys are placing the arrow shelf about 3/4 to 2 inches above center on Laminated bows..
What the diiff for arrow shelf placement between lam bows and Self bows anyway..?

[Buckeye Guy]

I shoot off my knuckle so its were ever my hand ends up !
there is a very long answer to your question that will involve you answering some questions about your shooting style and the tillering of bows ,or you can just do the same as someone else, but not the same as everyone else! If you thought you where confused before just wait till you start getting everyone's theory !!
In the end its doesn't matter a whole lot, do it the way you like it!
Sorry
Guy

[George Tsoukalas]

I put mine 1.25 in above center so that I am pulling the string from about the center. I like to tiller the bottom limb slightly stiffer so I will lower or raise that a bit as needed. Lower to stiffen the bottom limb and vice versa. There are buildalongs on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/

[osage outlaw]

I center the handle on the center of the bow.  After I shape the grip, I mark were the top of my hand is on the bow when I hold it and then put a leather floppy rest there.  I never measure a certain amount, I just put it were it needs to be.

[Pat B]

I do like Osage Outlaw does. I prefer to have the handle centered in the bow now.
  I learned the way George describes. For a 4" handle, mark the center of the bow. Go up 1 1/4" and down 2 3/4" for your handle. Your arrow shelf, arrow rest or arrow pass would be 1 1/4" above the center of the bow.

[toomanyknots]

I do like Osage Outlaw does. I prefer to have the handle centered in the bow now.
  I learned the way George describes. For a 4" handle, mark the center of the bow. Go up 1 1/4" and down 2 3/4" for your handle. Your arrow shelf, arrow rest or arrow pass would be 1 1/4" above the center of the bow.

Now I always make the handle in the center, always have. But my problem is, a while ago I went from drawing to around my chin, like a draw with a anchor point with the index touching  the chin or corner of your mouth, to drawing across my chest. I am 1000 times more accurate now that I draw across my chest, and my draw went from maybe 26" to around a comfortable 28" to 30" if I wanna push it. (this is behind my ear, borderline warbow draw, I am not that big of a guy and will stick my bow arm elbow out a good ways to avoid wrist slap). I use this draw now on almost all my bows, except for very heavy short bows, or just short draw bows. When I drew a shorter 26" draw for all bows, the arrow pass would go right above my hand, and since I think my drawing arm was raised a bit to my cheek or mouth, the arrow pass being placed above my hand balanced fine and worked with my centered handle. But now it seems that the bow will tilt if I don't center my arrow pass if I draw across my chest. So my handles end up looking a bit weird, with the leather or wrap ends up around half the handle only in order to center the arrow pass.    I just can't bring myself to make an off set handle bow,...  ...which would remedy my weird looking handle I would think, but it just seems so unnatural.

[Pappy]

I do like Pat and Osage,except I will shoot it several time moving my hand up and down the grip a small amount,when it shoots the best I make it and put the shelf/
arrow pass at that point.
   Pappy

[Jude]

I've always been a bit confused on the whole subject myself.  I make my bows symetrical and if I find one limb is a bit stiffer than the other, I make it the bottom limb.  Since your not really gripping the handle when you shoot, I place the web of my hand right below center, so off the knuckles, the arrow passes center of the bow.  I usually find my best accuracy knocking the arrow an inch above center on the string.  I guess you can put the shelf about anywhere you want, and then find the knock point on the string through trial and error.  Check out the link below, and you can see how my son is gripping the bows, if you didn't understand my explanation.  Hope this helps.

Julian

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,31096.msg411848.html#msg411848

[Pappy]

I see ,but have never done it like that,if it works for you that is all that matters.
If you grip it in the center then the arrow will pass somewhere an inch or 2 above
center of the bow,that makes the bottom limb longer in simple terms so I tiller my bottom limb a little stiff,if I shot like you I will tiller even. 
   Pappy

[Jude]

I guess I could never wrap my head around the short bottom limb concept   I just let the bow rock on the web of my hand when I shoot, so I don't need alot of handle.  I like to leave the bottom limb just a hair stiff, say a half inch or so, just because I usually nock higher than square on the string.  Seems like all my bows shoot straighter that way.  Not to hijack this thread, but I'm wondering, if you make the bottom limb shorter, do you tiller it even, or do you still leave the bottom stiffer?

[George Tsoukalas]

These days I mark 2 or 2.5 in on either side of center. Arrow pass 1.25 in above center usually but depends like I said above. Gives me enough gripping room but grip may extend into the fade. Don't care. I used to do the Al Herrin handle in the past. Mark center of stave, measure up 1.25 in, measure down 4 in for a 4 in handle, lower fade 1 in, upper fade 2.5 in for the same size limbs. It got complicated.My advice is KISS for now. I like KISS. Keeps my life less cluttered. Do the simple handle. There's a discussion of handles on my site. Jawge
http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/handlestyles.html