I waz a wondering

[Cyrille]

 I have shot shelfless "horse bows" using the Mediterranean or three under hold with fair to good results and recently purchased and am now shooting a shelfless longbow. How many archers, not necessarily "primitive" archers but archers using medieval type long bows [not necessarily ELBs]  use bows [ASLs] with no shelf and shoot off their hand?

[EdwardS]

I do, using Asiatic thumb draw.  I don't care for bows with shelves.

[bubby]

There are a lot of guys that shoot off the knuckle on tgis forum

[DC]

I do. I like the look of a shelfless bow. I was afraid I would tear my hand up but I can't even feel it go by.

[loon]

ASLs?

shelves are for books
I do mostly thumb draw 32"
Shelves aren't really my thing.. I have 6 bows, none of them with a shelf. they're a modern invention anyway
if I wanted everything easier I'd just do compound.. but it's really just personal choice. shooting off the hand may make you a bit less accurate since it's a bit harder to be consistent with it. and i guess wider arrow passes are less forgiving

Some Polish bowyers (Lukasz Nawalny?) make modern locator/semi-pistol grip R/D glass laminate bows without shelves, which I found pretty interesting

[bjrogg]

I started out making arrow shelf. A friend of mine wanted to be able to shoot right or left handed so I just made a narrow handle. Between shooting his and my son's left handed bow I got pretty decent shooting left handed. I shoot all my bows off the knuckles now. Like D.C. Said I don't even feel the arrow.
Bjrogg

[DC]

if I wanted everything easier I'd just do compound..

I don't know about that. I've watched the guys at the range and they are constantly fiddling with those things. They've got more adjustments than a Weber carburetor.  

[Del the cat]

I shoot primitive and ELB off the hand.
I only have a couple of bows with shelves and they are flight bows,
Del

[Pappy]

Loon , not sure they are a modern invention,   but if they are I like a shelf anyway. I can shoot ok with out one but when I am hunting I like to hang my bow with arrow on it, can't do that shooting off my hand.
 Pappy