I have a very nice Green Mountain longbow with no arrow shelf and no locator grip. You can shoot it right or left hand. I haven't put a nock on the string because my hand does not go to the same location every time I pick it up. Do you folks that shoot off your knuckle have a nock on your string? How do you consistently grip the bow in the same spot?

Another question; anyone have a good source for a bow hand glove? I tried a 3Rivers and sent it back because the sewn seem prevents a comfortable grip.

If your bow has leather on the grip, you can loosen it just a smidgen where a shelf should be and use some small leather pieces to "shim" it and use the shims as your shelf. If there is no leather on the bow, make a Lerner grip and either shim that or roll the top of the grip and use that roll as your shelf. Doing this will eliminate the need of a glove for your bow hand. I hope this makes sense.

I shoot this flatbow off the knuckle,,I grip the bow at the top of the wrap so I get the same placement every time.

Just make sure all the front of your feather quills are glued down really good..... don't ask how I know.

To answer your other question,,yes, I have a tie on string nock.

Yes, a tie on string nock as well. I have the grip shaped to fill my hand so it's easy to repeat the grip.

ummm ok. I'm guessing you folks with consistent grips do one of two things, look down at the bow and grip accordingly or have a pretty deep locator grip. My hand can be 1/2" up or down the grip; thus the nock location issue on the string. It's no big deal for me to look and position my hand on the grip the same; I was just curious what others do.

I will take pics of the grip tonight and post them. Any recommendations for a glove?

A consistant grip is going to allow you to have the string nock in the proper position for every shot even if you have to use a pc. of tape, wrap, scratch or whatever to ensure consistant hand placement. This is true for any bow, no matter what the grip is. I look at my hand placement before every shot. I've never tried a shooting glove,,stripping some feathers off the end of the fletch sanding the qwill and wrapping the end with some sinew, artificial or real solves the problem of the feather catching my knuckle.

Put your hand as close to the shelf as possible should be the same each time. Bob

Here is my Korean horse bow grip

My bows which I shoot off the knuckle with have a slight arrow pass carved out, so I put my hand right below that. Its consistent enough, I think...

I usually wear a mechanix glove on my bow hand when shooting off the knuckle. I made a glove which just covers my index finger and thumb at one point, but put a seam in the wrong spot just as you mentioned.... will have to make another one to fix that at some point. The mechanix glove works great and is comfortable though. Only downside is it can get a little sweaty in the summer.

I also wrap some (artificial) sinew around the leading edge of the feathers on all my arrows.

Shoot your bow enough and you will find a sweet spot and grip your bow consistantly from one shot to the next.It takes a while but you will be suprised how consistant you will become.I know the feeling in my hand as I draw.I know because of the ware mark in my bow riser.It probably caused a slight groove so maybe cut yourself a location groove.I call that real archery .I just think it brings one closer to grass roots archery.I still love my sight windows shelves and rests on my other bows. Sometimes you got to just shoot off the knuckle. OSR

My hand goes at the top of the leather. I do use a nocking point on the string.

Jim

Only real tip I have is bind the leading edge of your fletching with silk,polly cotton ,linnen or sinew.I do all my fletching with pollycotton.and seal it .

Here is my grip and arrow rest. The leather grip is longer than my hand.

I have just rested the arrow on my hand. Often, I'll af a little wedge of leather a an indicator and rest. Jawge

Here's how I grip mine off the knuckle every time,if I put a little "wedge" under the wrap it wouldn't change where I grip the bow. The wear on your strike plate and grip shows an inconsistant grip.

In order for the string nock to be in the correct spot I put the bow square on my thumb and adjust the nock up/down accordingly.

Here's mine. Grip almost exactly like Mike Etzler's. Never a problem with hand placement, arrow grouping, or feathered hands. Just one time, which is enough; even without nailing down the leading edge of the fletchings. Sometimes a little bruising or even a cut from the shaft itself bouncing on the knuckle, thumb joint or index finger from a sloppy release.

Oh yes, a tied nock indicator, tied with the nail knot as illustrated here by Rick Barbee. Absolutely necessary for me.

For a reference your hand can feel you could apply lacing to the front or the leather. Or you can wind on a grip like Mike did above Either should give enough a reference that your hand will find its place and you will never have to think of it again. - lbg

Old bike glove with a piece of leather on knuckle.

Seems like a quick glance at your hand would get grip right. If fletching hits your hand nock point is too low.

No need for a glove, unless needed for cold weather. I have cut a hole in a glove about the knuckle to avoid it having an effect on the arrow.

But I still wrap the front of feathers to make a band of thread then wipe a drop of glue around it to hold it down in addition to "sealing" it against wear. Even for arrows that are used with arrow rests.

Sitting here in disbelief at the ignorance of this aspect of archery by some here.This is basically how the earliest and more primative bows were used.Surely it can't be too hard to understand. Our ancesters employed this method .Use a groove or referance mark but it ain't that hard or better still get to know your bow. OSR

DO a lace up leather grip wrap. Lace it bottom to top. Finish with a large knot that you can feel with your bow hand. For example I feel mine as fitting into the crease of the first (nearest to finger tip) knuckle of my index finger. My hand goes into the same place every time. So yes I do use nock sets. 2 of 'em. One above one below the arrow nock. Tie on of course.

Once you get hand placement sorted out, revisit state of tune. Nock height etc. And then once you get the set up actually tuned there is a very good chance that you will no longer even need a bow hand glove.

Bloodied my bow hand, put down a few light scars, got a glove, then actually wore THROUGH the glove and had to patch it before I figured this stuff out.

Not just primitive, and not just the earliest bows- check out some of these horn bows; nothing "primitive" about them- just as complex & sophisticated in all aspects of design & construction as the fanciest Blacktails, Habus, etc.

http://www.salukibow.com/28.html

And more:

https://plus.google.com/photos/100344514090479456506/albums?banner=pwa

Who thinks that the traditional creators of bows like these couldn't have built a shelf? Or that their customers wouldn't have thought of something like that- IF they had needed them?

Man, why does this site eat my messages sometimes?

Lukas Novotny will, however, be happy to build fiberglass bows with a shelf, or two shelves (like my first one) and whatever else a customer wants in a grip/riser configuration.

Three different grips I use for no shelf bows. Thumb ring shooting.

My normal grip I use on my horse bow

And a more conventional grip I use more so on long bows

That's a very cool Green Mountain bow. I'd love to have one like it.

shooting off the the hand may take some practice,, but when you pick up the bow it will balance in your hand,,, that is where you should shoot it,, many times when I am making a bow I am shooting with no rest or nock point, so I am just used to it,,if you put a nock point , it will force you to hold the bow in the same place to have the arrow located right,, as far as too far up or down,,

Hey runner cause it works at full gallop on a horse.Do you do mounted archery.Try it some time.If it is unconventional I don't care. OSR

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here