Any advice for shooting off your knuckles?

I'm sure the grip is different.

Probably can't use the point of tee arrow to aim since its angled off to the left?

Yes you can use the point of the arrow if it's spined correctly and tuned to the bow. The grip just needs to be consistent, not different. I have several bows that shoot 'off the hand' and I shoot them like any other. Just make sure your hand placement is the same each time. You can also shoot a vertical bow with no shelf.

George, would you be able to explain how I can still use the point of my arrow?

The point of my arrow is to the left a few feet at 15 yards if my bow is squared toward the target. ( I may not be explaining this correctly)

Tweed, look at the arrow at full draw, it's not so much out of line as it is when just resting on the string. You aim the arrow, not the bow.

Thanks George. Even with it be less out of line I would still gap the horizontal a bit I would assume? Should my eye be to the right of the string (I'm right handed/eyed) to compensate?

For aiming it is very much what George said.

For what your string blur should look like is going to be a personal matter. Related to your state of tune, your anchor, your body alignment, your head placement, etc etc.

Shooting off the hand will be more sensitive to state of tune. You may want to wear a bow hand glove to start out. (I used a leather weight lifting glove, wore a hole in it, patched the hole, and wore THAT out before I got the hang of it.) But eventually you should be able to to ditch the glove.

As part of that though make sure the leading edge of the fletch is nice and smoothed down and tightly stuck down, and even has a drop of smoothed down glue. When starting out doo- doo happens and that leading edge/point of the fletching can seriously chew up your hand.

Whether or not much of the details above matter is more of a change in bow design, not whether or not it's shot off the knuckle or a rest.

My selfbows, whether they have a shelf or are shot off my hand, are otherwise exactly the same... in fact I have bows that I've shot both ways, put a shelf on, then take it off, years later, maybe put it back on again. The arrow points in the same place, and flies the same, either way.

Tweed, I shoot them exactly like my shelf bows, there is no difference for me. The arrow is always in my periphery and I don't use it until out to 50 yards, more or less. I actually shoot my shelfless bows more vertical then those with shelves, but that's more about the grip than it is the shelf.

I've made them with and without shelves. No difference. Jawge

Would be the only time I would recommend Left Wing feathers for a right handed shooter. Right Wing to easy to get a quill in the finger. DANNY

Tweed -

You are very much incorrect. I know it's a dirty word in some circles, but if you have the bow and arrow tuned, it will flex around the riser and end up flying in the same direction as it was pointed when at anchor. So yes, if the rig is tuned and the tail of the arrow is under your aiming eye, shotgunning the shaft at anchor will center the arrow in the target.

Bows very far off center shot and inefficient self bows DO require arrow much weaker in spine compared to more modern offerings.

If your experience is correct, your arrows are way over spined.

OH yea, wear gloves ...

Viper out.

Every time I shoot a bow without a shelf, I end up with a feather in my hand. Well not every time, but it has happened a few of the times. A leather glove should be worn.

Thanks for the tips I'm the gloves. That's something I wouldn't have thought of till its too late.

With a high nocking point (1/2" or so) I can't even feel the arrow come off my hand. The rite arrow helps. Go weaker than a cut on center shelf would use.

Have fun!

I was gonna say to raise the nock point a bit to avoid sticking a feather in yourself, too. I need less than a half inch to do it.

I also wrap a bit of thread over the front tip of the feathers. Just a 1/4" band.

I never wear a glove; never need to.

Some of you guy's are so caught in yourselves you don't read what is being said in the posts above. IF you arrows are the proper spine for the bow and there is a smooth blending of the leading edge of the feather to the shaft with a spot of glue on the feather end you will not cut your hand. Depending on how far the center line of the bow is from the strike plate, you might have to use shafts that are 15-20# lighter than bow weight.

Remember; for ever 1/16" difference in the center line to strike plate measurement will effect the spine need 5#, when using as a standard a bow cut 1/8" less than center. So if your bow is cut 3/8" less than center, that is a difference of 2/8" or 4/16" X5=or 20# lighter than bow weight.

Bob

Your fletching needs work. and then theres the time you forget to check your fletching and your looking for some one to yank the feather out of your finger.

Seems to me it would be logical to put an extra dab of glue on the leading edge. We have been doing that for thirty year or more. It only takes one in the finger for the light to go on, or at least it should.

Tweed....it's as simple as moving your bow hand to the right to aim off the point of the arrow.. You aim the arrow, not the bow. As long as you line up the entire length of the arrow from string to point with the center of the target it makes -0- difference whether the bow has a shelf, narrowed handle, or anything else.

I've shot a couple of my right handed longbows left handed off my knuckle...all you need is lighter spined arrows!

Try shooting an English longbow ..It's getting the arrow right as Bob said

To all those commenting on the spine and archer's paradox- I fully understand that and that is not what I was asking.

Thanks to all those that answered my question regarding gap aiming with an arrow that is further to the left than it would be if I was shooting with a center cut shelf.

Also...thanks again for the glove advice. I'm not a great fletcher and a glove is an easy insurance policy. My nock seems to be set up right but it only takes one mistake.

A dab of glue on the leading edge or binding the feathers onto the should keep them from harming your hand. Jawge

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