A primitive arrow flipper-rest

[txdm]

I made this little flipper rest by cutting 3" of stem/shaft from a turkey feather, splitting it lengthwise, then bending it with a heat-gun into an L-shape. Just wrapped it into my temporary handle wrap, and shooting with it instead of a glove is like night and day (at least for me). Much straighter arrow flight and more overall consistency of shots.





After ~90 shots it shows no sign of wear... it's very pliant. I have tons of turkey feathers from my turkeys, so I plan to continue refining this idea in the future.

[BowEd]

Cool beans.

[osage outlaw]

Is that a carbon arrow shooting off of a turkey feather rest? 

[txdm]

Is that a carbon arrow shooting off of a turkey feather rest? 

Yep, I'm pretty new to the primitive side of archery. The beman carbons are the only arrows I currently have.

[osage outlaw]

I started out the same way

[bjrogg]

It's all about consistency and arrows tuned to your bow. Once you find a wooden arrow tuned to your bow with feather fletching your shooting will greatly improve too. If you have the quills wrapped on front of fletching you don't even need a glove, at least I never use one. With proper spine arrows I don't even feel the arrow pass my hand. Those plastic vains your bow is probably not really liking. I know where your coming from I started with hand me down smorgasbord of carbon and aluminum. Not trying to put you down or anything just trying to explain. A well tuned wooden arrow with feather fletching will go around your handle much smoother and quieter and not leave nearly as much of a mark on your bow. Good idea you got there for arrow shelf. Have fun and keep on shooting.
Bjrogg

[txdm]

A well tuned wooden arrow with feather fletching....

I hear ya on the plastic vanes. The carbon arrows I'm using (pictured) are fletched with turkey feathers, and are correctly spined to the draw weight of my bow, but as you can see, no wrapping on the fletchings... yowch!

I've been reading over a few arrow build-alongs and I have plans to make some soon, but I spend too much time working on my next bow and shooting the current one lately. 

[bjrogg]

I know exactly where your coming from txdm. It all takes time and it's hard for me even to find wood arrows if I didn't make my own shoot arrows.
By the way welcome to PA. There really is a amazing amount of knowledge and creativity on this site. I'm sure you'll like it here.
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

PS you can wrap some thread or sinew on those quills it looks like you have enough quill to wrap. If you just wrap a little bit of the quill and then wrap your way forward past the quill maybe a 1/4" all total and some glue to hold it together
Bjrogg

[MulchMaker]

Hmm never thought of using a quil for an arrow rest.. thanks for the idea

[txdm]

PS you can wrap some thread or sinew on those quills it looks like you have enough quill to wrap. If you just wrap a little bit of the quill and then wrap your way forward past the quill maybe a 1/4" all total and some glue to hold it together
Bjrogg

I am going to try it. I have some waxed stitching thread, serving thread, hemp cord, and B50. Running low on super glue, as usual.

Hmm never thought of using a quil for an arrow rest.. thanks for the idea

It's worth a try. The keratin feather shaft acts like a springy plastic. For me, the difference is dramatic.

[txdm]

I wanted to report back on the turkey feather flipper. I shot up to about 400 arrows off it and finally on a very wet humid day it became too floppy to support an arrow. it might hold up better if it was made from a full quill instead of split in two.

Anyway, on the board bow I was using I had added a jute handle wrap, and was able to grab and pull the turkey arrow shaft out with pliers. I went back to the glove and found that by adjusting the postition that I knock the arrows from it was shooting much better without so much hand contact. I'm content with that for now.