Archery Equipment - Arrow Rests

The Arrow rest is probably the most important accessory on your compound bow, however, with the selection available now days, it be quite confusing trying to decide what will work best for you.  If you have been in your local shop lately or have searched online for arrow rests you should clearly understand what I’m getting at. Let’s take a closer look at a few different types of arrow rests.

Shoot Through “Prong Style” Arrow Rest – These rests have been around a long time and are quite simple to set up. These arrow rests are called Prong Rests because of the two prongs that cradle the arrow. The arrow must be nocked with the cock fletch down (odd colored fletch) so it can pass through the rest when the arrow is released.  There are a few disadvantages to this style of rest. The biggest issue is using helical or damaged fletching.  Because the gap between the prongs isn’t very big, some fletching contact can occur when using a helical fletching which will cause very inconsistent arrow flight.

The other disadvantage of a Prong Rest is there is no arrow containment. The arrow can easily fall off the prongs from any number of reasons, including a nervous attempt to draw the bow when a large buck is 20 yards away.

Full Containment Arrow Rests – These are very popular because they eliminate the possibility of the arrow falling off the rest. These are great rests to use in any hunting situation, and are used by many hunters today.  The most popular type of full containment rest is the Whisker Biscuit. I love to play with my girl’s whisker biscuit, however, make sure to order the whiskerless version for a small upcharge.  This arrow rest has brushes that encircle the arrow giving it full containment. The down side to this type of rest is fletching contact. Over time, because the fletching must pass through the bristles, the vanes or feathers will become wrinkled or tattered which then need to be replaced.

Another popular containment rest, and one I feel outperforms the biscuit, is the Octane Capture rest.  The Octane Capture has 3 small brushes that contain the arrow yet allows the fletching to pass through without any contact.

Drop Way Arrow Rests – These have become very popular in the last decade because of the advancements in design and technology. Drop – Aways hold the arrow in position until the arrow is released which triggers the rest to fall or drop away providing fletching clearance. Some of these rests also provide containment features which make them the choice of many archers and bow hunters today.