A drop-away arrow rest may be exactly what you need to improve your shooting and help you become a better bowhunter.
When drop-away arrow rests first appeared during the 1990s, they were easily ignored. They provided troublesome setup, and many models were somewhat unreliable. I recall, for instance, missing a couple of spring gobblers because a launcher assembly slipped ever so slightly upward, resulting in arrows hitting a foot high. Had I been shooting at white-tailed deer instead of turkeys, I would’ve been wounding animals instead.
When the first total-containment arrow rest — the still-popular Whisker Biscuit — arrived about the same time frame it became an instant hit. Here was a ridiculously simple design solving a lot of common problems, largely arrows jumping from arrow rests in the heat of battle. The Whisker Biscuit’s encircling bristles allowed turning the bow upside down without dislodging the shaft.
But they weren’t without shortcomings. Inaugural models were slow to load and wore fletchings badly. Those problems solved, one glaring problem still remained: The total-containment arrow rest contacts the arrow tip to nock during the launch, requiring rock-solid follow-through for reliable accuracy. Drop your bow arm during release, as an example, and the arrow’s final destination is negatively influenced. Despite this the Whisker Biscuit, and the many similarly designed rests, remain one of bowhunting’s most popular rests.
MORE REFINEMENTS = MORE RELIABLE RESTS
With time drop-away arrow rests not only became more refined, but also 100 percent, dead-nuts reliable. I think of models such as New Archery Products’ QuikTune series, which has made instillation, setup and tuning a snap. I think of straight-drop-away models from Trophy Taker, Trophy Ridge and Vapor Trail, all of which I’ve used extensively (and used hard) and can’t recall ever having…
