I have recently renewed my interest in the traditional side of archery and have a couple questions for those with alot more experience than I.

My bow is a Drifter by Brackenbury.  I has a radius cut shelf.  The person I bought it from put a shim or ?? something under the shelf leather to shim the rear portion up.  

My question is why?  Should I remove it?

Also, I have been wondering about the material of the shelf.  Would a softer material such as seal hair or other type make a difference?

Thanks in advance.

Pics attached.

The seal skin should do the trick to get the arrow up a bit higher and makes a great cushion but everyone does different things on their shelves to suit their needs..This might of been what tuned his arrows best to get the arrow at the center of the crown on the shelf there...Now if it shoots good for you where it's set then leave it but there are all sorts of other ways to get good arrow flight as well..I personally like a rug type rest that's soft but thicker and that makes it quiet on the draw..You are best to experiment with whatever suits you and lots of folks here just use the soft side of velcro and make a shelf and a strike plate with it...More people will come to the rescue so stay tuned and check back often..Lot's of good imfo here for ya.... God Bless,
             Keefer's <><

There is a following, (Me included) who find that a pivot point, directly above the deepest inset of the handle, will add "forgiveness."

I always put a pivot point on my shelf...and one on the side plate area when spine will allow it.

Sealskin is harder and harder to come by, but I have a wee bit and have used it successfully. Myriads of others use hard leather, soft part of velcro, etc, etc. effectively.

Supposedly, sealskin will increase speed off the bow a tiny bit. I can't tell it...I just like it!

Leave the pivot point is my one vote!

I'm with Doc Nock-Hap

Absolutely agree with doc nock,contact over deepest part of the grip. Your contact point is good on your shelf,but the contact point on your side plate is further forward. They should line up. I would add a little something behind your sideplate directly over contact point of shelf to line them up. A very thin slice of surgical tubing  works well. If yor side plate is radiused you should be able to built it out and move it back without having to re-tune. Good Luck

QuoteOriginally posted by onewhohasfun:
Absolutely agree with doc nock,contact over deepest part of the grip. Your contact point is good on your shelf,but the contact point on your side plate is further forward. They should line up. I would add a little something behind your sideplate directly over contact point of shelf to line them up. A very thin slice of surgical tubing  works well. If yor side plate is radiused you should be able to built it out and move it back without having to re-tune. Good Luck

If this is the previous owner's set-up, the side plate wear may change depending on the arrow used. I like leather on my bows. I only build out the side plate to tune. Usually, I don't need the pivot point on a radiused shelf like yours, but obviously the PO did. You can usually just play with nock height and do the same thing. I have only had one bow that really needed the pivot point.

How you personally shoot will determine your needs. I'd stay with leather, but that's just me.

Thanks for all the replies.  

I am new enough with a recurve and instinctive shooting that I am just trying to shoot consistently at this point.  I haven't done any tweaking to the bow set up for fear of messing something up.

I take it that my side plate wear should be directly above the high point on the shelf?

Are there different thicknesses of side plates available?

Thanks again for all your help.

Just stick a little something "behind"  the leather side plate same as was done on the shelf. a pc. of rubber band, or toothpick and glue it back on. your shelf contact is one place and your side plate contact is 1/2 an inch away. Line em up.

A wooden match stick or a small piece of leather under the rug rest works great for establishing a poiint where the arrow will have less contact with the shelf and should fly better as Doc said.