Newbie, having shot my new bow for a few weeks I now need/want to tune it. It's a 40#samick hunter takedown. The brace height at 7inches sounds to cleanest, but this low and I can't find any info on it. It had a horrid plastic arrow rest on it and the arrows were flying ok, not good, but ok for out of the box. The vanes were hitting it though so no great grouping.
Now it has fluffy Velcro as a shelf rest. I have moved the nocking point down, and got it just about right I think. I am shooting 500 Easton aluminum (2016?) with 125 gn heads. The tip from centre looks about twice that of the width of the tip, so it's a quarter of an inch, is that about right or should I pack the side plate a little? I am still getting vane contact on the shelf, should I pack the shelf, get heavier points to bend the arrow more, where should I start? I have sanded the nocks so they release the string more easily. Sorry for the longwinded post but I have no proshops here, and no other archers to get info from.

First I would change out the vanes to feathers. Vanes just don't usually shoot good off the shelf. That might be all you need to do. The Samick bows are cut to center so your arrow spine will not be as critical.

James.....................

What James says........let us know how they fly with feathers.

If you don't want to change to feathers you could put a bear weatherest on there or something similar.

If you want to shoot off the shelf, feathers is the way to go. If you want to use vanes, an elevated rest is the way to go.

as already mentioned, drop the vanes and go with feather fletching.

Feathers need feathers.

As mentioned above.And you can also use leather cut thin from an old belt as a strike plate and rest. Cut a piece (match it to the shape you see in the 3R catalog and with a razor blade shave it in half (so only 1/8" thick) and glue with barge cement or fletchtite.Works great on my bows.

feathers. yes must go with feathers

Your arrows fletch should not touch your shelf when you release so I don't think the vanes are the problem. I would do as lpcjon2 says and put on a strike plate. Once thats done if your vane is hitting the shelf it will leave a mark. Then you can tune it for better clearance. Also are you sure it is the vane hitting, you may have set your nocking point too high/low.

It's definitely the vanes, there is an orange rubbery deposit... Just like the vanes. I will try and raise the shelf rest a little and playwith the nocking point. Thanks
Ps I will change to feathers one day soon... When I have a jig and the other bits needed

I don't have the experience these others do so am just asking a question. If you are getting vane contact isn't part of the problem the shaft being too stiff? Seems that if the spine were correct (a little weaker that they sound now) that the arrows paradox would have it out away from the shelf as the fletching went by?

Just curious.

A jig is not a necessity to put feathers on a shaft. Your shafts already have vanes, so use super glue and glue the feather back in the same spot. This will allow you to test with feathers. 3R sales a jig for $25 or $30, when you get ready. I like my bitz, but it's a little higher.

Most vanes are at most 4" So measure first before you buy.