Compound Blade Arrow Rests Survey
This article focuses on blade arrow rests which are usually the choice of reference for compound bow target shooting. About drop-away rests… well, they’re also a great choice but the pros clearly lean towards blades, so I decided to not think about it, trust them and discard drop-away rests.
Characteristics comparison #
The table below compiles all the technical characteristics of the well known high-end rests in an attempt to compare them objectively given a set of needs. The table is not ranked in any particular order.
Features color scheme:
- Green: state-of-the-art feature.
- Orange: ok feature – might be impractical to use but will not harm (too much) the ability to make fine adjustments reliably.
- Red: limiting feature – impractical and potentially harming the ability to make fine adjustments reliably.
Disclaimer:
- Any of these arrow rests will out-perform most archers, even those with “limiting” (red) features. This table is more of a “best of the bests” comparison rather than a “good and bad” comparison.
- Which is "the best" will depend on your needs.
- A cheap but well tuned rest and bow will still give better results than a high-end, non-tuned rest and bow. Make sure to properly tune your rest, whichever one you choose.
* WLS: With Locking Screw
** NLS: No Locking Screw
| Arrow Rest | Windage/Elevation Adjustment | Angle Adjustment | Mounting bar/Torque Tuning | Blade fixation | Detachable body | Suggested retail price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBE X4 | Click knobs with 0.6mm increments scale (13/16" travel, 33 marks) – WLS* | Allen key with scale – WLS* | 3 slots | Triangle hole | Yes | €207.50 |
| Beiter Compound | Allen key with 0.2mm increments Vernier scale – NLS** | Fixed 30° or 35° | Free, no indexing, no scale | Stadium hole | No | €255 |
| Spot Hogg Infinity | Allen key with 1mm increments scale, 1 turn = 0.8mm – NLS** | Hand, no scale – WLS* | Free, no indexing, no scale | Circle hole | Yes | €202.50 |
| Spot Hogg Edge | Allen key with 1mm increments scale, 1 turn = 0.8mm – NLS** | Click (0.5°/click) with scale – WLS* | Free, no indexing, no scale | Circle hole | Yes | €202.50 |
| AAE Freakshow QD | Allen key with scale – WLS* | Allen key with scale – WLS* | 7 slots + 13 blade slots | Hexagonal hole | Yes | €265 |
| QAD UltraRest TRi Series Premium Target | 0.0019in/0.05mm click with scale – WLS* | Hand with 5° increments scale – WLS* | Free with indexing rod and scale | Multiple notches | Yes | €467.50-585 |
| Shrewd Remedy | Allen key with 0.03in/0.8mm increments scale (3/4" travel, 25 marks) – NLS** | Allen key with 2° increments scale – WLS* | 7 slots | Blade curb | No | €200 |
Here is how I ranked each feature:
- Windage/Elevation Adjustment
- Allen key is better than clicks because it usually allows to adjust with more precision (clicks have a fixed value, smaller adjustments are not possible).
- No locking screw is better than having locking screws because locking/unlocking is likely to slightly change the adjustment.
- Exception made for the QAD UltraRest which has very fine clicks (0.05mm).
- Angle Adjustment
- Adjustable is better than not adjustable.
- Click is better than allen key because it allows for more precise adjustment. Unlike windage/elevation adjustment, adjusting the angle with an allen key requires to turn the allen key of exactly the same value as the desired angle adjustment, which is quite difficult for small values such as 0.5° or 1°. Click solutions are much more precise and repeatable.
- Allen key is better than knob/hand adjustment because it allows for more precise adjustment.
- Scale is better than no scale.
- Mounting bar/Torque Tuning
- Free movement is better than slots because it allows to adjust with more precision.
- Indexing is better than no indexing because it allows for repeatability.
- Scale is better than no scale.
- Blade fixation
- Any system which avoids blade rotation is better (blades with circle hole can rotate easier).
- Detachable body
- Detachable is better than not detachable because it allows to change the body for a different set of arrows (e.g. indoor/outdoor sets of arrows).
The Champions’ Rests #
I took time to watch several of the recent (2019-2022) national/european/world championships and identify the arrow rests used by the participants.
Of all the rests presented above, the AAE Freakshow QD and the Spot Hogg Edge are clearly the pros’ favorites, followed by the Beiter Compound. Surprisingly, although the QAD UltraRest is the best on paper, it’s not used by many pros. Maybe it’s because it’s pretty recent and/or because it’s not compatible with all bows.
Conclusion: which one is the best? #
On paper, the QAD UltraRest is the best, but it’s not compatible with all bows, and it’s also two to three times more expensive than the others.
Then for 2nd place I’d definitely pick the Spot Hogg Edge. It has all the required features, has very precise windage, elevation and angle adjustments, and is used by several champions. Plus, you can easily buy additional bodies for different sets of arrows. Be careful not to confuse it with the Spot Hogg Infinity which does not have click-adjustable angle but has spring tension adjustment instead, which is useless unless you use prongs, which you probably don’t want to do for target shooting.
Finally, for the third place, I’d pick the AAE Freakshow QD. It has all the required features and must do the job very good because it seems to be the champions’ favorite. It’s just that the locking screws and the way the rest shakes when adjusting it make me cringe.
Again, all these arrow rests are excellent, and you can achieve outstanding results with any of them!
Have fun, shoot well!