Help and archery dunce - Fletching strikes and QAD rest woes

[Desk Jockey]

So I am new to bowhunting and archery. I bought a hoyt carbon spyder and have been training with it the last few months to get ready for archery season this year. I had some issues with my QAD HDX rest not dropping away properly and causing fletching strikes and all the associated inaccuracy when I first got the bow. I modified my grip and thought I had it taken care of.

Unfortunately, I am still getting some issues. I am too much of a nube to know exactly how to diagnose it but here is what I got:

- A sound, like a thwack when I realease. More than my buddies bow with nearly the same set up.
- Felt on the release is getting chewed up. Not sure what is a normal rate of wear but it seems like it is happening fast
- My arrows are showing signs of striking on the vanes, discoloration, separation from the shaft at the front edge
- I shot yesterday and didn't have a group. hits were all over the place

I am going to try to get this thing to the shop that I bought it from this week and have them check it out, but I don't even know enough to describe the issue or trouble shoot it. My first inclination is to give the bow to the guy for a few days to let him figure it out. Knowing very little, I suspect the QAD rest is the issue, either how it is tuned or just being faulty. I am keen to get this resolved before season starts.

Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated. Either suggested solutions or even advice on how to approach the discussion with the guy at my local shop.

DJ

 

[muledhunter]

First thought is your center shot and tiller timing is way off. Probably more tiller than anything. What spine arrow? Draw length and weight? How heavy of a tip? spine could be off as well causing a lot of flex.

 

[Finch]

I've read that some people shooting "speed bows" have similar issues. The rest rebounds after it falls striking the arrow fletching as it comes through. Slower bows don't have the issue because the fletching hasn't quite made it by the rest as it bounces back up. Hope that makes sense. Just a thought.

 

[Dos Perros]

I would completely put it on the shop guys to figure out. That's why you bought a Hoyt from a proshop. "It's not working like it's supposed to..." and you show your evidence.

 

[BackcountryMT]

Sounds to me like the rest is not set up correctly. This is the main reason I will never shoot a QAD, way too sensitive on the install. There are two small horizontal white lines on the RH side of the rest, those lines should match up about 1" from your peak draw length, any sooner or any any later can cause some serious issues.

Based on your description I think your rest is not coming all the way and the arrow is striking it on the way through causing the rest to slam down. Are your arrows entering the target tail up?

 

[BackcountryMT]

double post.

 

[Desk Jockey]

First thought is your center shot and tiller timing is way off. Probably more tiller than anything. What spine arrow? Draw length and weight? How heavy of a tip? spine could be off as well causing a lot of flex.

Not sure about spine on arrow. I can look when get home. 31 inch draw and bow set to 60#s. 100 grain field tip.

Backcountry - honestly not sure if arrows are tip up.

Dos - I am inclined to take it to them and do as you say.

 

[motts]

I had a similar issue back when I was still using a qad - the timing was off on the rest. Through the course of normal use, the activation cord stretched and the rest wasn't coming to tension when it should have been at full draw and the arrow was actually knocking down the launcher arm. It looked like the rest was dropping properly because it all happens so fast once you let the arrow go, but it's not. I kept using it for a while after I realized what the issue was and just dealt with occasionally having to adjust it, but eventually grew tired of messing around with it and switched to a limb-activated aae pro-drop, and I couldn't be happier. Your shop should be able to take care of it for you.

 

[Cross]

I had a similar experience with QAD as well the not the HDX model though. I ditched it and went with a trophy taker smackdown pro Awesome rest and it works everytime.
Go back to the pro shop and have them adjust it correctly, if they can't get it corrected I would recommend a whisker biscuit till you get comfortable with your bow.

 

[Elc1973]

Qad is a very good rest. If you don't have the set up DVD it came with go to their website and watch it, anyone can set one one up they are super easy and dependable once set up properly.

 

[Brodie]

Try a limb driven rest if you want simple.
I shoot a Limbdriver pro v and set up takes minutes. No worries about timing it properly.

 

[mallacootasmoothie]

Very easy to diagnose a problem with rest timing.
Every time I set up a QAD I shoot a bare shaft, if the rest is down after the shot you know it's dropping.

The cord should also be served in to the down cable in line with the bottom of the grip, no higher.

I'd hazard a guess that there's more QAD,s in use than any other rest, and there isn't a lot of bad press about them. Overall they are a very reliable rest that is easy to setup.

 

[charvey9]

Sounds like a timing issue. Did the shop you bought the bow from also install the rest? If so, I'd look for a new shop.

 

[Bonedalien]

Sounds like a timing issue. Did the shop you bought the bow from also install the rest? If so, I'd look for a new shop.

good point,once I bought a bow from a shop that primarily sells guns and they set it up too. I had to pretty much redo everything,nock point,rest, even the D-loop.

 

[Desk Jockey]

So I was able to jump into the shop. The checked and tightened the bow here and there including the release cord. After working with the guy on a few shots we figured out I am still making contact with my thumb on the actuator knob on release often enough to throw off shots. I posted about this a while ago but thought I had it beat with a grip modification. So conceding that the QAD wasn't going to work for me and I was going to have to buy a new rest, I chopped off the part of the actuator knob that was hitting my thumb - the little shelf on the round knob that raises the rest into the up position. Without the shelf there is nothing to hit the top of my thumb. A few more pointers - better trigger control and more consistent string to nose contact and I was shooting well. I am going to give it a couple of sessions to see how it does. Next step is to dump the QAD.

 

[Bonedalien]

i am really liking my QAD HDX. tuned right, it rules. I have heard its not worked well on certain bows,look at RIP CORD ,or Smack down,for other quality rests.

 

[boom]

So I was able to jump into the shop. The checked and tightened the bow here and there including the release cord. After working with the guy on a few shots we figured out I am still making contact with my thumb on the actuator knob on release often enough to throw off shots. I posted about this a while ago but thought I had it beat with a grip modification. So conceding that the QAD wasn't going to work for me and I was going to have to buy a new rest, I chopped off the part of the actuator knob that was hitting my thumb - the little shelf on the round knob that raises the rest into the up position. Without the shelf there is nothing to hit the top of my thumb. A few more pointers - better trigger control and more consistent string to nose contact and I was shooting well. I am going to give it a couple of sessions to see how it does. Next step is to dump the QAD.

QAD is a great rest..(but did go to a limb driven unit awhile back)

i had similar issues and i DIY'd the fix.

first..are you using the shorter finger launcher arm? IIRC it is called the TL1 or something. use that one. the fingers are shorter relative to the valley of the rest. instructions say to use this one for faster bows. my bow wasnt a speed rig, but used the TL1 anyways.

Second: the cable connections..NEEDS to be further from the elevation of a mounted arrow by 3 inches or more. i accentuated this by hooking the rest cord to my cable level to the bottom of my bow grip. this put it about 5.5 inches down. this GREATLY affects how fast the rest drops. i honestly cant wrap my mind around how this works, but it is something to do with the amount of slack in the cord.

i used that football cable/cord cinch. why? because i wanted to follow the instructions to a T and use that slip cord method to achieve perfect timing. you hook it up loose and draw the bow back..(load an arrow and aim at something safe please) and let the cord slip to the point where it wants to be. then tighten it up. now confirm the two white tick marks are lined up at full draw (arrow loaded please) you can pull tighter or looser a smidge to line up the white marks.

i tightened everything, served the football clamp to mark the location.

lipstick tested for vane contact. BOOM! it was perfect.

i was a billion times better than my bowshop. they sucked!! it is a solid rest, but needs to be set up properly.

a limb driven rest? mine is hooked on the up cable. it is way easier to set up. but no denying the awesomeness of the QAD.

 

[boom]

if you live in the Bay area, i can help.