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Quality Archery Designs Ultra-Rest HD

By Bill Krenz

It could be said that the two most important developments in arrow rests in recent times have been the introduction of rests whose launcher arms drop completely out of the way during the shot and rests that totally contain the arrow so that the shaft can’t be knocked from the shooting position. Both of those rest innovations have earned widespread bowhunter acceptance because they address commonly held archery problems. Drop-away arrow rests work to eliminate fletch-clearance problems. Total-containment rests ban dislodged hunting arrows forever.

But to be accurate, however, there is a third arrow-rest innovation that may supersede those first two developments. That third product leap is the introduction of drop-away arrow rests that also feature total arrow containment. It’s the best of both worlds, and a perfect example is the Ultra-Rest HD from Quality Archery Designs.

The QAD Ultra-Rest HD is one of the most advanced arrow rests ever offered. It’s sleek and artistically designed. It’s easy to install and tune. It’s silent. It totally contains the arrow so that it can’t be knocked loose before and during the shot. It holds the arrow in a natural, upright position. It allows for slow arrow letdown without firing the launcher. It eliminates the troublesome bounce-back of the launcher arm that plagues some drop-away arrow rests. And it, of course, offers complete fletch clearance and all the arrow flight and accuracy benefits that clearance delivers.

I find the smooth, rounded design of QAD’s arrow rests to be very pleasing. It seems more finished, more sports-car-like than simpler designs. I also like the easy way this innovative arrow rest is installed, timed and tuned. Once it’s mounted to the bow, an included cable clamp is lightly attached to the bow’s down cable and the loose end of the timing cord is threaded through that clamp and snugged up just slightly. Then the timing cord is pulled down just enough to hold the rest’s launcher arm in the upright position. Next, the bow is drawn and the cable clamp is allowed to slide up the down cable to its perfect timing position. The bow is then let down and the cable clamp screws are tightened. With that, the rest is properly timed. Simple and positive slide-and-lock vertical and horizontal rest-position adjustments, with precise tuning marks, are also provided. I found that going from packaging to perfect arrow flight took about five minutes with most bows. That’s fast for such a sophisticated drop-away arrow rest.

Should you prefer to serve the timing cord to your bow’s down cable, the Ultra-Rest HD also features a cord lock system that allows you to adjust the length of the timing cord at the rest.

Once set up, timed and tuned, using the QAD Ultra-Rest HD is simplicity itself. Nock an arrow and place the shaft in the “V” of the rest’s launcher arm. Then reach around with the thumb of your bowhand to the thumbwheel located on the lower outside edge of the rest, and rotate that thumbwheel forward. It’s an easy and natural movement that cocks the rest’s launcher arm into an upright position. In that position, the arrow is totally, safely and securely captured between the launcher arm and the rest’s upper arrow capture bar. It can’t come out. You can even turn the bow upside-down without losing the arrow.

To make the shot, simply bring the bow to full draw and release. At the shot, the Ultra-Rest’s launcher arm quickly drops down and out of the way. But it also does something else that is remarkable. As it reaches bottom, the launcher arm locks into the down position. A surprising number of today’s drop-away arrow rests are spring-loaded. That means that immediately after they drop, the launcher arm also bounces back up just slightly. And that bounce-back can inadvertently interfere with fletching clearance. The QAD Ultra-Rest HD has no such problem. It features patented eccentric-cam technology that breaks and locks down the launcher arm as it drops. That unique technology completely eliminates any chance of launcher-arm bounce-back.

At the same time, the advanced technology in the QAD Ultra-Rest HD allows you to let down an arrow from full draw without having the launcher arm drop and the arrow bounce off the bow’s shelf, as with so many other drop-away arrow rests.

I also like the fact that this drop-away arrow rest is particularly quiet. Included with the QAD Ultra-Rest HD are self-adhesive soft felt pads shaped specifically for the rest’s launcher and the upper arrow capture arm. In addition, the rest’s thumbwheel incorporates a built-in harmonic dampener system that helps to squelch excess bow vibration at the shot.

Many archers have found that they like the fact that their arrow is held by the QAD Ultra-Rest HD in the more natural, upright position on their bow as they wait for a shot. This as opposed to having the arrow angled unnaturally downward and resting on the bow’s shelf before the bow is drawn. And they positively love the fact that their arrow is completely captured and secure in that upright position.

Mounted on a wide variety of today’s best compound bows, I found the QAD Ultra-Rest HD to be a joy to work with and shoot. Powder tests on my arrow clearly indicated that 100-percent fletch clearance was achieved. I attribute that to the rest’s quick drop and built-in lock-down feature. Perfect arrow flight and super accuracy was the typical result.

Arrow rests have progressed dramatically in recent decades. The height of that evolution is quality arrow rests that both drop and contain. In that sense, the QAD Ultra-Rest HD is a new and totally advanced arrow-rest species. Even a new Bone Collector model is available.

For more information, see your dealer, log onto qadinc.com or call Quality Archery Designs at (434) 846-5839.

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