Quality Archery Products HDX Arrow Rest

This is a very well made rest that installs pretty easily but I had to do a bit of internet research (outside of Amazon and the product itself) to confirm that it’s designed specifically for compound bows and not recurves. The fact that it shows up in Amazon searches that specifically say “recurve bow rest” and that nowhere on the product page (other than the Q&A, but you have to dig for that) or even the outside of the box does it specify that it’s made only for compound bows. It’s designed (because of the timing cord) to breakaway just BEFORE the fletching hits the rest, not BECAUSE the fletching hits the rest. This is a very misleading product listing and search result within Amazon. Yes, it functions (breaks away/down) when you shoot arrows through it on a recurve but this apparently can screw up the timing, which is intended to function as a result of the attached timing cord being attached to the downward traveling buss cable on a COMPOUND BOW (which of course isn’t a thing on a recurve bow). Since I’m an archery beginner I’m writing this review in the hope that other beginners won’t fall for this borderline scam (via apparently intentional lack of pertinent information on the product page and the same purposeful vagueness on the product packaging itself). The omission of the word “compound” from the product heading/description is causing misleading search results on the Amazon app and appears to be an attempt by the seller to simply sell as many of these as possible instead of selling them to customers that actually need them. Look, it’s a fantastic compound bow rest and I’ll eventually get a compound and put this on it and Amazon is a very useful buyer/seller service that I use nearly daily at this point, but this pattern of items being peddled based on the metrics of volume and popularity instead of reliable information with which buyers can make informed decisions has got to go. The product gets five stars but the seller gets zero…we can ALL do better than this when it comes to accountability and ethics in commerce/business and, great product or not, who wants to buy from an apparently shady business? I certainly won’t again...at least not until they fix this issue and clarify their product descriptions.

There is no better drop-away rest--period. I love it! Subjectively (as it would be very hard to "prove"), my groups seem tighter than when I used a rest that required the fletching to run through it upon release. It responds immediately and without fail on the bow I've had it on (over 330 fps) and never interferes with an arrow. I've never had it drop except when I've fired an arrow. It is utterly reliable. Its construction seems very solid. Some drop-away rests seem like two thin metal prongs that could be easily warped. This unit exudes quality. I ordered a second one.SEPARATE ISSUE: Amazon's Warehouse Deals had a "like new" for half the price. Why not, right? I've used them for dozens of products and found that their rating of condition is fair to the customer; sometimes even generous! But not on this QAD rest. I ordered the right hand version, black, THREE TIMES and each time received a left hand version, twice camo even. I returned the first after ordering the second so I obviously didn't get the first one back. The manufacturer's box correctly labels the left handed rest. An Amazon sticker on the bottom of the box calls it "right" anyway. I enclosed a note with my first two returns, hoping they'll be properly labeled and sold. When the third one came, correctly marked as "left" by the manufacturer and re-labeled "right" by Amazon, I was so frustrated... Where's an Amazon manager? Three times!? Because of the nature of the item you can't even do an immediate return. An Amazon rep has to give your permission (I used the email option and waited for a return email which came within 24 hours). I have never seen this before from Amazon and regret having to give this warning (and I usually hate it when the shipper gets reviewed INSTEAD of the product) but three straight frustrating errors compel me to warn others. Warehouse Deals can't seem to get this right! There's no way to get assurance that they are fixing this and you might get to wait for the wrong product, return it, re-order, and continue the cycle like I have. I am not impugning Amazon's "full-priced" offering or other vendors selling this great product. I didn't use them in these three attempts--only Warehouse Deals. Caveat emptor; c'mon, Amazon--someone in Warehouse management please fix this!To their credit, QAD has agreed to issue me an RMA and is sending me the right product. GREAT PRODUCT, GREAT MANUFACTURER--a mess from Amazon Warehouse Deals. (UPDATE: the RMA was filled within a week and came in a brand new retail box. The people and the product continue to prove to be outstanding at QAD!)UPDATE 11/20/2012 As bow technology improves (and as the budget allows...), I update every couple of years. I bought another of these excellent rests for a new bow. Amazon Warehouse had it an amazing price--again. But given my past experience, I was VERY reluctant to order it, but finally did. I am glad to report that I received the right product. It appeared to only have package damage that was taped over. The discount was very aggressive for this minor fault. As I "zinged" Warehouse Deals for poor performance in the review above, I congratulate them for a great product, quickly delivered, and accurately matching the description. This is what I have come to expect from Amazon and why I buy from them.