I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the length of this post, got a lot of built up frustration! About 2 1/2 -3 years ago I developed a terrible case of target panic, not being able to raise the pin up and freezing low of target and then it worsened to where I couldn't hold at full-draw for longer than about 2 seconds. The arrow had to go, I punched the trigger and it was so darn frustrating. Well, I finally made a connection with a nice gentleman who let me borrow a Scott Longhorn BT release. It took me a week or so to really learn how to shoot it and within 2 weeks I took it to a 3-D shoot and was just floored by how well I was shooting. I continued to practice with this release from mid-July all the way until September and it was at that time that I decided I was going to try and deer hunt with this release. I had mixed feelings about this because I had heard that hunting with a BT release is a bad idea. My thought process was I can't hit my target with a caliper release so this has got to at least give me a chance of hitting my target even though I knew the downfalls this release in a hunting situation. Fast forward to that hunting season. My first chance of trying this release on a deer of course happens to be on a big buck. I draw back on this deer and I can't get the damn release to go off, actually had to let down and re-draw. I hit him in the spine at 17 yards and he dropped, I had to put another arrow in him and he's on my wall now but not the way you want to take an animal. The next two deer I shot were does, one of which was shot at 27 yards as she was walking away from me, quartering away shot and I made an awesome shot on her. The other doe gave me that perfect 15 yard, broadside, feeding shot, not a whole lot to go wrong there. In the spring I managed to take a turkey with it, although again, I had to wait a bit longer than I wanted for the release to go off for the shot. This deer season has been a mess. I shot a doe at 18 yards, again spine shot. I wounded a giant buck on Nov. 8, I'm blaming buck-fever but I've been mentally sick about it ever since. Then this past Tuesday I had a good buck come to me at 20 yards and I drew back on him, I tried to stop him in my first window and he wouldn't cooperate. So I put my thumb back on the thumb peg so the release wouldn't go off waiting for the deer to go through my second window. He opens up and I take my thumb off too soon and the arrow hits a tree, I needed him to take one more step and then I should've removed my thumb from the peg. I'm just so upset with my shooting right now and I'm not sure of the answer. I practice regularly, was shooting pretty darn good leading up to the season. I went out this week and tried shooting my caliper release and wouldn't you know it, even after using the BT release for a year and a half the same panic tendencies show right back up!!! I've contemplated lightening the tension on the BT release but then I'm worried the bow will go off too soon and I'm not ready for the shot. Again, sorry for the long rant. Does anyone have any thoughts/suggestions for me, I could use all the help/encouragement that I can get. Thanks in advance, Justin
I hunt with a hinge and have for about 5 years. That being said, I've used a thumb trigger some this year when it's been colder. I prefer a hinge though. The advice I can give you if find a moon with a SUPER light click. One you can only feel when checking by hand. Also, you need two releases. One to hunt with and one to shoot. The one to hunt with needs to be set quite a bit lighter than your regular release. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Matt, I believe this has a click if I flip the moon to the other side. I'm afraid the click is just going to send me to the panic side of things knowing the shot is about to happen. I have shot well because I don't know when the shot is going to happen. Problem is, I feel that in hunting situations, specifically the rut, when these bucks are moving there are times when you have to more or less force the shot. I know that's not the ideal shooting situation but when they're moving your arrow has to go in a fraction of a second in most instances. Are you saying to have two of the same release? I just did some shooting and I think that my problem is inconsistency when moving pressure from my index finger to my middle finger and trying to utilize my back muscles. When the release won't fire I feel like I'm not switching pressure to that middle finger which makes the release "move" to fire. This is a 3 finger by the way. Thanks for your response.
I don't understand how a release helps with target panic? May need to do some target panic drills to help instead? Target panic is a psychological issue, no equipment change can fix that. At least I don't think it could.
I also have a hinge type BT release cuz I had target panic and now I'm better than ever. The click doesn't make me panic and it lets me know it's on the edge of going if I want it too. I tried to go back to a regular wrist and thumb but can't shoot at a deer without panic. Weird how my mind works, guns no problem.
bowhntr4life, do you hunt with your BT release? If so have you had any issues with it while shooting at live animals?
The long horn is a moon style and does click so he is good there i no this bc i own it for 3d as well. But i bowhunt with a thumb release its the same feel and your target panic should be gone. Try a thumb release
You can punch, torque, flinch, etc. anything and at anytime. The difficulty is learning to relax and not worrying about the shot and that is a whole lot easier said than done. I developed a flinch shooting rifles as a 21 year old when my local gun shop guy handed me a rifle to go out back and shoot for him to "check the scope." Being young and invincible I headed out the door with the already loaded rifle and shot it, never looking to see that it was a .378 Weatherby. I have fought that flinch ever since when at the bench. Fortunately while hunting, I talk to myself with phrases like, "there is a dead deer walking" and haven't had a single issue with a flinch or panicked shot. The mind is an amazing thing as long as you can let it know that you are in charge.
I never know if you are serious or just pot stirring. But it's well documented a "surprise" release is recommended for many suffering from target panic. For hunting I just prefer a trigger. If I shot more target I would use a thumb or BT for sure.
I use a trigger (scott samurai) for hunting and a BT (longhorn pro advantage) for target. After practicing and using the BT for awhile IMO it has made me better with my trigger release. BT really taught me to relax and not anticipate a shot and to hold on target better. That being said i dont think i could ever use a BT for hunting. I need the time with a BT to go through my shot process. Hunting situation doesnt always offer you that much time and personally i can be pretty inconsistent trying to hurry a shot with the BT release. Thats my two cents anyways
I would definitely like to just use the BT release through the spring/summer and switch to a caliper or thumb for hunting but after two shooting sessions with the caliper the same BS that I was dealing with a year and a half ago showed back up and I couldn't wait to release the arrow. I know that the BT isn't the best solution when it comes to moving deer, specifically rutting bucks but I just don't have any other answers right now. Very frustrating and it's wearing on me mentally to say the least. I need to do some experimenting but that's not going to come until Jan/Feb
This might sound really stupid but when you are aiming at full draw . have you tried focusing on the target and let the pin become a blur. That helps me tremendiusly Sent from my LGL16C using Tapatalk
Justin, you may want to look into the Scott longhorn hex. It has a wrist strap like a trigger release. You can draw it with out holding the release with your fingers, preventing a miss fire. I've never shot with one, but I understand its a good starter hinge release.
bassmaster, funny you bring up the Hex, I purchased one back in the summer of last year. I was able to eventually start punching that thing like crazy and before you know it, I was shooting that things just as poorly as my caliper release. The hex worked for a bit but as soon as I found a way to tell when the thing would fire it lost its purpose for me. Wind, that suggestion of letting the pin become a blur isn't too bad of an idea cause my brain sure wants to see that pin float anywhere near the target and the arrows gotta go.
Hmm sorry to hear. Yea the hex is basically a large trigger with a hinge. I can see how you could easily punch it also. My buddy suffers from bad target panic, not easy to over come. Stay positive and good luck!
