Got some money to blow (@ cabelas only, gift card) and was thinking of getting a hinge release. I just want to make sure the investment will pay off in my shooting. Im not deep into target panic or anything, I shoot pretty well out to 50 I do punch it occasionally on some shots spreading out my average group. When Im good though Ill have a 2-3 in group at 50 with my tru ball fang (wrist strap release). Assuming I stick with the program and commit to the hinge, will it really improve my shooting that much? any success stories? I am debating between the sear and scott longhorn pro? Thoughts?
Ttt I'm also interested in a hinge, but all I can offer is my experience from my switch from a wrist strap trigger to a thumb. I've been listening/watching to John Dudleys Nock On podcasts/vids but that's all I've got...
A lot of things have to come together to make consistent shots out past 50 yards. A hinge probably won’t magically clean it up. If you have everything else in order as far as proper stance, form, anchor position, grip, and facial pressure, then yeah, it could help. Anticipating the shot and drive by shooting can still be your enemy with a hinge. I’m a huge fan of John Dudley’s School of Nock videos, and believe a Silverback should be in everybody’s arsenal of releases, but sometimes it’s a love hate relationship with that release.
I have limited experience with hinge releases, but I have been shooting a thumb trigger for 6 years, and now a resistance release for about 8 months. When I originally made the switch I did was most archers do - buy the product and start figuring it out. In retrospect, I wish I would have evaluated my options more thoroughly (I started with a cheapo Tru-Fire that sucked) and learned the proper way to shoot a thumb trigger release from the jump. Instead, through trial and error, I developed some bad habits that are difficult to break and in the end didn't really accomplish a whole lot other than learning how to shoot a new release with the same issues as my old one. Hence the reason I'm now shooting a resistance release (Stan PerfeX) and re-teaching myself how to properly shoot a handheld release. So my best advice is to figure out exactly why you want to make this change, research the best options available, test a few out if you can, and find someone to help teach or train you how to shoot it properly. Yes, you can learn a lot from YouTube. But you can learn more from a professional or experienced archer who knows what they are doing and can work with you to make sure you're doing it properly. There's no point in switching if you're not going to do it right. Everyone I've talked who uses a hinge release has advised me to start practice on a training aid for quite a while before trying it out on a bow. They take some getting used to, and one wrong slip can lead to a busted lip and an arrow that ends up not where you intended. Last but not least, I will say I'm in love with my PerfeX release and am very happy I went this route. Resistance releases like the PerfeX or the Silverback are true back tension and can only be activated by pulling through the shot. It's been an amazing tool for teaching me to let my pin float on the target and pull smoothly until the shot breaks. I would highly recommend this release to anyone who is looking to get into this style of shooting. This is the exact release I'm currently shooting with: http://www.lancasterarchery.com/stan-perfex-heavy-metal-long-neck-resistance-release.html
I am a huge fan of Dudley as well. Overall I just want to be the best shooter I can be-i really just wish I could get my hands on a hinge to try and get a feel so I could see if think it would make me better or if thats not my issue
