I have never shot one but after watching a video it has me wondering if I would like it better and even become more accurate. I could see me easily dropping this to the ground but I like the idea of not having a release buckle anymore. What do you guys like to use for hunting? What's a good one to look for?
I have a silverback but I don’t hunt with bc I don’t want to drop it. Also, I don’t like shooting it with gloves on. I love it, and I shoot it right up until hunting season, then I go back to the wrist strap. The Nock 2 It (thumb button) will click on to your d loop and hang there.
I have a carter honey and love it. Takes some getting used to but I've found it very helpful to just focus on aiming and not the actual deployment of the release.
Switching to a resistance release (Stan PerfeX) is without question one of the best decisions I've made when it comes to my shooting form and execution. I won't hunt with it as I'm a bit concerned that in the heat of the moment I'll yank on it too hard and fire it off (story of my life). But for general training and shot improvement, you can't beat it. I'll be hunting with the thumb-button version of the PerfeX, which works out great as it's the exact same release so it doesn't affect anchor point or accuracy. Being this close to the season I would advise against making the switch now and hoping to hunt with it this fall. If you're coming from an index trigger/wrist strap release it's a huge learning curve. You'll want to leave yourself an ample amount of time to become proficient with it to feel comfortable in a high-pressure hunting situation.
So the thumb button still has a similar surprise release as back tension? or are you just closing your thumb to fire?
You can you use your thumb as a surprise release. I have a mini Silverback and has helped me a ton, I still learning with it. But I set my thumb release hot and still use the back tension movement to release the thumb release.
Dudley has more videos on this. If you use it correctly, yes, it’ll have a surprise release. I agree with Justin. I took me a good six months of dedication to become really comfortable with the silverback. Even at that, I had ups and downs. A year and half in and I still have ups and downs, but overall it’s defiantly helped a ton.
Any release can be activated by back tension and generating a "surprise release" - even an index finger wrist strap release. The key is in how you use it. In my experience, most people dive into handheld releases without learning proper form and techniques for shooting them and thus don't get any tangible benefits they offer. They simply transfer their issues from one style of release to another. When you're looking at handheld releases there are 3 main types. 1. Thumb Trigger (Thumb Button) As the name implies, the release is activated by pulling on the trigger with your thumb rather than your index finger. While it is slightly more difficult to "punch" the trigger with your thumb than your index finger, it is very possible and happens all the time. Most people who shoot a thumb trigger aren't using back tension to release it, but rather are squeezing the trigger with their thumb. A thumb trigger can certainly be fired through using back tension/pulling, but it has to be learned and practiced quite a bit to do so. I've been working on this for 8 months now and still don't get it 100% of the time. 2. Hinge This is what most people think of as a "back tension" release. There is no trigger to punch. The release is activated through rotation while at full draw, most typically through the act of "pulling through" the shot. The hinge release is often one of the more difficult to use as it requires a lot of practice and understanding of how it works so you don't accidentally punch yourself in the nose while drawing back. I've personally never shot a hinge, but I've played around with them a bunch on training devices. 3. Resistance Similar to the hinge, the resistance release does not have a trigger to fire it so there's nothing to punch. The difference is that the resistance release is activated through force rather than rotation. With a hinge, it's possible to "cheat" a bit and rotate your hand to make it fire, which can still lead to some target panic issues. With the resistance, the only way to fire is to pull through the shot, increasing the holding weight on the release until it goes off. It's a true surprise release as you never truly know when that's going to happen. No release by itself is a cure for target panic or form/execution issues. Many people look to products to help make them a better archer when most problems are with the shooter and not with their equipment. Both the hinge and resistance release can certainly help you get past target panic issues if you're having them, but only if you combine them with other techniques and a lot of practice. Same here. I've practiced a TON with my PerfeX resistance release and it has helped change the way I shoot, so when I switch to the thumb trigger my habit is to continue to pull through the shot to make it fire, rather than to push or pull on a trigger. It's a night and day difference from how I used to shoot.
I think Justin and the others pretty much covered it. I been shooting one since like 1979 or 8o, and have 8 of them. 4 of them are the same, all 4 set to go off different from back when I did a lot of target shooting. As far as hunting with one goes I'll stick with my thumb release hanging on my D loop ready to shoot, If you do decide to get one make sure it has a self setting head or one of the others mentioned above you can attach to your D loop and let hang, don't want to be ****ing around trying to set the head and get it on the string while a animal is walking by.
Ever since I switched from fingers to a release (2011) I've always used a hand held release. I preferred it because I can't stand anything around my writs, and I like my bow having the release attached so it's easier to just grab the release than to have to look down to hook it on the loop. But I don't use the back tension capabilities as I found moving my thumb to activate the release is less movement than moving my entire arm and I'm more accurate using my thumb. You should try both ways to see what's best for you. Good luck.
I hunt with a scott backspin. I shot tournaments for years but I no longer shoot them. I just got used to shooting a back tension in tournaments and carried it over to the field. my problem is anything with a trigger I WILL PUNCH IT so a back tension just works best for me
I gave up on a wrist strap went to a thumb release and then to a hinge. I have a love hate with the hinge. When I am on I am on.when I'm not shooting so good I struggle to make I good shot. Has helped me be consistently better but contemplating going back to a thumb button. Never struggled with target panic but hated the wrist strap. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Justin did a great write-up. I'd like to add that if you do go with a thumb relaease, and then decide to do a hinge later, make sure the neck lengths are pretty similar. I've found that different lengths will change my anchor point, and will throw me off for a few shots until I get used to it again. For this reason, I use a thumb relase (and have a backup of the same release) for hunting/3D bow. I then have a hinge for my target compound.
I prefer a three finger. Tighter, more focused. Four fingers feels like I'm ham fisting the release. Like when I used to shoot a wrist strap style, due to a index finger twitch that made me punch a trigger, I switched to using my middle finger. Much more controlled. You'll have to play around with some different releases and see what works best for you.
Comfort is going to be determined by the shooter. I personally prefer a 3 finger, but I know guys who like 4. I've read some books and articles from noted archery coaches who say the 3 finger is the way to go, as your pinky isn't helping your shot execution and is getting in the way more than anything. The beauty about the Stan PerfeX is that it comes with both 3 and 4 finger attachments so you can experiment with the one that you like the best. It can also be shot as a 2 finger release if you wanted.
Yeah that release covers it all doesn’t it. I’ve been watching the classifieds for a possible starter. Thanks for all the help.
