BOWHUNTINGSCENTS.COM

RELEASE AIDS FOR BETTER BOWHUNTING
WRITTEN BY: Joella Bates

The boar squealed as the Mountain Kerr barked with excitement. I hoped the dogs had bayed the hog that Laden had shot.

We had followed a very heavy blood trail which diminished to an occasional pin-head droplet. Neither the blood evidence nor the distance traveled indicated that the arrow had gone through the vitals. By the sound of the dogs’ barks and growls, and the hog snapping its teeth, the scene on the ridge promised to be hair-raising.

The remainder of the hunting party moved toward the brawl while I stayed on the last blood spot just in case it was a different hog. Lathern, the owner of Brimstone Ridge Outfitters, yelled for another shooter. Since I was the only other bowhunter in the group, I was nominated. The bristled-up boar stood his ground as the dogs circled, charged, and nipped at his rump.

“Can you shoot Laden’s bow?” Fisher yelled to me.

“Sure,” I replied.

I knew that Laden’s bow drew 29 inches, which was a good three inches longer than my correct draw length. Knowing that the shot was at close range, I was willing to give it a try.

By the time I strapped on the release aid I knew I that the borrowed equipment offered me additional challenges. The release aid did not fit me which compounded the issue that the draw length of the bow was too long.

Before I finish the story and suggest how you shoot the release aid to shoot consistently accurate shots, I want to help you choose a release aid then next issue, I will share my shooting techniques that should allow you to easily duplicate thoughtlessly executed shots that provide you consistently accurate arrow placement.

In this article, let’s choose a release aid. Although there is a lot more to shooting consistently well than just the release aid, a poorly fitting release aid with a sloppy or malfunctioning trigger will cause the bowhunter to have results that are much less that their shooting ability should produce. Some of my recommendations are just my personal preference while others are intended to help you establish a strong body positions with good form. These shooting techniques should allow you to replicate the same shot results consistently.

When choosing a release aid for bowhunting, I recommend that you consider one that is fired with either the thumb or index finger, so that in the heat of the hunt, you have the capability to initiate the shot quickly and on demand if the situation demands it. Don’t get me wrong, I would never recommend that you punch the trigger, but I think that you can more rapidly activate releases fired by the thumb or index finger without forming bad habits that could later lead to a terrible disease called target panic or TP for short.

I have very successfully shot a back-tension release aid without a trigger in 3-D competitions, and even in some speed shooting events if I knew ahead of time where and what the next target was. But I find the other release aids give me more accurate shot placement when the shot calls for rapid execution in unpredictable situations.

Caliper release aids shot using the index finger tend to be most popular with hunters, so I will focus the remainder of this article on selecting a caliper release aid. In a later article, I will share my thoughts on thumb activated releases and using back-tension release aids to help you build strong shooting form and train your brain for accurate subconscious shot execution.

The caliper release aid should fit the shooter’s hand. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. My preference is for the release to have an adjustable extension between the head and the wrist strap. Since small or young shooters usually have smaller hands if this connection is too long, it creates inaccuracies and bad habits for the shooter that has to reach uncomfortably to contact the trigger. The adjustable release should be sized where the shooter’s index finger can be bent to form a hook and make contact with the release trigger between the first and second joints (see photograph).

I personally like a release with a rope or nylon fabric strap that connects the head to the wrist strap. I shorten or lengthen the connection to precisely fit my index finger in the solid hooked position. Another option is to choose a release aid such as the Scott Mongoose or Little Goose that has three or four drilled holes that allow you to use a screw to adjust the release aid to different preset lengths providing an inch or more of adjustment.

Some companies make large and small releases that have fixed long, medium, or short connections. You may find a fixed model that fits you, but I strongly recommend that you DO NOT waste your money buying one of these releases unless it fits you like I discussed in the previous paragraph. Investment in a high quality release that is adjustable will benefit the shooter for years to come.

You can even choose a release that has the trigger closer to the release aid’s jaws which allows you to slightly increase your draw length and / or compensate for the added draw you gain when you add a string loop as your point of release aid attachment to the string.
Next, the amount of tension required to fire the trigger should be adjustable. I like a crisp trigger. By this, I mean a trigger that opens to release the string when you apply pressure on it. I don’t like travel or creep in the trigger. I set the trigger tight enough that I can lay my finger on it without fearing a premature discharge. At the same time, I don’t want the trigger set so heavy that it is difficult to squeeze off a shot without moving the pin off the target or loosing my breath. Either of these cases can lead to target panic. I find that I shoot the bow most accurately when my hold time at full draw is no more that 8 to 12 seconds. In the next article on shooting, I will discuss shot execution and holding time in addition to giving you other shooting advice.

The way the release aid straps onto your arm is more a matter of personal preference. I prefer a buckle strap on a soft leather band that I can adjust to fit straight on my arm, around a sleeve, or over gloves. At the 2008 SHOT Show, I found a pair of Manzella gloves (www.manzella.com) with a cut-out slot that wraps around the shank of the release aid, so you can attach the strap to your wrist first. This will be good for cold weather hunting. My second choice would be a buckle on a fabric strap. Next would be a Velcro strap, because it is more difficult to adjust to the same position each time and it makes more noise when you put it on or take it off. Last for me is a caliper attached to some hand held implement. My husband, Dan DeWitt, prefers a Winn Free Flight release aid that has a gun style trigger and a strap that fits onto the hand much like a glove. He is comfortable pulling more weight with a strap that allows him to wrap his fingers around a grip.

Shooting from string loops is becoming increasingly popular with short axle-to-axle bows. You have several jaw options when it comes to attaching the release aid to the string. The quickest way to attach to a string loop is with a release aid sporting a single hook. Initially, I felt a little uneasy not having a set of jaws hooked around the string loop; however, after shooting the Fletcher Hook for a few days, I liked it.

There are other caliper releases that have a single jaw or double jaws that can either attach to a string loop or directly to the bowstring. Some of the double jaws work separately while with other release aids the jaws open at the same time.

The heads of some release aids pivot allowing you to attach to the string and execute shots without adding torque. This is also accomplished by the rope and nylon connection systems.

I like attachments to my arm that allow me to tuck the head of the release aid under my sleeve where it is not in the way when I am climbing.

You can choose a variety of shapes and sizes of triggers. You can choose small diameter pegs, larger knurled pegs, curved triggers, spring triggers, and probably others.

I have won over a hundred grand shooting in competition with the single jawed release aids made by Scott Archery: Mongoose, Little Goose, and Little Bitty Goose. More recently, I have shot the Fletcher Hook and the Fletcher 44-Caliper (which is inexpensive, but in my opinion, the greatest value for the money. I am currently shooting the TruBall Copperhead. Each of the releases that I use has slightly different jaws, but all of these release aids can be adjusted for a precise fit of my index finger on the trigger. Additionally, each of these releases has a crisp trigger that I can adjust. The amount of pressure that I apply on the trigger to engage the shot is neither TOO SOFT as to instill a fear of the release quick firing NOR TOO HARD making the shot exceed my ideal holding time or causing the sight pin to come off target, BUT JUST RIGHT AS THE LITTLE BEAR WOULD SAY IN GOLDIE LOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS.

The final choice that I think you should consider is the quality of the release. Some release aids are made cheaply and do not carry a warranty while others carry a limited or lifetime warranty. I do not recommend that you skimp on features especially fit and adjustability of the trigger to save money. Other features don’t make as much difference in accuracy or repeatability and are just a matter of personal choice.

Good luck choosing a release aid. Go to a Pro Shop or store that will let you test shoot a variety of styles and see what feels most comfortable for you. Next time we will discuss shooting the caliper release aid. If you have questions, please send them to me at joellabows@juno.com or Joella@boarhuntermagazine.com.

Until next time, I hope you KEEP DREAMING BIG AND SHOOTING STRAIGHT.