sho-me_bhntr

well after almost 3 years of lurking this great site, i have decided to actually make a post. i am currently contemplating switching to shooting fingers from shooting a mechanical release. (its just one less piece of equipment to worry about, or two if you count carrying a spare release. ) so, just a few questions...first, any reason this would be a bad idea? second, is there anyone out there that has made the transition, and what were your thoughts? third, getting into the technical aspect of shooting with fingers, what "holding" method do you use, the split finger or the three fingers under (or any other method for that matter?) how about pros and cons of each? and finally, (before i wear out my welcome , how about the actual release of the arrow, do you physically "open" up your fingers to let the arrow go or do you relax your fingers and let the arrow slip passed them? is there any reason why one way is better than the other?

btw, OT, i just want to say, this is a wonderful place full of knowledge and experiences. i've learned a lot here.

ShadowAce

First of all, welcome aboard! Second, why would you want to give up the advantage of having the same exact release action for each arrow that you fling for the one trip that you might have a failure of your release(which is rare)? I can understand trads using fingers, but not with a compound. What advantage does it give you? I think it's a step backward for compounds IMO.

ArthurP, I'm sure you'll be in here soon to straighten me out

walks with a gimp

I've shot with a release for over 25 years now but I occasionally "play" with shooting my bow with two fingers under. I can even shoot with a drop away rest quite accurately,,, probably more if I'd practice this way more often. When my bow is set up with a loop, I need to use my 50 yard pin for a 20 yard distant target. If my hunting bow is set up to shoot directly off the string with a caliper release,, using an eliminator button between the arrow's nock and the release, I can use my 30 yard pin for shooting 20 yards. With my bow set for an 80 percent let off, I can draw with two fingers and once at anchor, I can drop my middle finger off and hold and release with my index finger. If you have a bow with 80 percent let off and a very short valley, try shooting with your index finger by settling the pin on target and then slowly creep foward. The cam will break over into the start of the peak draw weight and will over power your index finger's hold and cause a suprise release. Fun to play with!!!!! I don't have any trouble with right left misses while shooting with two fingers under and a drop away rest.

sho-me_bhntr

shadow ace,

first of all, thx for the welcome. secondly, its not a matter of my release actually failing. i've actually (imagine this) FORGOTTEN my release before. or better yet, i hunt predominately swamp and once i dropped my release standing in mud and water that was only a couple of inches below my hip boots on a late december day hunt. i can tell you that fishing that thing out of the murkey muddy water was NOT a pleasant experience! so, switching is more a matter of having to not carry a release basically. it simplifies things, doesn't it? (well, that and there seems to be too much human error on my part! ) but also let me say, that was a good post and your point is well taken.

wwag, great post! i hadn't thought of letting the bow force a surprise release. very interesting. any other finger shooters out there do this? i know a few guys who shoot fingers and haven't heard of any of them doing this...

Bigpapascout

welcome

I would also ask the same question why you would give up an advantage to gain an archers paradox?

Arthur P

Well, you've already figured out the advantage of not having to mess with a mechanical release.

The disadvantage is exactly what ShadowAce mentioned. It's difficult to get exactly the same release each time with fingers and that can play havoc with accuracy. However, the difference in accuracy for a good fingers shooter vs a good release shooter is measured in fractions of an inch. It just takes a little more practice to become a good fingers shooter than it takes to become a good release shooter.

Another disadvantage for fingers is not many of today's bows are worth a flying flip for shooting fingers. High letoff and short axle to axle bows... bleh! Like wwag mentioned, you can make the transition to shooting such bows though. You might even have to drop two fingers off the string and use a 1-finger release with a very short, high letoff bow.

I would not recommend wwag's 'creep release' method. I prefer to pull into the wall and let my back tension pull my fingers through the string. Doing that, I'm releasing with the exact same draw length each time.

Now, releasing the string... Saying you release the string is really a misnomer. It implies that you have to do something. When it comes to the release, you do NOTHING. Read that again. YOU DO NOTHING!

You are already doing something, holding the string at full draw. To make the release, you simply QUIT holding the string and allow it to escape. It's a simple matter of relaxing the fingers. The string pushes the fingers out of the way and leaves. If you want a suprize release, you allow the fingers to relax s-l-o-w-l-y, and the string will eventually overcome the holding force. (Frankly, I think the suprize release is highly overrated and not really all that desireable, especially for a hunter. JMHO)

Anyway, a fingers release is completely different from shooting a mechanical release because with a release you have to squeeze the trigger, rotate the wrist or perform some other physical action in order to activate the release mechanism. It takes a while to retrain the brain to the idea of initiating the release by relaxing.

You will have to decide for yourself whether you prefer to shoot with a glove or a finger tab. I go through spells where I prefer a tab and others where I shoot nothing but a glove. I'm currently in a glove phase. My preference is for the Damascus glove. It's very thin leather, snug fitting, and allows a good feel for the string.

When my tab phase kicks in, it's usually a NEET PFT superleather tab or one of the red-n-black Black Widow tabs. I have a serious dislike for calfhair tabs. As the hair wears off, the string begins coming off the tab different from one shot to the next.

Head off to the drug store and get yourself a small travel size can of baby powder to stick in your pocket. About every 5-10 shots, powder the string contact area of the tab or glove. Makes for a slick release.

You will likely need to change rests and, naturally, retune the bow for fingers shooting. I'd suggest getting an NAP Centerest flipper, set your nockset so the bottom of the arrow's nock is 1/8" above square, and set your centershot where the tip of the arrow is slightly outside true centershot. You'll need to play with your centershot position some to get it set right for your release. With time and experience, as your technique improves, that centershot position is likely to change.

Give me a holler if you have any questions.

gibblet

it really sucks when i'm 30 feet in a tree and all settled in with my bow - only to realize i didn't bring my release - happened twice last year - and i can't believe i'm admitting it. well i guess the first thing is to admit you have a problem

walks with a gimp

In the 25 or so years I've hunted with a release, I've forgot my release once and dropped it once out of the tree stand while hunting. It will happen sooner or later so I like to be prepaired with my fingers and the knowledge of how and what to do. I've shot a 31 inch compound pretty well with an index finger hold and release, it can be done but for me it's just a back up plan

sho-me_bhntr

bigpapascout,

first, thx for the welcome...

can i ask you what you are referring to as the archer's "paradox?" are you referring to the accuracy of not having the EXACT same release of the string everytime? like i mentioned earlier, i know a few guys who shoot with fingers and i can tell you, out to 40 yds, those fellas are just as accurate as i am with my mechanical release. granted, they have been shooting that way for years, but none-the-less, it can be done. i think for me, with my style of hunting (30-35% stand hunting/65-70% spot and stalk) i think that not having that "extra" piece of equipment to deal with is an advantage. does what i'm saying make sense? i realize going from a mechanical release to fingers seems counter-intuitive, (or as shadowace stated, a step backwards,) but i definately see advantages for switching.

arthur p,

i have been waiting to see you post on this. as always good post, full of info. just a few questions, just so i understand you correctly, in regards to pulling and releasing the string, do you pull the string to the wall, set your pin on your target, then using back tension, pull your arm back while at the same time relaxing the muscles in your fingers so the string will "escape" (as you put it?) did i understand you correctly? (i'm just wanting to make sure.)

now a second question...and i don't want to open a can of worms with this (as i have witnessed this can being opened so many times on this board before...) as for the rest you mentioned, the NAP flipper, what are your comments or thoughts on using a wb to shoot fingers? i ask the question for two reasons...one, the few guys i know that shoot fingers have always used the nap rest in question, but with the emergence of the full containment style rests, namely the wb, they have all (and i mean all) have switched to the wb. now, remember, we all hunt spot and stalk through the water. so, full containment is a great advantage in that regard. secondly, in talking to them, they have nothing but great things to say about them and they have good accuracy with them. so, i really don't see a reason why i shouldn't use the wb, (unless you can give me one .) i will say that i also currently use the wb, and shooting with a mech release its wonderful, imo. it IS two different worlds (finger vs. mech release) i know. but those guys sure like it.


any finger shooters out there using the wb? what pros/cons over a flipper style rest?

Arthur P

Yes, you understood perfectly.

As to the WB... Danged if I know if they'd work for fingers shootin'. I've never tried it. I've heard some guys say YES, some say NO. I really can't see how one could possibly work for fingers shootin' (at least, not very well) because it would have to interfere with the arrow's paradox. To go along with that, there's no way the fletching could possibly be going thru ithe biscuit on a straight path, which would cause undo wear and tear on the fletching, not to mention robbing you of even more speed.

You do realize that you'll likely lose some 5-10 fps by switching to fingers, don't you? For myself, I find the convenience of shooting with my fingers more of an advantage than a few fps of arrow speed. However, I would not intentionally handicap myself by using a rest that will rob me of even more speed.