Bigpapascout

well Arthur P It dont suprise me one bit that any suggestions I make you are going to disagree with

I use a hair trigger but keep my finger behind the trigger while drawing the bow back and once I am aimed and ready to release I put my finger in position to fire, I do not squeeze or punch the trigger but rather use back tension to get a good explosion on the release.

If you have the trigger set to go off fast and use back tension to set it off you will get a suprise release if you set the trigger slowwill cause you to flinch more than setting the trigger fast.

Arthur P

Ya know, it doesn't suprise me either, BPS.

You back tension through a heavy release, especially one with a nice, creepy trigger, it will suprise the dickens out of you when it goes off. With a light trigger there isn't a scrap of suprise, unless you accidently touch the trigger before you're on target and ready to shoot (very bad). You know that SOB is cuttin' loose as soon as you put any pressure on it at all. Very easy to anticipate the shot and flinch.

It's SO much harder to anticipate a heavy trigger. At least, for MOST folks.

AK, if you want to know what a suprise release feels like you need to grab a buddy to help you. Draw your bow and aim at the target, but keep your finger off the trigger. Your buddy puts HIS finger on the trigger. You tell him when you're ready, then continue to aim and let him trigger the release for you. Be sure and tell him to wait between 3-10 seconds after you say 'ready' before he triggers it. Your job is to do nothing but aim and keep aiming until you see the arrow in the target.

This is NOT something you want to do in the backyard though. Make sure you've got a lot of acreage or big backstop behind the target. Just in case!

JOE PA

Bernie Pellerite is definitely against the hair trigger as well. He favors a somewhat heavy trigger, but with no creep to it. I know I hate a trigger that has creep to it, whether that is with a rifle or bow release.

There are a lot of factors that could be contributing to your flinching. I've seen a lot of pretty good shooter doing this, but it certainly does not help your shooting.

The blind bale practice is really good to help you overcome your flinching, or target panic, as it is more often called. The main thing that is causing you to flinch is that your conscious mind
(which can only do 1 thing at at time) does not trust your subconscious (which can do many things well at a time) to make the shot. You are consciously interrupting a good shot sequence when you do this. The key is to practice a good shot sequence, with a surprise release, until it becomes part of your subconscious and your mind trusts it. Then move slowly into shooting at large targets, close to you. Gradually (over days, not minutes) move back and then to smaller targets. I personally believe that focusing on the target, instead of your pins, is very important to good accuracy and keeping your mind relaxed. (The target is generally not moving, whereas your pins probably are, at least a bit.)

IMO, shooting a bow with a mechanical release is somewhat like offhand shooting with a flintlock. It takes too much time for the shot to be on the way to anticipate when the weapon is going to "go off." The concentration must be on the target, not the firing process.

JeffB

It's Target Panic..and it can be crippling...I'm dealing with the worst bout I've had in 10 years....As soon as I get to full draw and settle into my peep, no matter where that pin is..10 inches away from the spot..2 feet...doesn't matter... I hammer the trigger home....I mean REALLY bad target panic...I also reinjured my rotator cuff which exaggerates the problem.

One of the things you can do is a total setup change (assuming you haven't done so in a while)...new bow, new accesories, switch up the style and type of bow, cam type, type of release, grip type.. letoff you usually like, etc...it costs money, and doesn't cure the problem , but it can get you out of a rut and confident again because in your effort to get used to something totally different, you concentrate less on the fear of missing and instead concentrate more on doing things correctly. Due to my injury necessitating the need for a much lighter poundage bow, and my panic, I did just that. I sold nearly every bow I had (and put the one I kept away where I won't fool with it) and bought a super short 80% letoff bow with a fairly fat grip......even though I generally hate those features. I decided to throw a wrench into my mental game...shake things up...and it's helping.

THEN (or otherwise, if you cannot afford a new setup) you need to work on the back-tension ...preferably a release with no trigger to speak of...what is called a "true" back tension release or hinge-jaw model.....believe you me, you can still punch the dickens out of thumb or pinky trigger model...

Also setting goals for yourself and going through a pre-shot routine helps....right now the only thing I'm worried about is getting confident for hunting season at 20 yards and less...I've stopped practicing at longer distances, and have no plans shooting anything further for the near future.....right now my goal is 4" groups max @ 20 yards...which is 4 times my normal group size at that yardage...but w/ how bad I've had panic recently I'm VERY happy with 4" groups for now @ 20.

Bigpapascout

OK arthur P what ever and I dont follow bernie Pellerite so I really dont care what he is aginst he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like every one else does.
Lets just say I know what works for me and what works for my students to overcome flinching and target panic.
If your method works for you, fine by all means keep doing what you are doing.

I also do not recommend going out and buying a trtue BT release because It is a whole different animal and takes a good month of shooting at least 60 arrows every day to master using true back tension release, most people get frustrated and go back to what they used to begin with.

to the original poster at least give my method a chance to see if you can overcome your target panic. I guarantee you it will work for you.

Arthur P

I'm no Pellerite disciple either, BPS. Be that as it may, I've never heard of ANY qualified, knowledgeable archery coach that recommends setting a release to a hair trigger.

c903

I too can give many other reasons why a hair-trigger release for bowhunting is not a wise setup. However, those that already know don't have to be told, because they....well...they already know.

Those shooters that believe that a hair-trigger release is the way to go are democrats. And conservatives already know you can't get a democrat to admit that the sun sets in the west.

Bigpapascout

well I am no democrat
and I have killed well over 140 whitetail deer bow hunting with a hair trigger over the years.

all my rifles have a hair trigger too I suppose most hunters dont recomend that either ?

JOE PA

Actually, I really like a hair trigger on a rifle. The bullet is usually out the end of the barrel before I can mess up the shot though.

If the shooter has the mental state to keep form and concentration together when the timing of the shot is pretty well known, then a light trigger should work very well. Most guys who have target panic can't do that though.[&:]

Bigpapascout

OK let me explain why "I like a hair trigger, Because when I have the trigger set hard I flinch when I set it fast I dont.
you need to take precautions when shooting a hair trigger like keeping your finger behind the trigger to ensure that you dont have a mis fire, when you have the deer in your sight you place your finger over the trigger to fire, basically the same principle as any fire arm you never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to take the shot.

I think in my own opinion is the reason that most people flinch on the shot is duely because they have theit trigger set too dang hard to begin with.