Releases

Archery Releases

Fingers work fine for recurves. Compound bows? You need a release. The holding weight and sharp letoff on compounds make finger shooting inconsistent and hard on your hands.

Wrist strap releases are what most bowhunters use. Strap goes around your wrist, trigger sits in your hand. Simple, fast, hard to lose in a tree stand. Index finger trigger is most common. Some guys prefer thumb triggers on wrist straps – cleaner break, less chance of punching the trigger. Either works.

Handheld releases have no wrist strap – just the release head in your palm. Target archers prefer these because there’s less torque when you shoot. The catch is you can drop them, and that sucks when a bull elk is screaming 40 yards away. Hunters who use handhelds usually tie them to their D-loop with a rope so they don’t disappear.

Hinge and back tension releases have no trigger at all. They fire when you rotate them or pull through properly. These force good shooting form – you can’t punch or anticipate the shot. Target archers use these. Some serious hunters do too, once they’ve practiced enough to trust them.

Start with a basic wrist strap index trigger release. Adjust the trigger sensitivity – too light and you’ll have accidents, too heavy and you’ll punch it. Most guys settle around 2-3 pounds of trigger pull.

Your release affects accuracy as much as your sight does. Find one that feels natural and stick with it.