Release aid questions

[loki]

Well I'm pondering the use of a mechanical release. If I do switch and use one I want to keep my bow setup as currently is without having to buy shorter draw length modules. So I'm thinking that the release I would be looking at will have to be short, and connect directly to the string.

What are the requirements of a release that connects directly to the string? If a release has a metal head/jaws how will it wear the string/serving? I'm guessing that a off the string release is still less wear on the string/serving than finger shooting.

What i'm looking at is the Truball Copperhead Glove. I'm thinking (off of my draw length guess with the release) that with this release I shouldn't need to shorten the bows' draw length at all, and it should place my fist comfortably behind my jaw at full draw.

[Bow Walker]

Loki - the optimum way is, of course, with a D-loop. You can make the loop really short and use a release designed for loops like this one





Or if you prefer, you can shoot directly from the bowstring by using a rope release like this one, which will not wear on the string serving.






Notice the "forward" trigger design of the Flathead release. Great for getting back some of that "lost" draw length.

I would really want to shoot that Copperhead Glove for a while. It looks bulky an might interfere with a solid and/or repeatable anchor.

Also - you will find that the wrist strap designs (with or without buckles) is much easier to draw and shoot with. They put the pressure and strain of drawing against the full poundage of your bow on the arm, making it easier to transfer that pressure to your back muscle where it is more easily handled and dealt with. You'll notice this at 3D shoots - especially by the end of the day's shooting when you are a bit tired.

There are a ton of hunting releases out there - most of which are wrist strap types. I'm not counting the thumb release types as they (to me) are in a different category.

Main thing is......try a bunch before you make your mind up.

Good luck in your search.

[Bow Walker]

Loki - if you like the T.R.U. Ball releases, have a close look at the Loop Master. It looks like a winner.

I've used a T.R.U. Ball in the past and I did shoten it by adjusting the nut on the rod. You can almost shorten it right up til it's too short. I cut off the excess threaded rod and it worked great. I've still got it here somewhere.

[loki]

Ok, thanks for the tips thus far, I'll look into Jim Fletcher products. Greatly appreciated, thanks.

From now on however please let me clarify, I'm not looking to ask "which release should I buy", but more looking to have some general questions answered to which I can then better make an educated decision on what best fits me.

Now I'm really thinking of avoiding a Dloop setup. I've heard too many horror stories of loops breaking causing dry fire, arrow pinch dropping the arrow at shot from angled positions (treestands) causing a dry fire, etc. Also when replacing a loop you have to reset your knock point a fuddle around till you have it again. Just sounds like a headache to me, unless someone knows of some solutions.

So:

What are the requirements of a release that connects directly to the string? If a release has a metal head/jaws how will it wear the string/serving? I'm guessing that a off the string release is still less wear on the string/serving than finger shooting.

I understand that wrist straps position the draw weight differently, but wouldn't a wrist strap style release force me to look at shortening my draw length? If so this is the reason I'm looking to avoid wrist straps.

[Bow Walker]

Ok, thanks for the tips thus far.....Now I'm really thinking of avoiding a Dloop setup. I've heard too many horror stories of loops breaking causing dry fire, arrow pinch dropping the arrow at shot from angled positions (treestands) causing a dry fire, etc. Also when replacing a loop you have to reset your knock point a fuddle around till you have it again. Just sounds like a headache to me, unless someone knows of some solutions.

So:

What are the requirements of a release that connects directly to the string? If a release has a metal head/jaws how will it wear the string/serving? I'm guessing that a off the string release is still less wear on the string/serving than finger shooting.

I understand that wrist straps position the draw weight differently, but wouldn't a wrist strap style release force me to look at shortening my draw length? If so this is the reason I'm looking to avoid wrist straps.

Firstly, I've never had a D loop let go on me in any situation that you describe above - in fact I haven't had a loop let go at all. As for replacing them - just tie the replacement in the same position and there are no problems.

Secondly, any mechanical release can be shot right off the bow string. It just wears on the serving and eventually that serving has to be replaced - a much bigger job than replacing a loop. Finger shooting has no appreciable wear and tear on the serving. Any wear/tear will happen to your delicate little fingers long before the serving wears out. There is surprisingly little wear and tear on a D loop string - they are of a much heavier weight than serving thread is.

Thirdly, The D loop will cause an apparent loss of draw length, but in reality it just places your hand a little further back on your face/head than fingers do. Your draw length stays the same - just find a different and repeatable anchor point.

If I'm not mistaken, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but finger shooters typically loose the shot when the finger tips are at the corner of the mouth. If you turn your hand so that your knuckles are on your face/head they are typically in front of the hollow under the ear. This distance is usually about an inch or two. An inch or two - just the distance that a wrist style release takes up. Try it.

Put your finger tips at the corner of your mouth - as if you're shooting. Then roll your knuckles to your cheek - without moving your finger tips away from that shooting position. Where are your knuckles? Now move your knuckles to the hollow under your ear and just behind the jawbone. An inch or two.

As always - Just One Man's Opinion.........

[loki]

Ok, thanks so far, your help is appreciated.

Firstly, I've never had a D loop let go on me in any situation that you describe above - in fact I haven't had a loop let go at all.

Ok, I'm still new to the community so forgive the questions. Do you hunt with your bow or strictly 3d? Have you hunted from treestands? I guess any loop breakage can be foreseen by a little inspection before a shoot, but I'm still concerned about treestand like positions, I've read the arrow pinch of a loop and the angle of the stand can make the arrow fall off the string at shot causing a dry fire.

Yup, did the test of holding my hand up like i'm firing, then rolled my knuckles over to find that I was in the exact position I should be with a release. Good test, so what's with all the hype of "lost draw length"?

Now I'm wondering, is a mechanical release more accurate overall? So far I've been reading that finger shooters are less consistently accurate (don't forget I'm not olympic level here, so I don't really care to hear how accurate they are) and at 3d's should have some sort of handicap to keep up with release shooters (which of course a handicap doesn't exsist).

Is there any reason you said the Loopmaster looked like a winner? I'm having problems visualizing how that c0cking lever jaw works, just seems to me like it would get hung up or something. I like that it's adjustable for draw, and has a good range of motion for when not in use it goes in your sleeve.

I know it's a learning curve either way (fingers or mechanical), I'm just looking to tighten my groups, stop frustrating myself with release inconsistency, and I have read (including what you said above) that release users don't tire as quickly as finger shooters.

[jessbennett]

put a brass nock above, and then tie your loop underneath arrow pinch gone. what i mean is, get your centershot and nocking point figured out. then place a brass nock on top where your top loop know would be. then..... tie your loop under neath the arrow..... hope this is clear as mud...

[Bow Walker]

Ok, thanks so far, your help is appreciated.

Ok, I'm still new to the community so forgive the questions. Do you hunt with your bow or strictly 3d? Have you hunted from treestands? I guess any loop breakage can be foreseen by a little inspection before a shoot, but I'm still concerned about treestand like positions, I've read the arrow pinch of a loop and the angle of the stand can make the arrow fall off the string at shot causing a dry fire.

Yup, did the test of holding my hand up like I'm firing, then rolled my knuckles over to find that I was in the exact position I should be with a release. Good test, so what's with all the hype of "lost draw length"?

Now I'm wondering, is a mechanical release more accurate overall? So far I've been reading that finger shooters are less consistently accurate (don't forget I'm not olympic level here, so I don't really care to hear how accurate they are) and at 3d's should have some sort of handicap to keep up with release shooters (which of course a handicap doesn't exsist).

Is there any reason you said the Loopmaster looked like a winner? I'm having problems visualizing how that c0cking lever jaw works, just seems to me like it would get hung up or something. I like that it's adjustable for draw, and has a good range of motion for when not in use it goes in your sleeve.

I know it's a learning curve either way (fingers or mechanical), I'm just looking to tighten my groups, stop frustrating myself with release inconsistency, and I have read (including what you said above) that release users don't tire as quickly as finger shooters.

I'm not new to the community and I still have a lot of questions. Don't ever be shy about asking questions - how else are we going to learn new things? Besides - "there is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers". And it's true to.

I both hunt and shoot 3D with my bow. So far I haven't sat on a tree stand to hunt, but the string angle at the nocking point had better not (cannot) change whether you shoot up hill, down hill, from a tree stand, or standing/sitting/keeling on the level.

Your shoulder and arms must stay perpendicular with the bow riser plane when you are at full draw - in all of the above instances. If you don't maintain proper form how can the arrow fly true? If the arrow is continually falling off the string on down hill shots then your nocks are to blame, they are too loose - or are being severely pinched. To stop any chance of pinching, tie a D-loop and nock sets like in the pictures......Find your nocking point and place an empty nock on the string, then tie a nock set above and below the nock - leaving the nock on the string to maintain spacing.

[Bow Walker]

Find your nocking point and place an empty nock on the string, then tie a nock set above and below the nock - leaving the nock on the string to maintain spacing.

Tie about 10 knots above the nock and about 4 knots below the nock. When finished your nock set should look like this......


Don't worry about the D-loop, just get your nock sets in place. D-loop is next. Tieing a D-loop is pretty simple (once you get on to it). The needle nose pliers are for opening and tightening the D-loop so that it is very tight - make sure it is in the right place first though.........


Now you're ready.....won't slip, won't pinch, and won't come undone - providing you leave a bit of loop material so that you can burn the ends and make a ball. Then it can't slip back through the knot.....impossible, as the knot tightens up behind the balled end as you draw the bow.

[Bow Walker]

.....so what's with all the hype of "lost draw length"?

Now I'm wondering, is a mechanical release more accurate overall? So far I've been reading that finger shooters are less consistently accurate (don't forget I'm not olympic level here, so I don't really care to hear how accurate they are) and at 3d's should have some sort of handicap to keep up with release shooters (which of course a handicap doesn't exsist).

Is there any reason you said the Loopmaster looked like a winner? I'm having problems visualizing how that c0cking lever jaw works, just seems to me like it would get hung up or something. I like that it's adjustable for draw, and has a good range of motion for when not in use it goes in your sleeve....

You cannot loose draw length with a D-loop, you just change your anchoring point.

Using a release is more accurate than using fingers, for many reasons, one of which is that with a release you are putting all the stored energy right behind - and in line with both the arrow axis and the nock itself. Fingers generally put this point off center by nature of having two fingers above the nock and one below, or three fingers below, or one finger up and two below. There are compound bow finger shooters on this site that do very well (Nails is one that comes to mind) but using a release is more accurate.

The Loop Master appears to me to be simple to operate and pretty much fail-safe. You can set the proper (comfortable) distance of the trigger by utilizing the nut on the threaded bar.

The ****ing bar is depressed and held during "let down" from full draw, locking the firing mechanism so you cannot have a mis-fire. Otherwise you just open the trigger, attach the release to the loop, close the trigger, put your trigger finger behind the trigger and draw. Keeping your trigger finger behind the trigger stops mis-fires while you are drawing. Keep the finger behind the trigger until you are ready to shoot.