Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Releases and target panic issues

This may not make much sense to non-archers, or even many archery folks in general. It's a specific issue that seems to rear it's ugly head for a percentage of bow hunters that have switched to a release from fingers. Remember finger shooting? back in the old days, 8 tracks, cassettes, manual roll up car windows. Or for those that have always used a release.

The problem that I'm referring to is hitting the trigger without full control, or with some sort of "spasm" before you're dead steady on target. I never did this with my release, until two years ago. Now everytime I draw the bow and hold steady for the shot, I have this kind of a "panic" in my mind that its gonna happen. Sure enough once that seed is planted it's near impossible to recover. For some archers,..... maybe for life.

I've spoken to some of the more outstanding archers and countless bow shop owners and "pros" about this. They actually have a name for the condition it's called "target panic". I've heard numbers from these folks ranging from 10% to "everyone shooting a release will eventually have this happen"...... So..... great it's not just me, or..... oh crap it's .. "me too"

The up side to this for me is that it's only with targets, I've never had this happen with my total concentration aiming and shooting game. So the issue is completely mental. In the world of firearms we would probably refer to this as "flinching" but it's not at all the same problem. For me, the problem is the trigger of an archery release, They are deliberately designed to have a hair trigger. ( where did that come from anyhow.... "Hair trigger" I guess we know what it means...... but how do we know this?) My firearms all have a 2.8 lb trigger pull, trying to smootly squeeze the archery release is not an option. If a gnat were to land on that trigger it would fire. ( maybe we should call this "gnat trigger")

So the instant you feel you're on target, you touch the trigger and it's done. problem is the sights are swimming around the dead center of the bull and you touch off the shot when the pin is dead on but it moves as you touch the trigger and then you jerk from the surprise and your arrow is 15" away from the intended point of impact. After this happens one time, good luck with the recovery process the rest of the target session!

The solution....... not so easy. This does not happen to anyone (to my knowledge) with a finger release, or with instinctive shooters. So you could switch over to one of those systems if this becomes a real problem.

Then we have the shooting blind folded at a bale of straw too big to miss from 5 yards. Ya gotta do this something like a million times so that you can get all your muscles working in sync, and trigger control back, this may take many years of dedicated and then intermittant practice to make work. I gave up the first hour., Just cannot seem to get into shooting from five yards blindfolded

Then there is the back tension system, which I felt was the most logical. You set up the bow to be dead on the money at full draw, and then squeeze your shoulder blades together which pulls your finger back and the bow fires. So you're not actually using the finger to pull the trigger, but rather you're using your finger as a mechanical hook to pull it when you squeeze the shoulder blades together. This actually worked really well for me, but there were times when I bumped or even jerked/ spasmed, blinked, or a small underfed gnat landed on the trigger and let the arrow fly.

So I have this beautiful Mathews bow and I'm about to sell it and go back to finger shooting, long issue with that, but you can't shoot a short bow with fingers, that's another topic. Just know that when you shoot fingers you need the longest string you can handle for a good smooth release. I have now invested in 4-5 releases, and countless hours of various mental practice, and each time I think i've got it back and I'm good to go .............zing and arrow goes off into the sunset. Wow how depressing.

Then in Africa this year, I have two bow hunters whom I am working as the PH (professional hunter) and they low and behold both have this same problem. At this point I'm thinking my tracking dog is gonna be in for a real weeks work finding the animals these guys are gonna "shoot at".

Neither is the slightest bit concerned and when they are shooting for practice after they arrive. They are deadly calm and certain of every shot. So how did they manage this?

Well..... this problem may be far more common then I had been led to believe. These guys who together own a rather large archery pro shop back east claim most folks will have this "target panic" at some point in their lives. Target archers being the worst, but due to the controlled conditions of competition they learn the back tension system and make it work perfectly. Hunters with the problem are not as common but they have much greater complications with the fix. This is due to all the environmental influences surrounding the hunting fields, and the bulky clothing. Not to mention the excitment and possible "buck fever" issues to add to it.

They told me of a company that makes a release which is set to your bows draw weight. It's fully adjustable for the holding weight and the secondary function of the release weight. When you draw the bow and settle in on target, you calmly continue to draw and when the preset holding weight is exceeded the bow will release. There is no trigger on this release, it's just a hook and a safety. You hold the safety in so that you can let down if needed, then draw back settle in and take a breath let go of the safety and then slighly pull back until you hit the point of release. Wow a surprise release while on target every time.

A PNW company (in Idaho)by the name of Carter makes these. Cost wise they are quite proud of them! But what a magic device for the bow hunter nearing the point of giving up and going back to a finger release. It absolutely takes some time to set up and practice with. However once you get into the groove with this, it's magic. It is not possible to stab at the trigger, (there is no trigger) and it requres additional slow and steady force to make the bow fire. I'm sure there is some way I can find to screw this up too, but so far, it's been a flawless fix for the "target panic" issues I developed.

JJ - I am not good with official terms, but here goes anyway. I cannot get comfortable with a strap release that is drawn with the wrist/arm. I use a Crackshot that goes in the palm of my hand where I grip and pull together. I never thought about the trigger issue, but I fire it with my thumb and do not have any issues with premature release. I wonder if the thumb trigger somehow is less conducive to that than the trigger finger trigger. Not sure if I said anything that makes any sense at all, but there it is. Best, John

I've used thumb-releases with a lot of success as well. I turn my hand upside-down and anchor the knuckles of my fist to the back of my jaw. It's a very solid contact point and the thumb doesn't tend to tap the release like an index/middle finger would.

Another idea is backing off the draw weight 10+ pounds. That will help with a relaxed draw/hold.

Just my .02 cents though.....good luck JJ.

I am one of 2 archery people at my R&G club that works on bows, fletches arrows, and such for people. I've been into archery all my life, and feel that since I've probably shot hundreds of thousands of arrows, the muscle memory should ensure an arrow on target every time! Both myself and the other archery pro have had target panic, I personally refer to as "the yips." A yip is a golf term for an unexplained error, but since I don't play golf, I use it for archery. I have days where I aim at the arrow holes in the backstop at 20 yards and can hit them. I've had stretches where I've shot drawing the bow, or used the wrong pin, hit the shed, shot over it... My friend put the bow down a few times. I take the sights off the bow and shoot the hay bales and just work on doing everything right. I've done that for weeks. I've taken all the pins but the 20 yd off my bow and spent the entire hunting season refusing to take a shot past that. You're definitely not alone.

I have a callus on my first finger from drawing my bow with it behind the trigger so many times. I get on target before I reach around and start putting tension on the trigger. I also shoot Scott caliper releases and don't lighten them up from their factory settings. I am going to 3D shoots now in preparation for hunting season and hopefully, nothing will pop up this year. There's only so much you can do though.

I have been shooting for let's say more than a few years and my finger is not on the trigger until I am ready to shoot. I come to full draw, find the target, hold steady and locate my trigger and sqweeze. Been in shooting leagues, spot shooting, 3D tournaments etc. Guess since I've never experienced the "target panic" issue I can't be of much help. I can say that I have met lots of great target shooters that can't hit sh.t when it comes to hunting. Two different specialties as far as I am concerned.

The new evolution plus release is a great success for this problem. It's not possible to have target panic with this release. You must pull to the wall to fire the arrow. Once settled into position with the safety on, let go of the safety with your thumb, and then continue to draw while holding on target. At some point the arrow fires and you had no idea it was going to happen, you cannot jerk the trigger, bump the trigger, or in any way rush or Panic fire.

When I start getting punchy, I always move up to 10 yards and shoot for a while. Slam the pin in the middle and make a good shot.......get used to seeing the pin in the middle of the target then slowly move back. Another thing that helps is to not focus on the pin. Focus on the target and let your pin be in your secondary vision - let it float, as long as your looking middle, the arrow will go there even if your pin is not perfectly centered. Think positive, your conscious mind can only think of one thing at a time so be sure it is aiming, let the release be subconscious.

I'm trying out the Carter Squeeze Me, as it's closer to the standard trigger release that I'd like to be using.

It's utterly amazing that when the release is a complete surprise, more often than not I've got an X.

I'd say the biggest drawback to the resistance releases is that they are certainly not small...

Scott

"That" works very well for me.
Also, my release trigger weight is adjustable. I don't set it real light though. That may be fine for the range, but it isn't when a snotty bull elk has you about to soil yer britches.

JJHACK,

Try a couple things..

1. Dont focus on the pin your shooting. Focus on the spot your wanting to hit. Settle the pin then release staying focused on the spot you want to hit. If you focus on the pin then your trying really hard to hold on it and its almost impossible making you panic.

2. Never shoot a relase trigger like a trigger on a gun. Put your index finger on it and with your back muscles pull the bow apart which will make your hand move back making a clean release. Your hesitating everything. Move foward and try this stuff out and it you do it correcty it will help you out alot.

JJ,

marku's two points are right on. Also, while that release may bring back the "fun" to archery, it in no way cures target panic. You've essentially used hardware to solve a software problem- target panic is a MENTAL issue, not a physical one at all. It has nothing to do with what kind of release you use, what the pull weight is, the phase of the moon, etc., or anything else.

I had the worst case of target panic for better then ten years. I literally would be so mad I would nearly be in tears... I've launched my bow more then a few times.... grin. You can cure target panic/punching forever- I did it three years ago in one afternoon. However, it was without a doubt the most mentally challenging battle I have ever experienced.


I have to run, but I will post more with some links that will help....

JJ.
FWIW- I have also considered all of the issues you mention, as a bowhunter myself.

I have never been happy with my ability to 'sqeeze' the trigger on the wrist-strap releases I use, even when set very light, with as little travel as possible.

This summer, I tried something new, (for me), in an attempt to get 'surprise' releases, concentrate on my targets, and take the sqeeze element out of the picture.

Here's how it works for me:

1. I set up my release with MORE, not less, tension.

2. I shortened up the length from my hand to the trigger, so now the trigger rests on the fleshy part of my finger between the first and second joints. When I place my finger on the trigger, it forms a "J", or hook, which makes it less sensitive to wanting to squeeze the trigger.

3. At full draw, I focus on the target, while 'pulling' thru the shot. I think this is what some call increasing back tension- all I know is, the shot goes off as a surprise, without me tightening up on the trigger. Results have been surprising- it's making me a better archer. I am also able to make the shot in far less time than before, which is bound to be a plus in the hunting field.

Maybe you've already tried all of this, but it works for me. It only took a couple of days of practice to get the hang of this way of shooting.

If you have to think about your form, tension, back tension, anchor point, release etc. while at full draw, you will usually miss. Shooting a bow needs to become "automatic". It took me several years of constantly shooting and competing to master this. I missed some big critters due to "thinking" my way through every aspect of the shot, instead of instinctively just shooting the way I knew how. I try to teach this to new archers, but it does take a lot of practice. Simply shooting a week before the season each year doesn't cut it. You have to shoot and preferably hunt, all year round. I hunt ducks and geese in the winter with my bow, rabbits and squirrels in the summer. Grouse in the fall. Oh, and don't forget plenty of carp in the spring. Doing this builds a TON of confidence in your shooting ability. You know the second you draw back that the animal is in the bag. Forget about the cost of arrows and heads. If you don't shoot, you don't get anything. I have hunted with guys that are so scared to release an arrow, due to expense, that they never get anything. I am not saying take risky shots, but you HAVE to break and lose arrows to become a good archer. Flinch

JJHACK I cannot offer any advice on solving your target panic because I have not been there yet. I would like to ask you this question or should I say have you ask yourself this question. This panic is only with targets why am I stressing out about it. Can you come to terms with the fact that neither you or I am going to win any archery tournements.If this is not affecting your ability to make killing shots on game try to accept it.

Yeah, ..... but it really bugs me and I worry it will increase to hunting over time.

One thing for sure, the Carter tension release eliminates all these issues as there is no trigger on it. You simply pull back to anchor point and then when settled in, continue to draw just a bit more and the arrow releases. It's a thing of beauty!

It will eventually lead to target panic in ALL shots, whether you notice it or not.

I am starting to wonder if we are being lured into this discussion for the purpose of promoting the carter release?.

Yeah well......... I suppose that is a fair assumption, however wrong. It's a functional "fix" for the problem I was seeing. You can make your own judgement beyond that, I'm not even gonna get sucked into this non-sense.

I'm guilty of target panic, I just didn't know what to call it until now. I used to call it jerking the trigger but this makes more sense. Carter is about 10 miles from my house so I may have to check this release out.

Bb