Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Trigger release sensitivity

Since my re-start of bowhunting after the long time away, I have been using a trigger release. It's the only way I can actually shoot with my elbow problem. I have come to really enjoy the accuracy and function of the release although I'm still a little spooky about it holding the string when I draw the bow. I keep feeling it will open on its own. Thats a problem I have to work through with time and practice I guess. It will take a while for me to build trust in this thing!

The biggest struggle I have with the releases I have used including my 2 different ones and several of my friends who use them is the ultra light trigger pull. Being so much more used to a hunting rifle trigger of 2.8 pounds these 3-4 oz trigger release's are much too light for me.

I called Scott Archery and spoke to the lady there who really did not understand the issue and was more or less just blank about the question I had. I even requested to talk to somebody else and she told me she was the technical person. If that is as good as Scott Archery releases can provide on the phone then I would need to look elsewhere.

Next I called Tru-Fire Which makes the other release I have. They sent me to a tech and he knew instantly want I was talking about and said this is a common request and they have the solution. Tru-Fire makes a release with an adjustable trigger pull just like a rifle only easier to set up.

The adjustable trigger goes from "hair trigger" to over 20 oz of pull weight. It's adjusted with a collar on the shaft. Well I have one now and have been using it a little while. What a huge difference it makes to be able to begin the trigger squeeze softly while aiming only to have the release occur without any knowledge it's gonna go. Yeah that was happening before too but unfortunately well prior to being ready!

Now I can settle in and take aim all the while my subconcious is slowly squeezing the trigger and all my attention is on the target, not on the timing to make my release match my sight picture. Trying to get those to to meet up is a nearly impossible challange, at least for me. This is so much more like a gun trigger which I'm very much used to then that 3oz original release I had.

This trigger release with adjustable weight of pull is not a solution to bad form or poor aiming. It's fine tuning to make your attention to the target a bit easier then trying to force your brain do two things at one time. When you try to do two things at once one of them will lose. Either your arrow will miss the intended point of impact because you focused on the trigger, or your shot might go wild because you jerked the trigger in a rush to get your shot to fire as your pin intersected the target.

When I was at that Archery Seminar a few weeks ago the fella doing the presentation explained a way of shooting with back tension. A bit complex and more oriented towards target shooting. I think this long travel adjustable pull trigger will accomplish nearly everything back tension does, plus make the trigger more like a gun's trigger.

The new release I'm using is called the Stealth by Tru-Fire. If you're in the Market for a new release and want an adjustable trigger weight, and length of pull check it out.

For years I have used the Winn Free-Flight series of releases for just these reasons. Not to mention that they have a trigger that looks and feels like a gun trigger.

I've owned more than one Scott and they have all been adjustable for weight of pull. No comparison between a Scott and True Fire when it comes to caliper releases IMO. I'll take the Scott hands down. Never delt with there customer service people though, never had to!

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Also I have to dissagree that your release will accomplish everything backtension will. You said yourself, there is no substitute for good shooting form. As far as backtension being more geared to target shooting well, target shooters compete for money and prizes therefore they perfect there shooting form and equipment to the point of pin point accuracy. Having done both competative archery as well as hunting I'll say archers have there priorities mixed up. Guys should be learning backtension so that they can more effectively harvest game rather than winning trophies and money! Just my opinion.

All that said, after reading some of your posts I believe you are suffering from some form of target panic. It does not matter what weight of pull your release is set at unless you are anticipating the shot on some level. If you shoot with perfect form (backtension) the wieght of pull will only determine how long it will take for the shot to go off. Light pull will go off quicker than a heavy pull but the results will be the same if the shot is release with the back muscles and not your finger. When you start relating what's happening with the sight pins to what's happening at your trigger finger your starting down the slippery slope of target panic.

I hope you don't take any of this wrong, I'm only trying to pass along what I've learned on a target level and transfered to hunting and archery in general.

X-VERMINATOR

Thanks, I cannot seem to find a happy medium for the back tension style while hunting. If I were a stand hunter maybe that would make sense to practice and persue with more effort. I stalk while hunting most of the time. The conditions are awkward to draw and shoot much of the time also. For me shooting with back tension requires a solid stance and complete consistant performace every time. When stalking the shots are just about never consistant and rarely long in shot time or opportunity.

When I was shooting with the back tension system my shooting was not more accurate then it is now but I could shoot long strings of accurate shots. My first 3-5 shots were just as good either way. However if I shot for an hour and dozens of shots the back tension method wins hands down for consistant accuracy. Because I don't compete or have any desire to compete the only shot that matters is the first one.

There are a lot of options and tools, along with countless gimmicks available to archers. I am sorting through them a little at a time. Right now I feel a whole lot more comfortable being able to load up with some amount of trigger "feel" before it fires off then I did with the 3-4 oz fixed trigger pull. That release was giving me the willys when it would seem to fire without warning and only very light effort with the trigger finger. This new release has adjustable length of pull seperate from the pressure adjustment. With it I can take up the slack while on target and then concentrate on the spot while slowly adding/squeezing the trigger. One big difference I noticed with this new release,......... how can I explain this?

When I was shooting with the light trigger release the arrow would depart the bow and my hand was near my ear as I watched the arrow impact the target down range. My hand never moved as I was in complete control of it knowing exactly when the shot would go, .... the instant I touched the trigger

With this release using a stiffer trigger and slow deliberate trigger pull, at the instant of release my hand pulls back and goes well behind my head often touching my shoulder after the release. My brain has absolutely no idea when that trigger is gonna break over, so I cannot jerk the shot or as you say "panic shoot".

That tells me with the light release I was anticipating the shot. with the stiffer trigger and slower less concious release I have no idea when the shot is going to go, therefore I cannot anticipate the release and move my sights in a rush or as you said in a Panic to regain the target. This release is far more "gun like" then my other one with the ultra light trigger.

Slowly but surely things are coming together. I am only shooting 2 shot strings which forces more concentration on my part. I have also for the first time in my life just this past week shot one arrow inside the previous one. Now I have one arrow stuck inside the other! The Paradox of this is that it shows my shooting skills are improved quite a lot. But now I am ruining flecthing, knocks, and in this most recent case a whole arrow. I have begun to shoot the two arrows at two different spots on the "block" to reduce shooting expenses a bit.

Thanks for the input and ideas, that is why I post this stuff here!

JJ,

Good move to shoot one arrow at each dot on your block target -- I even tore up some fletching once I started getting the hang of it with field points. I still shoot 3-4 arrow groups with field points, but only one per dot with broadheads. The target should also last longer.

Don't remember how much I paid for my arrows but I know it was at least $5-6 apiece, plus the shop had to cut them, true up the inserts, etc. I've already lost or destroyed 2 or 3, in practice don't want to run out before hunting season!

BTW I shoot a Tru-ball Stinger release and have left the sensitivity where it was from the factory. Thought about trying to turn down the pull weight but the instructions made me nervous. It's set up so I pull with the second joint of my index finger, so I can't really make a conscious comparison with my rifle triggers; that's probably a good thing.

John

I personally don't think target shooting and hunting go hand in hand when it comes to releases and methods of shooting. I use a HotShot release that hooks onto a loop on the string. It has a 2 lb. adjustable trigger that can go up to 8 lbs. if you want one that heavy. It has a thumb released trigger, and no straps to piss around with. I put a wrist lanyard on it, just to keep from losing it or from it slipping out of my hand.

When an animal is standing before you, most of the time you have seconds to draw and shoot. I have seen COUNTLESS animals walk off while "target archers" are slowly pulling the trigger, like they would on a target. An archery hunter has to be able to draw and shoot quickly from all kinds of different positions and slowly pulling the trigger simply doesn't work in most cases. Often times you have a 3 second window of oppertunity when an animal is walking by or turning for the optimum shot. You simply have to put the pin on the vitals and hit the switch. Back tention, trigger panic and all that are meaningless, because you have to shoot right now, not when everything is totally perfect and you have 20 seconds to squeaz the trigger. I am not saying to rush crapy shots by any means, but to be able to draw, find the target and hit the switch in a quick controlled manor.

If a guy is truly squeazing the trigger, his drawing arm will fly back nearly a foot when the arrow is released, due to the surpise in sudden tention let off while holding the bow at full draw. I don't even see competition shooters do this any longer. They aquire target aquisition and hit the switch when the "wiggles" are at a minumum. Releases are so sensitive now days, that they don't have to hold and squeaz for a long time like they use to. Plus the fact that the let off on bows has GREATLY increased, along with speed and smoothness. A competition shooter can now shoot a 40 or 50 lb. bow with ease while only holding 10-15 lbs. of weigh at full draw. Couple that with a 4 oz trigger release, and you don't need to "squeaz" the trigger like we use to.

The key to shooting well is consistency without thinking about form, back tention, release tention, trigger tension, am I standing square etc. You simply must be able to draw and shoot without thinking about anything but puting the arrow on a predetermined spot on an animal. Not only that, but you must know you will hit the animal. Confidence is critical in my opinion. I know when I am going to hit and when I am going to miss. I can feel it in my gut.

Good practice comes by shooting while kneeling, standing turned, etc. Whenever I practice, the first shot of the the session is all that really matters. It is very similar to hiking all over and taking a shot. Your muscles aren't tired, you haven't been shooting and thinking of form. You simply get to draw and shoot your first arrow of the day, just like in a hunting situation. A lot of guys guage their shooting ability by their 10th or 20th arrow, after they have had time to "warm up". You don't get to "warm up" when an animal is in front of you. The first shot is the only one that counts, just like rifle shooting. Hope this helps. Flinch

Too many guys practice standing slightly turned, when most shots at game are taken while sitting, kneeling or while in some other odd position. Flinch