Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Going to have to shoot the old Mathews for awhile...

My fingers are so sore!! MIddle finger has some kind of "bulge" blister thing down deep. It's hard and hurts like heck.

Yowsah!

You need a release!

Funny a few days ago my buddy and I were talking on the phone. And the topic of releases came up. He is a tournament archer and does a little hunting. Anyways somehow we got on the topic of releases and what happened to finger shooting. I said to him the release became so popular because it disguised all ones flaws in the release. It made a bad shooter and ok shooter, a good shooter a excellent shooter, and an excellent shooter it brought to the top of the game. He said why do I think it disguised flaws? I said the same way a release trigger does or training wheels on a bike does. You are not correcting the problem you are side stepping it. It becomes an aid for your deficiencies.

Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with shooting a release, release triggers, or using training wheels. I am also not saying that it just magically makes you a better shooter. Please reread that line!!!!!! One still needs you perfect the execution of the release. You still need to be able to hold the bow steady and find the X in your sights at the exact moment.You still need to keep expanding on the draw and not collapse. But it is a mechanical advantage that makes your release even a bad one better! Hence why in the early 90's was the end of the finger shooter. A few of us have held out. Most that have held out have gone to the way of the stick bow. Today there is not a true finger bow made by any other Bow companies. It is essentially dead, which is a sad thing. But our society has gone the route of easy instant gratification. Fingers is a life long struggle

I have considered it. But I have compound with release, sight, etc. that is amazingly accurate out to 50 yards. So, I have the "gadget" end of archery covered. I really want to shoot fingers on my recurve. Guess I just need to give them a rest! 40ish arrows a day for the last 6-weeks is taking it's toll!

Not sure I follow. Or not aware of what constitutes a "true finger bow".

Axle to Axle in the 46" area. Also longer Brace height and softer cam

Geez, when you said Mathews, I just assumed you were shooting a compound, and with ATA lengths these days around the 30-35", that's tough on fingers. I see you were referring to a recurve. I also shoot a recurve with fingers; one up, two down.

Bad OP on my part.

I've been shooing my new Bob Lee recurve daily since I bought it. Fingers using a glove. The fingers are sore!

Will be shooting the old Mathews Q2 compound for a few days while the fingers rest up.

Yep. All the compounds today have heavy radical cams.

Actually the cams have really smoothed out but yes for fingers its too much.

There is a company that makes recurve bows specifically for shooting off of horseback. The bow is shot with a thumb, index finger release. I have forgotten the name of the company or where I read about it.

I came up learning to shoot recurves with a glove. After watching masters of the barebow I gave tabs a try. Three fingers under with a deep hook to the closest knuckle. More consistent anchor and easier on my fingers.

Try the deep hook with the glove, like holding a paint can. Tips get out of the way before the string touches them.

I suppose if you want to shoot the compound with fingers you could pull with three fingers, and drop one to reduce pinch when at full draw.

Would take some work. Let's say A LOT of work. But I suppose I could hunt of off my bicycle!

I've been using a glove, split fingers, and holding the string with the meat of my fingers. Might give that a try.

Never could get to used to a tab. Have one and keep tying to warm up to it.

I'm ceratinly intriqued with 3-under. Seems like it would be more natural to "aim" down the arrow more. But, I've been split finger for a long time. I'm an old dog and new tricks come hard!

OK, back to the recurve yesterday for a just a few ends. Laid off just a couple of days and much better!

I've always shot decent fingers.
Always run a tab.

Funny, got my first deer w a PSE twin cam back in the 80's, sold it to a bud, that used it to shoot a 300 indoors w it fingers.

For hunting I like a front sight and no peep. Did well that way.
Targets though, a peep shrinks groups.

Got an old Oneida Aeroforce to mess with. Dunno if going barebow or w front sight yet.
Found 50% let off modules ($40).

FWIW I like a mechanical release just fine. Hell I think they screw more people up, seen a bunch poke at the trigger and a ton with draw lengths that are not right.

Recurve, compound fingers, or release.............sights or no sights.................its all fun
Eastern type hunting, wooded, 30 yards can be a long shot.

Damn near anything works within that distance.

Was it Kassai?
Seemed to be the more popular in the archery mags a while back

https://www.horsebows.com/bows.php

Wow! Mathews Q2? That is an oldie but a goodie, I had a Q2xl back in the day (probly 20 years ago) I really liked that bow too 👍.......Hb

Yep. I fairly dated myself by admitting to the Q2. Heck, I still had the original sting on it until 2-months ago!

I had a Switchback XT. Was a decent bow after putting on a Torqueless grip.

As for fingers bows.....there is one still made today.

Oneida Phoenix.

i dunno if it would work for the longer draw though.
Think it can be set for 50% letoff.

Btw. My bud hunts w a Q2

It's still shooting straight, but not as fast as some of today's burners. I'll keep it as long as it pokes holes in game out to 30 yards (kind of thick brush in these parts).

Only question is: Do I make the Q2 look good. Or is it the other was around? Never mind. Don't answer that!

Ha! I'd keep hunting that Q2, it will kill a deer just as dead as any of these "latest and greatest" $1000.00 bows....Good hunting 👍....Hb