Leathal, that just goes to show how much archery has changed over the past 50 years. When I was a kid, practically everyone shot fingers but there were a few people were using non-mechanical release aids, like the ledge and bowlock, with their recurves. A whole bunch of guys even used SIGHTS on their recurves! (Stinkin' freestylers![:'(]) When compounds hit the scene, practically everyone still shot fingers and only a few used releases. And even more guys used sights on those contraptions.

ThenBear made a huge splash when they came out with a short, 44" axle to axle compound! That started thetrend to shorter and shorter bows. Combined with ever higher letoffs, bows got a bit more difficult to shoot well with fingers so people began using releases more. It was around 1990 that the release class at our club's 3D shoots passed the fingers class in numbers.Today, guys shooting fingers are even more rare than the guys who shot releaseseven 20years ago.

Most of the old fingers shooters have gone traditional (most new fingers shooters as well, come to think of it) and everyone knows you ain't "trad" if you don't shoot fingers. Some even consider you to be of dubious ancestry if you dare to shoot 3-under. The guys at our club freaked when I carved myself a bowlock, showed them how to use it and told them how long it'd been since I'd seen one.

The sport used to be a lot more diversified. Needs to be that way again.