AllenRead

There must be at least as many ways to shoot a BT release as there are archers using them.

There are several general ways are based on the amount of travel required before it goes off.

Some guyslike a lot of travel so thatthey get a very strong shot. Getting it to go off with a lot of travel requires some hand twist.

Others set the release with little travelso thatit will go off with justrhomboid movement, keeping the hand as relaxed as possible.

Others are in between and set the travel so that rhomboid movement is complimented with a slow relaxation of the index finger.

You can be accurate with any of these if you practice enough.

My personal preference is the third one I listed. George Ryals taught me this and it seems to work the best for me. I've tried the other ways and just can't get comfortable with them. Moderate travel, firm anchor, elbow moving straight back in line with the arrow is the easiest way for me to shoot a relaxed and smooth shot.

Everybody is different, so what works for me may not work for you.

fufanu360

thanks a lot for all the help guys

Straightarrow

When shooting backtension releases, you should realize that after time you can learn to force them to go off when you want, which defeats the purpose of a surprise release. If you try to hunt with one, you will find that with some shots, you have to force them to go off, or you will miss the opportunity.

You can also learn a surprise release with a more traditional index finger trigger release. As a hunter, I've found these releases to work better for the various senerios that typically occur while hunting.

gibblet

you really have to try and cheat a 2 finger on purpose

fufanu360

im not quite sure what you are trying to get at here

gibblet

a 2 finger release is very difficult to cheat. lots of 3 and 4 finger release shooters fire the thumb triggers by squeezing their ring and/or pinky finger, which pulls the trigger into the base of their thumb and releases the arrow. they mix this - like tfox said - w/ relaxing tension on their index finger, which also causes the trigger to pull into the base of their thumb and fire. none of this is really back tension. its tricks, and they all work well- and its easy to do w/ 3 or 4 finger releases. having your ring and/or pinky on a release creates a band of tension running down your forearm. you can feel the difference, and even see it if you watch someone shoot a 2 finger, then a 3 finger. tension is the bt killer. w/ a2 finger the action you have to take to cheat is very magnified, and is very difficult to do on accident.

now, i had a fellow over yesterday - a fellow who used to be quite a big deal in the 3d world and is getting back into it. he's won the circuit around here quite a bit in the past - averaging 16 up or better from the pro stakes - and this is in the mtns - with very difficult courses. he shoots completely different. he pushes and pulls, there is an explosion at his shot. he's very good again already. he shoots a 4 finger hicks thumb trigger. you ought to see the wear on his control cable and buss cable form how hard he actually pulls into the wall. his biggest deal is he can tell you if something is 42 or 43.5 yards away. but still, there is no arguing w/ how he shoots,except hegets in the habit of breaking down at the shot, orjust before -because he knows when therelease is firing. he watched me shoot yesterday and thefirst thing he noticed was 'hey, you've got the biggestpart of archery lickedalready - you don't break down at all'. well i can't because ihave no idea when the release is going off. that's my advantage - his is that he can control when his shot goes off. basically - there are plusses and minuses to techniques.

so yesterday i'm shooting w/ him and i pick up jamie'struball st 360, 3 finger thumb trigger that's awesome. man i'm popping them off - complete surprise release - and mark asks me why i don't shoot w/ that. well, i'm lazy. 10 minutes w/ a thumb trigger and i'm drive-by shooting - its too easy. next day i'm breaking down w/ the shot - and it all starts going down the tubes. i don't have the mental discipline to shoot a trigger, not when shooting a bt release cures so many ills - ah but she's a cruel mistress.

TFOX

This is exactly why alot of people will practice with bt but on game day,will switch over to a thumb style.


Not saying it is right or wrong,but many do it.

fufanu360

geez i sure hope i dont end up cheating the BT... i cant wait till my release gets here i ordered the truball bt gold 3 finger in flame color... hehe

gibblet

no doubt tfox, and i may end up w/ that down the road. also, when its windy you see most every triggerless shooter w/ a trigger to deal with getting blown around. i've tried it, tried it last year - and while it felt way better w/ the thumb trigger - my score has always gone down for the section of the courses i've shot w/ them. no matter how much i've felt like i was floating, or tense - so far i've always shot better w/ the bt release. the dang things will flat out ruin you.