First off, this is a double post (made one in the bowhunting section, but thought I would get a better response in here, so mods, sorry and you can delete the one in the bowhunting if you wish).

Ok, so I'm considering going the Thumb-release route mostly I assume for target shooting (I have an older Cobra caliper release that will still suit me fine for hunting). I've searched on here and read up quite a bit about them. The Just-Cuz (Jeff shoots this I believe) gets quite a bit of praise. I've heard good things about the insatiable as well. Now, I saw one that Rob shoots and appears it's actually activated by the pinky, not the thumb. I understand these really are not supposed to be punched, but more or less act as a guide for proper back tension, but I'm not really sure how you know which one is really going to fit the best. It appears to me these releases are more apt to fit and comform differently in different hands (whereas coventional strap caliper releases are not so much). So, since no retailers around here from what I know of carry too many of these releases, should I pay full price from a retailer in hopes that if it doesn't fit my hand as well, I can return it for something else, or do I go to the "other" site and look for a deal in the classifieds?

As you aptly have picked up on, handheld releases are more prone to fit and shooting style issues than wrist strap types. To that end, you may very well end up going through quite a few releases before you find the one that works perfectly for you.

Given that, I would go to the "other site" and start off with something out of the classified section. It will be about $25-$50 off of the retail price, and most likely was bought and ultimately sold by someone in the same position as you (Bought it, tried it out, and sold it with less than 500 shots on it). The other nice thing is that if you do turn around and sell it, you will probably get very close to what you paid for it.

Bummer that you can't actually handle some first... I've found that anyone I've come across can pick up and shoot effectively with any of the Carter thumb style triggers (like the Target4 or Ember); it's the 3rd and 4th finger trigger models that get more particular and I'd recommend staying away from that style if you ever plan to hunt with them. I find them very hard to speed up or force a shot with as compared to a thumb trigger (which I know you aren't supposed to do but it does come in handy in a hunting situation). My suggestion would be to go with the Carter Ember since it comes with several modules that let you shoot it as a 2, 3, or 4 finger thumb trigger and I think you can reverse it/flip it over for a 3rd finger release and it has a very adjustable trigger position to fit any hand size/shape.