Anybody still shoot with their fingers?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Shape Shifter
29-Oct-14
I am mostly a trad shooter, but shoot a compound on occassion.Do any of you out there still shoot with your fingers? I have been looking for a longer axle to axle length compound that I won't have to mortage a house to buy. All I see out there are bows in the 33" range.
From: mtoomey
29-Oct-14
Yes, I do. I mortgaged the house and bought a Hoyt Tribute. If you don't want to spend a fortune I think you'll need to look for a used bow.
Mike
From: Z Barebow
29-Oct-14
Yes I do. I didn't mortgage the house and own a Hoyt Vantage, which I bought used. 45" ATA and cam and 1/2 plus. Love it and will not part with it.
From: GhostBird
29-Oct-14
... only during rush hour traffic :)
From: JoeBow
29-Oct-14
I still shoot fingers I have 2 Oneida Strike Eagles(long riser) 51 inches long tip to tip, 60-80 lbs.. The beauty is part compound, part recurve. I have a 35 in draw length. I added a 2 inch over draw so I can shoot a 31 inch Carbon express CXL Hunter w/ a 125 Montec broadhead. There is no modern compound out there that I can shoot. I have maintained them since the early 1980's with some help from Oneida(still have parts) . They shoot great. There are some used one's out there.
From: jerrynocam
29-Oct-14
I have always shot fingers no matter what I shot. I shoot mostly trd now but I still like to shoot the compound. I have a Drenlin LD which I love, and have owned all of the 4 Mathews Conquests, an Ovation and a Q2XL. All of these were good finger bows but the Drenlin is my favorite. The Drenlin and the Q2 are 38" ata and the Conquests are 41" ata. I used to shoot IBO and most of the finger shooters were using the Conquests. Mathews does still make the Conquest I believe but not the others. You can get all of them on Ebay pretty cheap.
From: tradi-doerr
29-Oct-14
I do at times, and just sold my Reflex Caribou (45" ata) on ebay for $295, you can find some of the Hoyt Advantages that are pretty much the same bow for $250/$400. the only problem is if it breaks you'll be searching for spare parts bows like the rest of us. The tribute by Hoyt is a great finger bow but at $900+, not for me, as it will be obsolete in a year or 2.
From: elkmtngear
29-Oct-14
Yep. I shoot a 65lb Elite Pure, no sights, with a tab. I use 2 fingers split.
It's only 36" ATA but I can shoot nice tight groups with it out to around 50 yds. Smooth as butter!
Best of Luck, Jeff
From: NEBucks
29-Oct-14
Yep, I do. I shoot a Bear Code .
From: safari
29-Oct-14
I have a darton 5000 mx I could let go. Shot it fingers and a kisser button. 60-70 lbs. all of the adjustable cams and a dozen+ ACC 24/13 arrows. No clue what it is even worth.
From: safari
29-Oct-14
Sorry the arrows are XX75's
From: oldgoat
29-Oct-14
Anybody here ever tried or know of anybody using a thumb ring on a compound? I would imagine you could get away with a shorter axle to axle bow with one. I've never used one myself so not sure.
From: dagga boy
29-Oct-14
dagga boy's Link
How about something like this?
From: doubleeagle
30-Oct-14
Be careful shooting new, large cam, compounds with fingers. I've seen buddies derail/dryfire new bows as they torque their drawing hand on the let up. With the large cams, the string has to go in the groove, or you'll be sorry. That is why most compound users have a D-loop and shoot a release. Much better for the bow. One word of advice is not let anyone draw your bow that won't replace it. Or at least with a arrow nocked in a safe direction. I see derailed bows weekly.
From: Florida Mike
30-Oct-14
Dagga boy thats a cool release. Mike
From: Bernie P.
30-Oct-14
I also shoot trad mostof the time but I did shoot fingers back when I had an Oneida SE600.With my Bowtech I couldn't do that if I wanted to.
From: VAbowhunter
30-Oct-14
I have always shot fingers. Tried a release one year was not happy with it so went back to fingers before hunting season. I shoot a Clearwater Powermag 45" ATA.
From: bowriter
30-Oct-14
I never shot any other way and never had a problem shooting any compound. However, I did prefer a longer bow.
From: Ghostinthemachine
30-Oct-14
Agree with doubleeagle about torquing the string off those big cams. I started an Oneida thread the other day and think I'll pick up a used one and shoot it with a tab and see what happens. Seems like a good fit for me, I usually shoot recurves.
From: smarba
30-Oct-14
I shot compound with fingers for years and years. Couple of years ago I finally decided that my accuracy was suffering and I couldn't do it like I used to.
Switched to a release and after the learning curve I have never looked back. Don't know why I held out so long.
Carl
From: flyingbrass
30-Oct-14
everybody that shoots traditional still shoots with fingers
From: arctichill
31-Oct-14
I do. 2 finger release. 70# 2005 bowtech Allegiance and 80# 2009 Elite XLR.
From: Sage of the Sage2
31-Oct-14
I bought a Parker Hunter Mag a few years ago, the reason for choosing the one I did is that it is long enough to finger shoot if I wished. For probably 10 of the past 13 years I was a finger shooter, but I went with a release when I bought the new bow. I think it's more accurate, but I have an on-and-off problem w/ target panic now that I never had when finger shooting.
From: IaHawkeye
31-Oct-14
I've shot fingers for 60 years. Shot compound for 10 years with fingers. Went back to trad in 1985. Always fingers !
From: Bigwoods
31-Oct-14
I have an old Golden Eagle Hunter that is in perfect shape. 45 ATA 55-70 that I would sell cheap. Its a great finger bow.
From: SteveD
31-Oct-14
Yep.
From: arctichill
01-Nov-14
Smarba nailed it. If accuracy and efficiency are your priorities then a release is a no-brainer. I believe in mechanical releases, but have not yet come to terms with releasing my arrow with a trigger. It has cost me animals for sure! My string cradled in my fingers is how I do things. It's not the most accurate it's not the most efficient ..but it's how I prefer my arrow to be released.
From: Raptor
01-Nov-14
Got a 37.5 inch axle to axle 60 Lbs, Bowtech Commander with 65% option back in 07. Only long axle to axle Bowtech making this year is called the Specialist which is adjustable to a 65% let off. Mathews makes the Conquest, which is around 41 inches, axle to axle and had a soft cam 60% let off. The Hoyts were already noted. Onieda Bows still being made in Michigan. IMO, going to harder to find used one to your liking because most of these bows were probably special order in the first place.
From: arctichill
01-Nov-14
While ATA might be important to some finger shooters, it's not a critical requirement of a finger shooter's bow in my experience.
From: r-man
01-Nov-14
i use my fingers on my recurve, and my dad shot his thumb with his xbow, nearly lost it. I did shoot a combpound with fingers for a while but quikly went to a release, and remember keep your thumb down off the rail dad
From: Cazador
01-Nov-14
Bigger problem yet is finding a decent rest that will allow you to do so. I tried, but just gave in.
From: Cazador
01-Nov-14
From: mtoomey
01-Nov-14
I use the timber doodle 2. You can use a standard flipper rest. Some have been able to get a whisker biscuit to work.
From: arctichill
02-Nov-14
I use a whisker biscuit in conjunction with a Cavalier plunger button. The WB all by itself is decent. The plunger adds a bit more tunability. ..for me anyway.
From: Little Bear
28-Feb-15
I would like to hear about experiences with the types of rests that are good for compound finger shooters.
I'm setting up an Elite Tour to shoot with tab (I don't like releases).
From: mtoomey
28-Feb-15
Timberdoodle II or a flipper is what I used.
From: Charlie Rehor
28-Feb-15
I shoot recurve with fingers and compound with a release.
From: bowriter
01-Mar-15
In my 40+ years of bowhunting, I never used a release and shot all manner and length of bows. I have no idea what finger pinch is.
From: Fuzzy
02-Mar-15
yep
