Anyone shoot with fingers?
General Topic
I have been watching Dan & Guy Fitz. videos, anyone shoot their compounds with fingers and no sights?
No but I shoot my 45# recurve that way. The 63#ers I shoot with a leather glove and no sights. I had a ProLine CP back in the '80s that I used to shoot with fingers and no sights, but I hated the CPs so I went back to recurve. I found a trigger release in the woods once and kept it, but never used it.
I used to shoot my compounds with fingers and liked it a lot more then the release as I felt like I had more control.
When I used to shoot wheel bows did it with fingers and no sights.
Have always, and still shoot barebow...fingers and no sights. I think it gives me a huge advantage. Simple setup with WAY less failure points. Shots are off quicker. No range finder dependencies. Hard to find a bow these days though with the short axle to axle. I shoot a Reflex Caribou..I believe it's about 42" A2A.
I’m only shooting longbows now, but before that I shot fingers with a compound since the late 80s. Never did like the feel of a release and it was just something else for me to lose on the woods. Started out shooting instinctively but was much more consistent when I added a 3 pin site.
Shot compounds for 25 or more years. Then changed to a release. My accuracy is much better with a release.
Been shooting my compounds that way forever. Instinctive. No need for a rangefinder, I rarely think about the yardage when drawing down on big game. I just focus on the spot, and I know I need to drop that arrow "right there".
As long as I'm still killing critters, I'll keep doing it. I hope I never have to start using sights/release, but things certainly can change, as Father Time creeps up on us. ;^)
I do. That is the only way I have ever shot. (53 years old and starting shooting when I was 16. You do the math). Switched over to carbon (composite) arrows several years ago. At some point, sight/release technology might be tested/proven enough for my comfort level. Currently I am not at that point! LOL!
I’m a better shot inside of normal now range without sight pins... unless you count the 28-incher right under my eyeball.
Shot compound fingers/no sights about 30 years ago, but stickbows work better.
Is Reflex the division of Hoyt that builds Chuck Adams’ bows? He was a diehard fingers guy last I knew.
anybody shoot fingers.....................
............................not many if they ever tried a release.
I waited way too long to go to the release.
I compete bare bow when I'm not competing with a stickbow. Love shooting a compound unaided. Shooting 37" Victorys, might shoot a 39" Echlon this year.
Still shooting Martin Sceptor 2 no sights fingers no problems!
Before getting sick I shot finger tab and pins. Never wanted releases. Took to much away from the sport for me and that is just me. Not knocking those that do use them.
I shot compounds for 24 years before I went back to the recurve. I shot my compounds with fingers. I tried a release for a while and it just didn't feel like I was shooting a bow so I got rid of it and continued with my fingers.
The other good thing about shooting with fingers....for me....is that even I can't forget to bring them like I could with a release!!
I started shooting with fingers back in the early 80's and middle 90's. Tried a friends release and never went back to fingers.
Also another reason is hard to find a good finger bow there way to short axle to axle.
I shot this one with fingers with my Mathews. Because I left my release in camp. Shoot my sticks with fingers also.
It's the best way for me!
Not since early 90s, switched to a release and never went back. Somewhere about 1993? I forgot my release at home, hunted anyways because I "thought" it cant be that far off shooting with fingers and proceeded to shoot a poor little Buttonhead in the A$$ on accident , who then jumped in a pond and swam around until my brother helped me get him, what a day to remember .... :(
When I was messing with a Compound for a bit I took a few shots with fingers just to see what I could do. And the next day, I bought a back-up release.
I enjoyed shooting itty-bitty groups with the trigger, but I didn’t really shoot that bow for enjoyment as much as proficiency... which of course killed my proficiency at unknown ranges. Fortunately I figured that out on the 3D course, rather than in the woods.
There’s just something about the feel of a nice, clean loose off of the fingers....
Shot this one with bare fingers. As I was walking in he had his nose to the ground and walked towards me thinking about the does that were behind me. Just had time to knock an arrow and let it fly. Wasnt 10 minutes from my truck. Funest harvest ever.
The OP asked who shoots compound bows with fingers. I did for years, and also admit holding out for a long time on several different archery improvements....carbon arrows, peep sights, parallel limbs, string stops, drop-away rests, ringed sight housings, and maybe others. I slowly adopted all of the above because they all increase accuracy/lethality on big game......no question about that. Personally I enjoy shooting even more now, because the arrow hits where it's pointed, much more reliably.
"Personally I enjoy shooting...."
That's the heart of the matter, isn't it? If you enjoy it more with releases, sights, etc. then that's great. Do it. Some of us prefer to do it with less and we enjoy it more that way. It's ALL archery!
Never used a release. Shot compounds with a tab for 20 years, have shot recurves for 21, still with a tab. No, you're not likely to get the pinpoint accuracy but a good finger shooter will make kills out to 30-35 yards well enough. (IBO HF class - Hunter Fingers - shoots out to 35 yards.) Some of those guys turn in good scores. And a good cordovan-faced tab can be had for $20 ;-)
Everything in archery has a give and take. What you gain on one side you loose on the other. A sight and a release gain you accuracy, but they also increase you set up time.
Bowmania
They also require you to shoot with your bow held plumb vertical, fiddle with getting an insensate hook into a teeny-tiny D-loop, and once you get past that first or second pin, you’re pretty much SOL if you don’t have a range measurement.
That’s why I traded off the Compound I had for a Longbow I really didn’t need. M
And hey, Barebow is Barebow. You can shoot Compound that way just as well, and maybe even better with a flatter trajectory.
