Pennsylvania Game News - March 2012 - 58

HAND-HELD RELEASES, such as those on the right, are gripped in the fist of the drawing hand and triggered by the thumb. Below, left, is the nearly obsolete rope release. It has been replaced by the caliper release on the right.

they swear by that.” There are two basic types of releases. Those you hold in your drawing hand, and those that attach to your wrist. Each has its advantages, and Foulk said bowhunters must first figure out which of those two styles they want to work with. Then, they must choose a release mechanism. Hand-Held Releases As their name implies, you grip hand-held releases in your hand when you draw. There are a few that you grip with a closed fist and the release protrudes from the top, between your forefinger and thumb, as if you were holding a hammer. They have individual notches for each of your fingers to decrease the possibility of the release sliding out of your hand as you draw. All of these models will feature release mechanisms activated by a forefinger trigger. The more common hand-held releases are those that you grip in your fist, and the release mechanism protrudes between your forefinger and middle finger, just behind your first knuckles. When you draw, your fist is perpendicular to the string, which means your whole hand is providing leverage in the drawing process. “These are the most popular hand-held releases, because you can get a nice anchor with them at full draw,” Foulk said. “They come in naturally to the side of your face, so you can lock in right along your jaw line.” Typically, these models employ a thumb trigger, which you either squeeze to initiate the string release, or which you squeeze to cock the release, which is then activated when you relax your thumb. Bowhunters who use releases with thumb triggers, Foulk said, report they are much less likely to punch the trigger than those who use releases with traditional forefinger triggers. Anyone who has ever punched a trigger on a mechanical release knows it doesn’t bode well for hitting the bullseye. “You can jerk
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is designed to disengage the string when the trigger is activated. And, for the most part, you can count on that release action being identical every time. Notice I said “for the most part.” Some archers maintain it’s possible for certain releases to have minute variations from one string release to the next. And in today’s precision world that’s unacceptable, so new types of release aids come out almost every year in the quest for the perfect instrument. The mechanical release also serves as a drawing aid. When you draw a bow with your fingers, all the weight needed to flex the limbs is placed on the very tips of the fingers contacting the string. Mechanical releases allow you to get a better grip and pull back the string using your fist or even your whole arm, depending on the type of release you choose. What’s the best release? That question has nearly as many answers as there are bowhunters, according to Dale Foulk from Lancaster Archery Supply. “It’s all a matter of preference,” Foulk said. “Archers tend to go with what feels best for them, and then
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Pennsylvania Game News - March 2012

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