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Finger shooting compound, anyone?

USMC5831 said:
Never for fun then? Really? That’s pretty boring.
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Honestly no....I had never seen or shot a muzzloader before I started hunting....

Anyway.. Didn't mean to derail... So using fingers is a personal preference kinda thing but also good to practice just in case of release failure/lose/forgetfulness?
 
I'm old enough that I can say when we first started out bowhunting with compounds.... using a release aid was considered foolish and a waste of money. I used a shooting glove and one brass nock set on the string for my arrow location. Shot pretty good groups too at 30 yards and under but they started to open up more at 40. Then I went to a tab which imparted less horizontal movement than the glove but still nothing like a release aide. I also used to shoot instinctively with my compound too.
 
USMC5831 said:
So, for guys shooting fingers with trad gear, tab or glove? If tab, hair or cordova, and why?
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I use a Hill style glove. The reason is that a Hill style glove has hard inserts in the fingertips so that the string does not cut down into the tips over time and make a groove where the string will hang up. Back in the day Howard Hill shot apples of real people's heads (not recommended!) and he could not have his string hang up on the glove and make the shot go "off". You can get the original version at Howard Hill archery online.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I use a Hill style glove. The reason is that a Hill style glove has hard inserts in the fingertips so that the string does not cut down into the tips over time and make a groove where the string will hang up. Back in the day Howard Hill shot apples of real people's heads (not recommended!) and he could not have his string hang up on the glove and make the shot go "off". You can get the original version at Howard Hill archery online.
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I’ll look into that, thanks!
 
I agree with a previous poster though, you probably would be much more comfortable shooting fingers with a much longer ATA than most recent compounds. I think most bows back in the day were like 42-45" ATA so virtually no finger pinch as the string angle wasn't so acute.
 
I think Barnsdale Archery makes some nice finger shooting bows but even those are in the 38" ata range.
 
woodsdog2 said:
I agree with a previous poster though, you probably would be much more comfortable shooting fingers with a much longer ATA than most recent compounds. I think most bows back in the day were like 42-45" ATA so virtually no finger pinch as the string angle wasn't so acute.
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This protec xt3000 is 42 ata. I also have xt2000 limbs that are 37.5.
It was a tournament bow, long ata and high brace height. I shot it back tension with a 3 ft stabilizer and scope Back then.
From my online research, it’s pretty popular with competitive finger shooters.
 
Weldabeast said:
Forgive my ignorance....what is the point/reason to not use a release with a compound?
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I was good with fingers growing up. Easier not having to manipulate a release or never have to worry about leaving your release at home or dropping out of the tree. My shots out of a tree were typically 25 yards and under in the thick pieces I hunted. When that's how u grow up and don't know any different u get pretty good with it. That being said release aids did make me more accurate no question.
 
John Eberhart shot fingers for years out of a Mathews Conquest. I shot fingers late 80’s early 90’s out of my Ben Pearson compound. Missed a lot of deer but I was young then. Switched to a Proline bow and a release and my accuracy went up 10x’s killed a lot of deer. In 2003 I tried going back to fingers with a Bowtech Pro 40 it was 40 ata hence the name of course. It lasted about 20 minutes and went right back to a release. Now, I have shot a buck and doe with a bear grizzly 55lb recurve. After that year I missed two nice bucks in the same season and put it away and went back to my compound…lol! After putting so much time and effort finding mature bucks in PA on public land I felt stupid blowing it. Seems like I was wasting my time so back to a compound and release I went. If you can make it work for you that’s awesome. One less thing to worry about going wrong.
 
remember now, back in the early years we only had 50% let off on a compound. you guys got - what 80% now a days.
BIG DIFFERENCE. should be pretty easy holding 10-12 lbs. or whatever it is.
 
arrow30 said:
remember now, back in the early years we only had 50% let off on a compound. you guys got - what 80% now a days.
BIG DIFFERENCE. should be pretty easy holding 10-12 lbs. or whatever it is.
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Back in those days let off was like FPS today, as far as selling bows. Did not matter they were 44" ATA, heavy as a tank bows ...... they had 50% let off that felt like 40% at best. So far from what most of us shoot today, it makes me laugh. I should have stuck with my recurve vs the early compounds but I was young and wanted the techy stuff. They were really bad in the early years in retrospect.
 
michigandrake said:
Back in those days let off was like FPS today, as far as selling bows. Did not matter they were 44" ATA, heavy as a tank bows ...... they had 50% let off that felt like 40% at best. So far from what most of us shoot today, it makes me laugh. I should have stuck with my recurve vs the early compounds but I was young and wanted the techy stuff. They were really bad in the early years in retrospect.
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Not to late to go back to that recurve.
 
My BFF had a bear compound growing up and never had a release. When I got my kid his PSE infinity set at about 53#, my friend shot it without a release. It bout ripped the tips of his fingers off. I’d never even try it, no thank you! But more power to you if you like it!
any who, pretty sweet you got that old rig back! Bet it still shoots like a dream!
 
I shot a Mathews Conquest Triumph target bow with fingers for awhile....mostly with sights, sometimes with a peep, sometimes without. It is actually very enjoyable and killed deer. It hangs on the wall these days cause if I'm using fingers, it's on a trad bow.

It's practically mint.....anyone looking for one?
 
USMC5831 said:
I got my old 2006 Hoyt Protec given back to me, after I loaned it to an old hunting buddy, to get him back into bow hunting. He got a new elite, and I got my old rig back.
Been threatening to set her up for finger shooting, but haven’t shot fingers since I was 9 or 10 years old.
kind of looking forward to having an old friend back in the tree with me, something new, and a little nogistalia to boot.
anybody else shoot long ata rigs with fingers like ole Chuck Adams?
Or am I just a weirdo??!?
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Not weird at all. There is something to be said for simplicity. Pull back and shoot. I have killed far more deer with fingers and no sights than I ever have w/ a release and pins. With that said, now I shoot a release, a $1200 -70lb bow w/ 90% let off, fiber optic pins, a clarifier, a drop away. Archery has come a long ways and made a lot of improvements since I started. However there is something to be said for just going out there getting it done w/ as few as possible moving parts.
 
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