Bow Release

What a bow release does

Shooting a compound bow with your fingers works, but your fingers roll the string a little differently on every shot. A bow release takes your fingers out of it. It grabs the string or, more often, a D-loop. That's a short cord tied onto the string above and below the arrow's nock. When the release fires, the jaw or hook opens and the string goes.

A good release does two things: it holds the full draw weight without slipping, and it lets go the same way every time. Everything else is about how you tell it to let go.

Bowhunting.com's D-loop guide gives the reasons most compound archers use one. The loop keeps the arrow from walking up and down the string at the shot. The release never touches the string or serving, so wear lands on a cheap loop instead. A typical loop starts from about 4¼ inches of cord, and it stretches a little over time.

The table on this page shows what the makers or the Amazon listings state for each release: type, jaw or hook, whether the trigger adjusts, finger count for handhelds, strap type for wrist releases, rotating head and hand, plus the maker's weight. A dash means neither the maker nor the listing says. The table marks values that come from the listing.

What to look at when you pick a bow release

Pick the type first: how do you want the shot to break

The "Type" column is the decision. Archery 360 sorts releases into four styles, and every other spec depends on which one you pick:

• Wrist strap, index-finger trigger: a strap around your wrist and a trigger you squeeze like a firearm
• Handheld thumb button: held in three or four fingers and fired with the thumb
• Hinge (back tension): handheld with no trigger; it fires when the handle rotates
• Resistance (tension-activated): handheld with no trigger; it fires when your pull reaches a set point

The short version: the first two fire when you decide. The last two fire when your form gets there. Each type has its own page with more detail: trigger and wrist-strap releases, thumb releases and hinge releases.

Wrist-strap releases suit long waits on stand

Archery 360's guide explains why this is the common bowhunting choice. The strap carries most of the draw weight, so your trigger finger can relax. It works with gloves. And you can hold at full draw a long time without your fingers tiring, which matters when a deer stops behind the one tree between you.

The trade: your trigger finger's knuckle is also an anchor point, and it moves when the finger moves. Index triggers are also the easiest to punch. Punching means slapping the trigger the moment the pin looks good instead of squeezing through it. One maker's buyer's guide puts it plainly: easiest to learn, easiest to punch.

The strap lives on your wrist all morning. Uncle Walt calls it "the handcuff." He's not wrong; it's just a handcuff that keeps you from dropping a release out of a tree.

Thumb releases trade convenience for a steadier anchor

A handheld thumb release is held with three or four fingers. Your thumb presses a button that opens the jaws. Archery 360 notes it lets the back of your hand sit firmly against your jaw, and that gives a more consistent anchor. A common anchor puts your jawbone in the V between your index and middle knuckles.

That anchor usually sits lower than with an index release. So expect to move your peep sight, and maybe adjust draw length. A pro shop can help with both.

The trade for hunting is handling. A handheld has no strap, so it has to clip to the D-loop, a lanyard or your pocket between shots. Drop it from a tree and your hunt is over. (Tie it to something. Then tie that to something.)

Hinge and resistance releases make the shot a surprise

A hinge fires when you rotate it. Archery 360 describes the motion: draw mostly on the thumb and index finger, then shift the load to the middle and ring fingers until it breaks. The archer doesn't know the exact moment, so there's nothing to anticipate. Archery 360 also reports that most compound archers on World Cup and World Championship podiums use some version of one.

A resistance release has no trigger and doesn't depend on rotation. An internal mechanism holds until your pull into the bow's back wall reaches a set point. Coaches often use it to teach back tension.

For hunting, both take real practice to learn safely. If you want one in the stand, learn it in summer, with a coach, long before the season.

Caliper jaws or an open hook

The "Jaw / hook" column describes the part that holds the string or loop:

• Single caliper: one moving jaw closes around the loop
• Dual caliper: two jaws close from both sides
• Hook: an open hook the loop sits on, with no jaw to close
• Sear: listed when the maker describes the release by its trigger latch, such as a roller sear

One maker's buyer's guide frames the choice simply. Open hooks load fast onto a D-loop and give a smooth release. Closed calipers are more secure and friendlier for beginners. Neither is better for everyone. If you'll be clipping on in the dark with cold hands, a hook is quicker. If you're new, a caliper that closes around the loop gives you one less thing to think about.

One note from a maker's instruction sheet: some releases are made for rope loops only and say not to use them with a metal loop device. The same maker warns against letting the jaws contact a metal nock set. Read the sheet that comes in the box.

An adjustable trigger is a safety spec, not just a comfort spec

The "Adjustable trigger" column says whether the maker or the listing lists trigger travel, tension or sensitivity adjustments. Travel is how far the trigger moves before it fires. Tension is how hard you have to press. One maker's buyer's guide suggests a common starting point: short, crisp travel with tension that needs a deliberate press, not a hair trigger.

Adjust in small steps and test every one. One maker's sheet says to test after each quarter turn, and warns that backing the screw out too far makes the release fire early. Another maker's sheet says to set sensitivity with the bow out of the picture: hold the string in one hand, pull the release with the other and never draw the bow while setting it.

Fingers and fit matter more than looks

The "Fingers" column applies to handhelds. Values like 3, 4 or 3/4 convertible tell you how many fingers wrap the handle. One maker's guide says some handhelds come with two, three or four finger positions, and some hinges come in standard and small sizes.

Fit is personal. A release that's too long or short changes your anchor, and a handle that fights your hand never gets better. If you can, hold a few before you buy. My hands are small. Every shop clerk I've met has handed me the big one first anyway.

Strap type and length adjustment for wrist releases

The "Strap" column covers wrist releases: buckle, hook-and-loop, a dial (BOA-style) or a leather buckle. One maker's guide says leather buckles break in and mold to your wrist and last longer, while hook-and-loop is faster to put on. Hook-and-loop is also loud when you peel it open, so strap on at the truck, not on stand. (That ripping sound at 5:40 a.m. is how the whole cabin knows I'm up.)

Check how the head connects to the strap. Rope connectors adjust length in small steps, and solid connectors set length with a screw. One maker's instruction sheet says not to over-tighten that screw or it can strip the threads. Getting length right is what puts your knuckle in the same place at anchor every time.

Rotating head, hand and weight

The "Rotating head" column shows whether the head swivels. One maker's sheet credits its rotating head with smooth, reliable action, and another says its rope link between head and strap means less torque.

The "Hand" column says whether a release is right-hand, left-hand, sold in both versions or ambidextrous. If you shoot left-handed, read this column before anything else.

"Weight" is listed in ounces when the maker gives it. Heavier releases feel settled in the hand. Lighter ones are easier to forget you're wearing.

Release setup and care

How to set up a new release, in order:

1. Tie or have a shop tie a D-loop on your string if you don't have one.
2. Set the release length so your hand sits at your normal anchor at full draw.
3. Set the trigger to a deliberate setting, off the bow.
4. Practice the draw and firing motion on a shot trainer or a loop of string.
5. Shoot close to a big target first; focus on the release, not the group.
6. Re-check your peep height and anchor if you changed release types.

Care is simple. One maker's sheet says to blow the release out with dry air after use in damp weather, then lightly oil it with light machine oil once it's dry. Another maker recommends replacing the wrist strap yearly and doesn't cover straps under warranty. Inspect the jaws, hook and connector before every session.

Bow release safety

Always draw with an arrow on the string, point the bow at a safe target, and keep your finger or thumb behind the trigger until you're at anchor and ready to shoot. Never pull the release toward your face as you draw.

Those come straight from one maker's warning sheet. It adds: don't let go of the release during the shot, set it to a safe sensitivity before drawing, and inspect it before each use. A release that fires early sends an arrow. A release that fires without one is a dry fire, which can damage the bow and hurt you.

Who can skip a bow release

If you shoot a traditional recurve or longbow with fingers, you don't need one. If you shoot a crossbow, the trigger is built into the stock. And if you're on a compound and happy with your current release, there's no rule that says you have to switch. Change when a habit like punching shows up, not because the catalog did.

Pick the type for how you want the shot to break. Set the trigger so it takes a real press. Then practice until you stop noticing it.