Archery - As a Hobby

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Borzak

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For a minute I thought you were talking about a Mongolian draw when you said thumb release. I tried that draw and it was painful. Does the thumb release rotate your hand?

I like a leather finger tab.



I use a 35 year old winn release because I like being able to climb trees with it on and leave it ready to go at all times while hunting other than hooking the release on the string and draw. It's kind of tough on a d-loop but they're easily replaced and during actual hunting season I'm not out shooting 500 shots a day. I've got a couple of other releases I shoot with in the off season that are a little more accurate and can be tuned down to almost no trigger weight but I still like my ancient Winn while hunting.

I normally bow hunt at ground level, not in a blind, so I really like just being ready to draw when the deer looks the other way when they step out into a lane at 15-20 yards.
 
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Leadsalad

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You rotate the thumb releases around your middle finger. The thumb is placed around the trigger and full draw and then you release the tension in your index finger and that causes the release to pivot on your middle finger and force the thumb trigger against your non-moving thumb.
 

Borzak

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If you really want to blow your mind try a back tension release. They have no trigger.

 

Leadsalad

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If you really want to blow your mind try a back tension release. They have no trigger.

They require a bit of setup to get working though. You have to tune the release poundage at full draw. I’ve thought about one but I just don’t shoot enough to need another release over the thumb button Stan I’ve already got and the wrist strap one for newer shooters to borrow.
 

Fealorn

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Shoulder has healed up now, i've put up my tree stand and will be out deer hunting for the first time this weekend! Last weekend before gun season starts up here so i'm hoping for the best.
 

Warmuth

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Shoulder has healed up now, i've put up my tree stand and will be out deer hunting for the first time this weekend! Last weekend before gun season starts up here so i'm hoping for the best.

I've been off of shooting for a good six months now from shoulder problems. Was in my bow arm oddly enough. Most likely aggravated from shooting too much and constantly holding the bow out. Being 47 is probably the real reason though. I get tendonitis type shit in some random body part about once per year that'll persist for a few months and eventually disappear.
 

Lenardo

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Any of you hunters tried saddle style tree "stands"? For a"run and gun" setup With wild edge steps and or sticks?

I am about to try a couple of wild edge steps (bought 2 to make a "platform" They should arrive tomorrow) and might buy a set of 5 if i like them to go with the 2 i bought, plus a knaider and swaider climb assist to get up ~20-25 feet into the tree.

With the swaider and knaider the wild edge steps are about 4 to 5 feet apart so 5 of them should put me at at leat 20 feat up. To the step that is, then I have a climb harness and sit/drag swing to use as a seat/lean setup. (Provided I like this style once I finally get out there, I'll be getting a mantis or kestral or equiv. for next season)

Knaider and swaider if you do not know. Portable strap/rope steps that you wear and use to step between the steps on the tree.

I'll be making the swaider and knaider out of 750 lb rated paracord/carabiner/hook this weekend. I'll post a picture when done if it comes out the way I think it will. I am going to braid the cord and braid in the connecting knee strap with buckles.
 

Fealorn

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The hunters I know near our farm mostly use ladder stands, probably because they are mostly older, 60+.

Of the the few young hunters in the area (20's) folk seem to use climbers. I don't know any that saddle hunt or ground hunt really.
 

Borzak

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I have some summit climbing stands and climbing trees doesn't really bother me. Just had more luck making a tunnel 20-30 yards long and 2-3 yards wide in a 2-3 year cut over and make a hole on one end just big enough to shoot out of with a bow. Hunting out of a tree on the edge of cutovers and pipelines works pretty well with the rifle tho. Used to have the shop make a ton of hang on stands out of tubing in one piece, with a seat to sit on and a platform to stand on. I kept a few and gave tons away over the years.

In college 25 years ago we were doing deer population studies using cameras and at that time used film cameras. Lots of guys took the easy route, pile of corn next to the one post/tree for 1/4 mile and attach the camera to it. I started clearing short paths in the really thick stuff and placing a camera and 1 pound of corn. Just enough to make the deer stop. It proved highly effective for the bigger bucks not in the rut. I think they still use that method today when they do camera grids for population surveys. More deer, less coon hunters and random people trespassing in the pics.
 
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Hoss

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Went to Ren Fest a while back and saw a booth for mongolian / hun style archery. I liked what I saw. Bought a thumb ring and I'm going to try to shoot my bows with that. I will eventually buy one of their bows because they look nice and aren't too expensive. The different style is interesting. For instance putting the arrow on the outside makes it quicker to load and I never realized how un-needed the shelf is. The guy even claimed they had solved the archer's paradox.
 

Warmuth

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Went to Ren Fest a while back and saw a booth for mongolian / hun style archery. I liked what I saw. Bought a thumb ring and I'm going to try to shoot my bows with that. I will eventually buy one of their bows because they look nice and aren't too expensive. The different style is interesting. For instance putting the arrow on the outside makes it quicker to load and I never realized how un-needed the shelf is. The guy even claimed they had solved the archer's paradox.

All it does is move the paradox to the other side. The thumb release just makes the arrow bend the opposite way.
 

Hoss

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All it does is move the paradox to the other side. The thumb release just makes the arrow bend the opposite way.

no, the solve for the paradox isn't in the placement of the arrow. It's got to do with how the limbs are built and a technique where you twist the bow to the side as you release. I doubt it eliminates it completely, but it cuts it down enough that the arrow is straight within a few yards.

None of that makes any sense.
Do you know anything about traditional archery? If not, pick a topic and I'll try to expound on it.
 

Leadsalad

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It has nothing to do with how the limbs are built. It all comes down to arrow alignment with the string and it being off to one side of the main riser of the bow. Then selecting arrows with a spine that corresponds to the offset and speed to compensate for the offset.
 

Hoss

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Sounds like you googled archers paradox and posted something from the first link. Arrow spine is definitely important. So is the shelf in western bows. I'm just saying they addressed it with their shooting technique and still allowed ambidextrous shooting. I won't argue about it though because my knowledge about their methods is exactly 3 shots with one of their bows and getting it right once.
 

Leadsalad

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The shelf is to reduce the offset and a place for the arrow to rest while waiting to fire.

They haven't solved literally anything. The physics problem still exists.
 

Borzak

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I'll stick to my Martin X-cam shoot thru system that has a cam on each side of the wheel. No cam lean and no limb twist. Of course I'm old school and probably own one of the few remaining ones left.
 

Warmuth

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Sounds like you googled archers paradox and posted something from the first link. Arrow spine is definitely important. So is the shelf in western bows. I'm just saying they addressed it with their shooting technique and still allowed ambidextrous shooting. I won't argue about it though because my knowledge about their methods is exactly 3 shots with one of their bows and getting it right once.

The string is behind the riser in every bow I know of. The thumb release pushes the string in the opposite direction from a conventional grip so the arrow is placed on the opposite side. The only competiitve shooter using that method I've heard of is Joel Turner. He has his bows made right handed with a left handed shelf to account for it.
 

Lenardo

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First attempt at a knaider step assist..

Came out ok. My knotwork needs a lot of work since I apparently have the macrame spiral patterndown pat (didn't want that) will use this to start, but will redo it shortly to get rid of the spiral and make it a few inches longer and raise the calf connector up that much as well.. it works just not "comfortably". This is 2 loops of 750 lb rated paracord for t he main foot loop that the knots go around.