Back Tension Releases

[Brandon Pattison]

What do all of you use for brand and model? Please don't mention it if it is a wrist caliper or if it has an actual trigger such as the Carter Chocolate Addiction. I am talking about the kind that takes sear disengagement like an original Stanislawski.

 

[Jake Leibke]

Technically back tension is a style of shooting not a particular release. I am guessing your talking about a hinge style release? I just picked up a Scott backspin off AT for a pretty good deal. So far so good.

 

[velvetfvr]

Yep no back tension releases ever made, just a method. I use a Scott longhorn 3 and honestly it's made me a better shooter since I don't ever have to worry about a trigger. All I do is aim.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

In my opinion the longhorn Pro 3 finger is the best hinge ever made. Simple and shoots amazing.. I am still wrestling in my head weather i am going to hunt with my hinge or my carter 3 finger this year.

 

[Tony Trietch]

The longhorn is a good option. Used one for a year of training. Now I am using a Carter Honey Do. Like theHoney original also.
I use them all winter, spring and summer then switch to a trigger for hunting.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

Yep no back tension releases ever made, just a method. I use a Scott longhorn 3 and honestly it's made me a better shooter since I don't ever have to worry about a trigger. All I do is aim.

Actually there was one that was made like this but I forget the name and cannot find the link. But as Jake stated, yes, I mean a hinge type. I want to try one but like everything else in this business is expensive and it takes trial and error.

Call me weird but I can actually shoot better with a wrist caliper compared to the Chocolate Addiction that I had that I used the way intended. I compared shooting bow to shooting M16s in the offhand; get rid of it when you are in the X-ring. I have shot high 50 X counts with hunting weight and a full quiver. It is hard but doable.

 

[El Gavilan]

I've been shooting a Stan Element for the last few years and it has no trigger, you have to pull through to make it go off, it is a tension release. Now how you provide that tension by using your back or arm/shoulder is up to you, but it does work very well and took target panic out of the situation for me. You aim, aim, pull, aim, pull and it goes off when your pull gets to the limit you set it at.

Mike

 

[Brandon Pattison]

El, can you make it go off with the 'trigger?"

Do you guys hunt with a back tension?

 

[RosinBag]

The element has no trigger. Fo r example if your holding weight is 18 pounds you set the tension to break at say 21, when the release has about 21 pounds of tension it breaks. You hold onto a safety thru the draw cycle so it doesn't go off during the draw cycle.

And again, there is no back tension release, back tension is a technique to make any release fire. So in essence if you are not command shooting / punching a trigger you are probably using a back tension technique to activate your trigger.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

Okay, so the drum is the safety for drawing/letdown and you let go of that and the harder you pull makes it go off? If so, I really like that. What are your opinions on it for one and done; hunting, target, you name it?

 

[squeekieslayer]

The carter attraction, evolution, and revolution (as well as the stan element) fire off of simple pressure. They have a safety mechanism that you either push or dont push (depending on the model) while you draw. Once at full draw you simply continue to pull through the wall and it will fire when it hits a predetermined weight. They are very very good training devices. I have one, and I have seen some very top level shooters struggle to shoot in competitions with them because as you get tired or stressed, you will sometimes pull differently against the wall. Great for training... would not be good for hunting in my opinion.

I think that the best hinge style release I have used (and am currently using) is the honey badger claw from truball. It has the same HT head as the original HT. It is very very easy to adjust. You can use a click or none, and the handle is tapered like the longhorn.

I have always liked the feel of the longhorn but HATED the adjustment with a passion. You unscrew that set screw and then it is a week of adjustment before you get it back to where wanted it. I never liked the feel of the HT but loved how it adjsuted... the new HBC is a combo of great feel and awesome head.

I kinda get a kick out of all of the "back tension is a style not a release" comments... I would wager than 90% of the people making those comments say they shoot "back tension" with a trigger. I have shot competitively for many many years and have personally struggled and watched many others struggle with shot execution... until you shoot a hinge thousands and thousands of times, you will never know what true back tension execution feels like. Slowly squeezing a trigger while pulling across your back is not back tension.... it is command shooting. There is nothing wrong with that, guys shoot amazing scores doing it. So while I agree that it is style of shooting and not a particular release, I do not feel that taking your old punch o matic and trying to teach yourself back tension shooting is the way to go. If theres a trigger, you will cheat at some level... plain and simple. Go to the hinge or tension type release, then go back and try to shoot "back tension" with your trigger.

Some of the top pros will even argue that there is NO SUCH THING as back tension shooting. Even with a hinge, the release has to rotate to some extent so there is some control.

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbJO6u0mLJ8&feature=youtu.be

 

[squeekieslayer]

another great video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsYq5boXTdM

 

[Brandon Pattison]

Joe, I bet Levi didn't make any friends in that video but I doubt it is a secret if he was talking about it. I watched the long video previously. Thanks for the posts. I have shot a few hinges and while knowing that I would get way more efficient and used to it, I didn't like the movement.

 

[El Gavilan]

Using the Stan Element for hunting the last 2 years for elk I am 2 for 2. I've also shot in the Sunrise Ski resort 3D Archery shoot for the last couple of years and done well with a 2nd and 5th place finishes in the Masters trophy division. Every once in a while I'll get one of the old trigger releases out and it doesn't take long to start punching the trigger again.

Mike

 

[jmez]

Stan Black Pearl DS for me. I use it in the off season for shooting, no trigger it is a hinge. I still hunt with a trigger. I wouldn't hunt with the Stan however. I know that some guys do but the wind becomes a huge factor when shooting a hinge.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

jmez, so the wind can move you enough to make the release go off?

 

[squeekieslayer]

jmez, so the wind can move you enough to make the release go off?

If you were right at the edge... Yes i suppose. But the big issue is that if the wind is howling, you have to keep pulling through your shot. I dont see wind as a reason not to shoot for hunting... I like the ability to pinch a trigger if i have a small window haha

 

[jmez]

jmez, so the wind can move you enough to make the release go off?

No it can't. If you are in a heavy crosswind you won't be able to hold you pin on the spot throughout the shot. If it blows and your bow moves 3 inches you'll miss the target at 60 yards if that is when it happens to go off. If you are shooting it correctly you have no idea or conscience control of when it is going to go off. Most serious 3-D shooters don't shoot them if windy, they will switch to a thumb release for windy days.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Watch the second video i posted. Reo Wilde ddiscusses wind and hinges.