Tension release for hunting Elk

[SilentPursuit]

That list is too long to even talk about. I’m actually using a thumb button now because the walls on the new bows are so solid. I felt like the Defiant I started with was perfect for a hinge. However now I don’t feel like pulling gets you the most consistent shot. If you shoot a relaxed shot with a hinge it can work. I have always been an aggressive puller though. Now I just try to set my let off really low so that I have a lot of back tension in a static position. I try to squeeze on the thumb, I don’t do any extra pulling. The accuracy is much better with this technique, however it is mentally much more challenging.

I have used a wrist release for a long time and when I got a new bow I wanted to improve my form and go to a handheld style for something new to help with relearning muscle memory. Tried everything but a hinge so far. I really love the nock on silverback so I just purchased a nock 2 it.

 

[SilentPursuit]

I just practice with a silver back for the back tension aspect. I hunt with a scott long horn micro pro. The silver back did not work for hunting for me as I pull the bow back like a mad man and it goes off as soon as I let off the safety. I set the scott very cold so I have to keep pulling through my shot and settle in. Never have had that release go off when drawing or too soon.

I can definitely see that happening when the adrenaline is pumping and an elk is right in front of you. I just picked up a nock 2 it and I’ll keep my silverback and it should be a seamless transition back and forth.

 

[SilentPursuit]

I’ve hunted with a hinge and may again. I’d discourage people from doing so unless you shoot your bow a lot and use the hinge a lot. The dynamics of a hunting shot combined with manipulating a hinge can be problematic imho. I don’t typically shoot a thumb button but do for hunting. Easier to shoot up/downhill easier to let down move with etc. I shoot my hinge better and use it a lot in indoor leagues and outdoor tournaments and 3D shoots but prefer a button for hunting. My 2 cents.

I do shoot my bow everyday so I probably could make it happen with a hinge. But I just picked up a nock 2 it so I’ll end up hunting with that and use the silverback to a backup and when I feel my form is lacking in the off season.

 

[fishsticks]

I do shoot my bow everyday so I probably could make it happen with a hinge. But I just picked up a nock 2 it so I’ll end up hunting with that and use the silverback to a backup and when I feel my form is lacking in the off season.

I think you’ll like the Nock2It. That’s what I’m using. Makes a good handheld hunting release.

 

[Wilderlife]

I don't hunt elk so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Firstly, when people refer to back tension release, it confuses me with what they mean. Is there a trend where people call a hinge a back tension release? I've seen people shoot indexes and thumbs with perfect back tension, and hinges with no back tension at all and using pure finger rotation. Similar can be same for a resistance release.

I've been shooting compound consistently since about November 2022, and while I've killed a couple of animals with thumb buttons, the overwhelming majority of animals I've killed in that time have been with hinge releases. The last time I killed an animal with an index release was maybe early 2019 when I initially picked up a compound, but I put them down around 2019 and shot trad mostly until now.

I have mates who told me a hinge for hunting might not be the best idea as they like the idea of being able to punch a shot off quickly if the opportunity presented.

Despite me being very comfortable with hinges I've kept trying thumb buttons because I feel like they give me some extra security when out hunting. I've also had moons move on me with my hinges when out hunting, so my distance to get to click, and then to fire, has shortened, and I've made some weird shots.

Fast forward to a few weeks back and I was shooting a local tournament on a very windy day. I took my Stan Onnex C, thinking I'd be able to get some shots off quicker if I needed to. I wouldn't necessarily say I get 'punchy' with a thumb, but I definitely get a little lazy compared to other releases. On the first round I shot my first B grade score in a VERY long time. A lady shooting with me was using a Stan PerfeX resistance release and doing just fine in the wind, taking her time, or letting down if need be. Many of my shots were stupid and I was just driving through quicker than I needed to, because I thought I could get away with it.

The second round I took out my Scott Ascent hinge, which I'd taken the click out of, and I shot a score reflective of how I normally shoot, even in the wind. The two rounds the following day I used my hinge again and shot well.

Fast forward another couple of weeks to starting to hunt the fallow deer rut. Even though I'd proven to myself I shoot a hinge better than a button (again, because I get lazy with a thumb and not necessarily because I get target panic) I took my button out. We rattled in a fallow buck and I got to my click on the thumb button as I started making noises to pull him up. As I pulled through, I drove harder than I needed to, and he hadn't quite stopped yet so he spun at the shot. It wasn't a good shot and I lost that deer, but ended up recovering his head two weeks later and he'd only gone 200 metres. The point is, as the shot went off I immediately knew I should have made a stronger shot.

The week after that happened, I took my hinge out. Fallow hunting in the rut can be fast and furious for a variety of reasons, but I figured I shoot a hinge well so it'd be fine. We rattled in a buck and he came in hard through the thick stuff and got to about 4 metres before he spooked and trotted away out to about 25 metres. I was at full draw for a little while with my thumb on the peg to keep the hinge from going off, and when he stopped at 25m I put my pin on his vitals and drove through my shot like I always do. It was a very strong shot, and I was holding steady because I pull into my backwall hard when I shoot my hinges. I hit him in the lungs and he piled up after about 30 metres and it felt amazing, as he was my first deer ever with a bow (except the one I shot the week before that I recovered the week after).

Bottom line for me is essentially I shoot hinges better. I stay in my shoot better, make stronger shots, and am ultimately more accurate. My friends think hunting with a hinge with no click is insane, but this is just what works for me.

I think I've probably killed over 30 animals with a hinge since November 2022 and I doubt I'll go to another style of release anytime soon.

 

[SilentPursuit]

I think you’ll like the Nock2It. That’s what I’m using. Makes a good handheld hunting release.

Can’t wait to get it and start shooting with it.

 

[SilentPursuit]

I don't hunt elk so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Firstly, when people refer to back tension release, it confuses me with what they mean. Is there a trend where people call a hinge a back tension release? I've seen people shoot indexes and thumbs with perfect back tension, and hinges with no back tension at all and using pure finger rotation. Similar can be same for a resistance release.

I've been shooting compound consistently since about November 2022, and while I've killed a couple of animals with thumb buttons, the overwhelming majority of animals I've killed in that time have been with hinge releases. The last time I killed an animal with an index release was maybe early 2019 when I initially picked up a compound, but I put them down around 2019 and shot trad mostly until now.

I have mates who told me a hinge for hunting might not be the best idea as they like the idea of being able to punch a shot off quickly if the opportunity presented.

Despite me being very comfortable with hinges I've kept trying thumb buttons because I feel like they give me some extra security when out hunting. I've also had moons move on me with my hinges when out hunting, so my distance to get to click, and then to fire, has shortened, and I've made some weird shots.

Fast forward to a few weeks back and I was shooting a local tournament on a very windy day. I took my Stan Onnex C, thinking I'd be able to get some shots off quicker if I needed to. I wouldn't necessarily say I get 'punchy' with a thumb, but I definitely get a little lazy compared to other releases. On the first round I shot my first B grade score in a VERY long time. A lady shooting with me was using a Stan PerfeX resistance release and doing just fine in the wind, taking her time, or letting down if need be. Many of my shots were stupid and I was just driving through quicker than I needed to, because I thought I could get away with it.

The second round I took out my Scott Ascent hinge, which I'd taken the click out of, and I shot a score reflective of how I normally shoot, even in the wind. The two rounds the following day I used my hinge again and shot well.

Fast forward another couple of weeks to starting to hunt the fallow deer rut. Even though I'd proven to myself I shoot a hinge better than a button (again, because I get lazy with a thumb and not necessarily because I get target panic) I took my button out. We rattled in a fallow buck and I got to my click on the thumb button as I started making noises to pull him up. As I pulled through, I drove harder than I needed to, and he hadn't quite stopped yet so he spun at the shot. It wasn't a good shot and I lost that deer, but ended up recovering his head two weeks later and he'd only gone 200 metres. The point is, as the shot went off I immediately knew I should have made a stronger shot.

The week after that happened, I took my hinge out. Fallow hunting in the rut can be fast and furious for a variety of reasons, but I figured I shoot a hinge well so it'd be fine. We rattled in a buck and he came in hard through the thick stuff and got to about 4 metres before he spooked and trotted away out to about 25 metres. I was at full draw for a little while with my thumb on the peg to keep the hinge from going off, and when he stopped at 25m I put my pin on his vitals and drove through my shot like I always do. It was a very strong shot, and I was holding steady because I pull into my backwall hard when I shoot my hinges. I hit him in the lungs and he piled up after about 30 metres and it felt amazing, as he was my first deer ever with a bow (except the one I shot the week before that I recovered the week after).

Bottom line for me is essentially I shoot hinges better. I stay in my shoot better, make stronger shots, and am ultimately more accurate. My friends think hunting with a hinge with no click is insane, but this is just what works for me.

I think I've probably killed over 30 animals with a hinge since November 2022 and I doubt I'll go to another style of release anytime soon.

When I referred to tension release I was referring to resistance release. I have the nock on silverback, hold barrel for safety and release barrel when your in the let off then pull into back wall to loose arrow. Forces me to follow through the shot and is surprise shot. I actually just picked up a nock 2 it last night which is identical to the silverback other than being a thumb button. So my thoughts are I’ll be able to shoot them exactly the same way with good follow through.

 

[Wilderlife]

If you can maintain your mental focus in that space, I'm sure you'll do fine.

One of my mates is a classic puncher, but we hunt close enough that he usually gets away with it. Has hunted with a Wise Choice for a super long time and started using an Evolution at the archery club to get some control back. As soon as he took it hunting, after successful practice, he came to full draw and wanted it to go off so quickly he yanked through and pulled the shot. He missed the animal by a metre and the shot was less than 15 metres! Haha. He sold it and is now shooting a Stan Onnex C.

 

[tdoublev]

I can definitely see that happening when the adrenaline is pumping and an elk is right in front of you. I just picked up a nock 2 it and I’ll keep my silverback and it should be a seamless transition back and forth.

You’ve already mentioned the pros and cons that need to be considered for using tension release to hunt. There isn’t a wrong answer, but you need to decide what the bigger risk is for you - missing an animal because you took a bad shot (could happen with any release) or missing an animal because back tension takes longer to shoot.

As others have said, I shoot my thumb button as a back tension. If you grip the barrel correctly and start to pull through the shot, it acts the same as tension albeit much more sensitive. Nock on released some videos on this fairly recently. Also - the silverback and nock2it are designed the same so that they SHOULD be interchangeable without changing arrow impact locations. This is true, however this is very dependent on having the exact same grip (finger pressure) and angle on your face. From my personal experience, when using the nock2it my hand has much more pressure on the middle and ring fingers, tilting the release. However with the silverback, engaging the safety with your thumb helps evens out the finger pressure with the middle and ring fingers resulting in a different impact. Theoretically you can get them to be the same but you have to get the finger pressures consistent between the two. If I were you, I’d practice with the silverback mixed in every so often but use the nock2it for hunting. I’d also not worry about the different impact locations between the two, just understand what is causing it.

 

[SilentPursuit]

You’ve already mentioned the pros and cons that need to be considered for using tension release to hunt. There isn’t a wrong answer, but you need to decide what the bigger risk is for you - missing an animal because you took a bad shot (could happen with any release) or missing an animal because back tension takes longer to shoot.

As others have said, I shoot my thumb button as a back tension. If you grip the barrel correctly and start to pull through the shot, it acts the same as tension albeit much more sensitive. Nock on released some videos on this fairly recently. Also - the silverback and nock2it are designed the same so that they SHOULD be interchangeable without changing arrow impact locations. This is true, however this is very dependent on having the exact same grip (finger pressure) and angle on your face. From my personal experience, when using the nock2it my hand has much more pressure on the middle and ring fingers, tilting the release. However with the silverback, engaging the safety with your thumb helps evens out the finger pressure with the middle and ring fingers resulting in a different impact. Theoretically you can get them to be the same but you have to get the finger pressures consistent between the two. If I were you, I’d practice with the silverback mixed in every so often but use the nock2it for hunting. I’d also not worry about the different impact locations between the two, just understand what is causing it.

I agree 100%, I decided the silverback is not what I’ll be hunting with but instead more as a tool to help with the nock 2 it I just got. Even came with a holster so I’ll be all set just waiting for it to arrive. I’ll be solo archery this September which means solo calling tactics, could end up close and the command of the button may be necessary. I know when I first started with the silverback and learning the correct pressure to have on the back wall I pulled some bad shots with too much force that could for sure happen in hunting. I also think I saw Dudley saying to have 60% pressure on your pointer and 40% on middle.

 

[BigCountry49]

Depends on hunting style. If you have 10 seconds to get your shot off then tension is great. If not, I’d look into other options. I recently went back to command style for hunting and tension/handheld for 3d

 

[Elkhntr08]

Me personally I’d never use a hinge hunting.
There’s been too many times that I’ve had to “make” the shot. If you start practicing that with a hinge, you’ll definitely need up with target panic.
I shot a wrist and a couple years ago went to a button. This makes me do the push/pull, but I can dump it if I need to.
I only recall one time deer hunting that I had the perfect target stance shot. Was using a Cascade 8 at the time. Heard the click, made the shot.
Ya, I’m that old and been hunting that long. If you know what a Cascade 8 is.

 

[SilentPursuit]

Me personally I’d never use a hinge hunting.
There’s been too many times that I’ve had to “make” the shot. If you start practicing that with a hinge, you’ll definitely need up with target panic.
I shot a wrist and a couple years ago went to a button. This makes me do the push/pull, but I can dump it if I need to.
I only recall one time deer hunting that I had the perfect target stance shot. Was using a Cascade 8 at the time. Heard the click, made the shot.
Ya, I’m that old and been hunting that long. If you know what a Cascade 8 is.

I have only been hunting with a bow since 08-09 and have always used a wrist release until I picked up a new bow recently. All my bow hunting was done in PA and NY for whitetail so this will be my first archery season out in Colorado for elk. I have yet to try a hinge and may someday but for hunting I’ll take the advice of most and just use a button. A nock2it is what I decided since I love shooting the silverback.

 

[Stache Attack]

I hunt with a hinge or button depending on terrain and wind. I would not hunt with a resistance release(silverback or evolution) the springs that control it are very temp sensitive creating a lot of inconsistencies

 

[SilentPursuit]

I hunt with a hinge or button depending on terrain and wind. I would not hunt with a resistance release(silverback or evolution) the springs that control it are very temp sensitive creating a lot of inconsistencies

Thanks for the info, I decided to pick up a nock 2 it to hunt with to go with my silverback.