Looks like I'm going to have to be a part time Trad Shooter. Arthritis in the second finger of my drawing hand has become so painful that I can't shoot more than a couple shots and my groups have correspondingly gone to hell.  

I'm not going to give up Trad until I have no alternative, but it's apparent that I'm going to have to go back to a release for the bulk of my archery.

Lefties, watch the Classifieds as I'm going to sell a couple of my Chek Mates at a fair price...

Thats not good.  Hate to hear about the arthritis.  But if your going to get rid of your chekmates would you have any 62" limbs @50-55# you want to sell?

Nothing wrong with shooting with a release. Know of several arthritis sufferers who have done so and were able to stay in the game so to speak.

don't give up the trad bow. shoot it with the release. I think WildmanSC shoots that way.

yeah dont give up hell i have it from my tailbone to the base of my neck hurts like hell but i just get mad at what i am shooting and plug it. LOL!!!  

How about a thumb ring?

Never even ocurred to me to shoot Trad with a release.  Couldn't I be condemned to Hell for that?!  Thumb ring, now that's not a bad idea.  Haven't seen one for about 30 years...

Either way will still be culling the recurve herd down a touch.  Most likely sell the Hunter II and Hunter 56", keep the Hunter I.  Bmoeller, PM me. I may be able to help you out with a spare set of limbs...

As far as I am concerned, shoot the way you can...if that means a release, so be it...you are still in the woods enjoying what you love to do.

We have a guy we shoot with that has a deformed hand but his trigger finger works ok and he uses a release and nobody says a word, other then words of encourament.  If there is a will there is always a way!  God bless!

Hang in there man ! The release is a fine idea, the Winns glove won't tax your fingers at all.

Could you PM me with specs on your H2 please? I have a nephew that may be interested. Oh and what pound and woods are your spare limbs? I'm looking for 62" limbs too, in low 60's#  

If you use a thumb ring you'll need to put the arrow on the opposite side of the bow (right side on a right handed bow).  3 Rivers Archery sells water buffalo horn thumb rings.  Mongols, Chinese, Turks and Japanese all use their thumbs to shoot bows and with good accuracy.

A regular mechanical release will work too, don't let "tradition" get in the way of having fun!

Jason

There is is nothing wrong with using a release to shoot a trad bow with.  Release aids have been around in one form or another for almost as long as the bow has, or at least that's my understanding.
Derek

Hey There ND!...Do what you need to do...Just keep shooting...A tab or glove is a release aid just as much as a thumb ring or any ledge release...

Check out chapter 30 in "Timeless Bowhunting" by Roy S. Marlow...You might even be able to build/design your own Medieval or Roman (B.C.) type release aid...Hey!...If that ain't going back to trad, what is?

... mike ...    ...

Jon sent you a PM

Got it B, thanks.

Tried several releases with my recurves, doesn't work well for me...

Looks like I'll be able to shoot Trad about every third day.  If I only shoot about 20 arrows per session and give it a couple days rest in between I'm doing fair.  I do shoot everyday though and won't give that up.

Looks like I'll shooting Trad about 20% of the time and compound & release for the bulk of my archery.

I'm finding it somewhat amazing that I can go back & forth between the two types of bows/release styles so easily...

Just keep shooting and hunting. Good luck!

A longer bow at a lower poundage might help. Maybe a deeper hook on the string, as you would be pulling more with the arm/shoulder, than with the fingers/hand. Just curious, why does the release not work with the recurve, but it does with the compound?

the draw & shot feel so unnatural that it's hard to describe.  The shot doesn't even SOUND right.

I suppose it's something a person could get used to, given enough time...

I have a left hand Winn Free Flight I will send you to try, granted you did not try one all ready. PM me if you wish.

                      Brent

NDTerminator if you shoot split finger try 3fingers under it will help.


Charlie Brown.