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In archery, a release aid, mechanical release, or release is a device that helps to fire arrows more precisely, by using a trigger to release the bowstring, rather than the archer's fingers. It is used to make the release of the bowstring quicker and reducing the amount of torque put onto the bowstring from the archer's fingers. [1]
Archers using compound bows most commonly use a release aid to hold the string and release it precisely, although finger tabs are also popular with compound bows, especially among older archers who have used finger tabs when shooting recurve bows. The release aid attaches to the bowstring just below the nocking point or at the D loop and permits the archer to release the string by the use of some form of trigger. When such a device was first invented (patent filed in USA, 1879) it was known as a "clutch". [2] The trigger may be an actual trigger lever which is depressed by a finger or thumb (positive), or held and then released (negative); there are numerous types. Hydraulic and mechanical time delay triggers have been used, as have "back tension" triggers which are operated by either a change in the position of the release or "true back tension"; the release triggers when a pre-determined draw weight is reached.
A mechanical release permits a single point of contact on the string instead of three fingers as most commonly used with finger tabs. This allows less deformity in the string at full draw, as well as providing a more consistent release. This is primarily because the most successful types operate with positive pressure, whereas the conventional 'fingers' release is negative pressure. Some archers prefer three fingers under the arrow with a finger tab, whereas the split-finger approach, having one finger above the arrow and two fingers below the arrow is the most commonly used finger shooting method amongst English and modern North American archers, who do not use mechanical release aids.
The mechanical release retains the string by a gate or loop of cord. The gate or cord is released by operation of the trigger, allowing the string to push open the gate or cord. Consequently, any sideways movement of the string, and hence arrow nock, is likely to be less than if fingers were used, although, if a consistent finger tab release is performed, the differences are often negligible in terms of practical hunting accuracy at ranges up to 30 yards.
The first advantage of using a release aid is the drastic decrease in chance of dry firing a compound bow. Doing this runs the risk of damaging the bow, and can result in the injury of the user.
Using a release aid can also make it easier to group arrows tighter together, due to a consistent release that is put on the bowstring every time, rather than using finger muscles to hold back the weight of the bow, which makes the release of the bowstring harder to replicate consistently. This is true not only under high pressure situations, but also in any regular practice. [1]
If used with a wrist strap, the release allows one to pull the draw weight of the bow with the arm muscles instead of all the tension being put on the fingers.
Lastly, many modern compound bows are designed to be shot using a release aid. They are designed with solid limb stops and fine planes of motion. This increases the chance of the bow string "jumping" off the cams if a release aid is not used.
As any mechanical device, it can and will break eventually. An archer who does not have an extra release may end up shooting with his fingers, which changes draw length and accuracy.
Wrist triggers are the most popular releases, used mostly by hunters and casual recreational shooters. These are the easiest releases to use because of the familiarity most people have with pulling a trigger. These releases consist of a thick wrist band and a rod with the mechanism at the end of it. They are popular with hunters mainly because the wristband lessens the chance of it falling from a tree stand. [3]
T-handled releases are hand-held releases that rely on the strength of one's fingers. The release is held in the fist, with the mechanism usually poking out between index and middle finger. A handled release uses one of two different styles of a mechanism either by using a back tension or a thumb switch. These styles of releases are most popular with tournament archers and sometimes in tree stands. [3]
Caliper style releases are most popular with the wrist trigger style of releases, due to the fact that the trigger mechanism near the head of the release makes it simple to actuate the caliper open and closed in an efficient manner. With only one or a few moving parts, this release is simple and dependable. [3]
Thumb switch release aids are the most complicated, with the most moving parts of the three most common releases. They work on the depression of a thumb switch that is mounted to a T-handle's style of release. The attraction to these release aids are that they are a good midpoint between a caliper and back tension style of release aids, making the transition from one to the other a little smoother over a longer period of time. [3]
Back tension release aids, also known as hinge releases, are the simplest mechanically, with only one moving part. However, as a result of this, they are the hardest style of release to learn how to use. The aid relies on the muscle tension through the forearms and back in order to release the latch at the end of the T-handle's leg. These releases are known for their accuracy and dependability on the tournament archery scene. They depend on the fulcrum of a lever over a half-moon-shaped piece of metal in order for the release to go off. [3]
Resistance releases, also known as tension releases, are similar to back tension/hinge releases, but are activated by applying a set amount of resistance to the back wall at full draw. This type of release has a built-in safety mechanism that the archer activates while drawing and releases when at full draw, at that point applying the needed resistance to execute the shot. [4]
A D loop is the most popular way of attaching your release to the bowstring because it causes the least torque on the bowstring itself. It consists of a small-diameter piece of nylon cord tied to the string of the bow, using two reverse facing half hitch knots. It is named for the resulting "D" shape. [1]
Under nock is when one directly attaches the release to the bowstring under the bottom of the nock of the arrow. This is popular with older archers who have not yet adopted the D loop. This style of attachment puts the most stress not only on the bow but also on the arrow itself on top on the release mechanism. [1]
In Arab archery as in Central Asia and the Middle East, thumb rings are used for string retention and release. The arrow must be positioned on the other side of the bow (on the right hand side of the bow for a right-handed shooter) to properly use a thumb ring, to allow the arrow to flex properly, since the thumb opens in the opposite direction to the fingers. [5]
The choice of a mechanical release aid versus a finger tab must be accounted for in a compound bow's tuning and sighting, as finger-released arrows will group in a different spot when using a mechanical release aid versus a finger tab. Likewise, the choice of arrow rest for a compound bow depends on whether a finger release archery tab or mechanical release aid is used. For a finger-released arrow, a plunger pin is most commonly used as the arrow rest, to impart a tuned impulse laterally to the arrow at the moment of release to improve point-of-impact groupings. In contrast, for a release aid configuration, a full-containment arrow rest, with Whisker Biscuit the best-known brand of this type, is very commonly used with a compound bow.
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows. The word comes from the Latin arcus, meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an archer, bowman, or toxophilite.
A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a prod, mounted horizontally on a main frame called a tiller, which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long firearm. Crossbows shoot arrow-like projectiles called bolts or quarrels. A person who shoots crossbow is called a crossbowman or an arbalist.
A quiver is a container for holding arrows or bolts. It can be carried on an archer's body, the bow, or the ground, depending on the type of shooting and the archer's personal preference. Quivers were traditionally made of leather, wood, furs, and other natural materials, but are now often made of metal or plastic.
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers called fletchings mounted near the rear, and a slot at the rear end called a nock for engaging the bowstring. A container or bag carrying additional arrows for convenient reloading is called a quiver.
In modern archery, a compound bow is a bow that uses a levering system, usually of cables and pulleys, to bend the limbs.
Kyūdō is the Japanese martial art of archery. Kyūdō is based on kyūjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan. In 1919, the name of kyūjutsu was officially changed to kyūdō, and following the example of other martial arts that have been systematizing for educational purposes, kyūdō also reorganized and integrated various forms of shooting that had been used up until then. High level experts in kyūdō may be referred to as kyūdōka (弓道家)(Kyudo Master) and some practitioners may refer to themselves as yumihiki (弓引き), or 'bow puller'. Kyūdō is practised by thousands of people worldwide. The bow they use is called a yumi (弓), and the most common one has an asymmetrical shape of more than 2.0 metres, and is characterized by the archer holding the part of the bow below the center to shoot the arrow.
The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles (arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the practice was common to many prehistoric cultures. They were important weapons of war from ancient history until the early modern period, where they were rendered increasingly obsolete by the development of the more powerful and accurate firearms. Today, bows and arrows are mostly used for hunting and sports.
In archery, the shape of the bow is usually taken to be the view from the side. It is the product of the complex relationship of material stresses, designed by a bowyer. This shape, viewing the limbs, is designed to take into account the construction materials, the performance required, and the intended use of the bow.
In archery, a finger tab or archer tab is a small leather or synthetic patch that protects an archer's fingers from the bowstring. It is strapped or otherwise attached to an archer's hand. In summertime, tabs are far more comfortable than gloves and can more conveniently use thicker material. They are also less expensive and easier to fit, and are the normal finger-protection used with recurve bows.
The Korean Bow is a water buffalo horn-based composite reflex bow, standardized centuries ago from a variety of similar weapons in earlier use. Due to its long use by Koreans, it is also known as Guk Gung. The Korean bow utilizes a thumb draw and therefore employing the use of a thumb ring is quite common. The Korean thumb ring is somewhat different from the Manchu, Mongol, or the Turkic Thumb Ring, as it comes in two styles, male and female. Male thumb rings are shaped with a small protrusion that sticks out that the bowstring hooks behind, while the female thumb ring simply covers the front joint of the thumb as protection from getting blisters.
The Mongol bow is a type of recurved composite bow used in Mongolia. "Mongol bow" can refer to two types of bow. From the 17th century onward, most of the traditional bows in Mongolia were replaced with the similar Manchu bow which is primarily distinguished by larger siyahs and the presence of prominent string bridges.
A thumb ring is a ring meant to be worn on one's thumb. Most commonly, thumb rings are used as an archery equipment designed to protect the thumb pulp from the bowstring during a thumb draw, and are made of leather, stone, horn, wood, bone, antler, ivory, metal, ceramics, plastic or glass. It usually fits over the distal phalanx of the thumb, coming to rest at the distal edge of the interphalangeal joint. Typically a flange extends from the ring to cover the thumb pulp, and may be supplemented by a leather extension.
Turkish archery is a tradition of archery which became highly developed in the Ottoman Empire, although its origins date back to the Eurasian Steppe in the second millennium BC.
The archer's paradox is the phenomenon of an arrow traveling in the direction it is pointed at full draw, when it seems that the arrow would have to pass through the starting position it was in before being drawn, where it was pointed to the side of the target.
A bowstring joins the two ends of the bow stave and launches the arrow. Desirable properties include light weight, strength, resistance to abrasion, and resistance to water. Mass has most effect at the center of the string; one gram (0.035 oz) of extra mass in the middle of the string slows the arrow about as much as 3.5 grams (0.12 oz) at the ends.
A bow draw in archery is the method or technique of pulling back the bowstring to store energy for the bow to shoot an arrow. The most common method in modern target archery is the Mediterranean draw, which has long been the usual method in European archery. Other methods include the pinch draw and the Mongolian or "thumb" draw. In traditional archery practice outside Western Europe the variations of the thumb draw are by far the most dominant draw types, with the Mediterranean draw restricted to the Olympic style of target archery.
This is a list of archery terms, including both the equipment and the practice. A brief description for each word or phrase is also included.
In archery, a recurve bow is one of the main shapes a bow can take, with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than the equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of energy and speed to the arrow. A recurve will permit a shorter bow than the simple straight limb bow for given arrow energy, and this form was often preferred by archers in environments where long weapons could be cumbersome, such as in brush and forest terrain, or while on horseback.
For millennia, Chinese archery has played a pivotal role in Chinese society. In particular, archery featured prominently in ancient Chinese culture and philosophy: archery was one of the Six Noble Arts of the Zhou dynasty ; archery skill was a virtue for Chinese emperors; Confucius himself was an archery teacher; and Lie Zi was an avid archer. Because the cultures associated with Chinese society spanned a wide geography and time range, the techniques and equipment associated with Chinese archery are diverse. The improvement of firearms and other circumstances of 20th century China led to the demise of archery as a military and ritual practice, and for much of the 20th century only one traditional bow and arrow workshop remained. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a revival in interest among craftsmen looking to construct bows and arrows, as well as a practice technique in the traditional Chinese style.
Modern competitive archery involves shooting arrows at a target for accuracy and precision from a set distance or distances. This is the most popular form of competitive archery worldwide and is called target archery. A form particularly popular in Europe, North America, and South America is field archery, shot at targets generally set at various distances in a wooded setting. There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms, as well as archery novelty games.
