CHOOSING AN ARCHERY RELEASE
Before we even start talking about an archery release selection, let's assume that you are shooting a compound bow - not a recurve or traditional bow. I shot for over 8 years using my fingers and various gloves and tabs to allow a smooth release on the bowstring. I will tell you that it wasn't until I began shooting an archery release that I understood the true accuracy of my bow and the ability I had as a shooter. An archery release is the way to
go for the beginning bowhunter in my opinion as it gives you the best chance at shooting consistently and in turn more accurately on game. There are several archery release styles to choose from and of course in a wide range of prices. I would make the point that in bowhunting the devil is in the details and selecting the best accessories you can afford while matching them to the quality of your bow will make you a better shooter. Why buy a performance car and put re-tread tires on it, right?
Wrist/Caliper Style Archery Release
Arguably the most popular style of archery release, it has a strap of some sort to attach to your wrist and a trigger that is pulled by your finger. The calipers or jaws of the release are typically where the quality come sin and better models can be adjusted for easy or harder release by the shooter. One of the things you will notice first about this style of archery release is the transfer of the draw weight to your wrist and forearm making it easier to hold back the bow at full draw. The position of the trigger position and the length of the overall archery release will have an affect on your draw length so you should try to pick a release while setting up your bow.
Handheld Archery ReleaseAs the name implies, handheld archery releases are newer to the market than wrist style releases. They are lighter in weight and not as cumbersome to use. This style of archery release still uses a trigger mechanism although it is usually not pulled with your index finger, rather is is triggered with your thumb which is not often as sensitive as your index finger. They also make an archery release in this style that release using back tension. A slight increase in the tension at full draw coupled with a slight rotation of the archery release will cause the archery release to release the string. You will often see competition shooters using these types of archery releases.
These two basic archery releases dominate the market and are priced according to their adjustability and smoothness of the release. The type of caliper jaws will depend on wether you are shooting a loop of some sort on your string or shooting right off the string so be sure to check with the shop for the best archery release for your bow setup.