When first taking up archery, it is soon discovered that learning to practice the clean release to let each arrow loose is more difficult than it appears. Typically, three fingers are used when lining up and firing an arrow.
This adds to the amount of vibration on the bow and can affect accurate targeting. To avoid injuring your fingers, using a pair of gloves is necessary.
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However, this puts further distance between the hunter and the bow action making clean releases even more difficult. Here is our favorite and what we think is the best bow release aid:
Instead, by using a mechanical bow release, it’s possible to use a single finger release method. A caliper-based release is easy to understand and operate.
Using a wrist strap model and a hand-held model, either one is easy to learn and use right away when compared to learning how to effectively fire an arrow cleanly without the use of a release.
Here are the bow releases that we recommend:
You might find this of interest:
1. TruFire Edge Buckle Foldback Archery Compound Bow Release
The TruFire Edge Bow Release is an excellent archery release. Instead of using a V-shaped strap, it adopts a buckle design where the hunter is able to adjust the fit to suit their comfort.
The interior is smooth and comfortable on the skin over long periods of wear and doesn’t get hot either.
Pros
- Durable nylon material with adjustable buckle strap instead of V-shaped strap
- Ambidextrous design ideal for either hand
- Spring-loaded dual caliper mechanism made in the USA
- Adjustable sensitivity on the release
- Shorten or lengthen the strap connecting the strap from the release
- Release rotates 360-degrees
Cons
- Highly sensitive release trigger which surprises some hunters uses to 3-5 lbs trigger pulls on pistols
The protruding trigger sticks out well. The amount of travel on the trigger to activate release is modifiable depending on personal preference.
The webbing between the strap and the head measures half an inch and is adjustable to bring the trigger closer (or farther away) from the hand.
The caliper is spring-loaded with a dual release made in the USA. The jaws open when the level is pulled back and closed again when easing off the release lever. The release rotates on a 360-degree axis. This is absolutely one of the best bow wrist releases out there.
2. TruFire Hardcore Buckle Foldback Adjustable Archery Bow Release – Camo Wrist Release with Foldback Design
The TruFire Hardcore Buckle Foldback Adjustable Archery Best Bow Release aid comes with a self-closing mechanism as one hook.
The head pivots up to 20 degrees when ready to release to cut down on the amount of torque felt before shooting your arrow. The head pivoting feature is not found on many other similar products.
The buckle strap is adopted here instead of a more typical v-shaped design. This produces fast adjustments to cinch the strap tighter or bring the release nearer to your hand for easier activation and make it one of the best bow releases out there!
Pros
- Camo wrist strap with a buckle fixture to adjust the fitting
- Webbing between the strap and release can be lengthened or shortened
- Trigger travel is adjustable too
- 4 lb trigger pull in default setting
- Ambidextrous design
- Head pivots up to 20 degrees to reduce or remove torque pre-release
- Made in the USA
Cons
- May slide down the wrist to the hand with smaller hands
The webbing between the strap and the release is half an inch and is adjustable to make it shorter.
The trigger itself is a 4 lb pull with the sensitivity adjustable using a screw turn to change the setting.
3. TruFire Edge Buckle Foldback Adjustable Archery Compound Bow Wrist Release – Camo Strap with Foldback Design
The TruFire Edge Buckle Foldback Adjustable Archery Compound Bow Release is a compact model that travels well but folds down when not in use. The trigger is spring-loaded so it moves the caliper’s jaws when depressing the trigger slightly (trigger tension!). It´s easy to use.
The movement is smoothly done to avoid any sudden unexpected release from a jerky movement.
The caliper, trigger, and all other parts of this bow release are made in the USA for reliable manufacturing and predictable results during use.
The camo strap goes around the wrist (wrist release) and is adjusted using the buckle. This provides the ultimate adjustability to get the fit just right (read.. t.r.u. ball stinger release review).
Pros
- Buckle strap that adjusts to fit nicely
- Internal padding to make the strap comfortable for long hunts
- Spring-loaded trigger mechanism
- Dual caliper release
- Adjustable trigger pull sensitivity
- Attractive camo suitable for the woods
- Folds away to minimize size
Cons
- Caliper occasionally sticks
The webbing connecting the strap to the release is short and modifiable to bring the release closer for smaller hands. Wearing the buckle strap allows the hunter to have both hands free to climb or settle in to watch for their prey over several hours.
4. Scott Archery Caliper Grip Release, 4 Finger, Black
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The Scott Archery Caliper Grip Release doesn’t sit above the wrist (=not a wrist release aid) but instead is held in the hand. There is a hole at the end of the grip to help tie it to your wrist using paracord or hang it up between uses to avoid losing it (a common complaint of hunters with grip releases).
The benefit here is that the grip can be stored out of the way when not in use rather than having to be worn on the wrist the whole time during a hunt.
The grip supports four fingers with tall inserts between them. Designed in a gray/black color, the handle bears the Scott Archery logo.
Pros
- Molded black grip with four finger indents
- Scott Archery logo is shown on the side of the grip
- Soft feel
- 360-degree rotating release
- Adjustable trigger release
- Compact release vs. buckle strap release
Cons
- Must be tied to the wrist to avoid losing the grip during a hunt
The black shiny trigger mechanism at the end has a long, knurled trigger which is adjustable for sensitivity.
The release rotates up to 360-degrees. The caliper jaws are either red or hot pink depending on the version received and stand out against the darker body.
5. Tru-Fire Edge 4-Finger Hand Held Bow Release Aluminum
The Tru-Fire Edge 4-Finger Hand Held Bow Release is another hand-held product instead of a wrist-based release. This aluminum, American made model is durable.
The CNC cut handle is designed to fit the hand well. The head will rotate up to 360-degrees to keep up with the directional movement of the bow.
The jaws open and close based on the caliper movement. The spring-loaded trigger makes it easy to take aim and release in your own time. The large thumb knob at the top is easily adjustable.
Pros
- Hand-held release
- CNC cut aluminum handle
- Spring-loaded dual caliper release
- 4-finger design for comfort
- Very light compared to a nylon wrist model
Cons
- Tie to the hand to avoid losing it
The camo is interesting here. It is a darker brown camo on the handle and a green-based camo on the release itself. The calipers are black color and merge in nicely too.
Conclusion:
The advantage of this hand-held aluminum model over the alternatives is how light it is both when not in use and when in use too. Even though wrist releases are fairly light given their use of nylon, their padding and bulk are still noticeable.
Finding the right bow release for your hunting is based on which type you believe is most appropriate. Some hunters much prefer the simple hand-held release over a wrist release, that they can bring to bear when needed and not bother with when they’re not near their prey (read.. best thumb release).
They’re lighter and take up less space. Other hunters prefer the wrist release mechanism despite its extra weight with the release hanging down when not in use.
Make sure that not only you find the release, your most comfortable with, but also top-notch arrows, gloves (read more about the 5 best archery gloves here), and so on.
In the end, this comes down to personal preferences as both releases are fairly easy to use.
Last update on 2021-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
