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Best Bow Releases

Updated: Mar 31

Your bow releases one of your most important pieces of equipment as an archer.


Your release is literally your connection to your bow!


It also means it's one of the most personalized pieces of equipment you have.


Everyone has different preferences…


From the style of release they use…


To how it fits in their hand…


And even how much tension it takes to fire.


So in this post you're going to learn: what the different styles of the releases are good for, what the best bow releases on the market are and how to choose the right bow release for you.

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Types of Bow Releases

Index release vs handheld release

​Bow releases can be put into two main categories: index releases and handheld releases.


Index releases are bow releases that are attached to a wrist strap and you fire with your index finger by pulling a trigger.


For most of the time that there's been compound bows and index releases have been the main type of bow release and in many ways still are.


Handheld releases are exactly what they sound like, they are releases you hold in your hand.


These releases are more often used by competition archers although they are getting used more and more by bowhunters these days.


The big benefit to a handheld release is exactly the downfall index release, which is that index releases are just easier to punch the trigger…


And punching the trigger leads to inaccuracy.


Handheld releases also come in two different categories: hinge releases and thumb releases.


Hinge releases are primarily used in competition archery because you don't actually know when the release is going to fire.


The way it works is you get to full draw, set your anchor point and then slowly add more tension with your back which helps you keep correct form…


And you just hold your site on the target until the release fires.


Now if you're a bow hunter you can see some obvious issues with not knowing when you're bows going to go off and hunting situation


So this is why thumb releases are becoming so popular.


They are the same shape have the same advantages of helping you keep good form as a hinge releases but you have a trigger that you pull with you thumb to set the bow off


The big thing is that it's harder to punch the trigger with your thumb than it is with an index release so some archers prefer having that to improve accuracy.


Other archers that shoot competitions in the off season like having a thumb release because it is the same shape as their hinge release


A lot of times they’ll get one that's made with the exact same frame so they can keep the same form and then just have the ability to fire with the thumb trigger instead of waiting on the hinge.


Index Release

For years the index release was the gold standard in bow releases.


They're easy to operate because they're pretty intuitive, there's not a ton of moving parts and they're strapped to your wrist so it's hard to lose them.



Plenty of archers have successfully used them


Although these are losing popularity slightly you can still shoot a bow well with them.


There's a lot more archery companies out there now making really high quality index releases so this is a great route to go if you're on a tight budget or are just wanting to get something simple to try archery out and then you want to move to something else later on down the line.


Advantages of Index Releases

  • Intuitive to use

  • Easy for beginners

  • Tons of options

  • Difficult to lose


Disadvantages of Index Releases

  • Easiest release to punch the trigger

  • Can get difficult to use with cold weather clothes on


Hinge Release

The hinge release is the gold standard for target archery.


It completely takes away your ability to have Target panic because you simply don't know when the release is going to fire


(Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration but you catch my drift).


Whether you shoot competition archery or not this can be a great tool to help improve your form and practice without Target panic.


Now there are some people who do like using these for bow hunting and that's fine if you can get comfortable with it…


It can still work great, everything really comes down to whatever you're used to so if you put in the work you can get good at shooting a hinge release from the hunting.


Advantages of Hinge Releases

  • No target panic

  • Makes you use back tension which improves your form


Disadvantages of Hinge Releases

  • Can be tough to know exactly when the bow will fire which can be difficult for bowhunters

  • Usually on the higher end of the budget range

  • Can be difficult to adjust to


Thumb Release

​The thumb release is the Goldilocks zone, it's right in The Sweet Spot between a hinge release and an index release.


If you're a bow hunter wanting to transition over to a handheld release and you're not 100% sure that you want to use a hinge release, then the thumb release is going to be the way to go as far as handheld releases go.


This is becoming the main style of release used by die hard bow hunters.


Depending on which release you get there's some thumb releases that you can effectively use as a hinge release by adding back tension and letting the release rotate in your hand and letting the trigger run into your thumb.


With that style of release you're getting literally The Best of Both Worlds


For someone that serious about archery and our considering possibly shooting in competitions or even 3D tournaments this is the release style to go to


Advantages of Thumb Releases

  • Can help you use proper form

  • Can help with back tension

  • Still gives you a trigger so you know when it's going to release


Disadvantages of Thumb Releases

  • Easier to lose than an index release

  • Usually more expensive than it index release


What Is The Best Type Of Release For Bow Hunting?

Without digging too much into the weeds the short answer is a thumb release


It gives you most of the advantages of a hinge release while still giving you an actual trigger like an index release.


You can even find hybrid thumb releases that have a wrist strap so they're easier to keep track of.


The long answer is really whatever you're comfortable with


If you put enough time into shooting an index release, you'll get good at shooting an index release.


Are there still chances you'll punch the trigger and be a little less accurate?


Yes.


Is that the end of the world?


Not necessarily.


So it really does come down to the individual Archer



They take some time to get used to but it pays off in the long run.


Best Thumb Release

STAN Releases OnneX Clicker

Best Index Release

Scott Archery S2

Best Hybrid Bow Release

Scott Archery Pursuit Bow Release

Best Hinge Release

Tru-Fire Sear

Best Budget Thumb Release

Tru-Fire Edge 4 Finger Release


Best Budget Index Release

B3 Archery Rival

Best Bow Release for the Money

T.R.U. Ball St4lk'r

Best Bow Release for Bowhunting

T.R.U. Ball Blade Pro Flex

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is a wrist or thumb release better?

​In general a thumb release is better performance wise, but if you practice with a wrist(index) release enough, you can close that performance gap.

Does your draw length change with thumb release?

Sometimes.


For the most part you can make adjustments to your anchor point and keep your draw length the same.


But there are situations where you might need to make slight adjustments to your draw length.

What are common bow release problems?

​The biggest problem is punching the trigger.

Can I shoot my bow if I forgot my release?

No!

Is a hinge release worth it?

It can be if you plan on shooting a lot of archery competitions.


​If you’re just planning to shoot a couple of 3D tournaments in the off season, then you probably don’t need to make the jump over to a hinge release.


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