Bowmania's (excellent) thread on Releases got me wondering....

When was the last time you saw a compound without a wrist loop on it?

And when was the last time that you saw an Olympic-style competitor without one?

So why aren't they as common among us "stick-bow" shooters as they are pretty much elsewhere in archery???

Are there rules agin' 'em in Barebow classes or something? And even if so, since nobody around here ever turns in a score-card anyway, why would you let "class rules" prevent you from using a dirt-simple accessory that could help you just about completely eliminate torque and hand-shock?

About the biggest obstacle I can think of is that if you don't have a stabilizer bushing, they might be a little bit of a challenge to attach to your bow... So if you have a slick way to attach one to an "un-blemished" riser, let's see it!

Interesting question Matt. I have a Bear Temujin that was my Dad's which has a wrist strap. I don't know if it was factory from Bear, but it sure looks like it was. It is mounted just above the stabilizer bushing. Dad shot it back in the 70's and early 80's. I will occasionally use it when I shoot that bow but don't really see a big benefit to it. But I don't let the bow drop at release either and don't use the stabilizer.

Strap on wrist bow slings were made many years ago. I haven't looked,don't know if any are still available. I make everything so don't shop the catalogues much. They were a wider strap with a buckle or velcro around the riser with about a 1/2 wide strap that went around the wrist. I believe it had a buckle for adjustment also.>>>----> Ken

Seen one on a selfbows Sunday at McAlester. he shoots lots of classes even IBO shoots and is a great shot. Noticed he picked up wrappers (trash) and deposited into trash containers along the way. A good sport and gentelman for sure. They called him Spanky.

I shoot a paracord wrist sling on all my bows.

Rod Jenkins got me on them. His simple design.

You will need 20'' or so of paracord, some serving thread and a cord lock.

Just serve a short serving, in the places indicated by the red lines in the pic....keeping the serving loose enough to allow it to slide on the paracord.

I don't remember any bow company that included bow slings. You could buy them from archery suppliers. Neet made one with a self adhesive pad that just stuck to the front of the bow bout where a stabilizer bushing would be. You can make finger slings out of anything and frankly, no one has to tell you whether to use one or not. If you want one, make one and use it. Velcro would make a suitable attachment I would think for one to stay with the bow.

So what weakness in form is this supposed to overcome?

Torque. Let the bow jump to target, no inputs.

Grip.

It doesn't overcome any weakness. It provides for an open hand and freedom for the bow to move on its own during the shot. They were used a lot in field archery back in the day...I had one on my old 1969 Shakespeare X-15 that same year. I'm sure some "trad' will call it the devil's spawn but what else is new.

Something like this is all you need.

After shooting 60 years w\o a sling I started to torque the bow which really affected accuracy. I've put a wrist sling on the bow which helps if I am able to open my hand and let the bow release. It's a hard habit to break and I need a lot of close bale work to let the bow "do its thing". Joel

I have artritis in my bow hand not able to grip my bow that tight works great. had one on my bow for years

Back in the late 60s and early 70s there were lots of nice wrist loops on the market. I couldn't shoot my target bows without one. The old days when I thought that i needed three target bows, but one longbow for hunting was plenty.

I do. Slings are good. Regards

I see them at every trad shoot I attend. I don't use one. My wife uses one. If she forgot to use it, her bow would shoot out of her hand. I've made one like Sam's and tried it. Works great, but I still don't use one.

George, sounds like it is used to "overcome" gripping and twisting the bow. That's a form issue.

Read into it what you like. I used one and I had no form issues except periodic hard-headedness. Not every accessory has to be to correct something wrong. Likely it's to allow a loose grip so the bow doesn't go flying out of one's hand. If it was as you suggest, nearly every archer who shot NFAA had form issues, and that just ain't so. Maybe just try one before judging what's behind it.

Read into it what you like. I used one and I had no form issues except periodic hard-headedness. Not every accessory has to be to correct something wrong. Likely it's to allow a loose grip so the bow doesn't go flying out of one's hand. If it was as you suggest, nearly every archer who shot NFAA had form issues, and that just ain't so. Maybe just try one before judging what's behind it.

The earliest evidence that I have ever seen of a bow sling was on a Northern California Yew bow that was thought to be Yurok. To insinuate that they aren't "traditional" would be remiss.

I used one on my compound, they work great. It helped to be consistent, and helped the slapping the handle at the shot. I am considering getting one for my recurve, especially after my bow flew out of my hand from the string breaking. glad I wasn't on concrete!!!

Live2Hunt: Something similar happened to me years ago. Unfortunately, I was on concrete. Not one of my fondest archery memories.

I like a wrist strap, and I made paracord bracelet for my granddaughter. When thinking about the bracelet I made one for myself, but left the tag end long and added a stopper and a bead. I used the string stopper to secure the bracelet on my wrist. I then added the bead and tied a knot on the tag end. I loop the tail around my wrist and bow, and stick my middle finger in the tag end and tighten it down with the bead. It may be a little much, but I also watched a bow fly out of my hand once. Just my 2 cents.

So there’s absolutely no reason not to use one except that they might not pass muster with those who would rather miss “instinctively” than “stoop” to using a more accurate method.

SMH/LMAO.

Think I’ll give one a shot....

P.S. I did use camo paracord.

Finger rings made from a strip of scrap leather with 2 slots cut in it and the ends pulled thru to make loops.

The trick is to leave your hand Open, and Relaxed.

I use a shoe lace,nice and soft and you really forget that its there. Flat shoe lace around my middle finger and then my thumb,works great for me. I'm more of a target shooter.

One minor disadvantage/annoyance is that one needs to work the hand or fingers into the loop before every shot. (Not if you stand in one place and shoot groups, of course.)

I used one back in the day. They seemed to be more popular then. I still have a tie-on and adhesive backed wrist sling or two. Don't use them as much now.

Use them or not. Nobody cares.

Matt, thanks for the kind words on my Release. Wish it was about my release and not the thread. LOL.

I think the main reason we (as in bow hunters) don't use one is it takes a split second longer to grab the bow. Those string (Jenkins) or finger slings are a lot longer than a split second. You could miss the opportunity for a shot.

I used one last year, but so far not this year. You don't need one for turkeys with a 10 yard shot. And I'm about to hunt pronghorn also a pretty close shot AND fast - you have to wake up when they come in or put down your book. LOL. I'll probably put it back on for whitetails.

If your using one so you can shoot with an open hand you shouldn't use one, IE don't shoot with an open hand. Rick McKenney addresses it in his book, but I couldn't find the spot. He says there are some who shoot good with an open hand but most no. Reason is to open the hand you have to tense the muscles in the forearm to open the hand.

Olys have to shoot with one, because they move their wrist at the shot. We don't, so their purpose for us can't be to not drop the bow. What would we use one for?

Keep in mind that the grip is the LAST thing we can goof up before the arrow gets out of the bow. That makes it pretty important. So for us, keep that in mind while we address the most important SHOT OF THE SEASON. It's a high stress/energy/emotional time. GAB THAT BOW AND SHOOT. Grabbing that bow and having to put your hand through a sling, should have you putting your hand on the grip like you practiced all season. With the grip in the proper place the concentration can be directed to picking a spot.

Probably doesn't make a hill of beans at 17.3, but I like longer shots - they tend not to jump the string if were thinking whitetails. Which I think most people here do. By 'do' I mean think whitetails.

Bowmania

Mostly, I just wanna be able to do this more consistently.... First shot of this bunch drilled the knockablock and the rest were directed at the balloon.... apart from a loose knocking point slipping up and down some, that’s pretty darn fair shooting for me...

Picked up this leather bow sling (comes with double stick tape) at RMSG in Wheatridge, CO; I shoot with an open hand and every now & then I forget to place my hand within the sling causing the bow to go flying (du-oh!)...

I have used a shoe string with a loop tied in one end, put over my middle finger and just wrap the other end around my thumb a few times. Worked for me.

I've always used a finger sling myself. I make them from paracord and call them hangman's noose loops. Well not exactly a hangman's noose because I don't do 13 wrappings. But tie it the same way. Slip one over my middle finger and the other one over my thumb. Then to take off and put on, the knot making the loop slips to tighten and loosen.

I use a Kanati wrist sling on my recurve, but don't with a longbow. I've used slings for decades and shoot with a straight wrist and open grip. This eliminates any "heel torquing" through the shot...for me.

The Kanati is a pretty slick design, requiring no stabilizer hole or adhesive.

Link to my wrist sling in action; playing around at the compound 60 yard stake on the great Tatanka :)

Amazing how much the arrows in the quiver vibrate after the shot!

Hit just a bit high over the 10 ring...

https://youtu.be/UphcIL1oxeQ

Amazing how far off of straight down-range your bow ended up!

All that matters is the arrow, of course, but I think your clip demonstrates exactly why I’m not much a fan of bow quivers...

Lobbed these in from 50... earlier group was 40. The three here with yellow fletchings were beautifully centered on a knockablock, but a couple feet high...

And mcgroundstalker watched me do it! :D

I use paracord rig like Sam Dunham. Works great.

"If your using one so you can shoot with an open hand you shouldn't use one, IE don't shoot with an open hand. Rick McKenney addresses it in his book, but I couldn't find the spot. He says there are some who shoot good with an open hand but most no. Reason is to open the hand you have to tense the muscles in the forearm to open the hand." quote

Why Rod says to tuck your other fingers under. Opening the hand does create tension. You can just let them lay relaxed too but no inputs.

GF, I had a brown and a white wrist slings and both laced, strapped, or snapped to the target bows I used them on, so there was no need for a bushing. Should be a lot of old archery photos of these type around.

One of my old '62 target bows rocks forward pretty good after a shot, like it's slowly saluting, but never put a strap on it, but used to use'em.

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