release vs fingers

[TXN]

One other question about the Shadowcat: I recall an earlier post in which bfisher mentioned the fact that 80% let-off might make it difficult to get off the string cleanly with the fingers. Is this something that can be easily adjusted on the Shadowcat? I notice that in the specs it says 80% let-off (adjustable). Does that mean that I could simply change the let-off to fit my needs if I wanted to shoot fingers?

[bfisher]

One other question about the Shadowcat: I recall an earlier post in which bfisher mentioned the fact that 80% let-off might make it difficult to get off the string cleanly with the fingers. Is this something that can be easily adjusted on the Shadowcat? I notice that in the specs it says 80% let-off (adjustable). Does that mean that I could simply change the let-off to fit my needs if I wanted to shoot fingers?

My fault n that one. The answer is yes you can. The most likely adjustment you would make is to move the rotating module to a longer draw lwngth setting and then shorten that setting with the draw stop. In effect what the draw stop does it keeps the cam from rolling completely into it's valley and getting to the 80% letoff point.

This is a very comon practice with many target shooters who want to shoot a lower draw weight, but still maintain a decent holding weight for more solid aiming.

[bigbob]

Tnx, Hi there.
Pretty much in the same boat as you, regarding fingers and older bows. Only changed from a 20 year compound, an old Hoyt Impala last year to one of a later vintage in a 2001 cougar elite just to get a bit of oomph. Have been a finger shooter all my life, and I got grey hair, but have another bow coming, a new but superseded martin model in a Razor x magnum. I intend to shoot it with sights, peep, release etc, just for hunting so might be able to let you know how someone in a similar situation to yourself goes with it all. I am too contrary to ever go to ''the dark side'' for targets.

[Robert58]

What bow and ATA lenght have you been shooting all these years? You can up grade to a Martin 2002 Cougar II Elite at 40-1/2" ATA for around $200.00 That is what I use for a hunting bow. Finger pinch is not that much. And it will shoot plenty fast enough with fury cams. With your draw lenght it will easy to fit you with just about any bow you want. They seem to pretty much come from the factory with a 29" draw lenght.

The new bows just don't shoot that much better to justify the extra money to me.

A Cougar III Elite with Nitrous cams sold on ebay last week for $162.95. And you can't get much better than that and still shoot Fingers with it unless you have a perfit release.

Robert

[kbaird83]

on the fingers vs release subject i shot fingers for 13 years and never thought i'd switch. but once i bought a release i knew right away i would never go back. i love the release. i am far more accurate with the release than i ever was with fingers. instead of using my finger as a ancor point i started using the vein. my biggest issue with releases was that i didnt like how you had to click the trigger forward to latch it on the string. then i found truball. a spring loaded release that automatically closes itself when the trigger isnt being held in. plus the truball doesnt have that hair trigger. i requires more pull and i feel gives me more control.

[TXN]

I'm still hanging onto the hope that I'll end up with the new Shadowcat, despite the price and the difficulty in obtaining one. I do see your point, Robert58, about saving quite a lot of money and still upgrading to a much better bow, but I'm figuring that I may use this Shadowcat for the next 30 years...if I live that long and can still hunt!..., so the price seems pretty reasonable when I look at it that way. The bow I have always used was given to me as a Christmas gift when I was a teenager and I've been using it to kill deer ever since. I'm calculating that, since I am 44 years old now, another bow that last for 30 years should probably last me the rest of my life. I can pretty easily kill 2 or 3 deer a year with it, so it will pay for itself rather quickly at that rate!

I had posted yesterday in a thread titled "2010 Shadowcat" about the difficulty I've been having in finding a way to buy a new Shadowcat. I called my nearest Pro Series dealer yesterday (384 miles away!) and he informed me that Pro Series bows cannot be shipped and that I must actually come into his shop and purchase over the counter. I would love to visit his shop and have some expert advice on my new bow, but trying to arrange to take off work and travel all those miles seems like a lot of extra expense and hassle to me. Therefore, I called Martin this morning and talked with someone who told me that the online shopping option for the 2010 models will be available in another week or so and, at that time, I can simply order directly from Martin. It will still be drop shipped to my nearest dealer, but he will then ship it on to me. This sounds perfect and I hope it will work out since this same dealer told me yesterday that this is not an option.

As for the finger vs release issue, this is one of the attractions of the Shadowcat to me. I'm thinking that I can start out shooting it with fingers since this is the only way I have ever known and then, at some point in the future, I can explore the option of learning to use a release. I would love to be deadly accurate out to 60 yards and beyond, but I've never had any interest in target competition and have never really had much trouble getting close enough to deer for an easy kill shot, so I'm thinking that my fingers may continue to serve me adequately for what I wish to do with my bow. I will definitely give a release a try, but I don't think I'll ever feel like I'm missing out on much by sticking with my fingers. Of course, I could be wrong and have to eat my words once I experience the use of a release???

Thanks again to all who have posted on this thread and please continue to offer any thoughts you have as they have all been helpful to me.

[badger561]

I agree with Golfisserious. With all the new tech out there I to have become very acurate at 60 yards and Im not scared to take a shot at an animal at 65-70 if need be. I was a finger shooter as well and i wont go back unless I get a jaguar or something. Good luck and most of all enjoy yourself learning something new.