Anyone use the Spot Hogg Whipper Snapper? I'm considering one for this upcoming archery season. Just looking for any recommendations on this release. There doesn't seem to be a ton of reviews on here.
Spot Hogg Whipper Snapper?
Crazy Coot
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Anyone use the Spot Hogg Whipper Snapper? I'm considering one for this upcoming archery season. Just looking for any recommendations on this release. There doesn't seem to be a ton of reviews on here.
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I have one. 4 finger with open hook. Its good quality and i think it's a very good release for it's price point.
Whipper snapper was my first thumb release coming from a Wise guy. Yep don’t know any better but I know that im a minimalist about certain things. Lots of adjustments on my release was something I wanted to keep simple. I looked at the stans and the carter which I’m sure are great, but for my first thumb release I like the simplicity And the price point. Good news, I’m really happy with mine.
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I have one. Not bad. I've had some misfires with it, so doesn't inspire a lot of confidence when pulling high poundage
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Call Spot Hogg and send it in. They have one of the best warranties in the industry. You should never have any misfires with one unless you are hitting the trigger on accident. If the release misfires on it's own, then send it in and they will take care of it.
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I have 2 of them, one each of the 4 finger versions. I use the open hook for 3D and the closed for hunting so I can clip it to the d-loop and leave it. I've set the open hook release with a fairly light trigger pull and the closed jaw with a heavier trigger pull. I have several thousands shots using these releases and have never had a misfire...but I also put my thumb behind the trigger while I'm drawing and anchoring my bow so there is no chance my thumb or any face pressure trips the trigger.
Before the Whipper Snapper I had a Carter Chocolate Lite and just couldn't get comfortable with that piece of the release that poked back into the palm of my hand when the release is cocked....personal preference but the Whipper Snapper's are perfect for me.
Before the Whipper Snapper I had a Carter Chocolate Lite and just couldn't get comfortable with that piece of the release that poked back into the palm of my hand when the release is cocked....personal preference but the Whipper Snapper's are perfect for me.
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I hated it. I sent it back and went back to a wrist release for another year. I then got a used Nock2It and it was a really good release. I now shoot a Stan Perfex that I love even more. I got that one used as well. It's a good way to try different releases for less money than new, and a quality release can be sold for around the same price as you paid if you don't like it.
I'd look for a used Carter, Stan, Scott, B3, or Truball.
I'd look for a used Carter, Stan, Scott, B3, or Truball.
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Not trying to cause any arguments, but I've been a victim of this 4-years ago when I got back into bowhunting.
People want to save money, and I get that. But in this sport saving money will ALWAYS cost you.
The difference in groups from a Whipper Snapper to a mainstream TruBall, B3, or Carter release is insane.
I would put the Whipper Snapper in a Walmart product level category.
I tried cutting corners and saving money and my shooting just wouldn't improve past 40-yards with C level products.
People say the best gear doesn't make the hunter, but when I upgraded my bow and sought all the most expensive and best upgrades along with my releases and accessories, not only did it drastically improve my confidence, I was shooting the same groups I was previously at 40 yards at 80 with new gear within 3-weeks to a month.
People will say this isn't true. But it is. Had I not upgraded and stayed with the Cabela's archery products I no doubt would have quit archery. Spending the extra money will make you a DRASTICALLY better shooter if you are dedicated to this.
No matter how good of a race car driver you are a Kia Soul is never going to win....
With that being said, nearly everything else made by Spott Hogg, especially their sights, are the absolute top of the food chain and the best products out there
People want to save money, and I get that. But in this sport saving money will ALWAYS cost you.
The difference in groups from a Whipper Snapper to a mainstream TruBall, B3, or Carter release is insane.
I would put the Whipper Snapper in a Walmart product level category.
I tried cutting corners and saving money and my shooting just wouldn't improve past 40-yards with C level products.
People say the best gear doesn't make the hunter, but when I upgraded my bow and sought all the most expensive and best upgrades along with my releases and accessories, not only did it drastically improve my confidence, I was shooting the same groups I was previously at 40 yards at 80 with new gear within 3-weeks to a month.
People will say this isn't true. But it is. Had I not upgraded and stayed with the Cabela's archery products I no doubt would have quit archery. Spending the extra money will make you a DRASTICALLY better shooter if you are dedicated to this.
No matter how good of a race car driver you are a Kia Soul is never going to win....
With that being said, nearly everything else made by Spott Hogg, especially their sights, are the absolute top of the food chain and the best products out there
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Spot Hogg releases have been at the top of all levels of professional target archery... They have features that are far superior to carters, truballs, stans, etc. But the industry has advertised that a sear release means quality when in fact that is not necessarily true. I have seen far more sear style releases fail over the years than Spot Hogg style releases. The Spot Hogg releases are also made to be shot with light trigger tension. If you try to make them have a heavy trigger, then you will not like them as they are not designed to be used that way, with the exception of the tuff guy release. To say they are subpar quality just shows that maybe you don't understand the release and how it is designed, and maybe the release just doesn't fit your shooting style and what you like and that is ok. Name one other release that has been made for 12+ years(far longer on the FND and SNS releases they make) unchanged and still sells like crazy like the Spot Hogg release line does... All that said I have 3 Carter Just Cuz releases but shoot a Friday Night Delight. All 3 carters are different in design over the years from the changes they have made. Probably one of the few releases still being made as long as Spot Hoggs line, but with many changes and iterations. I have had 6 in all but have had 3 of them fail on me. Only 2 of the 3 I currently have actually are functioning and the newest one has had to be adjusted over and over again because the sears have wore so bad. I honestly feel they have gone backwards in quality over the years. Now all these companies make great releases so don't take that as a negative to Carter. I love the feel and fit of stans. A good friend of mine has had 3 of those fail in the last 3 years, twice during national level tournaments. He had sears wear and had a couple of them literally break into pieces to become inoperable. That is the drawback of a sear driven release. The way the SH releases are designed and made there is minimal wear items on it that can cause it to fail. The most common problem is a small spring breaking, which happens on all releases, or dirt, dust, gunk build up inside over time, which can also cause issues on any release. But for a light trigger, they have by far the more consistent and fail safe release on the market. If you like a heavy trigger, well, you won't like them at all as they are not designed to be shot with a heavy trigger.
I will also throw out there that a 30+ year old Spot Hogg Release has been in the vegas shoot off for the last 4-5 years or so and won it twice... Cabe Johnson, one of the owners, has been at the top of nearly every target archery pro level tournament when he was shooting competitively, all with only Spot Hogg releases.
My buddy Jason started out with a whippersnapper years ago and he is a strong pro 3d guy now. All I can tell you is there is no way in hell he would shoot it now which is exactly why it is a entry level release. It will get you up and running and do its job perfectly fine but once you get your hands on a really good one from stan or carter you will never shoot it again.
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I went from a carter and stan to a whipper snapper and friday night delight... Just saying. It's a shame so many people have bought into the big money advertisements. Multiple Spot Hogg releases have been on the top bale at field nationals, the shootoff in vegas, and on the podium at other national and world level tournaments. You should go tell those guys that have used them that they don't know what they are doing and that their release sucks and they can't shoot those scores with those releases... I just took 2nd in the western classic trail shoot portion of redding with a FND in BHFS with a bow setup I shot 3 times before going to redding. Dangit, I guess if I grabbed my Just Cuz out of my drawer I would have won it right? There is a reason I don't shoot the Carter or my Truball anymore... Not saying that their products are garbage, but to say that people cannot shoot high scores with these releases or that they are sub par just means maybe you are missing something when others can without being sponsored or bought in by advertisements... Again, if you like to shoot a heavy trigger, 100% it's not the right release for you. But it is one of the most reliable and consistent light triggers on the market. I think some people don't like how the trigger pushes over and moves a ways AFTER the shot is fired. This trigger movement makes people who don't understand the release think their is travel or movement in the trigger. That is not the case, it is just the design of the release and where the trigger stops once it breaks over/free. Because a sear driven release doesn't have that travel, some people who don't understand it can mistake that for release travel or lesser quality. But that is not the actual case. Spend some time with one or a friday or saturday night release, IF you are willing or like a light trigger and maybe your mind will change after some time behind the release... Releases are very personal. Fit for the particular shooter is more important than function of how it releases. It is a mechanical piece of the system and it will repeat, as long as the archer does. Feel in the hand and trigger tension to match the style of archer are 95% of whether the release will work for a person. Every person will be slightly different in what they prefer and what works best for them.
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A few have posted about them being not as nice or maybe lesser quality than a Stan, Carter, etc. What is lacking in the Whipper Snapper compared to the other, more expensive, options?
Also, I prefer a light trigger.
Also, I prefer a light trigger.
Really the light trigger is the biggest difference. With any other top of the line release you have the ability to change tension within a fairly wide range. If you develop target panic with the Spot Hogg your basically looking at purchasing an entirely different release if you want to change your shooting style. I would definitely fire one before buying, I know you say you like a light trigger but the SH is light on a whole different level. I think the idea of a light thumb trigger is far worse than an index. People can get away with punching an index just fine. Punching a thumb will create all sorts of issues.
I’ve shot one numerous times. Never have liked it. The one I’ve shot was what I consider medium to light tension, more to the medium side though. There is movement you feel before it breaks and the break isn’t nearly as clean as the Stan and carter releases I’ve used. The older stans are in a class of their own (can’t speak to the newest models).
I wrote off the whipper snapper long ago based on using it. It’s interesting to see that they can be a good release if you set them up really light. I still have no interest in one though. I want a release that I can get good performance from crazy hot to super cold and everywhere in between. I’ve needed different things from a release over time depending on what I’m working on in my shooting, so experience has taught me that I do need that adjustability. I do like a light release and that’s generally what I use, but there are times where I have to stiffen it up.
D
I wrote off the whipper snapper long ago based on using it. It’s interesting to see that they can be a good release if you set them up really light. I still have no interest in one though. I want a release that I can get good performance from crazy hot to super cold and everywhere in between. I’ve needed different things from a release over time depending on what I’m working on in my shooting, so experience has taught me that I do need that adjustability. I do like a light release and that’s generally what I use, but there are times where I have to stiffen it up.
D
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