[Steve Simpkins]

Was at the new Gander Mountain store in Winter Springs last night in the archery department and a couple of guys were talking about wrist slings.
One guy said the proper way to shoot a bow was with a wrist sling which keeps the bow from flying out of your hand. He also said that if the bow did not fall forward while balancing in your hand you need a heavier stabilizer.
Do you need to use a wrist sling? Does your bow to be correctly balanced need to fall forward when holding it in your hand.

Steve Simpkins

 

[ex-NFO]

I use a wrist sling for hunting and a finger sling for target, and yes the sling is there to keep the bow from falling on the ground.

I've found that it's more important to have the bow balanced the way it's the most comfortable for you to hold on the target, than any set way that someone else thinks is the best. With proper back tension and release, the bow will take care of itself.

 

[Deezlin]

Well, I can't shoot a bow without a wrist sling or a finger sling. Most target shooters prefer finger slings. For accuracy the finger sling is better, but it would be difficult to use in a hunting situation, perhaps in a ground blind. The wrist sling is easier to slip in and out of.

Stabilizers are another subject. Now, these comments are more about target stabilizer. Hunting stabilizers are more of a vibration shock absorber than anything else. The lack the length to do much stabilization. The stabilizing system should balance the bow. So, when you draw it, it should balance in you hand with maybe a very slight downward tilt. These are all personal preferences and have to be adjusted for the bow and shooter. But, you DON'T want it to tip too forward when shooting with an open hand. This will promote grabbing the bow and is something you DON'T want.

The reason for shooting with an open hand is to eliminate hand torquing. Many target stabilizer systems can be tuned to group arrows better.

That being said, I have seen a lot of hunter would could benefit from using a wrist strap. I have seen others who can shoot very well without one and a death grip on the bow. I have shot a long time and I have learned to shoot with an open hand, it is the best way, but it may take quite a bit of practice to learn. Now, I don't shoot a bow today without a wrist or finger sling. If I did, the bow would be on the floor.

 

[leblanc822]

Bow Slings

Many good points above! I like to tell people that a bow sling is not a seatbelt, way too many people that I see have the slings cinched down tight. A properly adjusted sling shoud be completely loose when at full draw, you should be able to put two fingers underneath it and run them from one side of the sling to the other. The sling to me is just a mental crutch, it allows a shooter to execute a shot, with proper follow through, without worrying about the bow hitting the ground. Prove to yourself that a sling works, hold the bow over a couch, bed,...open your hand and let the bow do whatever it wants. Now that some confidence is gained do the same thing while shooting, with someone watching, to comfirm you're not grabbing the bow upon release.

 

[cbmac]

Wrist sling & stabilizer

The wrist sling is used to prevent dropping the bow after the shot. If you hold the bow tightly during, or grab it after releasing, then you will torque the bow and miss.

The stabilizer will move the center of gravity of your bow forward, so it will rotate forward after the shot. However, to decide how much you need to move the center of gravity is a bit more complex. Carefully watch (or videotape) the motion of your bow from the side during a shot. Without a stabilizer, at the moment of release the bow will have a quick rotation with the bottom cam moving forward, and the top moving toward you. The front stabilizer is used to eliminate that motion. But, just after the shot the bow will rotate forward and the sling will help you control it.

A good place to check this is on the tenzone: http://www.tenzone.u-net.com/Equipm...tab4a4.pdf#search="controlling bow behaviour"

This is a long discussion of stabilizers, but well worth the effort. Good luck.

CBMac