Glove or Tab for hunting

[matts2]

I shoot a lot in the shop whether its just a few arrows or a lot.  Most of the time if I am just going to shoot a few arrows, I don't bother putting a glove on and just shoot bare fingers.  I shoot pretty much the same.  But whenever I go hunting I always put a glove on.  Last night after shooting a few arrows, I had a thought.  Why do I bother putting on a glove while sitting in a tree deer hunting.  Just wondering if anyone just goes bare fingers while hunting?  Do you notice a difference shooting with or without a glove or tab?

[Rob DiStefano]

honestly matt, all that's gonna matter is whatever works best, and most consistently, for you - glove, tab, or fingers.  what other folks are using to pull string, well, that's for them to decide, too.  

[Night Wing]

Since I'm a small framed guy of 160 pounds with small hands and small fingers, it's too painful for me to shoot a 12 strand bowstring with bare fingers.

I've shot with both glove and tab and I prefer a tab. A tab gives me a cleaner arrow release than I get with a glove.

[Rob DiStefano]

or, you could do as "robin hood" does and use finger cots made from thin leather ...

   

[klight]

I shoot bare fingers for practice and hunting. I use skinny strings with no problems. When I'm shooting often I can tolerate 50 to 60 arrows in a sesion easy. I shoot up to 65lb long bows this way.
  I say if it works for you , then go ahead. I like not having to wear a gloove or tab and the feeling of the string on my bare fingers.

[stujay]

I've gone back and forth between the two and am currently using a glove. I reach my anchor point better with it. So again it's like so much we see in this sport, it's a personal preference thing, by experiment.

[Kid's Pastor]

I started with a glove, but now use a tab.

I think everybody is different as I have friends who use both and disagree on which "style" of glove or tab they prefer.

Have fun trying out different gloves & tabs and stick with whatever you are most comfortable and consistent with in your shooting.

[Thebear_78]

I use thin calf hide tabs.  this allows my fingers to callus up pretty good and in a pinch I can shoot bare fingers easily.   the calf hide gives me much cleaner release.  I make my own by just cutting them out of thing calf hide.  I used to glue a second thin leather backing and even tried a thin rubber backing, all worked but for economy and performance the plain calf hide is great.

[Shakes.602]

"Finger Cots", wondered what those Little Doo-Hickeys were Officially Called. Thanks Rob!! Where can ya get yer mitts on those Puppies?

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Shakes.602:
"Finger Cots", wondered what those Little Doo-Hickeys were Officially Called. Thanks Rob!! Where can ya get yer mitts on those Puppies?

i doubt leather finger cots are available commercially, never seen 'em.  cutting the fingers off of thin leather gloves, and resewing the seams fore and aft, would do the trick.  this is about the same as winding on a layer of cloth electrical tape ... which is another avenue to pursue.  the versatility, convenience, and "feel" sensitivity of a relatively thin tab is what's always worked best for me.  it's all personal subjective stuff, there is no right or wrong.

[Hopewell Tom]

Definitely no right or wrong, to each his own. I've always used a glove, tried the bare fingers, but didn't work at it to try to develop the callous necessary.
Just got a new tab from 3Rivers, the Fred Eichler model after reading you could (maybe) get a smoother release. We'll see.
I just like trying different things in this pursuit.I'm pretty new, 3 years in with nothing dead yet, but loving the whole thing. To some of you guys  who've been at it for a while, some issues have been solved. Obviously I'm still working on my release...

[matts2]

I have tried tabs a bunch of times and I can never get an arrow to fly worth a darn.  They go all over the place actually.  I mentioned above that I shoot all the time with out a glove but that is in the shop in close quarters.  I will have to venture out and shoot longer ranges and see if I notice a difference with no glove before I in a tree with out a glove.

[Friend]

Your choice and if you start shooting more, then you may re-evaluate your decision.

Some may double serve and/or triple serve effectively in order to avoid using a glove and/or tab.

[5deer]

i like the open half glove.

[RkyMtn Joe]

I use a tab all the time even if for just a few arrows.  As an aside, I have large hands along with a little arthritis in my knuckles, so I buy the extra large tabs and enlarge the hole just enough that I can slide it on and off with no effort.  I don't remember ever trying to shoot with bare fingers.