Anyone shoot with a thumb ring?

[Mudd]

I am curious if anyone out there shoots with a thumb ring.

I've been giving some thought to trying one. I was reading that a right handed shooter could shoot off of the normal side of the bow with one if they attached a loop onto their string and used it to draw the bow.

What's your experience?

Thanks in advance!

God bless,Mudd

[R.W.]

I use a thumb ring whilst shooting my reproduction Asiatic composite bows. Arrow on the draw hand side of the riser.

Never tried shooting off the other side with a loop, though.

As to the use of the thumb ring, while it takes a while to get the hang of it, when you get a good release going, it works very well.

With the reproduction composite bows, the release I use is a active release, where you push, pull and release, in one fluid motion. Done correctly you get a very clean release, and good arrow flight.

[walkabout]

ive shot using my thumb on very light bows, but never with a thumbring. its a little diferent but with practice you can adjust to it pretty well

[TheFatboy]

As you may have read if you've read other threads about thumb rings, you will need a custom fit ring, for the best experience. If the ring is too big or too small, it will hurt like hell. A custom built ring cost me 50$, which I gladly paid. The ring will last for a lifetime.

I very much like shooting with a thumb ring. With a little practice, it may even feel more comfortable than a three finger draw.

Over the years I have played with every release gizmo made. Back in the 70s we all gave it a try. Shooting off handed bows and tilting them like Ishi.  I had far less pain and accuracy with the non-mechanical releases like the Wilson strap tbs and the one piece ledge styles. Perhaps none of the thumb releases we had were any good, because we all had sprains from them.

[eric-thor]

what does a thumb ring look like ? r there different styles? where do you get one made?

[TheFatboy]

A thumb ring looks something like this...

 http://www.english-longbow.co.uk/largepics/thumb%20ring%20horn.jpg

There aren't really different "styles", but they can be made of different materials. Silver, brass, horn, antler or even synthetic materials. Mine is made of moose antler by Lukas Novotny of the Saluki Bow Co. - I provided him with details about the size of my thumb, and he made me a custom fit ring. It couldn't fit better.

[eric-thor]

thanks for the info looks cool . i think id like to try one maby some day . i often struggle with my release, and that looks like it might help.

[stickbowmaniac]

I wouldn't mind trying 1 .Don't no anyone who uses 1

[Capt]

I have been shooting with the thumb ring for a while now and will never go back to fingers.  Once you get the mechanics of the thumb draw and get used to the sight picture it is very easy to "acquire" the target without the arrow in the way.  It is a very clean release and because the draw is longer the arrow is faster.  

For me it is easier than shooting with fingers.  The release is also very dynamic and great for wing shooting.

[Northwest_Bowhunter]

The thumb rings I saw in Asia were jade and sorta looked like just a standard ring, not that pic you had.  I used the thumb glove from Japanese Kyudo style of shooting, never used a ring seriously though.