psychotriggers

[Lee Lobbestael]

It seems like the topic of psychotriggers has been on here more and more lately. I have shot with some form of non-anticipatory psychotrigger for the last three years and it has helped my shooting immensely. It seems like my shots on game are better than my shots on targets. I have tried many different triggers and am constantly trying to think of new better triggers. I have yet to find one that I just love. Each has its down falls. The one I have shot the most with is moving my bow hand index finger toward my bow and my finger touching my bow is the trigger. This one is easy to operate and you can pick up any bow and shoot it. However it becomes a little anticipatory after awhile and you can only shoot with it without a glove. I have tried a kisser button touching my forehead. This give you great back tension like a clicker because you simply keep expanding (like you are supposed to do anyway) until it touches your forehead and then you release. The problem with this is that the bow and your head have to be canted the exact same on each shot to get a consistent draw length. It also can kinda tickle your head or eyebrow a little before giving you a solid touch and this warns you of its approach and kinda defeats the purpose. I haven't tried a clicker simply because I don't really want to put one on a self bow. But I may get to that point here soon. I have also tried some wierd ones, like my tongue touching the roof of my mouth, and countless other little buttons and switches on my tab. In all my experimentation I have found that pulling psychotriggers prevent creeping and keep your mind on things actually involved in the shot process (backtension). Static ones like a tab sear or finger to the bow seem a little easier to adapt to but they focus your mind on something completely useless to the actual shot process. Ideally I would like to some up with a "keep pulling" psychotrigger that works well for me and doesn't stand out too much, but I am also open to a static type trigger. So have any of you guys experimented with different psychotriggers? What are some of the ones you have tried? Sorry about the rambling post!  

[Matt Parker]

Just like you, I have tried just about everything imaginable.  The only thing that works for me is a clicker. I eventually anticipated everything else I tried. I shot a compound all my life until a few years ago. With a compound I could concentrate on slowly squeezing the trigger until it went off as a surprise. With fingers the only way I can get that surprised release is with a clicker. I wish I could use a different trigger but I can't find one that works for me. But the Olympic shooters use clickers so that must mean something.

[YosemiteSam]

Clicker is the only thing that works for me.  Touch-activated is too easy for me to anticipate and has too much variability (tickle vs touch vs hard touch).  Tried the feather on my nose trick, counting in my head, touching my bow-hand index finger to my thumb, same problems with each.  Pulling/expanding until I hear a click & then just letting go works for me.  For my self-bows, I have to shoot left-handed.  Because the whole movement is less reflexive, I have to think through the process more.  I'll still anticipate the shot sometimes and I'm less consistent so I don't hunt with my self-bows (yet) or my left-handed rigs.  If I must make the shot, I'll use the clicker.

That being said, I'll watch this thread because I'm open to learning something new on this topic.  If I can eliminate the clicker, I'm all for it.

[Flingblade]

When I first started using a trigger I was using feather to nose and that worked pretty good but as Yosemite said there was the problem with soft touch and I found I was second guessing it.  I think I felt it touch was what I found myself saying.  I then switched back to shooting split and tried feather to upper lip but with a mustache this made the soft touch problem even worse so I put the clicker on and find that it is the best for me.  You either made it click or you didn't, no in between or second guessing.  The reason I didn't want to use a clicker is the cord is just one more thing to snag on brush while hunting.  To minimize this I put one of y wife's hair bands (brown elastic band) around my limb just above the riser.  I tuck the cord into that and pull taut so the cord is tight between the string and limb.  Less chance of it catching on brush this way and it pulls free from the band when I draw.  This is all on my recurves.  I really wanted to find something else for a trigger with my Hill bows but I think I'm just going to have to put a clicker on those as well.  I may try putting it on closer to the limb tip to shorten the amount of cord needed.  I also tried a tab sear but over time found I do better with a pulling type trigger.  I seem to lose back tension with the sear.  I can think of several ways the clicker design could be improved but I don't think there's enough of a market for clickers for a company to invest in improving the design.  The olympic style that is on the riser  eliminates the cord but won't work with broadheads.  It will be interesting to hear what others have come up with.

[Lee Lobbestael]

I agree. I think the clicker is really the best way to go for most people. I just wish I could design one that is a little less ugly on a trad bow limb ya know? There has got to be some sort of pull chain clicker or something out there that is less obvious. I have been looking around at pull chain lights and stuff like that but haven't found anything to fit the bill yet.

[Flingblade]

I hear ya.  I have heard some guys are cutting them down to make them smaller but I haven't tried that yet.  I don't mind it on my curves but think it will look almost as ugly on a Hill bow as a bow quiver.  But I shoot much better with it so I'll just have to learn to live with it.  I wonder if it would be possible to make a wireless clicker?  The idea came from the wireless dog fences.  When the dog gets to the outer edge of the wireless boundary the collar beeps and then shocks.  The distance can be adjusted at the transmitter.  Downsize the idea and make a tiny collar unit that goes in the string and a tiny transmitter attached to the riser somewhere and set the distance for your draw length.  Minus the shock of course.  Like I said though I don't think there's enough of a market for companies to go after.  Where in Michigan are you from Lee?  Maybe we could meet up at a shoot or something this summer and compare ideas.
Gary

[Lee Lobbestael]

Now that's a cool concept! I'm straight east of you a couple hours. I'm in the Dexter/Chelsea area. Yeah I would be all for that! You do some 3ds?

[Flingblade]

Lee, PM sent.
Gary