No glove or tab?

[nleroux2]

I use a black Nike Cabretta (goat skin) golf glove. They don't last a long time,about 1 season, but the feel is very sensitive without tearing the skin off your finger tips. It's about as bare handed as you can get.

[daddymonster]

Do these things steal any arrow speed by slowing down your bowstring?

[Homebru]

Daddymonster,
With all due respect, I don't shoot a trad bow for speed.  I suspect that there is some loss of speed.  Not enough to make me worry about it.  

Speed vs convenience and shootability is a decision you have to make.  I don't own a chronograph.
homebru

[Machino]

Those of you who shoot bare fingered with just serving, could you elaborate on what you have going on in terms of diameter and number of wraps?  Very interested as it seems the shots I take bare fingered are always good though I try to make my serving as thin as possible which doesn't make my fingers happy.

[Stalker58]

I love my Damascus glove. I always get a smooth crisp release. With no break-in.
No gloves and bare handed seem to be somewhat inconsistent to me when I have tried them.

[dragonheart]

Machino,

Ryan Rothhaar sent me a PM about serving.  I have seen wear he posted how they do it before on another thread but I cannot find it.  Here is what he said they have done for many years.

  "We've always used the regular nylon serving - I don't know anything about newer materials. The idea is to use a double nocking point, we generally use the brass nock sets. Then starting 2-3 inches above the top one you serve down to it, then back up over that serving back to the starting point and serve the end under to give 3 layers with no start/stop against the nocking point. For the bottom, shooting split finger, I start 3-4 inches below the nocking point. I usually leave the brass nock sets on, but have removed them and served 2 string nocksets to replace them. For a tab I just cut one out of a piece of deer leather or similar thickness leather, the simple one you stick the middle finger through the hole to hold it on. You will build up pretty rough callouses over time, but I've been shooting this way for 35 years or so and have no nerve damage or anything. Shoot around 65 lbs normally, when I went up to mid 70's one time for a special hunt I needed the tab more, as I recall I even hunted with it then. I use a tab for carp shooting as my hand gets torn up more when it is wet, for sure.

The triple serve and double brass nock point costs 3-4 FPS vs a single brass nock point, for what that is worth, but shooting a tab vs bare finger probably costs that much, so probably a wash.

I like the feel of the string as well as having one less thing to think about. I have known guys to go home to get a glove/tab when finding out they forgot it when in the woods...I can't imagine that...!"

Hope that helps.  

Jeff

[knobby]

I can shoot bare fingered for quite a while if the string is dacron. If it's fast flight, my fingers get sore pretty quickly. I use a batting glove now for my shooting and can feel the string well, yet never get sore fingers.
My son shoots a 58# Black Widow bare fingered all the time. He just can't get used to anything between his fingers and the string.

[Homebru]

My wild guess (and playing with gloves at a big box store today) suggests that the batting gloves and golf gloves would be a bit "sticky".  No problems with that?
homebru

[knobby]

Homebru,
I haven't had an issue getting rid of the string using a batting glove, unless of course when I flinch. On a flinch, it doesn't matter what glove is on my hand.
I'm on my second summer with this batting glove and there's a lot of life left in it.

[nleroux2]

I've had no problems with a sticky release using a goatskin golf glove. No experience with any of the synthetics so I can't speak to those. The goatskin is very thin and transfers an incredible amount of feel. At least to me.

[daddymonster]

other comments I have read is that they affect accuracy and might require a different spine weight? I am not trying to be an argumentative jerk, I just want people's opinions on these factors before I risk splashing out a whole $5

[GreyGoose]

My fingertips are pretty hardy from a lot of guitar pickin', but all the same, I prefer shooting with a glove.  It has to be broken in, of course, and I'll fling arrows into a foam block w/o aiming as such to accomplish that.

[Russ Clagett]

I just got tired of gloves wearing out, getting hard, developing grooves, etc...

Started shooting one day with just my fingers and immediately noticed how much cleaner the release was and how much quieter it is.

Over time my fingers toughened up and it wasn't a bother at all really.

I shoot a 59 pound Firefly and an 81 pound hill style Dave Johnson longbow. The hill style is kinda tough on fingers, I will admit, but the Firefly is a joy to shoot with no glove...

I do tie on my nock point or use tape though...I would not want a metal nock point dragging through my fingers while shooting bare...

[Izzy]

I shoot bare fingers all of the time up to 57#s now and nothing to show for it but callouses.

[Bowwild]

I didn't realize there were people who shot hunting equipment without finger protection. I wouldn't even try it.

I always have a spare finger tab with me. If I forget a tab (or my bow) I go back to the house.

I wouldn't even consider taking a shot at an animal that was unpracticed. If I forgot the tab that would be an unpracticed shot and I wouldn't take it. I don't like to miss, I hate wounding, and I despise most of all spending the better part of a day stinking up my hunting area blind -searching for a poorly hit deer.

I have actually gone back to the house both for forgetting a tab before I carried a spare. In the days of hunting with a compound I also forgot my release aid once -- hunt over.

[Homebru]

Can't go back to the house if you're sleeping on the ground 6 miles off the nearest road.  
homebru

[Russ Clagett]

Excellent point Homebru....leave nothing to chance. I practice all the time and agree with Bowwild...I don't take unpracticed shots either...if its outside my practiced ranges I find a way to get closer or just enjoy the encounter...

But I practice all the time with bare fingers and shoot much better that way.

[YORNOC]

Lemme tell ya, after dropping my tab 1000 times from my treestand, and not willing to climb back down....I have learned to shoot without a tab.

I agree with Bowwild, so I learned to shoot without. I still use them time to time, but try my damndest to use nothing but fingers. My fingertips are thick now and I will shoot clean fingers till I no longer am able.
Have shot fingers up to 70#. No damage.
Nothing against those who do, I just don't like climbing down at pink light for a stupid mistake on my part. Adapt and overcome.

[Bldtrailer]

Ok how     about using the rubber tubing wheel bow hunters use to a line their peep sights. Might work and is cheep easy to get.

[mahantango]

I've worked construction for 35 years, my fingers are like leather, and I wouldn't even think of shooting a hunting-weight bow without protection. In my opinion, you're just asking for nerve damage down the road. Skin toughness has nothing to do with it. While we're on this subject, I've been shooting for over 40 years and have just never understood this need to "feel the string". To me, the cleanest release comes from a thick, slick tab that allows the three fingers to function as one unit.