I’m an archery release junkie. I own 61 releases, from the hinge to the thumb to the index finger.
Why Do I Keep Looking for the Best Archery Release?
I love testing and tinkering, but when you find an archery release that you allow to shoot the bow (more to come on this) and one that fills you with confidence, you hit the 12-ring on targets and fill the freezer. My quest was and is to find the ultimate archery release, and I will keep buying, testing, and tinkering until I find it.
There are some remarkable releases on the market, but of my 61, I rely on five of them regularly. Which one I use depends on the hunting situation and what I’m shooting the best at the time.
Also, it’s essential to note that six of those 61 releases are doubles. You must purchase a second when you find a release that lets your compound bow shoot well. That release is your backup and must be with you when hunting or competing. That release should be set to the exact specifications of your current release, when setting up your bow. I recommend shooting your backup release at least once weekly to ensure a precise fit and feel. Multiple times, I’ve lost my release on a hunt. Handheld releases that don’t attach to a strap around the wrist are easy to misplace. When this happens, you don’t want to come off the mountain or must DQ from your 3D event. You need to grab your backup release and keep moving forward.
Here are the 5 Best Thumb Releases for each scenario: Click the orange to see why, and click the green to shop the lowest price on the internet right now.
Short-Draw Archers – Carter Too Simple 24 3fg 🛒
Transition From Thumb to Hinge – UltraView UV Button 🛒
Hunting and Competition – T.R.U. Ball Goat 🛒
Bowhunting – TruFire Synapse Thumb Release 🛒
Budget Friendly – Scott Pursuit 🛒
Best For: Short-Draw Archers – Carter Too Simple 24 3fg 🛒
My top thumb-button go-to is Carter’s Too Simple 24 3fg. Released by Carter in 2024, this release caught fire with the bowhunting crowd, especially short-draw archers looking to maximize bow performance. The ultra-short head design boosts bow speed. I’m not a short-draw archer, and I still love it. The thumb barrel is gnarled to ensure the perfect fit and feel, and I appreciate the two-position barrel settings on the extension bar and the fully rotating adjust trigger.
A double-sear trigger system allows for finite travel adjustment, and the screw tension adjustment ensures micro-adjustability of trigger tension. I have mine set with zero travel and heavy tension. I love the universal fit three-finger handle. The release is lightweight, allowing you to dump the weight of your fingers into the handle as you relax your hand from the wrist down. This will cause rotation, which depresses the thumb button without the bowhunter purposefully depressing the trigger. Hunters will cheer the auto-locking jaws. Whether spotting and stalking or sitting and waiting on game, the Too Simple locks onto your D-loop and won’t fall off.
Pros:
- Lightweight, durable handle
- Fully adjustable trigger rotation
- Auto-locking jaw
- Finite adjustments
Cons:
- Need more handle color options
- Would like to see a four-finger option
Best For: Transition From Thumb Release to Hinge Release – UltraView UV Button 🛒
Do yourself a favor when you purchase this release. Spend another $20 to get the UV Helix Knob. The Helix Knob swaps out with the UV Contour Knob, and I’ve found the long, steep ridges of the Helix fall into my thumb knuckle perfectly. This promotes an excellent feel of the trigger. The feel is essential, especially when you learn to trust the release and let it fire the bow.
UltraView’s bushing technology allows for a wide range of travel and tension adjustments to set the release for your shooting style and hunting situation. The release’s design also pairs perfectly with UltraView’s The Hinge 2, so you can swap between the releases seamlessly. I recommend The Hinge 2 for practice and the UV Button for hunting.
The handle is heavy and deep, and the trigger is fully adjustable along the trigger bar. You can also loosen a single set screw in the trigger (thumb barrel) and rotate the barrel to your desired setting. The ring-finger slot showcases a set screw that allows you to customize the position of the ring finger. I also appreciate the no-shine Cerakote finish.
Pros:
- Medium & Large handle sizes
- Uber adjustable
- Two different trigger styles
- deep, recessed finger slots
Cons:
- The initial hook-up to the D-loop isn’t smooth
- Price
Best Competition Archery Thumb Release: T.R.U. Ball Goat 🛒
When champion archer Rio Wilde helps design and puts his name on a release, you need to raise an eyebrow. I’ve taken several big-game animals and won multiple 3D competitions with T.R.U. Ball’s Goat. The release’s biggest advantage is it combines two release methods—thumb-trigger and back-tension (hinge)—into one release. The three-step process is painless and straightforward. If you practice swapping between each release method a few times, you’ll be able to do it anytime, anywhere in about 30 seconds.
The Goat comes set in thumb-activated mode with individual trigger travel and trigger sensitivity screws that allow finite adjustment to ensure a just-right fit and feel. The trigger (barrel) can be adjusted to either extend or shorten the lever, and a single Phillps head set screw allows 45 degrees of trigger movement across a half-moon in the trigger-attachment handle.
The GOAT is available in three colors (Black, Blue, and Red) and medium and large handle options. The Flex Technology ring-finger slot is fully adjustable, and laser-engraved marks let you know right where you’re at when you’re adjusting.
I prefer to set the release in hinge mode during training and competition and then swap it to thumb-activated mode when hunting. The release feels remarkable in the hand. The finger grooves are deep but not too deep, and the release promises a crisp, clean break no matter what activation mode it’s set in.
Pros:
- Two release modes in one
- Heavy brass handle
- Micro-adjustments for tension and travel
- Adjustable ring finger settings
Cons:
- No closed-jaw design for D-loop attachment when hunting
- Price
Best Bowhunting Thumb Release: TruFire Synapse Thumb Release 🛒
Most handheld thumb releases sport oversized thumb barrels. While many handheld shooters prefer a larger barrel, many don’t. Enter TruFire’s Synapse Thumb Release.
A heavy brass handle release that feels great in hand, the trigger (barrel) has a smaller-circumference design and is gridded for maximum feel.
I prefer a larger thumb trigger. However, there is something about how this skinner trigger falls into the first knuckle of my thumb that trumps the other skinner-trigger handheld thumbs I’ve used. The barrel is adjustable along a half-moon trigger-arm design and is set at one of three trigger-arm length settings via a single set screw.
This handheld is a breeze to customize thanks to labeled tension and travel adjustment holes. I also appreciate the gridded and oversized cocking bar. This thumb-trigger release is ultra-crisp and breaks clean whenever the trigger is engaged. For its price point, the Synapse offers one of the best trigger breaks of any handheld thumb I’ve tested. The release sports a cord-loop attachment if you prefer to attach it to a wrist-strap system, and it’s available in handle colors of red, green, black, and silver. The dual sear design ensures consistent trigger pressure and improved accuracy due to reduced torque.
My biggest quarrel with this release is the head. The length is fine, but the open jaw on the head can make it difficult to attach to the D-loop, especially if you’re not clipped on and a spot-and-stock window of opportunity appears. Typically, I have to use an off-hand finger to close the jaw before locking the head down on my D-loop.
Pros
- Ultra-crisp trigger break
- Attachable to a wrist strap
- The weighted brass handle feels great in hand
- Dual sear design
Cons
- D-loop attachment jaw
- Trigger attachment arm needs more left/right adjustability
Budget Friendly: Scott Pursuit Thumb Release 🛒
I loaned my son this handheld thumb-trigger release a few years ago, and he never returned it. He loves it, and the release has served him well in competition and in the bowhunting woods.
Dubbed the Pursuit, this economically priced thumb-trigger handheld sports a full half-moon adjustment range. The trigger arm can be set to one of three height settings. The gnarled trigger barrel enhances grip, and the barrel’s thin design ensures excellent fit, feel, and precise shooting.
I love the durable nylon cord wrist attachment, which keeps the release on the wrist and at the ready. The handle is a lighter design, which spot-and-stalk bowhunters will appreciate. It doesn’t feel as heavy on the wrist and doesn’t clang against every tree, bush, etc.
Scott includes three- and four-finger extensions for improved shooter customization. I’m also impressed, especially with a thumb-barrel release that comes in under $200, with the release’s target-inspired Multi-Sear Technology trigger. This trigger is ultra-crisp, which leads to immediate shooting confidence. Trigger travel is easily adjustable, and I like the deep index-finger groove, shallower ring, and pinkie-finger grooves. The fit and feel of the release is excellent.
My main gripe with Scott’s Pursuit is the closed-hook design. Though I prefer a closed-hook to an open-hook design for bowhunting, I’m not a big fan of the locking jaw. It doesn’t allow for ultra-quick hook-ups, which is something to keep in mind.
Pros
- Priced right
- Lightweight handle feels excellent
- Wrist-strap connection
- Ultra-crisp trigger
- Three- and four-finger attachments
Cons
- D-loop attachment jaw
Why Shoot A Thumb Release?
If you’re an index-finger release shooter wanting to migrate to a thumb trigger to help with target panic, let me provide some perspective.
Anytime you switch from one trigger release to another, you notice some immediate shooting improvement. However, this is more a result of the six inches between your ears than the release.
A trigger is still a trigger. Your target panic will return if you don’t address your trigger-punching issues (not letting the release fire the bow).
Though handheld, a thumb is still a trigger release, and you will start punching that trigger instantly. The immediate result may be better because you’re excited about a new release, but the panic will return soon.
If you suffer from target panic, I highly recommend using a hinge-style release before migrating to a thumb-release.
A hinge-style release is another type of handheld release. Its most significant advantage is that it has no trigger. For the shot to break, the archer must push into the riser with his bow hand, pull his shoulder blades together, and relax the release hand from the wrist down. Shooting a hinge requires that the archer let the release fire the bow, which trains the mind to focus on the art of aiming while trusting the pin to float until the arrow is gone.
Once you master the art of letting the release fire the bow and understand what a surprise release feels like, target panic will dissipate. This makes the switch to a thumb-activated handheld easy. Though there is a trigger, you’ve trained your mind to push and pull while relaxing the release hand from the wrist down to create release rotation. You can shoot a thumb-activated release exactly how you shoot a hinge. The added benefit of a thumb-activated release is that there are times in bowhunting when you need to execute a controlled release, and a thumb trigger allows you to do that.
Train With A Hinge Release And A Thumb Release
I know it’s expensive, but I highly recommend training with a hinge and a thumb trigger during the off-season and throughout the season. Several manufacturers offer hinge releases that create close-to if not exact, anchor point positions for one of their uber-popular thumb models. I recommend going this route, but it’s not a must.
One of my favorite thumb-trigger release aids doesn’t match my anchor points with my go-to hinge. I don’t worry about it. I know that when shooting my hinge, my arrows hit a tick low and roughly 1 1/2 inches right of those with my thumb. It doesn’t matter. What matters is when I switch to my thumb, I let the release fire the bow and watch my arrow sink into the 12-ring.
Switching between these two release styles will boost shooting confidence.
FAQs
Do I need to shoot a thumb-trigger handheld in the competition?
No. Ultimately, you need to shoot as many different release styles (hinge, tension, thumb, index finger) as possible to discover the one that gives you the most confidence.
How much is a thumb-trigger handheld release?
Prices vary, but you can expect to pay between $250 and $400. I haven’t found a good handheld thumb option for under $150.
Is a thumb-trigger handheld release good for bowhunting?
Absolutely. I recommend a model that clips onto your D-loop to eliminate pre-shot hook-up panic and shooter movement.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a newbie archer or bowhunter looking to get into your first release or a sage veteran wanting to make a change, these thumb-trigger handheld releases are excellent choices. However, the thumb-trigger release-aid market is saturated, and I highly recommend visiting your favorite pro shop to test and tinker.
Choosing the proper thumb-trigger release is like selecting the right compound bow. You can’t go off what your friend prefers or some fancy-to-do marketing campagin. Don’t pay attention to handling colors, either. Find a release that you shoot well, purchase it, keep up a solid training regimen, and dominate the woods this fall.
