Gary Hintz

Bucks & Bulls Archery

Plover, Wisconsin

My sales percentages are about 60 percent index, 20 percent thumb, and 20 percent hinge/resistance releases. Like most shops, I sell more index-finger releases because bowhunters make up the largest share of my clientele.

About eight out of 10 target customers who shoot thumb releases also bowhunt with one. Of my target shooters who shoot a hinge/resistance release, only about five out of 10 hunt with those. The other five switch from a hinge/resistance release to a thumb release for hunting. 

For index-finger releases, we stock options from TruFire, Scott, Hot Shot and B3 Archery. In the handheld category, I guess you could say it’s more about price ranges than having a specific number of brands. We have models as inexpensive as $79.99 all the way up to $350. The high-end handheld releases typically have greater margins than index-finger releases, and I believe they can help people shoot more accurately when they’re fired correctly. 

When a customer specifically asks what release I suggest in order to improve their shooting, I typically steer them toward the thumb releases. Often, it’s their first time shooting a thumb release, so we go in the back and shoot at a big target that’s nice and close. I explain all of the ins and outs, and when they experience that first surprise release, they get kind of excited about it. 

For new dealers, I suggest starting out small but having a variety of releases. Don’t get buried, but don’t sell every customer the same exact release. You don’t have to carry a hundred of each model, and you don’t have to invest in lots of the expensive ones. Just have a variety. In time, you’ll learn what works for your shop and your clientele.

 

Phaen Pittman

Performance Archery

San Diego, California

It goes like this: Index-finger releases, 54 percent; thumb releases, 43 percent; and hinge/resistance releases, 3 percent. Here, we stock nine different release brands. Due to our geographic location — we’re in a major city — we have to do things like other large retailers and carry everything that makes sense to carry. The old model of special-ordering is obsolete due to online shopping. If we don’t have something, the customer will still buy it, just not from us. I don’t want my customers to have to look for what they want online. If it’s a good product from a company that understands retail business, we will stock it.

If someone wants to improve their shooting and is considering a new release, we first consider their equipment set and them individually. We plant the seed for customers to get into a thumb release if they have a higher-end equipment set and big goals. In contrast, we usually don’t suggest a high-end thumb release if they’re shooting a budget bow. Our staff consists of well-trained salespeople. They’re not just here to sell stuff. They know what to suggest based on all of the pertinent factors, which are the individual customer’s abilities, their equipment set, and their goals. 

I’ve watched customers buy hinge releases, struggle, and quit archery. There are personality types that excel with a hinge, but there are people who will never do well with a hinge because it incites panic. For that reason, we suggest that customers who wish to switch to a handheld release go with a thumb button first. Unfortunately, someone can still punch it, but we usually sell a private shooting lesson with a thumb button and instruct the customer how to properly shoot it. After that lesson, the average customer is usually very comfortable with that new release.

Kent Colgrove

Full Draw Archery

Plattsmouth, Nebraska

We stock about eight different release brands, and we sell right around 70 percent index, 20 percent thumb, and 10 percent hinge/resistance. As far as index-finger releases, we sell some that are over $100, but the bulk of our customers buy models in the $60-$90 range. I don’t think there is a big correlation between a customer’s budget and whether or not they buy a thumb release. They usually come in looking for a thumb release, and the price is a secondary consideration.

Occasionally, I hear of people using hinge/resistance releases for bowhunting. When I do, I get the impression that it is experimental, at best. I’ve heard mixed reviews about how successful it is for people who try it. In most cases, customers who’re shooting a hinge/resistance release for target and competitive archery are switching to thumb releases for bowhunting. Stan Releases, for example, has thumb releases on the same frame as the resistance releases, so the customer can switch to a release that gives them more control but feels the same as their target release.

For folks who want to improve their shooting, proper firing techniques are more important than the release itself. Some people think a hinge will solve all of their problems, but we find that many of them manipulate and shortcut the shot process. A lot of people jump into handheld releases without realizing what they’re getting into. But, that’s where we come in; we have lessons to help get them straightened out.