# Finding finger compound bow tough



## karisegraves

hello,

I'm finding out that finding a finger compound bow is tough. The PSE Stinger was recommended, and I'd like some opinions. 

I've heard less than great things about PSE, but that's just from random searches. Its true ?

Anyone here tell the truth?


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## Unclegus

I don't know if this is the truth or not, but I don't think PSE has made a finger bow that I'd even look at since they made the Mach 9 back when, but I'm really old school when it comes to finger bows.


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## Darksider

Unclegus said:


> I don't know if this is the truth or not, but I don't think PSE has made a finger bow that I'd even look at since they made the Mach 9 back when, but I'm really old school when it comes to finger bows.


Dittoes.
Too bad Mathews DCed the Conquest 3. The C4 is the same as C3 but has an integrated grip. The Apex is very good bow. But it is heavy & a little expensive(target OK, but hunting?). Hoyt has some bow with 40+in ATA bows & a good track record with finger bows.


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## wirenut583

Darksider said:


> Dittoes.
> Too bad Mathews DCed the Conquest 3. The C4 is the same as C3 but has an integrated grip. The Apex is very good bow. But it is heavy & a little expensive(target OK, but hunting?). Hoyt has some bow with 40+in ATA bows & a good track record with finger bows.


I dont know about PSE bow other than the older ones were heavey and loud. The C3 by Mathews is a great finger bow as well as the Drenaline LD. I have had mine for a short time but it is an outstanding bow, In my opinion


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## fingers shooter

*fingers bow?*

I have two great fingers bows in the target section. They are a red and black martin slayers the are just like the one that won three asa's this year in the fingers class so you know they are a proven winner.


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## IBBW

*Well*

There are many other post here that cover this very topic.


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## CutTheLoop

Scour Ebay or the AT classifieds for.


My short list:

Mathews Rival Pro, Conquest Pro, or Conquest3

The Ovation makes for a decent finger bow, but don't expect much speed.
I think it was affectionately nicknamed the "SLO-vation"


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## big D 27

*Bow*



karisegraves said:


> hello,
> 
> i'm finding out that finding a finger compound bow is tough. The pse stinger was recommended, and i'd like some opinions.
> 
> I've heard less than great things about pse, but that's just from random searches. Its true ?
> 
> Anyone here tell the truth?


get you a older mathews light 65 let off hard to beat cheep 225.00
300.00 range i have one with a soft cam thats a finger cao 60 
letoff that bow is 41 ata or a pse infinty xlr 900 great older bow
maybe 100.00-125.00 i shoot left handed under 300.00 this is my
picks for good older bows don -big d 27


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## big D 27

*Bow*



karisegraves said:


> hello,
> 
> i'm finding out that finding a finger compound bow is tough. The pse stinger was recommended, and i'd like some opinions.
> 
> I've heard less than great things about pse, but that's just from random searches. Its true ?
> 
> Anyone here tell the truth?


get you a older mathews light 65 let off hard to beat cheep 225.00
300.00 range i have one with a soft cam thats a finger cao 60 
letoff that bow is 41 ata or a pse infinty xlr 900 great older bow
maybe 100.00-125.00 i shoot left handed under 300.00 this is my
picks for good older bows don -big d 27
pse is 43 ata


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## s.a.w.

*I love my older energy cam Martin lynx and I heard that the martin cougar is a good finger bow (the older version cougar mag or cougar-2000).*


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## aussiearcher

karisegraves said:


> hello,
> 
> I'm finding out that finding a finger compound bow is tough. The PSE Stinger was recommended, and I'd like some opinions.
> 
> I've heard less than great things about PSE, but that's just from random searches. Its true ?
> 
> Anyone here tell the truth?


The PSE Stinger is quite a short bow and though i'm not saying that you can't shoot it with fingers as it does have some good brace height...i'm sure there are more suitable bows for fingers. 
At present, i'm shooting the PSE Bowmadness XL..it is exceptional. The big wheels and beyond parallel limbs makes this a very comfortable bow to shoot...(two fingers under). 
I prefer the BM-XL bow over the Moneymaker..and it too was nice to shoot.

Hope this helps.


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## b0w_bender

*You are right of course*

Martin Scepter 4. Nothing better IMHO
43" axle to axle 8.5 brace height decent speed and the X system rocks for target shooting. 

But yes you are right there are very few manufacturers still offering a long axle to axle.

There are some like the Mathews Conquest but even that is a bit on the short side. I'm finding most of the Proshops don't even understand the unique needs of the finger shooter. Darned shame since releasing the string with your fingers is the essence of archery. IMHO


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## Arrow

b0w_bender said:


> Martin Scepter 4. Nothing better IMHO
> 43" axle to axle 8.5 brace height decent speed and the X system rocks for target shooting.
> 
> But yes you are right there are very few manufacturers still offering a long axle to axle.
> 
> There are some like the Mathews Conquest but even that is a bit on the short side. I'm finding most of the Proshops don't even understand the unique needs of the finger shooter. Darned shame since releasing the string with your fingers is the essence of archery. IMHO


This is what I would have said if I was paying attention today. I love my Scepter 4's. I have not shot a Mathews since the 1993 model.

Good luck and try to shoot a bunch of bows if you can.

Arrow


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## quick kill

*pse shark*

i have an 05 shark (not the new one) that i purchased new in 07 from sportsmans wearhouse. it is a 40" ata nrg soft, single cam. i shot a nice buck with her ithat year. my problem with finger shooting is finding good rests. i just purchased a couple of new recurves thus allowing me to shoot off the shelf. i am shocked at how fast these recurves actually shoot. also, i have a commander that i might finger shoot if i can find the right rest.


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## dead eye dick

barnsdale martin scepter hoyt vantage elite


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## NM_HighPlains

I'm shooting a Ultratec with fingers. I shoot two under and finger pinch isn't really a problem. Prior to this I was shooting a Hoyt Aspen with fingers- I like the Ultratec a LOT better.


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## dead eye dick

i think the biggest problem finger shooters have is they try to adapt to a bow that is really made for a release i think 40 in axel to axel is about as low as i would go, you should have no finger pinch also you need a firm wall to many of the bows are designed again with a release in mind so they are not right for the fingershooter for example the hoyt cam and one half plus is a goo cam for fingers


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## ike_osu

I am shooting a 82nd airborn and a HCA Iron mace with fingers. Probably not the best bows for finger shooter but they work for me.


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## vhenry

Hoyt makes a bow called the Montega that's 44 inches ATA made specifically for finger shooters.


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## dead eye dick

the montega is very slow


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## Harperman

dead eye dick said:


> the montega is very slow


...Dead eye Dick...How slow is the Montega??...Most Hoyt bows are 10 to 20 f.p.s. faster than advertised, if set-up and tuned properly...Have You chrono'd a Montega??...I'd be interested to see if anyone has actually played around with a Montega, and chrono'd it and tried tweeking it out a bit...Jim


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## love fingers

I was shooting a bow that was 36 inches axle to axle was a darton mustang and it shot great for me. I was talked into trading it for a bowtech constitution because it was longer ATA. I could not get the constitiution to shoot well for me and three years later I am trading it in for a hoyt katera XL, The moral to the story is shoot as many bows as much as you can and scrutinize the heck out of them. Everybody shoots a little different and what works for everyone else may not work for you. 
Good luck


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## jamesbowman

*Finger Bow*

Hoyt Pro Elite with spirals is a great finger bow!


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## DanceswithDingo

I shoot a PSE Mojo with fingers, the Stinger is too short ata and you would experience some uncomfortable finger pinch. Most bows these days are designed for speed and release aids. You may have to look for some used target gear to get you started. :darkbeer:


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## dead eye dick

I can tell you the montega is a lot slower than the vantage elite


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## big cypress

i'd sell you my merlin supernova . it is a little light in draw weight and a little long in draw length ,however, modules can change length .


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## catkinson

*just me --*

but I'm starting to think after shooting many "finger bows" that I personally would not shoot any bow under 41" inches and have at least 8" of brace height- love my conquest but after shooting a Caribou[by Reflex] it does not compare in smoothness and is very forgiving compareed to my Mathews-Alos if you got the bucks, Hoyt Montega or another 44" bow with 8" or more of brace- just my 2------>


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## jsherwood

I just bought a used Jennings Centershot 48 inches ATA which I shoot with fingers. It was set up for release but I removed the loop and peep, installed my peep and bought a new sight. Yesterday my release shooting buddies set my up for release. I tried it yesterday and a couple hours this morning. I was less than successful and decided I am a finger shooter. 

Has anyone tried a bow similar to this? After reading the posts here it seems to be a good bow for fingers. The only situation I am having to deal with is a long 30 in. draw which causes finger pinch so I shoot 3 under. I am going to have the draw length shortened to avoid the pinch.


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## DAVID S.

*Bit the bullet*

Ordered a new Montega today. Really hope I'm gonna like it. No where here to try before you buy.


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## ia bhtr

DAVID S. said:


> Ordered a new Montega today. Really hope I'm gonna like it. No where here to try before you buy.


Dave , ya bot a good one , couple buddies shooting them and absolutely luv em


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## Harperman

ia bhtr said:


> Dave , ya bot a good one , couple buddies shooting them and absolutely luv em


..............Being a Hoyt bow nut, and a Hoyt bow "Tweeker", I've wondered for a while now if the Montega is as slow as Hoyt lists it at, and can it be tweeked for a bit more speed....Most Hoyts are a a bit faster than advertised, some Hoyts are ALOT faster than advertised...The Montega uses the 38 Pro riser, and the long XT 3500 limbs....I've heard that the 38 Pro is a bit quicker than Hoyt listed it at, so why not the Montega as well??...DAVE....Keep "US" informed of what You think of the bow.....Jim


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## fingers

Well you can just miss a spot but shoot REALLY FAST! Or you can pinwheel it a bit slower. Finger shooters have long since figured out what makes for forgiveness. Take it from an old schooler, go with what scores the best, not what shoots the fastest. The 46" ata Hoyt bows with soft cams were the bomb. How many records have these fast bows broken? I have 2 Aspens, one target and one hunting model and a Reflex Caribou II that I like the best of all. I can't even imagine replacing them with these short "fast' bows. It's all about where the arrow hits, not how fast it gets there.


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## Harperman

fingers said:


> Well you can just miss a spot but shoot REALLY FAST! Or you can pinwheel it a bit slower. Finger shooters have long since figured out what makes for forgiveness. Take it from an old schooler, go with what scores the best, not what shoots the fastest. The 46" ata Hoyt bows with soft cams were the bomb. How many records have these fast bows broken? I have 2 Aspens, one target and one hunting model and a Reflex Caribou II that I like the best of all. I can't even imagine replacing them with these short "fast' bows. It's all about where the arrow hits, not how fast it gets there.


Fingers....What You wrote is true, at least for You, and that's all that matters....However, when it comes to 3-D shooting, alot of the upper level shooters are shooting bows that the "Old Schoolers" wouldnt consider shooting, or even consider such a bow to be shootable with Fingers....As an example, Mr. Goza's recent win at Nelsonville, in Pro mens Fingers, with a Mathews Monster...Brian Fickle has done really well with a Mathews Apex 7, and with the Martin Slayers....I've shot my personal best scores on 3-D with bows under 38" A-T-A....with arrow speeds between 280, and 310 f.p.s...If the older, slower, longer A-T-A bows were the best for 3-D shooting with Fingers, it makes me wonder why the Pro's arent shooting that style of bow.....I understand that Field Archery and Spots require a different type of bow for most Archers, but known yardage is another type of shooting entirely....I've shot an Aspen, and owned a Caribou II....Smooth shooters for sure, but the grips are huge, and they were just too slow for Me.......Take care...........Jim


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## iawoody2

Harperman said:


> Fingers....What You wrote is true, at least for You, and that's all that matters....However, when it comes to 3-D shooting, alot of the upper level shooters are shooting bows that the "Old Schoolers" wouldnt consider shooting, or even consider such a bow to be shootable with Fingers....As an example, Mr. Goza's recent win at Nelsonville, in Pro mens Fingers, with a Mathews Monster...Brian Fickle has done really well with a Mathews Apex 7, and with the Martin Slayers....I've shot my personal best scores on 3-D with bows under 38" A-T-A....with arrow speeds between 280, and 310 f.p.s...If the older, slower, longer A-T-A bows were the best for 3-D shooting with Fingers, it makes me wonder why the Pro's arent shooting that style of bow.....I understand that Field Archery and Spots require a different type of bow for most Archers, but known yardage is another type of shooting entirely....I've shot an Aspen, and owned a Caribou II....Smooth shooters for sure, but the grips are huge, and they were just too slow for Me.......Take care...........Jim


I think the reason most people like fast bows is because they have never perfected yardage estimation. I have been shooting for 50+ yrs, starting with longbows and recurves and had to perfect yardage estimation. I have my own system of doing this that works. I competed for a number of years, 60s and 70s, on the national level in NFAA, yardages out to 80 yards with a recurve, and before they went to marked yardages.
Bob


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## dragonheart

*vantage Pro*

I have never shot a 41" ATA bow until my recent purchase of the Hoyt Vantage Pro. I have to say, I am impressed by this bow. I have a 28" draw, and I converted to shooting 2 fingers under and this bow is a great compromise between speed and accuracy. I have always shot 43" or more axle to axle bows, usually the longer the better (my last Barney was 46") and I still think that a bow without the more parrallel limbs need to be longer for fingers or a release if your # goal is accuracy. Longer just are not as fast. It is a compromise in what application you are using the bow for. Field, 3-D, indoor each has its own "specialized" bow that tends to lend itself to shooting that game. Find a balance and a bow that you like the grip on.

My bow has adequate speed for my needs. 

335 gr. 400 Cheetah with 3.6 vanes- 271 FPS
415 gr. 390 ACC Pro Hunter- 245 fps

58-60 pound bow, 28" draw, 28" arrow.

For a bow with an 8 1/8" Brace height and 41" ATA at 28" draw, It is a shooter.


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## white tail 10*

*the bowtech constitution*

i shot an Aspen for about 8 years and won many shots with it. 
i found new tecnologies developed so I
change to a constitution last summer and ...
i improved my scores about 15% on 3d
i shoot with it very confortably and super accurate
ive heard great things about the Vantage Pro and will like to try it , but than , why fix it if its working?
the connie is fast,acurate,light, if i need to say something bad about it , i would prefer a smoother draw for hunting.i stonghly recomend it , or even better , the brigadier.


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## TheAncientOne

> the montega is very slow


Any finger bow that is comfortable (longer axle to axle length) will be slower just because of the limb length. I still shoot an old Hoyt Pro Vantage with 45" axle to axle length with my fingers. It's not as fast as modern bows, but it still gets the job done. 

TAO


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## TheAncientOne

> get you a older mathews light 65 let off hard to beat cheep 225.00
> 300.00 range i have one with a soft cam thats a finger cao 60
> letoff that bow is 41 ata or a pse infinty xlr 900 great older bow
> maybe 100.00-125.00 i shoot left handed under 300.00 this is my
> picks for good older bows don -big d 27


I just sold a new/old stock Hoyt Spectra 5000 on ebay for $150. You can find some good buys out there if you look. I'll keep an eye out if you want.

TAO


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## fingers

I won the Oregon State 3d 2 years in a row shooting an Oneida with an overdraw and carbons. I wouldn't have even came close on a target shoot. And I won't hunt with one of those speed demons either. I like the art of hunting, getting close more than I like shooting a bow that shoots bullets. I might as well shoot a gun if I did that.:mg:


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## FedSmith

If it's big enough every bow is a finger bow to me.

I'm Chuck Adams Old School.

Got a local cobbler who sews all my latigo tabs. 2 bucks a pop!

Good luck on your search. 

I'm a big fan of eBay, BTW. Most hunters are NOT collectors, and when they get a hot, new bow they'll *almost* give away the old "out-of fashion" bow.

My apologies to you fellers that are exceptions to these rules, of course.


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## MidMichigan11

*Bowtech is getting left out of this topic TOO much*

You can'd do much better than the Constitution or the new Brigadier. You'll find that these shoot every bit as fast as any of the slightly shorter bows, but because they're 40" bows, they can be bought for coin on the dollar for a slightly used one.

I've got a brand new Brigadier (slightly too short of draw for me at 30" max) for $500. that's hundreds less then any 09 model in the 38-36" models. i tried it, but will stay with my Constitution at 31".


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## Harperman

MidMichigan11 said:


> You can'd do much better than the Constitution or the new Brigadier. You'll find that these shoot every bit as fast as any of the slightly shorter bows, but because they're 40" bows, they can be bought for coin on the dollar for a slightly used one.
> 
> I've got a brand new Brigadier (slightly too short of draw for me at 30" max) for $500. that's hundreds less then any 09 model in the 38-36" models. i tried it, but will stay with my Constitution at 31".


I've shot the Commander a few shots with fingers, and I think that it is also another contender for being a good "Finger" bow....Maybe most of what makes a Finger bow is the A-T-A, and shooting style of the individual archer??..I know that if I had the extra $$$ laying around, and was going to set a bow up for a Finger shooting "Hunting" bow, the first two that come to mind are a Hoyt Katera XL, and a Hoyt ProTec, with XT-2000 limbs, and Cam 1/2 Plus cams...Jim


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## boxxer

*Speed*

As an old finger shooter and i cannot understand all the hype of everyone need for speed?I shot stickbows all my life and recently went to a HOYT MONTEGA because of health reasons and find that the way the MONTEGA shoots far out ways the need for speed!!!!This bow is so easy to shoot and so forgiving that it is unbelievable!!!Dead quiet and it will make a subpar shooter a better shooter just the way it feels in the hand.Accuracy is far better than the need for speed.And the MONTEGA WILL DELIVER IF YOU SPEND TIME SHOOTING THIS TRULY AMAZING BOW!!!!!!!!!!!


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## geezer047

I like my Darton Tundra Ext. 40 ata 7 1/2 bh decent speed.
Charlie


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## Darksider

boxxer said:


> As an old finger shooter and i cannot understand all the hype of everyone need for speed?I shot stickbows all my life and recently went to a HOYT MONTEGA because of health reasons and find that the way the MONTEGA shoots far out ways the need for speed!!!!This bow is so easy to shoot and so forgiving that it is unbelievable!!!Dead quiet and it will make a subpar shooter a better shooter just the way it feels in the hand.Accuracy is far better than the need for speed.And the MONTEGA WILL DELIVER IF YOU SPEND TIME SHOOTING THIS TRULY AMAZING BOW!!!!!!!!!!!


1. Pin gap.

2, KE/Momentum (shoot a heavier arrow at same speed as your shooting the lighter arrow)

And of course::

3.Newer, smaller, smoother better, faster -Got to have it!! (Same as it always has been.:teeth


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## white tail 10*

1. Pin gap.

2, KE/Momentum (shoot a heavier arrow at same speed as your shooting the lighter arrow)

And of course::

3.Newer, smaller, smoother better, faster -Got to have it!! (Same as it always has been.:teeth[/QUOTE]

i have to agree with DARKSIDER , i shoot a lot better with my constitution after 6 months then with the Aspen after 8 years
newer is better! it 8 years technology advances a lot
faster,smoother,more accurate, 
and cool looking too!!!


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## Mrohr1

I wonder if that new Brigidiar by Bowtech would be a good finger shooter???


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## Hollowpoint

Martin S4 or RazorX. 45" ata, fast, huge brace and forgiving. I love my Razors!


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## white tail 10*

*brigadier a finger bow??*



Mrohr1 said:


> I wonder if that new Brigidiar by Bowtech would be a good finger shooter???


a constitution with rollers in the cable guard and v type string stoper!!!!
its like they fix all that was wrong with the connie!!!!and it is about 100dlls or so under the vantage pro!!
thr brigadier is going to be very popular with fingers


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