# What % let-off and why for us finger shooters...??



## arrowshooters (Jun 5, 2006)

There is some thought that say a 65% let-off allows for a crisper release because there are more pounds pulling against your fingers. Personally I shoot at 80% LO because I shoot off the wall and it is more comfortable to me.


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## fuelracerpat (May 6, 2008)

Conventional wisdom is that the lower the let-off % ie, higher holding weight, the cleaner the string release is. In my experience this is true, most especially with any version of a three finger release. The fewer the fingers on the string, perhaps the higher the let-off.
In the "old days" the late '80's, I shot 50%-65% energy wheels at 80 lbs. This was for the performance and for the high holding weight, and man... was I good back then!:teeth:


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## fingers (May 27, 2002)

A lot of variables on this one. I saw Jim McDonald of Okie Manufacturing shoot 540 field rounds while shooting a 33lb bow(Oneida) with 65% let-off thus holding 11lbs. He didn't hook the string but rather barely held it on the tips of his fingers. The top Olympic shooters shoot a deep hook typically and hold the full poundage of the bow at the release, many around 50lbs. If I had my druthers I'd shoot 50-55lbs with a 60% let-off.


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## DDSHOOTER (Aug 22, 2005)

Bull, Its best to shoot low letoff percentage with a wheel bow (big valley cam). However, if you have a hard cam bow with a short valley and draw stops then it really doesn't matter; because you will more than likely pull against the wall (back tension) or off the wall (dead), depending on your type of release. I shoot dead release at 75%, two fingers under, off the wall, as I push the bow slightly towards the target. Most the time that is. LOL. dd


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## bull moose (Dec 22, 2010)

DD,

New bow has overdrive binary cams....with draw stops...

I dont understand what you mean when saying "pulling against the wall (back tension)" vs "pulling off the wall (dead)" ? and "dead release" ?

If you could take a minute to explain...:moose:


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## vkrules (Aug 31, 2009)

Also with high let off it's easier to torque the string. ( test it yourself, hold at full draw and twist your hand, watch what happens to the string) less of a problem with a 1 or 2 finger release. With draw stops you can set it to whatever you like,I shoot 60% letoff with 2 finger release and 80% with 1 finger and pull through the wall(hopefully with good back tension)


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## Zonker (Dec 2, 2010)

^^I agree. More letoff = less fingers required. 80% = 1 finger release = Win


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## fuelracerpat (May 6, 2008)

bull moose said:


> DD,
> 
> New bow has overdrive binary cams....with draw stops...
> 
> ...


A "dead "release is where one locks his hand to his face or anchor point and the hand does not move rearward at the shot. This can be accomplished from holding in the "valley" or hard against the backwall.
Shooting "hard against the wall" or backtension is just that... pulling continually past the valley and against the backwall of the valley as if you were trying to further bend the limbs of the bow.


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## IBBW (Mar 29, 2005)

I am beginning to think it has more to do with how it falls into the letoff that makes them hard for us to shoot. Many high letoff cams have a feeling that you are dropping into a hole when the letoff comes. Thus to get "out" things are far to "loose" feeling, almost like you have to push the string to get it to go foward. Some of the new cams incorporate draw stops that allow you to adjust your draw by moving the stops, therefore by picking different draw lengths you can move the stops around and get varying letoffs, wall and feel. I think they have something here we finger shooters need to investigate more closely. I think it could possibly lead to the ability to shoot higher letoffs and increase the ability to aim more steady and with more comfort. Yes less fingers will be involved.


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## DDSHOOTER (Aug 22, 2005)

Yes, a finger shooting friend of mine shoot with his top two fingers under the nock at 65% letoff. He says the string just pinches the tips of his fingers at full draw and he pull thru (pulls his fingers towards his shoulder as he pulls thru the shot) the same way he did with a back tension release..... I have tried this and I end up plucking the string sometimes, sending the arrow to never, never land. I have played with different letoff combination in order to get a feel that you set in a valley but not to far that you have to push to get out VS On the other hand I don't like the feeling where it feels like you interupted the draw with draw stops or the feeling the string is going to ripe out of your finger if you try to relax. Hope that make sense? See I try to relax alittle when the pin is on the spot and just watch it float as I try to continue to relax (dead) release to the target. Its hard to explain all my focus is on the target at this point. After my battle with TP for so many year I found that I was fighting the release as the pin came into the spot from above; Sometimes releasing to soon or pushing it down to make it happen if I freeze above..... So I kind of retrained myself to shoot differently. And yes the drawlength has to be right on, which can vary the letoff! dd


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## zestycj7 (Sep 24, 2010)

I only have the middle and ring fingers on my right hand, I drop my middle finger once I get to full draw and get a real clean release. My Shadowcat is setup with 80% letoff.
Hope you can see my hold by these pics. and they can help you.
Don.


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