# Bows of the top class "Target" Finger shooters



## NeilM (May 22, 2006)

The top finger shooter in the Uk is probably Tom Milner. He has won just about everything worth winning over here in 2008. I believe Tom used a Drenalin LD as his DL is even longer than mine.

Unfortunately for me, Tom has decided to spend some time in another class for 2009, gosh darn it


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## Harperman (Sep 3, 2006)

Thanks for the reply, Neil!...So, so far, it seems that the top Finger shooter in the U.K. has a long draw lenght, and is shooting a 37" bow, with a 7"-ish brace height....Thanks!...Jim


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## wirenut583 (Nov 4, 2007)

*too few*

I would love to join this post but at most shoots I go to locally there are but a few of us finger shooters. and that number seems to bo on the decline.


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## jmoose77 (Apr 3, 2004)

wirenut583 said:


> I would love to join this post but at most shoots I go to locally there are but a few of us finger shooters. and that number seems to bo on the decline.


Same here...at the last 3-d shoot I attended the only finger shooters I saw were shooting recurves.


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## Robert58 (Oct 5, 2002)

*Finger Bows*

In Texas most Spot Shooters shoot Hoyt, Barnsdale/Redman, Mathews. 42" to 45" ATA. I shoot A Scepter II Elite with Nitrous cams 43 1/2" ATA 8 3/8" braceheight.

Robert


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

MY good friend and partner in crime from NY, The PimpDaddy, who has won eight silver bowlsin NFAA ( and the last five in a row I think) in AMFSL outdoors shoots a protec with cam and a half. I don't really pay attention to what others shoot. I have enough trouble just keeping up with what I'm doing.


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## IBBW (Mar 29, 2005)

*Your right!!!*

I see the Apex 42" ATA, Martin Scepter 43" ATA, Conquest 42" 1/4 ATA. Good choices..........


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## FallingCrows (Sep 24, 2007)

IBBW said:


> I see the Apex 42" ATA, Martin Scepter 43" ATA, Conquest 42" 1/4 ATA. Good choices..........



And try getting these in left handed? $$$$$$ Too much for my taste
Sorry boys and girls, but I can't afford the new bows so I buy used at 1/3 or less the price.


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## IBBW (Mar 29, 2005)

*Sorry Man*

Fallingcrows you ever try to shoot right handed? I started out a lefty myself. Back then getting the stuff you _WANTED_ in LH was impossible. I switched because of it. Never looked back.

I bought my wife an Apex off here for less than half price. A month later I picked up an identical color A7 for about 1/3 of what it cost. I have only seen pictures of them but I would say that one looked really nice and the other was immaculate.


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## wirenut583 (Nov 4, 2007)

*lefty as well*

I also shoot left, right handed but left eyed, I ususally dont have a problem getting what I want. The problem is you cant just walk in to your neighborhood proshop or sportsmens warehouse and find a selection, so I have to do more research and rely on good archery people to tell the truth.


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## fingers shooter (Feb 10, 2007)

I'm shooting a Martin Slayer 07 for fingers this year with a brace height of about 7" and ata of 38". I shot the mathews apex 7 in 2007 with about the same measurements but started shooting for Martin in 2008 and have never looked back. Due to a hand injury last year I did not shoot fingers last year but I'm going to in 2009. I just like the 38" bows better than longer ones for me. And thanks for the props in the opening thread.


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## Harperman (Sep 3, 2006)

fingers shooter said:


> I'm shooting a Martin Slayer 07 for fingers this year with a brace height of about 7" and ata of 38". I shot the mathews apex 7 in 2007 with about the same measurements but started shooting for Martin in 2008 and have never looked back. Due to a hand injury last year I did not shoot fingers last year but I'm going to in 2009. I just like the 38" bows better than longer ones for me. And thanks for the props in the opening thread.


....Fingers Shooter...Thanks for the post...As for the "Props", I gotta give gredit where credit is due...Folks, this fella, "Fingers Shooter" did some serious shooting in the I.B.O. in '07...heres what He did...He won the National Triple Crown, pulling ahead of 2nd place by 21 points..Won the I.B.O. Indoor Worlds...Won the toughest leg of the National Triple Crown, at Nelsonville, and finished with 2nd place at the other two legs of the National Triple Crown...I was shooting at a 3-D shoot close to home, and a fella from His area told me about this guy, and said the He could really shoot....I figured Him to be an older fella, that had been shooting fingers since "Back in the Day"...NOPE...Scott had been shooting fingers for less than 3 years at that time...And if a 38" bow, with a 7" brace couldn't be shot accurately, I figured that He wouldn't have been shooting it...Another fella that shot pretty well in '07 was Darrell Kelsey, He shoots around here, and last time I talked to Him, He was shooting a PSE, and was saying that He was getting an X-Force to shoot 3-D with...The Wolfram crew also shoot 3-D at some of the shoots that I go to, and Eric can shoot very well also...Scott, do You know what bow Eric shoots?...Take care!.....Jim


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## NeilM (May 22, 2006)

Interesting! 

I wouldn't put myself anywhere near these guys, as I have just won a few Open shoots, but I have wavered between a Ross Cr337 and my Bowtech Constitution and have found aspects of both that I like.

Currently the hard backstop and rapid release of the Connie gets it, as I have to really concentrate on follow through with the Ross to get the best out of it (and it's best is very good). Both are 60 lbs and both have exactly the same speed.

Are the most successful competition archers drifting towards shorter ATA bows then?


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## Bruce K (Jun 1, 2002)

over here a lot of us use razor x elites or Hoyt montega's 

I have also bought an x 8 that I might try fingers with . Most finger shooters here in australia are non sighted archers (barebow or Bowhunter style )


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## TexasGuy (Jan 27, 2005)

One thing I learned a long time ago:

The top shooters in the land (fingers or release), can shoot just about ANYTHING extremely well, guys......

While it's only natural to want to know what "The Best" are shooting, what they shoot may very well NOT be the best for a new.....or average.....or even an above-average shooter.....

Don't get too tied-up in "who shoots what?"......They may win next year with a completely different bow/brand/cams, etc......then what will you do? 

"Chasing after" whatever bow certain Pro's are currently shooting is a lesson in frustration.....trust me....been there, done that, got the T-shirt!


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## Harperman (Sep 3, 2006)

TexasGuy said:


> One thing I learned a long time ago:
> 
> The top shooters in the land (fingers or release), can shoot just about ANYTHING extremely well, guys......
> 
> ...


.....TexasGuy...Good points, and I agree to a point.....But, the main purpose of starting this thread was to see what bows that Finger shooters that are shooting well are using, and to kinda make a point that alot of the bows that are touted as being "Finger Bows" just arent that popular, with Competitive archers...I've never seen a Finger shooter at a 3-D shoot shooting a Montega, or any round wheel, really long A-T-A , high brace height bow for that matter...Granted, there arent many Finger shooters shooting today, and even less of them shoot Competition, but I really dont beleive that to shoot well with Fingers, that an archer must use a really long, soft drawing/soft back walled high brace height bow...or that a Finger shooter has to shoot a bow anywhere close to this description to hunt with, at least in the Eastern parts of the U.S.A...I do want to add that I'm NOT talking about shooting indoor/outdoor Spots, or Field Archery, where the distance is KNOWN...A bow shooting 100 f.p.s. is usable if the archer KNOWS the target distance...And I've watched some finger shooters shoot some pretty good scores with bows that are fast,(over 280 f.ps., and up to over 300 f.p.s.) and some say that the bows arent "Finger "Bows...Just wanted to reiterate My reason for starting the thread...Take Care......Jim


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## SkookumDon (Oct 19, 2002)

*Bows for Finger Shooters*

I shoot compound fingers and have had the best luck with Hoyt ProTec, Hoyt Vantage X8, Hoyt Montega, Matthews Conquest Apex, and Martin Scepter IV. I would stay away from shoot through risers (.e.g. ProElite) if shooting fingers.


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## jcs-bowhunter (Jul 7, 2007)

Rick Sietsma (not sure on the spelling) who shoots here in West Michigan and places well in National Triple Crown IBO shoots, I believe shot a Bowtech Constitution last year ('07). 

Haven't crossed paths with him for a while to know his current setup.


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## longbowjll (Mar 14, 2005)

*bows*

here is a list thats as good as my memory

con 3 and 4 GENE CURRY,HERSHEL HOLLY,BRIAN MARCUM,JOSEPH GOZA,RYAN LEONARD, JOE GRIT,MITCH PUTTNAM, GARY RIGNEY, 


APEX CHARLIE OWEN,RODNEY HUFFMAN,CHRIS STACHLER, TOM BLANTON, FAYE FRIGON


DREN LD LARRY GOZA,BRIAN GOZA,MIKE NICHOLSON


HOYT TROY CARPENER, LELDON FUTERAL


MARSHALL COWBOY

A COUPLE OF GUYS SHOOT MARTINS AT SOME SHOOTS I CANNOT REMEBER THEIR NAMES

I KNOW I LEFT OFF A FEW PEOPLE MY MIND IS NOT GOOD. I SHOOT A CON 4 NOT THE BEST BUT I TRY.


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## longbowjll (Mar 14, 2005)

*Bows*

I know that there is alot of shooters that shoot spots that i didnt mention. Im not a spot shooter. I have a great deal of respect for spotters. I went to louisville e few years ago. I had shot probably a dozen 300s in a row and i didnt think about what my score would be just my x count. Well needless to say after about ten minutes my weekend was over. I shot a 299 and 299. Never been back. I have never gotten nervous shooting 3d but the spots worked on me.a lot of great spot shooters shooting different bows. I respect them all.


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## Johnny b (Dec 31, 2008)

*Long live Oneida's*

I have been shooting fingers since i was a kid at 9yrs. Shot Martin's, PSE'S AND started out with a Carroll. But have been shooting an Oneida Strike eable since 1985. Have had two of the risers break from Fatague. I just buy another one on line and get after it. Love the long smooth let off. Not too many of us left around here. All the 3D shoots i go to i am usually the only barebow shooter there. Just a few traditional shooters which they put me in their class. Which in my opinion is not fair to them. So i usually still shoot from the blue stake to keep it fair.


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## Harperman (Sep 3, 2006)

jcs-bowhunter said:


> Rick Sietsma (not sure on the spelling) who shoots here in West Michigan and places well in National Triple Crown IBO shoots, I believe shot a Bowtech Constitution last year ('07).
> 
> Haven't crossed paths with him for a while to know his current setup.


...Rick Sietsema was I.B.O. Shooter of the year this year, and won the I.B.O. World Championship this year also..Rick shoots a BowTech Constitution, 64#, 29" draw..with 330 grain arrows, off of a Cavalier Free-Flyte rest..at 302 f.p.s...His winning score was 460, with 10 X's (11's)...Thats averaging 9.2 points per target..Awesome shooting!....Jim


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## cap61 (Aug 14, 2007)

Hey Jim! I was wondering if you ever ran in to Rodney Huffman of Mathews. He shoots fingers but I don't know what class. I know he has won several World tiles shooting for them, but won his first shooting for Hoyt as an amature. Maybe a couple with them as a pro before he switched to Mathews. He is from here in Southeast Missouri and is a good friend of mine. Pretty good guy to have around to ask questions to about shooting! Kind of lost track of him here lately because of my goofy work schedule. Was was setting up a bow one night at the local bow shop and asking him alot of questions while he was shooting a practice round. He shot a 300 round while I was bugging him! He was trying to get over a little attack of target panic. Guess it worked!!!


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## mnjeff (Jun 19, 2004)

*rodney*



cap61 said:


> Hey Jim! I was wondering if you ever ran in to Rodney Huffman of Mathews. He shoots fingers but I don't know what class. I know he has won several World tiles shooting for them, but won his first shooting for Hoyt as an amature. Maybe a couple with them as a pro before he switched to Mathews. He is from here in Southeast Missouri and is a good friend of mine. Pretty good guy to have around to ask questions to about shooting! Kind of lost track of him here lately because of my goofy work schedule. Was was setting up a bow one night at the local bow shop and asking him alot of questions while he was shooting a practice round. He shot a 300 round while I was bugging him! He was trying to get over a little attack of target panic. Guess it worked!!!


i shot 2006 outdoor nationals, 2007 vegas, pro fingers 2007 outdoor nationals. rodney huffman is a fun guy to be around.also randy brabec is a hoot to shoot with. they both gave me some advice that helped. there arre a fun bunch of finger shooters outthere. as for original question i shoot protecs with fingers.


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## cap61 (Aug 14, 2007)

mnjeff said:


> i shot 2006 outdoor nationals, 2007 vegas, pro fingers 2007 outdoor nationals. rodney huffman is a fun guy to be around.also randy brabec is a hoot to shoot with. they both gave me some advice that helped. there arre a fun bunch of finger shooters outthere. as for original question i shoot protecs with fingers.


Rodney is very modest about his talent too. Never one to brag, and he seems to always have time to answer your questions, or to cut up now and then. There has only been 1 article in the paper around here that I can remember about him, and that was when he shot for Hoyt and won as an amature. You are right though, a great guy to be around.


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## longbowjll (Mar 14, 2005)

*hey cap*

rodney is a nice guy. in 2005 i made my first shootdown and didnt know what to expect. i grabbed some lunch and rodney came over sat down and started telling me what i needed to do. i think that he was also in the shootdown and he was helping me. thats what i like about finger shooters. always willing to help each other


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## mike hogan (Nov 22, 2007)

*?*



SkookumDon said:


> I shoot compound fingers and have had the best luck with Hoyt ProTec, Hoyt Vantage X8, Hoyt Montega, Matthews Conquest Apex, and Martin Scepter IV. I would stay away from shoot through risers (.e.g. ProElite) if shooting fingers.


why?i shoot mine fine with fingers-mike


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## Harperman (Sep 3, 2006)

mike hogan said:


> why?i shoot mine fine with fingers-mike


....I shot a ProElite with XT-3000 limbs for a while, and it was a very good bow...Not hard to shoot Fingers with at all, very forgiving bow..I regret selling it quite often...I'm thinking about getting another ProElite, or maybe an UltraElite, with XT-3000 limbs, and Spirals...I'm not a serious Bowhunter, so loading an arrow through the riser isnt a big deal to Me...Been shooting a Scepter with X cables for over a year now also...Jim


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## fingershooters (Feb 17, 2005)

*Fingers bow*

I shoot the Hoyt 38 pro with fingers and love it. I have a 37 3/4 inch axel to axel. The brace height is 8 1/4" and It still can shoot a 370 grain arrow at 280 fps at 28 1/2 inch draw. I am very please on how fogiving it is.


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