Archery Equipment Reviews

Wanted to share my thoughts on a few thumb button releases I tried this year:

Over the course of the past year I've bought and tried a number of thumb button releases. Some are not worth mentioning.

I'd like to add: I use a thumb button release as a thumb button release. Meaning: I push the dang button with my thumb! I don't do as some people do and rotate the release into my thumb to trigger and use it as a hinge. I have a hinge release to use as a hinge and I want a thumb button release to use as a thumb button. It's my opinion a hinge is a lot better hinge than a thumb button is a hinge.

These 4 are/were my favorite of the bunch.

Spot Hogg Friday Night Delight:

Pros:

This release was the simplest to adjust and least expensive of the 4. One adjustment screw which is sort of a travel and tension adjustment in one. It was fairly easy to reset the hook by simply taking your index finger and flipping it to the lock position before hooking the D Loop. Set at a fairly light tension it has the crispest trigger of any thumb button I've tried. Even those costing nearly 3 times as much!

Cons:

It's tiny! And it has a really short neck. If you're small framed, short draw length, small to medium hands, this would be a perfect release if you're on a budget. But with my large hands my index finger actually contacted the D Loop at full draw due to the short neck. And my other fingers felt crowded.

Reason for selling:

Too small! If Spot Hogg made this release in a large size with a slightly longer neck that's probably where my search would have ended for the perfect thumb button release.

B3 Omega Pro:

Pros:

It had a great feel to it. Good adjustability for both travel and tension. The adjustable and interchangeable finger extensions are a nice addition. Overall you can adjust it pretty much any way you want it and I could shoot this release well.

Cons:

The hook lock mechanism. This release had a cocking lever and a semi closed hook that points toward the pinky rather than the index finger which makes it more awkward. Combined with the hole for the index finger I eventually grew weary of the routine of locking the hook in place. First, give the release a flick of the wrist to open the hook, then press the cocking lever, then you would put the hook around the D Loop and then, without dropping it you pressed the hook closed, then stick your index finger in the hole and draw and shoot. Eventually after a month or so all that became almost second nature but I like simple and I missed the simplicity of the Spot Hogg.

Reason for selling:

Too much this and that to cock and lock and the finger hole!

Tru Ball Abyss 4 medium:

Pros:

This is the original all brass. The new version works the same except it's called the Abyss Flex and has the finger extensions. Before I go further, I was told the Tru Ball medium size was comparable to a large size of other brands. It is not! So I really needed a large size. Had this been a large I'd still own it! The trigger and adjustments is by far the best I've ever used. You can give it lots of tension or breathe on it and it'll fire. You can have lots of travel or zero travel. The trigger is as crisp as anything. Adjustable head can be rotated to various positions to move the release away from your face to help minimize contact. Also the open hook design is easier to cock and lock and attach to the string than the B3 Omega Pro.

Cons:

It has a hole for your index finger. I hate the index finger hole. And adjustments. Perhaps too many adjustments can be a bad thing. I found myself tinkering with it a lot when I really didn't need to. But it's the most versatile and adjustable release I've ever owned.

Reason for selling:

It was simply too small. Even with the finger hole I would have kept it if it had been a large.

Tru Ball Trident 🔱

Pros:

I love the tri star hook. It's always cocked and ready to shoot. Maybe 1 out of 10 shots I have to touch the hook to open it but that's rare and it seems the more I shoot it the better it gets. I wanted this release since they first came out due to the tri star hook, because I previously owned a Tru Ball wrist strap with the same tri star hook so I knew I would like the hook. It has both travel and tension adjustment. It has the adjustable finger extension and the option to buy a 4 finger extension. The feel and balance in hand feels great and the large size fits me perfectly.

Cons:

The travel adjustment. I'm including this as a con, even though it doesn't hinder me and I've grown to like the tiny bit of travel. But the travel adjustment either has a tiny bit of travel, or it will fire prematurely. There's no way to completely remove all the travel from the trigger. At least not on my release. But like I said, I'm ok with it once I got used to it.

Edit: I don't know if the shooting of my release has just got it broken in or what. But today I went through the instructions and did a redo of the settings and now it has zero travel and a crisp hair trigger how I like it.

Reason for selling:

Haven't sold it. I still own it and I love this release. The only way I'll sell it is if they make one exactly the same with zero travel. This release nearly checks all the boxes for me and is about as perfect as it gets!!