My history of using hinge releases to shoot a bow has been somewhat brief. It is that way, not because I didn’t like using a hinge. I actually really enjoyed shooting them. It was brief because I’m primarily a bowhunter and I didn’t believe that hinge releases were practical for bowhunting. So, I have shot an index-style release and thumb button release for that application the past 10 years or so. My original opinion of hinge releases has been influenced to shift in a different direction and it’s all because of the Evolution Outdoors Ibex. A hinge made for bowhunters by bowhunters.
I’m not going to do a full review here on the release, as I’ve already done one over on Gear Junkie. Consider this more of me considering to actually switch to a hinge for bowhunting. I never thought I’d say that after my previous experiences doing so.
Like I mentioned, I really enjoyed shooting a hinge. It always gave a surprise shot, which is what I like, and offered a much more natural hand position at full draw than my beloved index did. The real hang-up for me when it came to hunting was getting the release hooked on the D-loop in the heat of the moment. And when I say “heat of the moment” I’m talking about predator calling for bears with a bow. For spot and stalk hunting, or even ambush hunting, I never worried about this. It was the thought of a bear coming in to finish off the dying cries of my call in thick vegetation that gave me pause. Things need to be automatic in these scenarios. They need to be efficient. An index and thumb were automatic and I could just hang a thumb button on the d-loop too. A hinge was none of those things until the Ibex came around.
Since the Ibex came out I have been testing it either at the archery range or just at my house. Every time I’ve used it, I’ve had a smile on my face. Plain and simple, this thing is so fun to shoot. And the fact that I can hang it on my d-loop like a thumb button immediately put the thought in my head about potentially hunting with it.
My shooting has been top-notch with the Ibex and accuracy is always something at the top of my mind. There’s not just that though. I also honestly feel like I can get a much more consistent shot than I can with an index style. This is really saying a lot for me because I’ve harped on index styles for years. Of course, I still think they are fantastic and will continue to use them, but I cannot deny what I’m experiencing. With an index, I feel REALLY confident. There are times, though, when the shot doesn’t break as soon as I’d like it to, which causes my shot to break down. This is something I’ve worked on through the years, and have managed of course, but it’s not something I have to deal with when using the Ibex hinge release.
All of that said, I’m always up for improving my game. The more consistent I can be behind the bow, the more accurate and ultimately deadly I can be as a bowhunter. This is something I take seriously.
So, did I just switch to a hinge for bowhunting? I’m not entirely sure yet, but I’ve decided to give it a good test run in the field. It’s something that’s been somewhat gnawing at me because I shoot the release very well. And the fact that I can hang it on the D-loop at the ready gives me peace for the hunting side of things. I’ve got a whitetail deer hunt coming up this November and I think it’ll be the perfect environment to use the Ibex. This hunt will be an ambush-style hunt from a treestand with shots being relatively close. I’m not sure what is going to happen. What I do know is that my arrows are hitting behind my pins consistently and it feels great. The Ibex is providing me with a bit of peace, not just with the D-loop feature, but in my shot execution.
I’ll be sure to update you all with what happens in the coming months. If things go well on the whitetail hunt, maybe I’ll stick with the Ibex and take it right into coues deer/javelina season this coming January. Or who knows, I might decide that it’s great for the archery range, but not for the field. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that good things are on the horizon with the Evolution Outdoors Ibex.
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