If you are new to archery or just want some extra stability for your bow, a bow wrist sling is an excellent option. A wrist sling is a belt that goes around your archer’s waist and back. The ends come together, forming a belt that is then stitched onto your bow. This type of bow accessory allows you to draw and release the bow with one hand, while still maintaining good balance and stability. It also gives you more leverage when drawing, which means that your aim will be much better.
If you are looking for a bow wrist sling, there are two main types to choose from. One is a leather harness, and the other is a metal grommet. Both work very well, but a leather harness has a few pros and cons. A leather harness is easier to carry and use, and it is also lighter weight, allowing for easier transportation and storage. There are a few cons associated with a leather harness as well.
The most obvious are associated with a leather bow wrist sling is that it is easier to get a good tight grip on. If you are not particularly experienced at handling a bow, this may be a pro that helps you draw more easily. A bow that are easier to handle means that it will be easier to learn how to use it properly, and it will come in handy for those quick shots that you will need to take. There are downsides to leather as well. Since the bow is so light, the draw weight needs to be relatively low, otherwise you will have a hard time drawing it and swinging it with anything other than a loose grip.
A bow wrist sling attached to the archer’s hip is a great option for many archers. Since the archer’s body is relatively free, this makes it much easier to move around and work on aiming for a new shot. A drawback to this setup is that the free arm of the archer is still free to pull back the bow, potentially doing damage to the hip or groin area. This is not an issue if the bow is lightweight, since it won’t have much mass to resist the pulling force.
Another setup for a bow wrist sling that works well is one where the archer keeps one arm at a slightly bent angle from the other. The archer can then adjust the free arm as necessary to get a better angle for the shot and thus improve accuracy. It can be much easier to practice this type of setup without actually having to adjust the device to your arm, as the free arm is fixed to some extent anyway. As such many beginners find this to be an effective and simple way to get a feel for the whole process.
Hiking and climbing are ideal situations for a Cordura or Leather Harness setup. The reason is that they offer the greatest protection against nasty falls on uneven terrain. These kinds of devices also tend to work best with lightweight, flexible materials, hence being suitable for most backpacking trips. Hikers and mountaineers can also benefit from a bow wrist sling when carrying a backpack. Since they are attached to the backpack using the sling system, they allow you to carry more weight than you normally would, thereby reducing the chances of your limbs twisting due to uneven terrain or carrying too much weight at once.
