I am restoring a couple vintage Bear compounds , I still have the hot shot thumb release my dad used in the early 80’s

What were some of the first mechanical releases available?

I have talked to many who said the shot the early compounds without a release aid, all said they shot split finger.

I don't know who made this release but it was my dad's and he gave it to me when I started bowhunting in the mid 80's.

I believe that is a Pro Deluxe release by Tru-fire.

*Edit*

It's got cut outs in the handle, so It's a Bear Pro Deluxe release, model# 7310.

God Bless,
David B.

Nice! Thanks for sharing

Traditional bow shooters for the biggest part shot fingers and no release.

I still have my red hot shot release hanging on my bear whitetail hunter that my dad gave me in the early 80’s.

Hunted a couple years with them but never killed anything. Couple of misses is all I had back then.

I’d like to refurb the bow and hunt with it sometime.

That’s exactly What I am doing, My dads whitetail hunter has been miss placed but I was lucky enough to have kept up with the hotshot release. Going to refurbish a similar bow and hunt with it Occasionally.

Good luck finding it. I actually have his whitetail hunter too. Have them hanging side by side.

His has blood on it. Mine doesn’t!