Field Tested: Ultraview UV Button & Hinge 2

By the time you read this, I will have started my seventh decade on this spectacular rock. Like others my age, I tend to lean a shoulder into anything that represents a significant change in the way I do things. That’s probably a character flaw in this age of constant change, but one place where that crotchety attitude doesn’t apply is in my bowhunting. If a change will make me a better bowhunter/archer, I’m in.

So, in my 43rd year of bowhunting, I’m making a major change. I’ve switched from an index-finger trigger release aid to a thumb release.

The first thing I needed to do was find a release. After considerable research, I ordered an Ultraview UV Button for hunting, and for practice and backup, I ordered the Ultraview Hinge 2. The chassis are identical, so I can switch back and forth and get the same feel. The Hinge 2 features a highly adjustable, dual-moon system so you can micro-adjust the click and fire timing of this back-tension release. The first thing I did was eliminate the “click” in the release sequence. It only served to interrupt my concentration. Next, I set the “fire” moon to a middle range to get started.

The UV Button is also a marvel of precision engineering that allows you to set both the travel and pressure of your thumb button’s firing process. The angle of the thumb button can be adjusted to your hand, and a spring-loaded keeper secures the release to your D-loop. Complex internal mechanisms create a crisp yet quiet release that is unmatched by any index-finger release I’ve ever used.

With both releases pre-adjusted, I used the UV Button to draw my bow in search of a strange, new anchor point. This put my jawline against the back of my hand, between the knuckles of my forefinger and middle finger, instead of between my thumb and forefinger. This lowered my anchor to the point where I had to raise my peep about one inch, and my sight pins had to be moved up accordingly. Finding a comfortable anchor took some time, and my draw length grew by half an inch, to 30.75 inches, to get there. Draw length seemed more critical than with my old release.

Because the draw weight of my bow is now held by three fingers instead of my wrist, my drawing mechanics changed a bit. My forearm is twisted about 90 degrees, which changes muscle alignment. So, like everything else, it feels different.

Throughout this interesting process, my Ultraview releases performed flawlessly. I tweaked the settings until both releases felt similar. I use the Hinge 2 to begin most practice sessions so I can maintain a surprise release. I can then switch seamlessly to the UV Button for hunting practice.

After several winter months in my basement, executing the shot with my thumb, I will say it does feel more natural. As spring hunting seasons ensued, I worked on my release management; that is, keeping close track of it, clipping it to the D-loop and not dropping it or losing it. As you might expect, these high-end releases are not cheap.

The high-quality build of these Ultraview releases rises far above my level of shooting skill. But one thing I’ve learned is this: you always benefit from using the best gear you can find, and the UV Button and Hinge 2 — available in medium and large sizes and in aluminum and stainless steel versions — easily fall into that category.

---