Hunting with a bow demands precision. One of the main reasons for an off-aim arrow shot is the hand of the user on the bow. The user might grab the bow before or during shooting an arrow, moving it away from the target.
There is a straightforward solution to this problem, and it lies within a bow wrist sling. A bow wrist sling is a handy accessory used by archers.
This article is all about bow wrist slings. Here we will talk in detail about them and see what top options are available on the market.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Bow Wrist Slings
- OUR TOP PICK: Ace Two Tactical Bow Wrist Sling
- RUNNER-UP: Allen Paracord Braided Wrist Bow Sling
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Easton 127693|TF
Comparison of the Best Bow Wrist Slings
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What is a Bow Wrist Sling, and What is it Used For?
A bow wrist sling is an archer’s accessory that goes around their hand and stabilizes the bow. With one on, there is no need to hold the bow before or during shooting arrows. The sling attaches the bow to your hand so that when it leaps forward during shooting, it is kept contained in the side by the sling without you grappling onto it.
This leads to more accurate aims because the shooter does not move the bow away from the target, even by the slightest, by not grabbing it.
Hence, a bow wrist sling is used to enable archers to keep their hands off the bow and make more accurate aims with consistency.
How Do I Choose a Wrist Sling?
The choice of wrist sling is mostly determined by the comfort, durability, and how tight they are on your hand. Here’s how:
Comfort
A sling should not, in any case, cause discomfort because that would directly affect your performance. It should fit loosely around your wrist. The material should be comfortable on the skin and should not cause any rashes. As the sling restricts the bow's motion, the friction from the material should not cause any discomfort.
Durability
Another critical aspect to consider is the durability and dependability of the wrist sling. The cord should be lightweight but also strong enough to hold the bow in place. Depending upon your bow's weight, make sure the sling you buy does not break under its weight.
Tightness
Wrist slings are meant to surround the hand of the archer loosely. They should not be tight around your skin.
This is because a rope tightly wrapped around the skin would cause rashes and burns when it stops the bow from falling. Conversely, it shouldn’t be too loose to slip off the hand with the bow after shooting.
Ace Two Tactical Bow Wrist Sling
Review of the Best Bow Wrist Slings
Now that we know how a wrist sling works and what to look for in one let’s see what options are readily available. This review is a detailed discussion on some of the best wrist slings out there.
Best Overall:
Ace Two Tactical Bow Wrist Sling
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Most recent buyers were of the view that this wrist sling was an excellent addition to the bow. It kept a good hold on it and was very easy to not only install but also adjust. They were well satisfied with the overall build and design layout of the sling as well.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Ace Two Tactical Bowstring is suitable for almost any compound bow, which significantly enhances its usability. It could easily latch on to any of them. For the novice and experienced hunters, it is a great option.
Moreover, even with high-grade, durable cordage, it is gentle on the skin and lightweight as well. You can use it with bare hands or with gloves, making it suitable for all weather. In case of emergency, the cord can be used as a tourniquet or for fishing. This might prove life-saving under dangerous circumstances. All these features make for a great combo.
Bottom Line
A lightweight, dependable, and easy-to-use solution to your bow-holding problems lie in this wrist sling. It works fine for a variety of different compound bow models, and due to its intelligent design, it is popular among the archer’s community.
Product Specs
Material:
Leather with Metal Grommet
Weight:
0.64 oz
Attachment Type:
Screw
Bow Compatibility:
Compound
Runner-up:
Allen Paracord Braided Wrist Bow Sling
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This product has served recent buyers well. They report that the sling is of high quality and it works as intended. With easy installation, it is comfortable against the hand. The braided paracord design adds additional strength to catch falling bows. It is one of the best choices for anyone looking for an open-grip sling for their bow.
Why it Stands Out to Us
What makes this sling stand out is its suitability for new archers as well as experienced ones. It is a fine choice for many compound bows. Since it comes with an adapter nut for the stabilizer, it provides an almost complete kit.
With the open grip, the sling is loose around the hand so that you don’t mess up your aim but also wrapped enough to stop the bow from falling. The loose fit also prevents any sort of rashes, cuts, or harsh jerks to your hand while you shoot your arrow. The sling utilizes good-quality material like a full-grain leather yoke, making it capable of enduring heavyweight bows without snapping mid hunt.
Bottom Line
Featuring a bright-colored braided cord, this Allen sling serves very well in its purpose to stop the bow from moving too forward post-shooting. This is one of those accessories that can be used right out of the box and does not require any complex working understandings to develop.
Product Specs
Material:
Leather
Weight:
2 oz
Attachment Type:
Bolt
Bow Compatibility:
Compound
Best for the Money:
Easton 127693|TF
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers thought that this sling was a nice upgrade in their archer’s accessories. It is very durable because of its thick neoprene strap. The neoprene was not overbearing on the hand and gave a slight tension to let the user know it was still on their hand.
Why it Stands Out to Us
With neoprene construction, not only is this sling comfortable on the skin, but it is also easy to adjust. Like other neoprene straps, it is also adjusted by a plastic buckle, which makes using it a whole lot easier.
With such an adjustment mechanism, all you have to do is close the buckle rather than pulling on the strands to get the right adjustments. The hole is protected by a metal grommet to prevent the cord from tearing during use from strong pulls and tugs that result from shooting the arrow. This further enhances the overall strength.
Bottom Line
Neoprene strands are robust and resistant to wear and casual damage. They are also not easy to tear or cut. Hence, a sling made with neoprene strands is one of the most reliable and strong options. Easton combines this strength with easy adjustment to make for a very useful design.
Product Specs
Material:
Neoprene
Weight:
0.95 oz
Attachment Type:
Screw
Best Compound Bow Wrist Sling:
Easton Stiff Sling Wrist Sling
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buying this wrist sling turned out to be a good experience for recent purchasers. According to them, it features a very strong cord that is resistant to breakage and tearing. It could be easily attached to any compound bow and delivers enough rigidity to never collapse between shots but, at the same time, be gentle on the wrist.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It has a stiff cord, which makes it rigid, and this rigidity, in turn, reinforces strength. Tight braiding and the stiffness allow the cord to hold shape. Not only that, but it also results in quick gripping of the bow.
But that's not all; the sling comes with a vibration-reducing molding mount that minimizes vibration preventing the arrow from deflecting from the target due to unavoidable handshaking. As a result, the whole system becomes more stable and steady and prevents the arrow from deflecting from the aim.
Bottom Line
Rigidity and stiffness are the key characteristics employed by this wrist sling to connect the bow to the archer’s hand. Like all good slings, this one too is lightweight and very easy to adjust. Moreover, it comes in various colors for archer’s to match it to their gear.
Product Specs
Material:
Synthetic Material
Weight:
0.5 lbs
Attachment Type:
Bolt (not included)
Best Paracord Bow Wrist Sling:
YLS Bow Slings Archery Wrist Sling
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
YLS bow sling was a massive hit among recent buyers. It gave them the perfect fit and was vouched for its strength. For many buyers, it worked very well even after constant use and with heavy bows. The cord stayed on the hand and did not slip off in the event of the bow’s forward motion.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Several features make this sling stand out. The overall design with a braided cord with full-grain leather and a metal grommet make for a very strong and durable sling. The unit gives good, stable control over the bow without being harsh on the hand.
Moreover, the three holes on each side of the grommet not only allow for quick adjustment as the user wants but also makes for a stronghold on the hand. They also make sure that the cord stays in its adjusted position without slipping.
Bottom Line
Serving its purpose very well, the product holds everything securely in place. Constant use and heavy bows are not a problem for it thanks to its design that exudes nothing but strength and easy usage. All in all, the YSL wrist sling is one of the best paracord slings available.
Product Specs
Material:
Leather with Metal Grommet
Attachment Type:
Screw
Bow Compatibility:
Compound
Best Recurve Bow Wrist Sling:
SUNYA Archery Bow Wrist Sling
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
For most recent buyers, the sling was exactly what they wanted. The various colors matched their archery gear. As far as working goes, the sling was smooth; it prevented the bow from falling very effectively without being harsh to the hand and without producing too much of a shock.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The sling features five-star construction. The yoke is made from one-piece bull-hide leather and lacks anything that might affect its strength like stitches or fillers. Since there are no stitches or joints, there exist no weak points on the leather from where it might rip.
The braided cord further adds to the strength of the design. The sling cord would never split, no matter how powerful and heavy a bow is. It is suitable for all sizes and could be customized for adjustments whenever needed via the three holes on either side of the grommet.
Bottom Line
All in all, this is another excellent wrist sling for those who prefer open grip. It is among the strongest accessories present in the archery world that also works like a charm. Topping the great construction and amazing functionality is a three-year warranty that covers the yoke and the cord of the sling.
Product Specs
Material:
Leather
Weight:
Attachment Type:
2.5 oz
Bolt
Bow Compatibility:
Compound
Best Leather Bow Wrist Sling:
Ten Point Gear Bow Archery Wrist Sling
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers for its quality widely hailed the product. They were of the view that for the price, this might just be the best option available. The sling felt nice and worked reasonably well. And unlike cheaper options of budget brands, for this price, it is made of quality material.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Most wrist slings use a braided design for additional strength. Ten Point incorporated a full weave design to take it one step further. The weaves interconnect individual strands in a strong network so that the weight is equally distributed, lowering the chances of the cord snapping under heavyweight.
With three holes on each side of the grommet, it becomes easier to adjust such a thick weave. Moreover, it is suitable for beginners and professionals. It is especially popular among hunters. Under survival conditions, the cord comes in handy as a tourniquet to lower blood loss and works as a fishing tool too.
Bottom Line
In a nutshell, this wrist sling by Ten Point has all the characteristics that make for a promising product. From the design to comfort and convenience of use, it has everything covered at an affordable price.
Product Specs
Material:
Leather with Metal Grommet
Attachment Type:
Screw
Bow Compatibility:
Compound and recurve bows
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bow Wrist Slings
Like all other things, wrist bow slings also have advantages and disadvantages. To ensure maximum suitability, the buyer should be well aware of them to avoid making uninformed decisions.
Advantages
The key features that distinguish a wrist sling and give it an upper hand over other sling types are discussed in this section. All these characteristics, when combined, make for an excellent accessory to your hunting kit.
Maintenance-Free
The sling is practically a maintenance-free accessory. You don’t have to worry about cleaning it or tightening the braids. It does not wear under constant rigorous use. The only adjustments you will ever have to make are to tighten or loosen it according to the size of your wrist.
Better Aiming
A wrist sling stabilizes the bow and the hand by the wrist. This gives better stability and prevents the hand from shivering underweight and the bow from deflecting from the target. As a result, when you shoot the arrow, it lands without little deflections that might cause it to go off-target.
No Need to Hold the Bow
These slings act as a connection between the archer’s wrist and the bow. That’s why there is no need for the archer to hold the bow once the sling is installed. This not only makes for better aims but also prevents the hand from tiring out.
Disadvantages
Even though wrist slings are an excellent option for archers of all levels, there are still some features that you need to remain mindful of before buying one. These features might not be the deal-breakers but will impact your ease of use.
Might Snap
If a wrist sling is made with a low-quality cord and is not braided or weaved properly, it might break under the bow's weight.
As a result, it is deemed completely useless when you need it the most, and there is no way to repair it. Hence, a wrist sling must always have a good-quality durable cord.
How to Use a Bow Wrist Sling
Using a wrist bow sling is not hard at all. And when brands claim easy hassle-free installation that won’t require an assistant, they mean it. Let’s see in the following steps how to use a bow wrist sling.
- Unpack your bow wrist sling and see if there is a stabilizer adapter nut present in the package.
- If the kit does not include a stabilizer nut, you will have to purchase one.
- Next, locate the screw hole for the stabilizer near the back of the bow, from where it is held.
- You’ll see one from where you hold the bow during shooting.
- Align the hole on the sling with the hole on the bow.
- Screw in the adapter nut tightly so that the wrist sling is held in place.
- Now slide your hand through the sling.
- Adjust the size of the sling so that it is not too tight nor too loose around your hand.
- Cock and load your bow. Aim using the wrist sling, allowing it to hold the weight of the body without your hand holding the bow.
- Adjust the sling as needed for maximum accuracy.
Use the following video to understand the process better:
Conclusion
Wrist slings bring some much-needed ease to your life. They are an essential accessory that not only gives you a more accurate aim but also prevents your hand from tiring out. A wrist sling needs to be made from high-quality and robust material as it has to bear the weight of the bow. There are numerous options available for archers to choose from based on their preferences.
People Also Ask
It is quite possible that our discussion above might not have covered all aspects related to bow slings. For this reason, you might have some questions remaining unanswered. In this section, we have answered some of the most sought-after queries related to bow wrist slings.
Do I Need a Wrist Sling on My Bow?
A wrist sling will greatly stabilize your bow by liberating your hand from having to hold the bow. Hence, it not only results in more accurate aims but also gives your hand much-needed rest. A bow will function without a sling, but it would work better with one.
How Tight Should a Bow Wrist Sling Be?
Archers prefer to leave the wrist sling loose around the wrist. This helps the bow move forward during the shooting and prevents it from falling, giving it the necessary space. If the sling is wrapped too tightly around the hand, it might cause the bow to torque because the sling is in the archer’s hand. This might also cause damage to the wrist.
