Big Shot Question

[dhuffnmu]

I am looking into buying a Big Shot in order to better help me set lines from the ground especially for trimming situations.

How many of you use the Big Shot and find it valuable? Or not valuable? I see Sherill has them for 109$ with two 4' poles. Up till now I have been using the underhand throw but that is hard when there are lots of limbs on the tree.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The BS with the four footers is a good setup.

My shoulders will ache if I do hard throws.

There are two [at least] situations that the BS really shines. One is where you need to shoot straight up. When handthrowing you need to have more of an arc in order to get height.

Another place is with twiggy canopies. If you hand throw the bag will be deflected by small twigs. The BS has enough OOMPH to smack the twigs and keep going.

With practice you can call your shot and make it with good success.

Oh, be sure to tie off the end of the throwline or have a bag on both ends. Know why, I do...

This is my trigger setup. I use a stainless snap shackle with the blue line laced through the eye. The friction hitch is made with some large diameter throwline. Make sure that the gate of the shackle opens away from the pole section so that it doesn't interfere with the pouch.

I've talked with some people who use arrow releases instead of the shackle. That seems like a good trigger since I've seen them for sale at around $15.