Carter Like Mike 2

Is the Like Mike 2 viable as a hunting release, or is the click when you cock the hook loud enough to spook game?

It's viable for hunting, but the manual cocking click is the one real caveat — you have to reset the two-stage hook after every shot, and the audible click plus the risk of forgetting to reset divides owners. Cock it before the moment of truth, not during, and the click is a non-issue. If absolute silence at the draw is your priority, a no-cock release like the B3 Exit is quieter; for most hunting situations the Like Mike 2 is fine.

Like Mike 2 or Carter RX1 — which one should I buy, and what are the real differences?

The big functional difference is the magnet: several hunters specifically prefer the Like Mike 2 because it has no magnetic hook return to attract metallic grit, after RX1s misfired or failed to latch when the magnet collected dirt. The RX1 has the convenience of magnetic auto-return; the Like Mike 2 trades that for grit-immunity. For rocky, dirty hunting country, the Like Mike 2 is the safer choice; for a clean range environment, the RX1's auto-return is handy.

Will the long head and body work for someone with small hands, or can it be adjusted short enough to wrap a finger around the trigger?

Fit is the Like Mike 2's most personal sticking point — medium-to-XL hands love the longer body and deep finger wrap, but smaller-handed users find the hook-to-trigger distance too long to wrap a finger comfortably. There's some adjustment, but it can't fully shrink the body. If you have small hands, handle one before buying or look at a shorter-bodied release; the geometry runs large by design.

Why is my brand-new Like Mike 2 firing prematurely while I draw, and how do I fix it?

Premature firing on the draw usually means the trigger tension is set too light — back it off heavier until it won't trip under draw pressure, since the Like Mike 2's range goes from a hair trigger to so heavy you can wrap a finger fully around it. Also confirm your finger isn't resting on the trigger as you draw. Set it heavier, draw with your finger clear, and the early firing stops.

My Like Mike 2 arrived without the nylon tip locking screw mentioned in Carter's instructions — is something missing?

Some Like Mike 2 configurations don't ship the nylon tip locking screw because not every version uses it — but if Carter's instructions for your exact model list it and it's absent, contact Carter directly to confirm whether it's needed or missing. Don't shoot assuming it's optional if the instructions call for it. Carter's support will tell you definitively for your serial/config.

Is the Like Mike 2 a worthwhile upgrade over the original Like Mike?

It's a worthwhile upgrade if the original Like Mike's trigger range or fit didn't suit you — the 2 refines the crisp, near-zero-travel trigger and the tension range. If your original Like Mike is dialed and comfortable, the upgrade is incremental rather than essential. Buying fresh, take the 2; upgrading from a working original, only if you want the refinements.

How does the Like Mike 2 stack up against other premium index releases — Spot Hogg Wiseguy, Scott S2, TruBall Execution, Stan?

Against the Wiseguy, Scott S2, TruBall Execution and Stan, the Like Mike 2's standout is being a true handheld with an index-finger trigger and an exceptionally crisp, widely-adjustable break — the rare honest bridge between hunting triggers and target handhelds. The Wiseguy is simpler and wrist-strap-friendly; the Stan and TruBall lean target. If you want index-finger familiarity in a handheld body with a premium trigger, the Like Mike 2 is the pick; just budget for an aftermarket strap, since the stock one is widely disliked.

Across nearly every thread, owners call the trigger essentially zero-travel and exceptionally crisp, with an adjustment range wide enough to go from a hair trigger to so heavy you can wrap a finger fully around it. The lone dissenter found even the lowest setting too heavy for his taste.

The two-stage design must be manually cocked after every shot, and the audible click plus the risk of forgetting to reset divides opinion — some call it the release's one real annoyance or a potential deal-breaker for hunting, while long-term owners insist it becomes automatic muscle memory and a non-issue.

Fit is the most personal sticking point: shooters with medium-to-XL hands praise the longer body for a comfortable anchor and deep finger wrap, while smaller-handed users report the hook-to-trigger distance is too long even fully shortened and often end up on the shorter-headed RX1 instead.

Several hunters specifically prefer the Like Mike 2 over Carter's RX1 because it has no magnetic hook return to attract metallic dirt — multiple posters described RX1s misfiring or failing to latch after the magnet collected debris in the field, a failure mode the LM2 avoids entirely.

A consistent refrain is that setting the trigger heavy (with or without the steel-ball insert) turns it into a back-tension-style index release that is nearly impossible to punch — users credit it with curing trigger panic, producing surprise releases, and tightening groups noticeably.

Even devoted owners dislike the stock Carter strap — one bluntly called it garbage — and a recurring pattern across threads is swapping it for an aftermarket BOA-style strap (TruGlo, Tru-Fit) as the only modification the release needs.