Now that you’ve got your bow sights equipped (or peep sights!), go the extra mile to improve your accuracy! And you can do this by learning how to sight in a bow. We’re sharing some quick and easy tips for you to shoot your way towards a bullseye!
Note this article is about tuning your sight. To learn more about different kinds of bow sights click here.
Easy Tips on How to Sight in a Compound Bow
Sighting is essential in archery. Whether for recreational or hunting purposes, knowing how to accurately aim and hit your target is the way to go. Here are some tips for you to consider.
Check Your Archery Equipment
Make sure you have the right stuff when sighting. Here are some essentials you’d need to properly sight in a compound bow:
- Allen Wrench – the almighty tool that every archer needs to have. Have this handy – you may be needing to make some adjustments on-the-fly when you want to improve your accuracy!
- Arrows – always check the arrow quality. Make sure that they aren’t damaged. An arrow’s fletching needs to be checked for any cuts. Otherwise, it won’t fly the way you want it to be. For best results, opt to use arrows that have the same weight or length when sighting.
- Target – whether sighting in a shooting range or going the DYI route, make sure to prep your target as well.
Double-Check Your Bow
The bow is generally considered as the most important gear that every archer should take care of. More than a tool, your compound bow is virtually an extension of yourself. As such, take extra care of this essential – here are some ways to double-check your bow when sighting:
- Check for Visible Damage – consistency is key in archery. You may be shooting like a pro before. But, for any reason that your shot now seems off, there may be a chance that your bow’s damaged. So, before sighting, quickly check the compound bow for any visible damage and the like! This will save you a lot of trouble and help you determine the next best course of action.
- Shake it Softly – make sure that you compound bow doesn’t have any loose parts. Some parts that commonly loosen up are the sights. If ever your attached bow sight’s loose, you can use your Allen wrench to tighten the screws.
- The Alignment Always Matters – a delicate feature that bow sights have is that it needs to be fine-tuned to your bow. This is why, whether for bow sights or peep sights, you need to constantly check if they are positioned properly. A little difference in alignment can spell disaster when sighting!
Go for the Proper Archery Stance
Done checking your gear? You can now focus on getting your shooting form right! Using the right archery stance is important in sighting. A wrong form will not only make you miss your shots – you’d be promoting bad posture, which can commit to your muscle memory. It’s a bad habit to break, so do please make sure to get it right the first time around!
The proper stance is ever so important if you plan to get into instinctive shooting.
Here are some simple steps for to have and retain a good shooting form:
A Basic Archery Shooting Form
- Stand up and make sure to keep a straight posture. Your back muscles will always matter when shooting.
- Keep your feet perpendicular to your body. You want to keep a stable and level footing.
- Always make sure that you are able to draw your bow string back to the same anchor point that you have chosen on your face. Remember, consistency is the key!
- Lastly, you have to be and stay comfortable. Archery is a state of mind!
Although, do feel free to experiment. Especially for anchor points, some archers do want to see which point would be the most accurate one when sighting. The most important point is that you keep comfortable and make use of the steps above to get constant and reliable shots.
Sight at Varying Distances
An important factor when sighting is being able to gauge different distances. Particularly for bow sights with multiple pins, being able to shoot at various yardages will let you see if your sights are working (which, of course, improves your accuracy too!).
Set up your target blocks at the yardage determined by the pins of your bow sight. For this particular step, though, we’ll be focusing on the typically nearest distance: 20 yards. Take aim at the 20 yardage target. Then let some arrows fly.
Adjust Your Bow Sight to Improve the Aim
This is the important part! Notice anything when your arrows fly towards the target? These are the adjustments you can make if your aim needs to be improved:
- Move your sight down to shoot higher
- Raising your sight up will make you shoot lower
- Move your sight left to push your arrows towards the right
- Move your sight right to push your arrows towards the left
A rule of thumb is that the direction you adjust your sight to is the opposite of what you’d get when aiming the target!
Up Towards the Other Distances
Once you feel confident hitting the target at 20 yardages, move up to the other distances. Repeat the steps above with the other pins (please do make sure not to move the pin you already set at 20 yards!). To move up to another pin, follow these simple steps:
- Use an Allen wrench to adjust the next pin of your bow sight to the top pin portion
- Repeat the shooting process
- When making adjustments, adjust the current pin only
Repeat as needed, and adjust as needed!
More Details on Fixed Pin and 1-Pin Sighting
We also want to take the chance to discuss the many intricacies different bow sights offer when sighting in a bow.
Consider these Points When Sighting at Different Distances
Archery guides are written in generic form – there is no surefire way to set what needs to be specifically done to improve accuracy.
But that doesn’t mean you will never improve. Knowing some factors on what makes sighting so different (and exciting) for every shooter will help you determine on which parts to work out. And some common factors that determine the best distance to shoot are:
- Your compound bow’s draw weight
- The scenario on which you’re aiming to use your bow for (competition, recreational, hunting, etc.)
- Your own experience/level of archery skill or personal style
Again, it all boils down on your preference. That’s how archery is – it’s a state of mind that you uniquely have.
Fixed Pin Sighting
Does your bow sight have a fixed pin setting? Here are some simple steps you may want to check out:
- Ready with the right shooting stance, let some arrows fly towards your nearest set target.
- Examine where your arrows landed. Compare this to the vertical line by the target.
- If you need to make some adjustments, do it by following the arrow trail. Let’s say, your arrows landed by the left of the target. Then this means you need to move your bow sight slightly to the right to push the arrows to the desired spot!
- Repeat until you’ve hit the desired spot.
1-Pin Sighting
For bow sights with a 1-Pin setting, consider these steps:
- Always check the manufacturing details of the bow sight. Sights with a single pin setting may have different instructions – so it would be best to know these details and instructions before sighting.
- Ready with the right shooting stance, let some arrows fly towards your nearest set target.
- Examine where your arrows landed. Compare this to the vertical line by the target.
- Follow the arrow trail when you need to make adjustments on your bow sight.
- If you need to adjust, turn the 1-Pin bow sight’s knob to shift position. Use small increments to gradually tune your sight onto the target.
- If the 1-Pin bow sight comes with calibrating tape, take note of the value reference on the sight. This way, you’ll be able to gauge the proper setting when sighting at a particular yardage.
- Repeat until you’ve hit the desired spot.
You may also want to check our single pin sight recommendations here.
Sighting Peep Sights
Have some peep sights on your compound bow? Here are some simple tips for you to best use these very practical rings!
- It begins by having relaxed stance and mind. Remember, you need to peek into a peep ring! Having a stiff body or distracted focus will only lead to frustration.
- Take hold of your bow. Again, we’re emphasizing the need to be relaxed. You need to make sure that your thumb is resting on the bow handle. Also, the bow needs to get pulled in your hand as you draw it.
- Draw back the bow string all the way towards your desired anchor point.
- Look through the peep sight. See if you have a clear view. More importantly, the peep sight needs to be at eye level.
- Your peep sight should always have a clear view to the targets, right through the bow sight on the riser. The peep sight is there for you to help you focus on your target! A bow sight/forward sight that is in sync with the peep sight works best for aiming.
- Similar on how sighting is done with the mentioned bow sights above, aim for targets at different distances. Your peep sight should help you have a clear focus on the set targets you have placed!
- Repeat the steps mentioned on the bow sights above – but with a peep sight included!
- Bonus Tip: the greater the distance between your peep sight and bow sight may potentially improve your accuracy. Experiment and see if this works for you!
Note: we have peep sight recommendations for you here.
Bonus: How to Sight in a Bow without Shooting It (It is Possible – Sort of!)
Ever thought of skipping the above steps above and simply sight without shooting a single shot? Well, it is possible.
With a laser center shot tool compound bows may be adjusted in such a way to accurately and set adjustments to make each shot count. Think of it like using a rifle with a laser pointer. However, accuracy will be way too good with the laser, as no shooting happens - no wind, no gravity will deflect your arrows.
But, is it really worth it? Archery is a whole different scenario versus firearms, where lasers work really well. Here are some points to consider why sighting in a bow without shooting may be detrimental:
- Arrow flight needs to be considered – different arrows mean different settings. And there are so much variables to consider in a single type of arrow. Trajectory, weight, length, and even design can contribute on what needs to be adjusted on a bow sight!
- Bow Torque – like arrows, bows are built differently. Torque needs to be considered, especially when shooting at different distances.
- Losing Your Shooting Form – sighting in a compound bow is an opportunity to both maintain and improve your shooting form. Are you willing to lose this important aspect from your overall archery game?
Again, it does depend on one’s preference. But then again, if it’s detrimental to your growth as an archer, then why pursue it?
Set Your Sights Towards Archery Success!
Sighting in a bow is an important step when you want to improve your accuracy. Aside from making your shots count, you’d be gaining a ton of benefits as well. From having better posture to knowing and having a better attachment with your gear, sighting does make archery an exciting experience. We hope you get to enjoy this step. And remember, it does take practice, but you will definitely gain from all the hard work you are putting in. Enjoy!
Read More
For more information on how to sight in a bow, please refer to these links!
Archery Stream – explains how to sight in using your compound bow’s peep sights.
Complete Guide to Archery – additional tips on how to improve your aim and sighting skills!
Bow Logic – shares some awesome sighting tips!
Bow Hunting – details on the adjustment aspect during sighting.
For an overview of the best sights in 2019 check this article. For paper tuning, read this. Here you can learn more about peep sights, and here about single-pin sights.