How to Sight In a Bow in 4 Simple Steps

If you plan on hunting game, effectively knowing how to sight in a bow is essential for you to improve your accuracy and allow for better shot placement. This will also allow you to put animals down faster and in an ethical way. 

The article is a step by step tutorial guide on how to sight in a bow.

Understanding Sights: Single Pin and Multi-Pinned Sights

To understand how to use bow sights, you have to know that there are two main types of bow sights that are most commonly used: single pin sights and multi-pinned sights. 

You can choose between them, depending on your preferences and hunting needs. Some hunters prefer to travel back to a time of traditional archery to aim a bow without sights. 

Single Pin Sights

Single pin sights have one aiming pin that can be changed by adjusting a couple of dials to compensate for different distances. Many archers prefer to use single pin sights as compared to multi-pinned sights because of their simplicity and ease of use.

These sights have two adjustments: windage, which moves the pin left or right; and elevation, which slides the pin up or down.

With single pin sights, you also do not have to worry about accidentally shooting from the wrong pin, which may be a problem with hunters who use multi-pinned sights. If you are a crossbow user, you may instead want to look at the best crossbow scopes on the market. 

Multi-pinned Sights

Next, there are multi-pinned sights, or fixed-pinned sights. These sights are carefully set up before going out into the field. After the pins are initially set up, they cannot be easily moved or adjusted. They normally have between 3 and 5 aiming pins. 

For fixed-pinned sights, each pin is used to accurately aim at a different distance. For example, a three pin sight may have one pin for aiming 10 yards away, another pin for aiming 20 yards away, and the last one aiming 30 yards away.

Professional hunters usually use multi-pinned sights as their compound bow sight pins, because they can use a different distance pin to hunt a moving target. 

To find out if you require a single pin sight or a multi-pinned sight, be sure to research more about the deeper differences between the two! 

Things You Will Need

A bow: For this tutorial, it will be assumed that your bow has already been tuned and checked. 

Arrows: You will need lots and lots of arrows that are of exactly the same type.

A target: If you require recommendations, check out Morrell Supreme Range Field Point Bag Archery Target, a target that is highly recommended for hunting practice.

A bow sight: A single pin sight or a multi-pinned sight, depending on your hunting needs. To learn how to choose a bow sight, check out this great guide. 

Allen wrench

How to Sight in a Bow: Step-by-step Guide for Single Pin Sight

1. Mounting the sight

Follow the instructions provided with the sight for proper installation. Typically, sights are attached to the bow riser and are secured by a couple of screws. Most bows have pre-drilled holes for attaching sights. 

For this step, remember not to overtighten the screws, as you could damage the bow. The sighting pins of the sight should be lined up vertically with the bowstring. In addition, the bow sight should be at a right angle to the bow.

2. Decide on yardage

Select the distance of yardage that you want to set up your bow sight for. Then, walk that distance away from the target. For example, if you choose to start at 10 yards, walk 10 yards away from the target. 

3. Shoot a group

After deciding on yardage, stand the distance away from the target and aim directly at the centre of the target and shoot a group of 3 arrows, one at a time. Take your time to aim, shoot carefully, and pay attention to your stance. 

If your arrows grouped closely together, remove them and proceed to shoot just one single arrow at the target. Otherwise, try again. 

4. Adjusting your sight

After making sure that your arrow groups on the target are close together, the next step to sighting in a bow is adjusting your sight. Move your sight toward your group until your arrows hit where you aim.  

Repeat the steps above until your sight is accurately lined up for your chosen yardage.

Here are some useful tips: 

• Moving the sight downward will lift the bow higher causing you to shoot higher
• Raising the sight will drop the angle the arrow is shot at causing you to shoot lower
• Moving the sight left pushes arrows to the right
• Moving the sight right pushes arrows to the left

Remember, if you exceed the windage adjustment range, you can usually loosen a screw so you can slide your pin far left or right.

How to Sight in a Bow: Step-by-step Guide for Multi-Pinned Sight

1. Setting up

With an allen wrench, set up your multi-pinned sight such that all of the aiming pins are set to the middle most point. 3 pin bow sight distances are different from single pin sights. Use your top pin for the closest distance, and the bottom pin for the furthest.

This method will accurately set up your sight to shoot at 20 / 30 / 40 yard ranges. 

2. Shoot from 10 yards

Sight in your top pin first, which is 20 yards for most people. However, you should always start at 10 yards.

Aim the very top pin directly at the center of the target. Shoot 3 of the exact same type of arrows at the target. 

If the arrows went above what the pin was indicating, move the sight box up on the bow. Once the arrows are not aiming above the top pin, you can then make adjustments for arrows going too far left or right. Do so by moving the sight left and right respectively.

3. Shoot from 20 yards

Move to 20 yards away from your target and repeat step 2. 

4. Shoot from 30 yards

Move 30 yards away from the target. This time, by aiming from the second pin of the sight, repeat step 2. 

5. Shoot from 40 yards

Move 40 yards away from the target. This time, by aiming from the third pin of the sight, repeat step 2. However, when you make your adjustments this time, move the pin itself instead of the entire sight box.

6. Go back to 20 yards

Walk back to 20 yards away from the target and begin shooting three arrows again. If your sight is off, use the allen wrench to adjust the aiming pin. The sight box should not move at all. 

If you need to adjust or fine tune your sight, just repeat the entire process above.

For those who are still confused…

This video right here is for those of you out there who are still not confident about their shot. Follow the steps for a faster, easier, and more accurate way to sight in your bow. Whether you are unsure of how to adjust compound bow sights or your recurve bow sights, this video will help you out.

Conclusion

Sighting in a bow is a great and simple way for you to improve your accuracy and kill count. We hope that you enjoyed reading this how-to guide, as much as we enjoyed writing it. Do you have a favorite bow sight? Let us know what you think in the comments section below! 

If you are looking to further improve your accuracy, perhaps you want to consider reading up about how to use a peep sight on a bow.