It is very important to sight in your bow effectively if you want to hunt animals. This will enable you to become more accurate and bring about better shot placement on the game in putting them down faster.
Based on the level of your experience and skill, to sight in a bow with a new sight could take between 30 minutes and an hour. To shoot a bow with accuracy is such an impressive skill you must possess.
This takes time and commitment before you can be proficient with a bow but full of fun to have. To find yourself outside and exploring Mother Nature at its brim is such a wonderful thing. There are some things you will require before you can sight in your bow.
Contents
1st Step
Things You Will Need to Sight in Bow
You will need:
- Arrows
- Shooting block or a target
- Allen Wrench set
- Mechanical release: will let you have more controlled and consistent release of the bow string.
2nd Step
Check Your Equipment
First and foremost, prior to you’re starting to shoot, it will be nice to check over your equipment for loose parts. An accurate shooter begins with consistency.
Every shot you take must be carried out in the same manner. If your sights or rest are loose, each of your shots will not the same as each other and you will experience a hard time getting your sights zeroed in.
If you want to check your bow for the loose parts, here are the steps you will need to take:
- Softly move to and fro your sights
- Softly move to and fro your rest
- Do not forget to check the adjustment between your sights, the arrow and the bow string
In case there is any play in these parts, tighten up the screws with the Allen wrench set. Then check your arrows to ensure that they are not damaged in any way.
Find out the practice point if it is snuggly seated in the front of the arrow. Also, examine the fletching for any cuts or nicks. Note that just little differences will have an effect on the arrow flight.
At short distances, you may not discover a variation in the flight of the arrow but at longer ranges, the longer the arrow is in the air. A little flaw will have a greater effect. As said earlier, consistency is very crucial and everything must be the same.
3rd Step
Stance
Consistency is the key and you must do the same thing for every shot. In this step, here are some things you need to do;
- Stand up straight comfortably with your feet perpendicular to your body.
- Hold the bow with your wrist the same way every shot.
- Bring back the bowstring to the same point on your face at all times which is the anchor point.
With constant practice, these 3 steps will look like they are done all in one motion. However, if you are a beginner, it is advisable to do a mental checklist of the steps that were mentioned initially.
Consistent anchor point makes sure that you look through the sights in the same manner of every shot. Different people can have slightly different anchor points.
4th Step
Sighting in at 20 Yards
Ensure that you are shooting in a safe environment. Therefore, understand your target and what is after your target. Every pin is designated for particular yardage. A 3 pin setup is 20, 30, and 40 yards.
After completing the second and third steps, move to shoot arrows at the target.
- Move other pins down and concentrate on just the 20-yard pin
- Shoot at the target when safe to do so
5th Step
Adjusting Your Sights
Previously, it could take some practice but prior to adjusting your sights, ensure that your arrow groups on the target are very close.
As soon as you discover where the arrows are consistently heading to, you can adjust your sights.
Whichever way you move your sight, this will have an adverse effect on the target.
- By moving the sight downward, it will lift the bow higher thereby make you shoot higher.
- If you raise the sight, it will drop the angle where the arrow is shot at thereby making you shoot lower.
- When you move the sight to the left, it pushes arrows to the right
- When the sight moves to the right, it pushes the arrows to the left.
With 30 yard sight in, here is what you are supposed to:
- With a smaller Allen Wrench, move the red 30-yard pin up very close to the top pin.
- Shoot at 30 yards as soon as ready
- Adjust the pin only so as to get it in place.
Repeat the last step at a 40-yard distance to sight in the yellow 40-yard pin. Do not forget that you are moving the pin only up or down.
And continue practicing every time for perfection in precision and accuracy. Now, you have successfully sight in a bow without shooting it.