Archery is an interesting sport because it offers two different options for aiming. You can use one sight or two, depending on what you are most comfortable with.
But when do both sights work best on a bow?
Sight alignment is the most important factor in getting a good shot off. Sight picture, on the other hand, is equally if not more important because it tells you what to focus your attention on-whether that be the front sight or the entire target.
Contents
Both Sights Work Best On A Bow On Various Conditions
Let’s explore that question in today’s blog post.
- “Bows with sights that allow for proper cheek weld (ing straight down the top riser of the bow) are better suited for both eyes open shooting, while bows with sights that require you to use your non-dominate eye or to shoot with one eye closed are more suitable for sight picture only.” -“Sight alignment is the most important factor in getting a good shot off. Sight picture, on the other hand, is equally if not more important because it tells you what to focus your attention on-” -“For dedicated hunters who may need to take shots of 200 yards or more sight picture becomes much more important.”
- When hunting an animal at closer ranges it is easier and faster to go straight from target identification to aiming rather than having to pick up your bow, drawback, and get all of your correct skeletal positionings correct. This is why a sight picture becomes more important for hunting at close range.
- Cheek weld is the distance between your mouth and top of your shoulder/neck on the bow, which changes depending on what type of pin & peep you are using. Proper cheek weld allows your dominant eye to align properly with the string and arrow, providing a more accurate shot each time.
- The smoother shot execution gets, the less likely any human error will occur during the shooting sequence. Because it is easier to go from target identification to aiming without even picking up your bow it has become much more popular in today’s times.
- Sight alignment works best when “you can pick up your bow and get into a perfect stance in a split second.” This means that this sight is perfect for any type of hunting.
- Sight picture becomes more important when you are shooting at longer distances since it allows the user to focus on the target rather than all of the other factors that come with aiming (such as cheek weld and proper positioning). -“The bottom line: If you’re a casual archer who enjoys shooting at short range and like being able to switch from one pin & peep setup to another then go with a sight that has a built-in riser sight housing. However, if your primary goal is hunting or long-distance shooting then get a bow fitted with two independent string suppressor positions.”
- “With the enormous popularity of sights today’s bow manufacturers have developed special bows for both kinds of shooters and some bows can be easily switched from one setup to another.”
- “If you don’t have a lot of time before the season comes around it is best to get a bow already fitted with two independent string suppressor positions since switching back and forth between setups will take too much time. ” -“Hunters who need their bows set up for both types of shooting and switch back and forth should go with a bow that has two independent string suppressor positions.”
Conclusion
The best time to use both sights on a bow is when you are shooting very close targets or need pinpoint accuracy. You can also rely solely on one sight if the target is farther away, but this will reduce your accuracy. Remember that it’s not always about which technique works better; sometimes choosing what feels right for you and makes sense in the moment with whatever type of shot you’re taking may be more important than anything else. It doesn’t hurt to experiment!
