All hunters who do their hunting with a bow will know that a bow sight is a modern invention that significantly helps in an archer’s shot. Simply put, a bow sight is a handy tool that is attached to the ridge of your bow, which will allow you to see the precise area where your arrow will go. A bow sight will be a huge help for an archer, especially during hunting. But how do you know which are the best bow sights?
In this archery buying guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to consider before buying yourself a bow sight. Furthermore, we’ll give you the best of the best bow sights available this season, all just one click away!
Types Of Bow Sights
1. Fixed Pin Bow Sights
Most archery hunters prefer this sight because it is easy to use, and generally recommended for beginners. A fixed pin sight will mostly consist of three to five pins, which need to be sighted in to determine the distance from where you’re shooting.
Fixed pin bow sights are adjustable, and if you’re out in the field, you will most likely be adjusting your bow sight, depending on the distances you’ll be shooting. Generally, I recommend casual archers or beginner archery hunters to use this kind of bow sight, since it’s effortless to use and will improve aiming in the long run. Fixed pin
bow sights can be “analog” like a bow peep sight or a fully digital rangefinder bow sight like the Garmin Xero bow sight that provides windage and elevation.
2. Movable bow sights
As the name suggests, this type of bow sight is movable, a feature of the bow sight that allows exact yardage. Although this sounds easy, this type of bow sight is generally recommended for intermediate hunters who know how to estimate distances well.
Using this type of archery sight requires skill, of course, as well as practice. So if you’re ready to move up from fixed pin bow sights to the more accurate movable pin bow sight, then feel free to do so if you’ve had enough training.
3. Pendulum or tree stand sights
When hunting in a tree stand, your aim will be in a downward incline. This is different from shooting on level ground. If you use a pendulum sight, your downward shots will be more accurate.
Most pendulum bow sights will let you have an accurate shot up to 35 yards and will also have a lockable pendulum feature for ground shooting.
Factor To Consider
What to consider when choosing your bow sight? There are many things that you may need to look for when selecting the right bow sight. Below are the things that you need to consider to get the correct sights for your hunting, target shooting and archery needs.
1. Shooting
Of course, what you want in a bow sight is its ability to help you improve your shooting. This includes the extent of the product’s features that make it easier to shoot at more accurate and precise shots.
TIP: However, using a bow sight alone will not improve your shooting 100%. To maximize the effect of the bow sight, make sure that you also hit the target range often and practice your aim with it, before going out to the field.
2. Ease Of Use
Another thing you want to look for in a bow sight is its ease of use. On the field, you don’t want a bow sight that is extremely hard to adjust or sight in. Thus, before buying a bow sight of your own, look into the product’s features and see if it allows for easy adjustments, replacement, and most of all—sighting in. Ensuring that your bow sight passes this factor means that your hunting experience will be a breeze.
3. Other Features
What makes a bow sight so desirable is its useful features while out in the field. This includes its ability to let you see your target in low-light (adjustable light setting), durability (take a look at the product’s material), and other relevant factors such as adjustment knobs, yardage tapes, and pin guard.
The bow sight effectiveness in low light conditions is one key to your effectiveness as an amateur archer or a hunter. The archery market offers different options for sights crafted especially for light conditions. Fiber optic technology is useful in this regard because it traps light at the head of the pin to provide the archer with an exact, bright target.
Different factors affect the number of pins necessary for a hunter or an amateur archer to have on his sight. A shooter’s pin preference will also depend on if they like shooting at the gaps between pins. Some shooters prefer a single pin to aim at, then aiming above or below that pin with the target’s distance. Other shooters use as many as six pin placements on their bow sights to make sure that they’re aiming directly at a pin for every 5 or 10-yard increment. The number of pins depends on your preferences and the surroundings.
Our Picks for Best Bow Sights
Best Fixed Pin Bow Sights
Field Logic IQ Bowsights Micro 3, 5 or 7 Pin Compound Bow Archery Sight with Retina Lock Technology – Left and Right Hand
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IQ gives us a variation on the fixed pin bow sight with this 5-pin tool that aims at accuracy and torque reduction. This great product also provides the archer with a retina lock technology, a feature to control muscle memory, form, and consistency.
I recommend this product for all beginner archers who have problems with their torque, as well as hunters to go on hunting trips with their bows.
- SHOOTING
- EASE OF USE
- OTHER FEATURES
The Retina lock technology controls muscle memory, form, and consistency, allowing the archer to shoot longer distances with tighter groups. This feature gives instant feedback that will identify the slightest torque or anchor point change.
The Micro Adjust knobs allow a quick and simple adjustment of the elevation and windage to precise positions using the adjustment markings. The tool-free locking knob lock your windage and elevation in place
Aside from its unique Retina Lock technology, this product also features an adjustable 2nd axis, micro-adjust knobs, and tool-free locking knobs. Sight lights like the Rheostat sight light can be installed as an added accessory if you go hunting at night.
Pros
- Features a retina lock technology
- Has micro-adjustable knobs for windage and elevation
- Built-in sight level
- Adjustable second axis
- Consists of .019 fiber optic pins
- Improves both accuracy and precision
Cons
- Will require an adjustment period
- The colors can be confusing and cause pin mix-up
Trophy Ridge React 5 Pin Bow Sight
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The manufacturers of this bow sight utilize Trophy Ridge’s Smart Pin Technology that allows the most accurate sighting from 20 up to 60 yards. This useful tool can help all types of archers/hunters improve their shooting even at long distances. The bubble level on the bow sight helps you fine-tune your aim whenever you’re shooting.
- SHOOTING
- EASE OF USE
- OTHER FEATURES
This product is known to perform as it is advertised, with the obvious improvement in accuracy from 20 to 60 yards distances with the help of sight fiber optics and sight lights when hunting at low light environments. If you’re looking for a product to improve both your shooting and confidence, this is the bow sight for you.
If you don’t follow the instructions thoroughly, it can get a little tricky setting up the sight pins. Nevertheless, this product is super easy to use as well as install on your bow. Once you set up the 20 and 30-yard pins, the 40-60 yards are automatically set up for you!
Aside from its excellent sighting technology, this bow sight is made of Ballistix copolymer system and has a tool-less.
Pros
- Features smart pin technology
- Made of lightweight but durable material; ballistix copolymer system
- Micro-adjustment
- Includes rheostat light
- .019 fiber optic pins; very bright in natural light
- Has multiple mounting holes for versatility
Cons
- Can be complicated to set up the long pins
Best Single Pin Bow Sight
Trophy Ridge Pursuit Vertical Pin Sight
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Another Trophy Ridge entry to our buying guide is the Pursuit Vertical Pin Sight, a single-pin variant for archers who want a single pin bow sight. This bow sight is highly recommended for more experienced hunters who wish to exact yardage for varying environmental conditions.
- SHOOTING
- EASE OF USE
- OTHER FEATURES
For more experienced archers, this single pin bow sight will give you tighter groups and more accurate shots, as the product has advertised.
The product’s main issue is the lack of instructional materials in the package, as well as sight tape. For beginners, this product may also be difficult to sight in especially when you’re not used to estimating yardage.
Aside from the features highlighted above, some neat inclusions are glo-indicator pins for changes in light condition, and the adjustable brightness feature which is useful for hunters. It can also be used as a recurve bow sight if you want to go a bit old school.
Pros
- Features ultra-precise adjustment technology
- Delrin bushings for smooth, quiet movement and no metal-to-metal contact
- Adjustable brightness feature included
- Has rheostat light
- Includes glo-indicator pins for changing light conditions
- Has 0.019 single pin
- Made of 100% durable aluminum
Cons
- May take a while to sight in for some hunters
- Does not include sight tape
HHA OL-5519 Optimizer Lite .019 5500 Sight
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Here we have another single-pin bow sight to add to the list. What is unique about this product is when you sight in at 20, and 60 yards, the increments in between are automatically dialed in. This is one of the best single-pin bow sights I highly recommend to beginner hunters and recurve bow users.
- SHOOTING
- EASE OF USE
- OTHER FEATURES
This nifty little tool will allow you to shoot more accurately and confidently with its sighting technology. The revolutionary yardage dial of this product allows for rapid adjustment when out on the field, and is guaranteed to bring you tighter groups and bullseye shots.
When you sight 20 and 60 yards, the dial automatically locks in the increments in between, so that’s a plus! Overall, this bow sight is pretty easy to install and to use out in the field.
This product also features micro-windage adjustment system for varying conditions, patented DS-tapes, and Matthews harmonic hamper.
Pros
- Tool-less micro adjustment
- Fully protected 0.019 fiber optic pins
- Easily sighted in
- 100% aluminum material
- ARMOR sight pin technology
Cons
- Not recommended for low-light conditions
Best Pendulum Or Tree Stand Sights
TRUGLO Archers Choice Range Rover Pro Green Dot Sight
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An entry under pendulum or tree stand sights is the TRUGLO Archers Choice. What makes this product a good choice for a tree stand bow sight is its extremely quiet adjustment system, with a lockable pendulum for ground shooting and bubble level to ensure that you’re right on target. Talk about versatility!
- SHOOTING
- EASE OF USE
- OTHER FEATURES
For hunters mainly staying in tree stands, this product is highly recommended for you. This bow sight can allow you to shoot accurately up to 35 yards from your stand while allowing you to lock in your pendulum for ground shooting
This pendulum bow sight is relatively easy to use install, so I recommend this product for beginners in general. It should be a breeze using this one during deer hunting season!
For low-light settings, which is a pain for most hunters, this bow sight comes with adjustable brightness to let you see what you’re aiming at in low light — an excellent feature for deer hunting.
Pros
- Adjustable slider sight
- Micro-adjust windage feature
- Adjustable brightness for low-light settings
- Illuminated LED aiming point
- Includes yardage tapes
- Easy to set up and dial in
Cons
- Not recommended for a lot of ground shooting
Truglo Pendulum Adjustable Bracket 1-Pin Sight .029″
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What’s great about this product is its versatility when it comes to treestand shooting as well as ground shooting. Being one of the most advanced pendulum bow sights today, I recommend this product to all tree stand hunters this season since the Truglo single pin bow sight review is spot on.
- SHOOTING
- EASE OF USE
- OTHER FEATURES
As the product advertises, the TRUGLO pendulum bow sight will improve chances of a great one-shot kill. If you want to improve your aim when hunting in a tree stand, this is the bow sight to buy.
If you are left-handed, this sight may be a little difficult for you to use, since its design is mainly intended for right-handed people. Nevertheless, the pendulum bow sight is extremely easy to use regarding adjustments, sighting, and installation.
Another great feature of this pendulum bow sight is its material. The TRUGLO bow sight is made of extra long-protected wrapped fiber, which makes it a durable product for all treestand hunters.
Pros
- Extremely quiet for stealthy hunting
- Automatically compensates for 35-yard distances
- Lockable pendulum for ground shooting
- Has a 0.019 pin
- Removable, adjustable LED rheostat
- Pre-printed yardage tapes included
- Made of durable material
Cons
- This bow sight is designed mainly for right-handed people
FINAL REVIEW OF THE BEST BOW SIGHT
There are a lot of bow sights available, and along with choosing the right pair of hunting boots, selecting the right bow sight is vital in order to have a successful hunting trip. Before bow hunting season starts, make sure to read on about the best bow sights available before making your purchase.