This is something where I fall way short. Getting back into bowhunting. Missed last season due to too much going on in life. Slowing down and getting ready way ahead of time. I have two bows, if that makes a difference. One is an ancient Bear Whitetail with pin sights; finding it hard to draw right now but want to practice with it each day. The other is my son's LH Darton bow; up to 45#. The Darton has an Apex sight with three FO "pins." I can shoot in my yard and driveway about to about 30 yards. I can set the pins to definite distances but the "in-between" distances are a concern. Target panic? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all who reply. Good hunting!
Don’t say “target panic”, you might end up catching it! If I were running a 3 pin sight, they’d be set at 20, 30, and 40. It takes a lot of shooting to know how much to hold above (or below) where you want to hit. On a 28 yard shot, are you going to hold the 20 pin high or the 30 pin low? It’ll just depend on how the bow shoots and how you shoot the bow. I never use the gap to aim with. On a 35 yard shot, I’ll pick a spot above where I want the arrow to hit and aim for it with the 30 pin and let it drop in. Hope that is what youre asking.
Agree with the above, you could always get a single pin slider sight and that would eliminate any guessing. Plus use a range finder. If your guessing on distances then your SOL on both types of sights. Good luck !
Got a range finder but I don't think it goes low enough for bowhunting; will check. New sight isn't in the budget. I'll try what slickbilly-d said. Don't have enough yard and driveway for 40 yards. Then...lots of practice.
I got give you guys credit. I tried and just couldn't do it, pins and sights. I have always shot instinctive. I have a range finder and only use it to give me an idea of the area in my comfort zone. Do this as light is good then put it away. I practice by random placement of target and shooting. I even will walk by my target area on the way in, in near dark, quick turn and shoot blind. It's been a while since I've missed the kill zone doing that. Lots and lots of years of practice. Now if I can just get a psychic connection on when or if the deer will drop or,and this is literal, tip over. It's like they have hinges on their feet. Like a pop up target in reverse..hahaha
Thanks to all. Reminds me of a hunter education class where I did the archery section. I questioned the class about their sights. One fellow had six pins in his sight. Another fellow had a sight with only one pin- almost an instinctive shooter. Lots of practice would probably give him the need to hold over or under. I'm like oldnotdead; I learned to shoot instinctive about 60 years ago. Still find it hard to use a sight. Now to wear out my bag target and get another!
John I know you are limited on budget but if you have a bow that fits you you will be a lot more accurate. With that said in regards to distance determination there are some ways around it. 1. start practicing. start looking at things as you walk about and guess the yardage. Then test your guess. After awhile you will get an idea on what things look like at certain distances. The average whitetail is close to 36 inches at the shoulders. You can use things about this tall to get used to seeing that that looks like at certain distances. It hard and doesn't come natural to a lot, including me. Just have to work at it. 2. If it doesn't come easy then an alternative is to place markers around your stand and use those. Drop a rock or tie a marker on a tree limb. Do this around your stand where you have shot opportunities. Then when an animal is near those markers you have an estimate. If I use multi-pins I do pin gap. Say for example that I have a 20 yard pin and a 30 yard pin. If the animal is 25 yards a put the spot I want to hit directly between the 20 and 30 yard pin. If its close you dont need to much more than a 5 yard difference if 40 yards or closer. Good luck and lets see what you kill this fall. Hang in there this obsession is worth the work.
I will gap pins, but then try to pick a spot with one of the pins. For example if it is a 25 yard shot I will gap the 20 and 30 yard pin so I know where they land on the animal, and then focus on aiming at a disturbed tuft of hair or something with one of the pins. Usually ends up being the top pin. I'm a firm believer in "picking a spot" and "aim small, miss small". As far as judging yardage, I'll share the method that works for me. Make sure you practice and known distances. Rangefinders, pacing it off, whatever you have available. Honestly, without rangefinders it really doesn't matter if it is exactly 20 yards as long as it is what you can repeatedly perceive as 20 yards, 30 yards, etc. Practicing at known distances helps to set them in your mind. When I range yardage I range it 3 times/3 ways. First I just look straight at the side of the target and get a number. Then I find 20 yards and go out from there in 10 yard increments until I get to the target. Last I judge halfway to the target and then double that number. Hopefully doing this gives me numbers that are very close to each other and I then average them. I find the first method to be the most accurate for me, mainly due to uneven ground, shadows, etc. that effect the 2nd and 3rd method.
Thanks. Copperhead, it's not an obsession. I can quit anytime. My roommate in college quit smoking three times in one day!
