Sighting in a bow sight

Foxskinner · Jul 3, 2013

So we just got my wife's new bow last week. It is a Hoyt Charger with a Truglo 5 pin sight. My draw length is 28" and hers is 27". I shot the bow first and got the first pin dialed in at 20 yards. I hit the center of the block target every time with a close 6 arrow grouping. I did not pull the bow back for my normal 28" draw so I shot with elbow bended so as to keep it accurate for a 27" draw.

Now my wife is starting to shoot it every day. The problem is that her arrows are hitting the target low and to the right in general. She isn't grouping them much as this is her first attempt at archery so it is all new to her, but in general they are mostly all low and to the right.

Here is my question. Does she need to sight the bow in for her eyes or will my sighting it in be the same for her shooting the bow? We are trying to decide if she is shooting the bow wrong which is causing the arrows to hit low and right, or if it isn't sighted in right for her. I would think that it should generally shoot the same for her as it did for me. I think she may be holding the bow wrong which is turning the bow slightly on release. Does anyone know what the problem might be? Thanks for any help in advance.

highcountryfever · Jul 3, 2013

I would not worry about having the pins dialed in right now. Dialing in the pins would be the last thing I would do. With it being her first time shooting a bow, I would tell her to practice her form. Once good form is established then I would work on getting a consistent group. If she can't get a good group then there is no way to fine tune the pins. It is a long process that takes a lot of time and practice.

I was the same way, I wanted the pins dialed in from the start, and a good friend gave me this advice and it helped a ton.

jarheadhunter · Jul 3, 2013

She will not hold the bow the same as you. She will have a different stance, anchor point and many other factors. I would never take anyone elses bow and use it without sighting it in for me. I would start by moving the sights for her if she is getting a consistant group low and right move the sights low and right.

Boskee · Jul 3, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Jul-03-13 AT 10:41AM (MST)[p]She has to adjust the bow for her sight picture. The distance between her anchor point and the peep is probably different than yours and you may have to move peep up/ down in string. In addition with a shorter draw length it effects her sight radius and the peep may not be exactly the same in it's rotation. Remember with her shorter draw arrows may not flying at same speed. Adjust peep first it may fix height issue then left to right adjustment as needed.

So set it up for her the way she needs it to be on target. Remember to move to the arrow with the adjustments and you should be fine. I'll bet you have her shooting well enough to give you a run for your money sooner than you think.

nfh · Jul 3, 2013

she will shoot different than you. We all stand slightly different. also she might have a tight grip on the bow instead of her hand being free. which can affect a shot.

don't have her move the sight until she is consistent in one spot. then dial into the bulls-eye. my wife doesn't move her pins until all 5 arrows hit in the same ball-park

WapitiBob · Jul 3, 2013

take the sight off
shoot at 10' for a week
put sight on, shoot at 10' for another week
move back to 20' and shoot another week, or two.
Keep moving back and make sure the target is large enough she can hold in it.

Worst thing people do is stick a sight on a bow, put it in a new shooters hands and let them shoot at 20 yards.

Dikndirt · Jul 3, 2013

Not always the case there wapiti,I have seen some new shooters that are naturals...can start out ripping fletching at 20 yards. Others need to move slowly as you suggested. Progression depends on the individual shooter and how much time they have to practice. Shooting form and consistency depend on the individual. If you plan to shoot with a sight start with a sight..but with emphasis on form and consistency, tight groups and hitting the bullseye will follow.

WapitiBob · Jul 3, 2013

It's the sight picture not form that becomes the problem. And it will become a problem when you bypass teaching your brain that sight movement is OK. Some type B personalities don't have a problem but they're the exception.

huntinfanatic · Jul 3, 2013

Fox,
I got my girlfriend the same setup in March. Good choice!
It is extremely rare for a bow to shoot perfectly for two different people even with the same draw length.

Some tips:
1. Have patience with a new archer. Make sure they are having fun. Dont make it stressful for them.
2. Watch her hips, most women have a tendancy to push their hips towards the target. Like they are holding a baby on their side. Make sure her hips are inline with her back. Posture is key to consistency.
3. Make sure to periodically remind her to always aim for the bullseye, it is very common for newbies to try and compensate their next shot after a miss making it impossible to get a good group let alone sight in the pins.
4. Come up with a verbal checklist for her. For my girlfriend I would tell her, "Back straight, kisser, nose, pin on bullseye." She no longer needs me to say it as I can visually see her go though the process.
5. Proper form, anchor point, and consistant grouping are far more important in the learning stages than hitting the bullseye. Once she goes through the proper motions and is consistantly grouping well then it is finally time to move back to 20 yards and start sighting in the pins.
6. Do not sight in more than one pin at a time. Once she gets the 20 yard pin sighted in have her shoot at that distance for a few sessions. Once she is completely confident at that distance then move back to 30 and repeat the process for each pin.
7. Dont over work a new archer. Once they become tired or it is getting difficult to draw back STOP shooting for the day. Fatigue will cause way more issues than it will any good.

Hope that helps. I've used those tips to teach 3 women how to shoot and they are all very good for their experience level.

nfh · Jul 3, 2013

Those were good points by huntinfantic.
I ask my wife if she wants to shoot and if she says no then that's it I don't push it.
I also quit when she wants to quit and shoot when she wants to shoot. It keeps her in high spirits.
I also let her pick her own arrows and supplies out to.

She got her first antelope tag this year so I asked if she wanted to archery hunt. she said she would like to wait one more year for that so that's what our plan is.

Another tip is watch her breathing. Make sure she doesn't hold her breath for cutting oxygen off to your cells makes ya shake more.

FemoralArchery · Jul 3, 2013

Lots of good advice here.

One thing I had to remind my wife of is that bullseyes don't matter as much as groups do. You can move the group when its time, but you can't if there's no group.

Foxskinner · Jul 4, 2013

Lots of good comments here. Thanks! Ya right now I am just trying to get her used to shooting the bow. She shoots about 15 arrows a day. I am stressing more just getting used to shooting the bow first rather than accuracy. I sighted it in initially so she at least hit the target cause the first two arrows were complete missed. She hits the target every time at 20 yards so I'm not too worried about the distance. I am worried a little at her tight grip of the bow with her left hand as I think this twists the bow on release but she isn't comfortable enough to relax her grip just yet. I know the more she shoots, the better things will get but wanted to see what other thoughts were on sighting it in. Once she gets comfortable and can actually group shots I'll think about moving pins. We shall see how things go the next few weeks before we start chasing deer in August!

WapitiBob · Jul 4, 2013

A finger sling that goes in front of the riser will help as it will give her the impression it's holding the bow.

Boskee · Jul 4, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Jul-04-13 AT 04:53PM (MST)[p]Nobody likes to miss what they shoot at, it frustrates them. Don't think for a moment she doesn't see how you react to what she's doing and not hitting a target isn't reinforcing what you're trying to do. We're not dealing with target panic here we're trying to instill confidence. Hitting what you're aiming at builds confidence. Repetition and duplication builds consistency and good form.

They all support each other in the shot sequence. Set her up right don't push her and watch her grow. I've taught a lot of folks to shoot a bow in my life and I can tell you nothing builds desire better than success. Hitting what you're shooting at builds success, just shooting while beneficial doesn't allow one to progress at the same rate. when they hit what they shoot at it's more fun and they want to shoot. If you think they don't think about not hitting where they're shooting your playing mind games with yourself and them. If you want to do it that way use a plain bale with no spots that way they aren't missing anything just developing muscles and form. A bow that shoots where it's pointed will encourage her to take the shot..... if you plan on teaching her to hunt, that's the main objective so why not make it part of the routine right from the beginning.