Staying atop the archery game is all about embracing change. Bows have gotten faster. Arrows have gotten smaller. Arrow rests have gone from immobile to moveable. And sights have gone from 3, 5, even 7 pins down to just one. Single-pin sights have many advantages for hunters seeking to improve their long-range success rates.

 

Archery dealers have certainly taken notice of this trend, because those who offer the latest in single-pin sights can cash in by converting more target archers into bowhunters. Tournament 3D shooters deserve credit for these opportunities, because they are the ones who realized how easy it is to acquire to-the-yard accuracy with a properly installed and tuned single-pin sight, especially on one of today’s super-fast compound bows.

There are myriad reasons why bowhunters are making this move. Here are some of the highlights:

 

Simple Adjustments

 

Most single-pin sights are super easy to sight in at the archery range. For example, sight in your bow in at 20 yards and again at 40 yards, then mark the gaps with the in-between distances. A pendulum wheel then allows you to move the sight in precise increments between that 20-yard gap. It’s that easy. No more being locked into a 30-yard pin that — due to the fact you’re not shooting peak weight — is actually off by 1 to 3 yards.

 

A single-pin sight also lets you eliminate the distractions of multiple pins clogging up the sight picture. Hunters who have vision problems often struggle with acquiring their target when it’s in third- or fourth-pin range, especially a moving deer. How many times have you bracketed the target and let the arrow fly? If you’re like me, it’s probably been one too many times that you care to remember.

 

A Single Pin Will Increase Your Accuracy

 

At first blush, a single-pin can be intimidating to an archer who has never shot one. Education — and a simple demonstration — is the key to turning these bowhunters into believers. The pro-shop dealer who keeps a sighted-in test bow in stock can provide great testimony on how many single-pin sights are sold after a simple “test drive.” Adjusting the distance wheel is not complicated, takes about 1 second, and becomes automatic for any proficient archer.

 

This ease-of-use translates to improved accuracy, because it only takes a few shots to dial in the distances. From there, wheeled adjustments can be honed to half-yard increments. Once you know your rig’s archery ballistics, you can tune the yardage markers out to however far your bow will shoot. I personally have my single-pin sight dialed from 20 to 40 but can cheat it all the way out to 60 during practice sessions. For hunting, I limit all of my shots to less than 40 yards. Let me tell you, those 30- to 40-yard shots that used to give me headaches from my multi-pin sight are now on-the-money shots from my single-pin setup.

 

Favorite Models

 

The Clutch from Trophy Ridge is one of my favorite sights. Originally a target sight, the Clutch is now used by many avid whitetail hunters. A handy double-sided tape allows the shooter to use the same bow for 3D tournaments and for hunting. A friction-drive system allows for precise pin movement. www.trophyridge.com

 

Another winner is The Shift single-pin driver sight from Axion Archery. Featuring Axion’s patented fiber-wrap technology, this archery sight features 2 feet of wrapped fiber optics for an insanely bright sight picture. The pin can be moved up, down and from left to right, and accommodates a lens. The sight is available in the Realtree® Xtra camo pattern and is compatible with nearly all one-piece quivers. www.axionarchery.com

 

There will always be room for tried and true – if not older – models of bowhunting sights. But the new focus on single-pin sights is a change that anyone in the archery business should take note of.