sighting in a new arch

I started shooting a new bow this year. I’m shooting the Martin Onza III; It was a gift I received from Martin Archery. It is the same bow that many professionals have shot over the years. I’m just to tune it up. I started setting up my bow and prepared to aim it. I went to see the local archery specialist. He set me up with a new sight, stabilizer, arrows, tips, the works. He was ready to go, no not really, not quite ready yet. Now he needed to point the bow.

Spotting in a bow is pretty easy, just take your time doing it. I’ve done it so much that it’s become second nature.

Before I even start shooting my bow to aim, I use a quick way to save some time and effort that works really well. Something that is going to save me a lot of time on the shooting range is to preset the pins, left and right, and also set them up and down. This is to help ensure my comfort zone with the new bow.

To position the pins to the left and right before I start shooting, I’ll try to position them with the string and arrow rest. Point the bow range down. Now I line up my eye directly behind the string so it appears to line up right in the center. Remember, my eye is right behind the bow. You should move the pin to the left or right until it lines up and looks level.

The next step before I start shooting targets is to get the pin in the best vertical position (up and down) that I’m looking for. I placed the 20-yard passer first. Once this pin is seen in the others, they seem to snap into place quite easily.

All bows are manufactured with two side holes for mounting sights. The 20 yard pin on most newer bows is nearly horizontal with the top hole of the sight mounting position. So I move the 20 yard pin to the right in the same position as the top hole to mount the scope. That should put it pretty close to the sweet spot I’m looking for.

When you’re taking aim with a bow, the best advice I can give you is to follow the arrow. If you’re shooting to the right of your target, move your marker to the right, if you’re shooting below your target, move your marker down a bit, etc. Since I prefix my bowling before aiming at the bow, I’ll be in the ballpark where I want to be.

I only make adjustments in small increments. According to people in the know, at 20 yards, a 1/8-inch adjustment at the point of release can move your arrow more than 12 inches at the point of impact. Now you don’t have to be a physicist to figure this out. Just be patient and it will work!

That is all! It is not an exact science. If you’re going to be shooting longer distances, you’ll want to move one of the pins to just below the 20 yard pin you just set. That will raise the bow a bit when aiming and compensate for the drop of the arrow in flight. Each arc will be different depending on the speed and kinetic energy created by the arc. When you go back to say 30 yards, you’ll carefully repeat the same process you did at 20 yards. Adjust the view accordingly. That’s bow sighting in a nutshell. It’s nothing overwhelming, just pay close attention to what you’re doing and you’ll get there. Be patient when doing this; believe me, it will all come to you and make sense when you put it into practice.