Sight question

[Greeny]

I have a few questions for those of you with more experience bowhunting than me... I just purchased a Tru-Glo 5 pin fiberoptic sight for my bow (it was the only one in my price range), and it came with a purple LED insert light to help light the fiber optics in low light situations. First off, what are your opinions or pros and cons of the Tru-Glo sight? Secondly, do any of you use them, and if so, do you use the LED accessory? Thanks, in advance.

[Candor]

I can't answer your question specifically but will give you my opinion related to pins. I have a fiber optic on my bow. It does not have a light. I am not a big fan of adding external light because it tends to blind me in low light conditions. You want it visible but not so bright that it prevents you from seeing the deer and lights can do that.

I am very fond of tritium pins. They are always visible and you can add a fleck of paint over the top of them if you think they are glowing too much. I tapped a tritium pin into my pin guard and use it for my 20 yd. pin.

[Sprigtale]

I dont use the LED. If you have a newer bow that is fairly fast taKE 2 of the darkest pins out and use only 3 pins. You will rarely use more than 2. I have three and they are sighted at 25yds, 35yds & 45yds and 3rd is only 6 inched low at 55yds

[Greeny]

The bow I'm using is an older PSE hand-me-down, it's slow, I don't even know what the IBO speed(s) would be but I'm guessing it's low. But it gets the job done. IF I decide to use the light, I was thinking about using a small bit of electrical tape with a pin hole in it to avoid losing my night vision.

Thanks for the input so far. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Tater]

I have a 3 pin Tru Glo and love it. I also don't think that the light is necessary since I can see any pin I need in any legal shooting light.

[tradorion]

i have the 3 pin version on my my older loaner bow-- its as good as my high dollar Trophy Ridge and more rugged construction.

since you asked for advice i will give it.

the sight is a good one- solid and reliable. having said that ESPECIALLY shooting a slower bow- forget about 2-3 of the 5 pins... having it set to use all 5 for practice is fine as practicing at 40 makes 20yds a much easier shot. BUT that's targets NOT animals. think about why you decided to bow hunt (challenge i am betting) before trying 35-60yds shots on deer. get them CLOSE!!

as for the light- a good fiber optic is fine for any light condition you will encounter again ESEPCIALLY early in the bowhunting process you want as much light possible at the shot so you can see the arrow and follow the hit- add on lights, tritium pins, etc (IN MY OPINION) tend to make folks want to stay on stand longer than they should- legally or ethically.

A bow is an excellent killing machine IF and ONLY IF you respect the limitations built into it and accept these challenges.

Trad

[duck65]

Originally posted by tradorion:
i have the 3 pin version on my my older loaner bow-- its as good as my high dollar Trophy Ridge and more rugged construction.

since you asked for advice i will give it.

the sight is a good one- solid and reliable. having said that ESPECIALLY shooting a slower bow- forget about 2-3 of the 5 pins... having it set to use all 5 for practice is fine as practicing at 40 makes 20yds a much easier shot. BUT that's targets NOT animals. think about why you decided to bow hunt (challenge i am betting) before trying 35-60yds shots on deer. get them CLOSE!!

as for the light- a good fiber optic is fine for any light condition you will encounter again ESEPCIALLY early in the bowhunting process you want as much light possible at the shot so you can see the arrow and follow the hit- add on lights, tritium pins, etc (IN MY OPINION) tend to make folks want to stay on stand longer than they should- legally or ethically.

A bow is an excellent killing machine IF and ONLY IF you respect the limitations built into it and accept these challenges.

Trad

Good info Trad. Thanks. [img]graemlins/iagree.gif[/img]

[Candor]

Originally posted by tradorion:
...(IN MY OPINION) tend to make folks want to stay on stand longer than they should- legally or ethically.

I will go ahead and take "disagree" for $500 Alex. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

in my experience with my fiber optic (maybe 10 years old), the first year I had it I didn't think I needed a tritium and I had a big doe walk up to me in the grey light of the morning. Easily fair game time and it was probably bright light out in the open. I couldn't see the fiber pins at all well enough to make a clean shot.

I have had that happen several times. Perhaps the fiber sights have come a long way since then?? But IMO if I can see a deer well enough to shoot (not by moonlight) then it is fair game and I want to see my 20 yd pin.

[Greeny]

Thanks for the responses. I think I've been bowhunting a whopping 7 or 8 times now, and I've only gotten 1 shot at a deer (a 6 point on opening day at 18 yards) which I brisquet shot and I have since dubbed him "Scar" and will get him either this season or next or whenever he comes my way again. I learned a hard abject lesson that day, but I'm seeing deer just not in my comfort range and I'm not about to shoot at a deer that I don't think I can kill. I was actually thinking about using all 5 pins set at 5 yard increments. Would that be beneficial or would I just be pissing into the wind?

[Catdaddy]

Anything that gives off light between you and the target makes it harder to see the target.
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As far as the best low light sight, there is the Tacstar Red Dot Laser........and then there is everything else.

[Candor]

I would not use 5 yd increments. I think it would make the shot too confusing. Especially if you have to make a quick shot. I would do my first pin at 20 and my second at 30. I wouldn't have anything beyond that. Then learn how your 20 yd shoots from 0-20 and how the gap between the 20 and 30 changes as your target moves out past 20.

I saw a video years ago of an olympic gold medalist archer, miss a deer from a ground blind at 20 yards and the deer didn't jump the string. Being a good shot is important but knowing your bow and being able to skewer a softball under pressure and in varying conditions is more important than pinpoint accuracy.

[Candor]

Originally posted by Catdaddy:
...As far as the best low light sight, there is the Tacstar Red Dot Laser........and then there is everything else.

Cdaddy is on the money. A laser will eliminate several variables that sight hunters have to contend with. Just be mindful they are illegal to hunt with in several states; but I am fairly certain that if you stay in SC they are fine across the whole state.

[2thDoc]

just another device to sell to the hunter that has no use in the hunting.

all that light between you and the target at dark-dark is not helping, its hurting.

i shoot ONE tritium pin. it is "set" at 22 yards. I can aim at the bulls-eye from 15-25 yards without thinking. multiple pins just get in the way.

on another note, peep sights are worthless at dark, too. if i was talking to someone new to bow hunting, i would tell them to work on form with a kisser button and leave all other gadgets off the bow. that way, you never become accustomed to all that junk....

[firefuzz]

I shoot the same sight on my older PSE. For the most part, I like the light. I bought the sight thinking it would be great for the low light conditions of early morning and late evenings. I have not so youthful 40 something eyes and I wear contacts, I need all the help I can get. I shoot the sight approximately 3 to 4 times a week practicing in all kinds of light conditions shooting at my range that is located in woods. I have found out that in the low light conditions the pins have sort of a halo around them and it is hard to see any kind of separation of the pins. I imagine with the faster shooting new bows that do not have much separation in the yardage pins this sight would be impossible to use in low light conditions since the different pins would look like a solid blob of lights. When shooting a dot target, the light halo will not let you pin point the center of the target, because the pins head looks so much larger then the center of the target. If you are not shooting from the yardages you have preset your sight at it is hard to split the pins or even be able to judge how much you need to hold over or under to compensate for the difference. I have noticed my arrows have tighter groups without using the LED light in low light conditions. When I cannot see the pins because of the lack of natural light, it is time to leave the woods anyway. I do not want to try to make a shot that late in the evening because I know even with the best of shots; I have a tracking job ahead of me. I do not like to track late at night since unless I can see the deer down. I like to wait at least an hour before I start the track. It is hard enough to get the shot anyway and it would be heart breaking if I lost the deer because of my night tracking. The sight really shows off during the normal light of the day. If you turn the LED light on during the good light of the day, there is good separation of the pins, they really jump out at you, and I mean they jump out at you! The halo around the pins is no longer noticeable and the pins look normal.The colors of the pins really contrast against the woods and are easy to see. Just be aware a bud of mine did not turn the knob far enough off and sometime while in transport the LED turned on and killed the three batteries. I was told the batteries were $4 apiece, that is almost the price of the sight.IMO it is best to do just the opposite of what I bought the sight for, use the LED light in the day and turn it off when it starts to get late and I think you will be happy with the purchase.The sight is very durable and cheap enough.

[mudflat]

2th doc and I think along the same lines. Been using the same set up and killed plenty. Keep it simple, most expensive is not always better.

[Stripa Swipa]

Since I haven't used sights in over 10 years, I don't have any business commenting. But, I do have a reputation to keep, ya know. Since I don't use sights, my focus is on a spot on the animal. I believe, just MY opinion and theory, many people shoot less than their ability at game because they aren't focused on a small spot like they do in the backyard. They are trying to watch the animal, then find the right pin, and that causese the eye and brain to shift focus from two feet to twenty yards at the moment of truth. A lot of crap going on when you should be reacting instinctively to a degree. Kind of like a golf swing. One swing thought is good, more than that cripples your ability. If I were shooting with pins, I'd think the less clutter for my eyes and brain at two feet, the better. I could focus hard on the tiny hair over the heart, but clearly see the one or two pins in my secondary blurred vision and be more effective.

[duckduckdog]

I use an Impact Archery single pin sight but and have never had the need for any artificial light source. I had a Tru Glo 3 pin sight before the Impact, and never had any trouble seeing the pins with it. In my opinion, it will only allow you to take a shot you shouldn't be taking.

[BigBallin]

Since I don't use sights, my focus is on a spot on the animal.

I'm with Stripa. I miss a ton with sights and kill a ton with instinct. Granted I dont shoot deer I shoot fish and my longest shots are rarely further than 20 feet. I still have 1 pin on my bow and I only use it for fish on the top of the water because after shooting and adjusting for a 4-6 foot depth you WILL MISS THOSE. I think the light between you and the target could be a bad thing as well. When I'm about to take a shot and I get a bad glare out of the corner of my eye on the water the target disappears. Probably no help at all but Im bored so there.

[tradorion]

Candor- I'll see you $500 and take $500 more for the daily double!!

I have worked a number of archery WMA's and clubs where folks have lost ALOT of deer sitting too late. I readily agree that there are hunters who have the discipline to sit for a good shot in lower light conditions but i know quite a few who use that light to shoot at a shape and have no true idea where the arrow is going to hit.

Tritium/lights/etc are only as good or bad as the person applying them.

Now for the "CANDOR's DEAD NUTZ RIGHT" portion of this thread- 3 pins MAX if your bow is that slow but MUCH BETTER with 2 pins- a "near" and a "far"-- maybe 15 and 25 or 20 and 30... but that cuts out having to think very much when a deer comes in!!

T

[Greeny]

So, I took my bow out yesterday afternoon with my new sight put on it and got it ranged and sighted in. I then head out into the woods to the stand I sat in on opening day and subsequently missed the 6 pointer. Well, I get up in the tree, and things are moving all over the place on the next ridge over (where there’s still acorns) rather than coming to the food plot, but I’m OK with that because I’m just enjoying the afternoon/early evening. As it starts getting closer to dark, the moon started to rise a little bit making the pins really “glow” and were easily visible. However, once it was getting to dark to discern shapes on the food plot, I continued to sit in the stand to see which color (red, yellow, or green) fiber optic pin stood out best. As it was yesterday, and this will be changed soon, the red was the 10 yd, green was 20 yd, yellow was 30 yd, and green was 40 yd (which I only use for practice, and I took one pin off for now). I couldn’t hardly see the red at all, and without looking at it more in low light conditions, I don’t know if it’s because it was it was the top pin or because it just didn’t gather much light. I didn’t take the LED light attachment with me, but after I left the woods, I put it on there to shoot a few practice arrows, and it sure as heck made the fiber optic pins stand out, but it was so bright it ruined my natural night vision and I couldn’t see anything (i.e. the target) because of the halo surrounding the sight.