Sighting in a compound bow is one of the first things every archer needs to do — and one of the most misunderstood. Many hunters spend hours at the range chasing their arrows, making random adjustments, and ending up more confused than when they started. Done correctly, the process is methodical, fast, and gives you reliable accuracy out to any distance. This guide walks you through the full process from scratch, including how to set up a sight tape if you're running a single-pin moveable sight.
Before You Start: Check Your Setup
Before adjusting a single pin, confirm these things are correct. Sighting in on a poorly set up bow will produce results you can't rely on.
- Arrow spine is correct for your draw weight and length — a weak-spined arrow won't group no matter how well you tune
- Rest is centered — arrow should pass through the center of the berger hole or be set to the manufacturer's spec
- Peep sight is aligned with your sight housing at full draw without torquing your head
- Nocking point or D-loop is tied correctly — the arrow should sit 90 degrees to the string at rest
- You're shooting consistent form — if your anchor point is moving shot to shot, you can't sight in a bow reliably
The Golden Rule: Follow Your Arrow
The single most important concept in sighting in a compound bow: move your sight in the direction your arrows are hitting. If your arrows hit left, move the sight left. If they hit low, move the sight down. This is the opposite of what feels intuitive to many people, but it's correct — you are moving the pin to where the arrow is going.
Memory trick: "Chase the arrow." Wherever the arrow went, move the pin there. The bow will self-correct on the next shot.
Step-by-Step: How to Sight In Your Compound Bow
Common Sighting-In Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Arrows hitting left consistently | Arrow rest too far right, or form issue (torquing the grip) | Move rest slightly left; check grip for torque; then move pin left |
| Arrows hitting right consistently | Arrow rest too far left, grip torque opposite direction | Move rest slightly right; move pin right |
| Arrows hitting high at 20 yards | Pin set too low or nocking point too low | Move pin up to follow the arrow |
| Arrows hitting low at 20 yards | Pin set too high | Move pin down |
| Groups are scattered, not tight | Form inconsistency, not a sight problem | Fix form first — don't adjust sight for scattered groups |
| 30-yard pin won't adjust far enough | Sight housing may need repositioning on riser | Move entire sight body up or down on the riser mount |
| Sight tape marks are off at distance | Tape generated for wrong arrow speed or weight | Chronograph your actual arrow and rebuild tape at SightTapeGen |
How to Sight In a Bow with a Sight Tape (Single-Pin Setup)
Single-pin moveable sights are increasingly popular with bowhunters because you get a clean sight picture and precision at any distance without multiple pins cluttering your view. But they require a sight tape to function — a printed strip that maps yardage marks to positions on your sight's adjustment track.
The problem is that no two bows shoot identically. A pre-printed "universal" tape from the manufacturer won't be accurate for your actual setup. Your arrow speed, draw weight, arrow weight, and arrow length all affect the tape's scale. A tape that's 5% off in scale reads accurately at 20 yards but misses by 3 inches at 60 yards.
The right way to do this:
- Zero your pin at 20 yards
- Shoot at 40 yards and note where your pin sits on the tape track
- Enter your bow speed (from a chronograph) and arrow specs into SightTapeGen
- Download and print the custom tape — it will match your exact trajectory
- Verify at 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards before hunting
A properly built custom sight tape means you can dial any yardage in seconds — your rangefinder gives you 47 yards, you dial 47, and you're on. No guessing between pins.
How Long Does It Take to Sight In a Compound Bow?
If your bow is properly set up and your form is solid, sighting in three pins (20, 30, 40 yards) should take 30–45 minutes and fewer than 30 arrows. Adding 50 and 60-yard pins adds another 20 minutes. If it's taking significantly longer, the issue is usually form inconsistency — the arrows are grouping too large to give you meaningful feedback on pin adjustments. Work on form before expecting tight groups at distance.
When to Re-Sight Your Bow
Re-verify your zero or rebuild your sight tape any time you:
- Change arrow brands, weights, or point weights
- Switch from field tips to broadheads (especially fixed blades)
- Adjust draw weight or draw length
- Replace the bowstring or cables
- Take a hard knock or drop your bow
- Hunt at significantly different elevation or temperature than when you sighted in
Sighting In: The Short Version
Rule #1: Chase the arrow — move the pin toward where arrows are hitting.
Rule #2: Fix form first. Scattered groups mean a form problem, not a sight problem. No adjustment will fix inconsistent execution.
Rule #3: Start at 20 yards, confirm, then move back one distance at a time.
Single-pin users: Use a custom sight tape built for your actual arrow speed — not a generic one. Your tape is only as accurate as the speed data behind it.