Something I’ve found helpful for sighting in!

[TaylerW]

So for whatever reason I can’t shoot a dot to save my life. I shoot 3d great, and don’t have an issue hitting animals where I need to. When I got my recent bow I decided to really take my time more so than usual and get the bow as dialed as possible.

With my issues shooting dots as I had done in the past for my sight in, I figured I should try something else.

Not sure where I saw this but I just put a strip of tape on. Once I was roughed in for both windage and elevation I started to fine tune to find my tape. Horizontal piece of electrical tape across a blank target face for elevation, and then a vertical piece for windage.

I’ve worked on it for about two weeks now until I proved that my sight tape choice was correct and my marks are on point. Verified last night at 100 yards and the results were pretty evident.

Hopefully this might simplify the process for someone else who hates shooting dots.

With that I have made a goal to overcome this issue and will be committing to improving dot shooting rather than avoiding it.

 

[5MilesBack]

Ya, it works. At least for me, it's real easy to hold steady for just one plane at a time (horizontal or vertical). Get the sight set for both, and then you should be good to go. I've been line shooting for years. I still shoot the edges of my targets sometimes just for the heck of it. It's good for nock tuning your arrows as well.

 

[MuleyFever]

This is something I have never thought of doing. I can see how it would be great for getting elevations, or windage, dialed in and you dont have to shoot out one spot on the target. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Thanks for the tip, gonna try this for myself and the wife.

 

[3forks]

So for whatever reason I can’t shoot a dot to save my life.

I don’t want to derail your thread, but thought I’d address your opening statement in the event you’re looking for some insight into why you can’t shoot dots.

You have a form of target panic, and it’s really common that guys who can shoot generally well but can’t shoot dots start over-aiming and their subconscious is not letting you put your pin over the dot. If you don’t feel comfortable with the pin floating off the dot, your subconscious won’t let you put the pin on the dot so that you won’t take the shot and potentially miss.

Right now, it dots for you - but you may want to look into target panic and how to defeat it before it progresses into you not being able to shoot 3D animals well, too because it’s likely that will happen next.

Hope my comments are helpful and I don’t come across as me sounding like I know everything, but I’ve had your issue and know a ton of other people who who have, too.

 

[TaylerW]

I don’t want to derail your thread, but thought I’d address your opening statement in the event you’re looking for some insight into why you can’t shoot dots.

You have a form of target panic, and it’s really common that guys who can shoot generally well but can’t shoot dots start over-aiming and their subconscious is not letting you put your pin over the dot. If you don’t feel comfortable with the pin floating off the dot, your subconscious won’t let you put the pin on the dot so that you won’t take the shot and potentially miss.

Right now, it dots for you - but you may want to look into target panic and how to defeat it before it progresses into you not being able to shoot 3D animals well, too because it’s likely that will happen next.

Hope my comments are helpful and I don’t come across as me sounding like I know everything, but I’ve had your issue and know a ton of other people who who have, too.

Oh I definitely know the woes of target panic. I played release roulette for a few years before ridding myself of that complication.

It definitely plays a part in this for sure. I’m working on form in the garage most evenings trying to get a better release. Kinda playing around with a tension activated index release but still not sold on it.

Did not take your advice negatively at all or view it as a hi-jack. We are all trying to get better.

 

[Mish-pop]

Thanks for the helpful tip. I shall give this a go as dots can sometimes be a pain for me as well!

 

[butcherboy]

I’ve used the tape method for many years for sighting in. Once I get that down then I will shoot a dot or just simply put a small piece of paper or cardboard on my hay bale. I do the same thing when sighting in a rifle.

 

[jonesn3]

Good tip! This is my favorite way of sighting in and verifying drop or site tape calibration (assuming you’re not using a downrange method).

Biggest benefit with this method, IMO, is helping minimize arrow damage at close range while sighting in (20-30yds). I don’t know about you, but if I’ve just built 12 new arrows, I’m not too thrilled if vanes get torn off of shafts/nocks break

 

[waspocrew]

I like it - will have to give this a try. Hadn't pulled back my bow in a couple of years and figured I'd dust it off for this season.