Sponsored by: Bear Archery
By: Matt Guedes
The advancement of bow sights over the past 10 years has been tremendous. The brightness of the fiber optics, the quick and easy micro adjustments and the decreased size of the pins has greatly improved sights. Although the micro adjusts are good for sighting in, I believe that no advancement is more important than the .010 size pins for western spot and stalk hunters.
Being one of those crazy hunters who puts on 5 or more miles in a single day hunting in one of the western states that I hunt in, I must constantly be prepared for distance shots. The ability to shoot far led me to start shooting a 7 pin sight about 6 years ago. The fact that my 7 pin sight took me out to 80 yards is what made the size a legitimate concern.
We could discuss colors of fiber optics and even the color sequence chosen, but those are really simply preference issues. What I found to be the critical issue for those of us who shoot distance is size of the pin. When I am practicing on a 3D deer target at 80 yards with a .019 size pin, it ends up covering a very large area on the animal. My accuracy was very erratic to say the least. When I dropped down to the .010 size pins everything changed. It was simply “game on”.
Practice, practice, practice.
I know as soon as we start talking distance we instantly push forward into the discussion on ethics. I practice often and I shoot out to 100 yards often. My philosophy has always been if I can shoot an 8 inch group at 100 yards then I will be deadly at 70 yards. With practice it is often possible to shoot 5 and 6 inch groups at 90 or 100 yards and then you are really sharp at 50, 60, 70, and 80. As soon as I write this the danger exists that someone who won’t put the time and effort in to practice these distances will be recklessly flinging arrows at game at long range and wounding the animals rather than providing a quick and humane harvest. But even with that being the case, for those who are willing to practice and take their shooting seriously, these distances with the .010 pin can become a reality.
Good shots and good results improve with good equipment and lots of time at the range.
Since moving to the smaller pins several years ago I have been practicing these distances and increasing my accuracy. My goal in hunting is to always get as close as I can to my quarry. However, I want to be able to extend my potential for harvest and that means being able to shoot well at long range. I can’t speak for anyone else’s ethics because of not knowing all of the factors that determine how far they should or should not shoot at an animal. I know that this is often an unpopular topic. I have found that with the modern bow and all the modern accessories, along with massive amounts of practice, combined with the right and perfect situation that harvests at distance are a reality for me and for those who do the same. I couldn’t shoot at such ranges effectively without the smaller diameter pins.
I have been able to harvest a bull elk at 60 yards a few years ago. That bull was perfectly broadside, did not know I was there and there was no wind. I ranged it exactly at 60 yards and pulled the trigger. The arrow hit the mark and that bull went about 80 yards. I shot a nice buffalo at 66 yards with the bow. Again I was able to split my 60 and70 yard pins because of their small size and put a shot on that large animal. It went about 160 yards. I shot a monkey in Africa at 81 yards and it went 15 yards. I also shot a guinea hen at 70 yards. I would not have been able to do any of this without a sight that has .010 pins.
Trophy Ridge Micro Hit-Man 7 pin sight
I have been shooting my Trophy Ridge Micro Hit-Man 7 pin sight with .010 pins for the past two seasons. This sight has allowed me fine tune my shooting at all distances. The brightness of the pins combined with their small diameter has made me a better shot. This sight comes with 100% aluminum construction, reversible sight mount for right or left handed used, rheostat light, micro adjustment, third axis adjustment, and zero pin gap spacing. I highly suggest that you check out the Trophy Ridge Micro Hit-Man 7 pin sight and all their great products at www.trophyridge.com. Put this sight on a Bear Archery bow www.beararcheryproducts.com and you have a perfect combination.
Whether you are ever going to prepare to shoot an animal at distance or you hunt in tight at 20 yards, I can assure you that these small diameter fiber optic pins will improve your shooting. Someone a long time ago said “aim small, hit small” and my .010 diameter pin helps me and will help you to put that quote into practice. Go small to be able to harvest big.
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