Archery is the ancient sport of shooting arrows with a bow. Though archery is no longer the mainstay of warfare as it was in ages past, modern archers hunt big and small game, and compete in field and Olympic-style shooting competitions. Today's archers improve their aim with the best archery sights on the market for hunting or competition use.
Fixed Pin Sight
Fixed pin sights are the most popular archery sights for hunting, according to Hunter's Friend, a leading bow hunting information and product resource. A fixed-pin sight has three to five pins that are set for accurate aiming at five or 10 yard increments. The hunter then estimates the distance to her target and uses the appropriate pin--or a spot in between pins where necessary--to aim her arrow. The best fixed-pin sights use fiber-optic line to light the end of the pin, allowing for easier aiming in low-light conditions such as dawn or dusk, when game is most usually on the move. Inside Archery magazine named T.R.U. Ball Armortech-HD 5-pin fixed-pin sight the Best Buy of 2009, while premier outdoor supplier Cabela's lists this sight as a Top Gear Pick, with perfect customer ratings. The pins can be fixed individually with a hex wrench, and then the set of five fixed pins can be moved together as a set with windage and elevation compensation adjustments that do not require use of tools.
Movable Pin Sight
Movable pin sights have one a single sighting pin, explains Hunter's Friend. This pin is adjusted for distance prior to each shot. Although the distance adjustments are fast and clearly marked, movable pin sights are more popular with target shooters and less so with hunters who often prefer not to have to make adjustments in the field before taking a shot at elusive quarry. Big game bow hunter Bill Winke, writing in EdersBow Bowhunting Blog, notes that when used properly with a range finder, movable pin sights can be extremely accurate for hunting. Both EdersBow and Cabela's recommend HHA movable pin sights; they offer several HHA Optimizer Lite movable pin models that vary slightly in the intensity or adjustable levels of their fiber-optic brightness.
Target Sight
Target sights are high-quality, precise specialty sights for use in target and 3D archery competitions, according to Hunters Friend. Target sights are expensive and complex, with sophisticated adjustment mechanisms for setting windage and yardage parameters. While the core design of a target sight is a movable pin sight, target sights are larger and more complicated to use than most hunting sights; although they are highly accurate, they are impractical for hunting use and best used on the competition field. Sure-Loc brand's Supreme target sight has been awarded Inside Archery Magazine's prestigious Best Buy award for the best target sight in 8 consecutive years. Like most target sights, Sure Loc's Supreme is sold in component parts: The base sight is composed of an ultra-light micro-adjustable track, onto which a pin sight ring or variety of scopes may be mounted.
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