I'm interested in seeing how guys use sights on their trad bows. Any pics are appreciated. Please add commentary as you see fit. Thanks!

Here's my sight for my Black Widow PMA.  It uses the top limb bolt, and a small insert that we had Black Widow install when the bow was made.  

(I don't shoot with it these days, as I prefer to shoot "gap-stinctuitively".)  

The sight is homemade.  It is my father's design, and he had a friend machine several of them out of aluminum.

I have never shot sights, even in my compound shooting days, but Archie, that is one spectacular, well thought out design.  You may want to patent that and make a deal with Black Widow!

I see a barrage of questions on ethics coming out of this.  Does this legitimatize shots out to 40-50?

Just curious...

QuoteOriginally posted by Chromebuck:
I see a barrage of questions on ethics coming out of this.  Does this legitimatize shots out to 40-50?

Just curious...

Why would it? I see nothing at all unethical about a sight. Putting a sight on doesn't make you take 40-50 yard shots.

...plus practicing up to 50 yards can really improve your form and overall accuracy at closer range.

Roman, that is a great design! Your father was truly an innovator!

Way back when, I had sights on a recurve for field archery .
8 pins all the way to 80 yards.
For deer hunting I only shot,to 30 max.

Way back when, I had sights on a recurve for field archery .
8 pins all the way to 80 yards.
For deer hunting I only shot,to 30 max.

QuoteOriginally posted by Chromebuck:
I see a barrage of questions on ethics coming out of this.  Does this legitimatize shots out to 40-50?

Just curious...

Aw Heck, that is a Black Widow...those pins are probably set for 5, 10, 15 & 20 yards!  

Just kidding folks!

Nothing wrong with sites on a stick bow, if it makes you a better shot then more power to ya.

I would bet the ones who complain about useing sights on a stick bow could do with some. To each their own.

Shooting with sights is not as easy as some people think.

Thanks for the comments.

Any more pics?

Archie,

Nice quiver.  What is it?

HighNTree

This was my first traditional harvest. I was not yet comfortable enough with my instinctive shooting but wanted to use the recurve so I added a sight and it gave me the little extra I needed at the time. That bow is 75 lbs at 28 inches and I draw almost 30. When you are holding 80 lbs at full draw that sight is nothing more than an indicator rather than a precision aiming device. If I get the pic loaded right, you can just see the sight on the back of the bow.

honestly sights on traditional bows is part of our past many of the people who did this before us used them and I'm sure you all know how popular they were..

I personally don't use them but if I see someone out with a classic recurve maybe even a 66" wilson Bro's with the original brass sliding frame sights I think that would be pretty cool to see,,, why because its so rare..

has anyone noticed there is a thing going on with compounders who are using vintage compounds,, yeah I know its crazy but a few of those guys are searching out original round wheel compounds to set up and hunt with maybe because they realized those bows already peaked and where they go from here..  they are using old pin style sights, fixed blade heads, aluminum arrows and 5" vanes and maybe dressing in trebark camo and reading old chuck adams stories its nuts hearing this but its true.

forget it I don't even know where I'm going with this,    

In the seventies it was normal to have sights on recurves. I tried them, but can't really say it improved my shooting that much. There is nothing wrong with using a sight. I would much rather see someone with sights than help them track a wounded deer. If they are not ready to shoot instinctive, then use a sight until you are.

I shoot pretty good "instinctive" as long as I don't rush. Unfortunately, I've grappled with Target Panic the last 18 months or so.

I haven't used a sight yet, but I have tried using part of my bow's riser as a "sight" and that tends to slow me down, which means good shooting. I'm afraid this os a temporary fix, though.

I gap shoot so I guess you could say I use my point as a 1 pin sight.

My brother uses a 1 pin sight on his recurve, helps him a ton!!!

Do whatever you need to make a good shot...

I tinker with a simple single pin sight every now and then.  I shoot my recurves sighting however I'm most accurate. To date though my string walking without sights is more accurate for me than the sight.

My decision to shoot a recurve these past 5 years has nothing to do with how I choose to aim. It is the aesthetics of the bow's appearance, feel, sound, and nostalgia for my beginnings in archery.

If the sight would shrink my groups signficantly I wouldn't hesitate to use one.