Single V.S. Multi Pin sights

[BT]

I know that there are a few here who (unlike myself) use a single sight pin for hunting and 3-D.

Why?

For that matter....why use more than one

It really should come down to a matter of one being the best choice based on intelligent design but of course it generally gives way to best choice for the individual

I don't know if my choice is best or not I just know that it is what works for me

Now..... that doesn't make alot of sense on the whole because if it's not the best choice based on sound logic then it leaves something to be desired.
If there is something to be desired then I cant be at the top of my game

So lets go over this and see if we can get past what we like and see if what we like is really what is best

If we cant figure it out , then at least there is going to be some good food for thought here for someone in the future

[vonottoexperience]

No doubt it's a personal choice. I went to 1 pin after I missed a 8pt. buck by using the wrong pin from a multi pin sight. In those days most compounds where a slow 220fps. Multi pins were needed to be shot out to 30yrds. I switched to a pendulum sight which worked OK but not great. I bought a Oneida Screaming eagle which shot 255fps, things changed for me. I could now shoot with one pin out to 30yrds without significant drop. I got proficient with the Oneida and later a HCA which was faster..I gained another couple of yrds.Now with my BT I can shoot out to 37 yrds. with a little fudging quite a bit more.

[Greg Krause]

I always shot one pin, even with bows shooting in the low to mid 250's. I was able to shoot out to 50yds with my 25yd pin with great acuracy. I even took a few deer in the 40-50yd range with that set-up. I shot it so much I just "knew" where the arrow would end up and where I had to hold without thinking about it.
I now shoot multi pin because I wanted even greater accuracy at longer ranges. I for one only really use my first and maybe my second pin for hunting. My first pin gets me to a little over 30yds with no fudging, my second will get me a little over 40 with no holdover. My next pin is sighed in for 5oyds and my bottom pin is 70yds. I just keep that one there for fun. when you can keep a good group at 70yds, it makes 30yds a chip shot.

[BT]

Alright....to play devils advocate

How about these questions:

Do you have a maximum yardage that you will shoot?

If so....how many pins does it take to reach that distance?

If it takes two pins you could 1 set pin on center and hold slightly high or low (as the circumstances dictate) to achieve the same point of impact.

Let me clarify by stating that most bows average a 10" window anymore and with a split pin position you would be 5" over/under on center with that pin before or after that distance.

With an 8" area for a kill on a deer , if we hold center we will be 1" low and therefore hold over/under only need be 2" to confirm total covered area.

Lets say that your bow shoots 25 flat and your maximum range is 35yrds.
By setting your pin to 30 spot on you could hold top 1/3rd anywhere over 27yrds. and bottom third anywhere under 27 yards.

In this respect , it is much easier to determine distance being a matter of simply knowing if the target is over 30 or under and then aiming accordingly.

In other words....it only gives you 2 options whereas two pins gives you 3 when you choose to gap the pins for the 30 yards.

Having to determine three potential answers to any question is obviously harder than coming up with two and therefore reaction time decreases and error due to misjudgment is likewise reduced.

Keep in mind that I am talking myself into a single pin set up as I type away here ;D

[Greg Krause]

If I was limiting my shots to 35yds and under I would only have 1 pin.
The only thing that limits the range on my shots is what I am shooting at.
For a deer where everything is perfect I limit myself to about 50yds.
For small game, I'll shoot farther than that. My theory being that with a BH, I either kill a squirrel/rabbit or I miss.
You throw in follow up shots(be sure the its the right animal), coyotes, 3D's and just plain stumpin', and it makes sence to have the option of shooting accuratly over 50yds.
For targets I'll shoot as far as I can safely.

My friend does very little 3D and limits his shots on animals to 40yds max, prefering 30yds or in. He shoots one pin and does it well. anything 30yds or under is pretty much dead on. out to 40yds, he holds a bit high. He has another pin for targets out to 50-60yds.

[ruckerduck]

I use a single pin. I like the clean picture. To me it is like rifle hunting. I never shoot beyond 35 yards, so if I need to I just hold a little high if I'm shooting past 30 yards. I used to shoot with a 4 pin, horizontal sight and I hated how much of the target it blocked.

[Scottyluck]

I use 3 pins. I honestly have trouble holding a "little over" or "a little under".

[smj]

That max hunting distance thingie always seems to pop up any time sights and speed and distance comes up. Personally, I just like to watch arrows fly - and shoot regularly at over a hundred yards. I also work on grouping at 80 yards, which to me is one of the best things you can do to improve your shooting form. Don't believe me, try it some time. Shoot 80 yards for 5 times out, get your form to the point you can group a bit, then go back to 20 or 30 yards. If you are going to shoot longer distances, and do it with style and ease, you will need the pins. I have 5 on my sight, usually 20, 40, 60, 70, and 80 yards. For 30 and 50 I guess - but the pins are close together so it is not much of a guess (my Pro 38 gives me 307 fps with a 400 grain arrow.). I also move them around sometimes for different purposes. To use a single pin, a lot of what I like to shoot, target wise, would go away simply because the guess work would become very tough. Also, a line of pins works about like a level, at least on flat ground, you can check the amount of cant you are holding the bow at. Anyway, to me shooting a compound is all about speed and accuracy, it is not a guessing game. Anything else means, to me, traditional shooting! Of the two, traditional carries more meaning, and there are ZERO pins on my longbow! I've just never learned how to put them on... (And yes, I shoot my longbow at 200 yards regularly. We shoot for a post mounted out in the range... Closest shot wins for the day. A hit will let you brag for a week or two!)

A single pin would take away the confusion of having to pick the right pin out of the line-up... It would also kill off one of the most used excuses for missing a shot...

[BT]

O.K.

So.....
(playing the devils advocate again )
One of the easiest ways to know distance without the need to guess is by using the combination of pins to bracket the target animal.

With only one pin you have to be a good judge of distance or run the risk of failure by comparison.

Also....as the target gets further away , it gets visually smaller and determining gap with a single pin gets harder as the pin tends to block out more of the target.

By adjusting for elevation changes we are now (for example) holding the point of aim on the top third which is a smaller mark than dead center , since we are now only guessing the drop with the single pin set up as it pertains to aiming center.

Visually .... by blocking out the top third we lose some reference as to actual point of aim as it relates to center whereas with the multi pin sight if we hold the correct pin on center , the eye conceives this picture far better since the pin is framed by the target in direct proportion to it's size.

[Scottyluck]

admin said:

O.K.

So.....
(playing the devils advocate again )
One of the easiest ways to know distance without the need to guess is by using the combination of pins to bracket the target animal.

With only one pin you have to be a good judge of distance or run the risk of failure by comparison.

Also....as the target gets further away , it gets visually smaller and determining gap with a single pin gets harder as the pin tends to block out more of the target.

By adjusting for elevation changes we are now (for example) holding the point of aim on the top third which is a smaller mark than dead center , since we are now only guessing the drop with the single pin set up as it pertains to aiming center.

Visually .... by blocking out the top third we lose some reference as to actual point of aim as it relates to center whereas with the multi pin sight if we hold the correct pin on center , the eye conceives this picture far better since the pin is framed by the target in direct proportion to it's size.

...or you could just use a rangefinder...