Five pins make a strike

IN last month’s article on hunting hare I mentioned the Trophy Ridge sight I use in conjunction with my Hoyt Faktor compound bow.

This month I’d like to go a little deeper and take a look at this quality bowhunting product.

Many people will have seen the high-tech approach to bows and sights associated with competition archery in events such as the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Hunters, while looking for accuracy, have to keep in mind the tough environment where this equipment is used. The rocky ridges, scrub and tropical wet low-lying swamp areas are just a few places that will challenge the durability of a product.

Before I discuss the features and toughness of the Trophy Ridge React sight, let’s explore the variants that need to be consistent before you attempt to buy and set up a bow sight. Depending on the strength and technique of the hunter, you have to determine a comfortable draw weight to set up your compound bow. For example, my Hoyt Faktor has a draw weight of 60lb.

This gives me an efficient hunting weapon that has the ability to provide a swift and clean kill. The poundage then determines the spine weight of the arrows I use to achieve an accurate and consistent combination. I choose to use appropriate Easton 330 Bloodline arrows. This balanced marriage between bow weight and arrow spine lays the foundation for me to build an effective and accurate result.

Another component in the equation is the broadhead. Broadheads come in various weights but the more popular ones are 100, 125 and 150 grain. I use a 100-grain Muzzy broadhead.

Once you have all the components together you can start work on creating consistent and accurate results. The combination of the above ingredients determines the flight pattern of your launched arrow. Now distance travelled comes into play and you need to change your trajectory as target distance increases.

I hope this basic explanation helps you understand the overall calculation and realise the features available and mathematics involved when buying and setting up your sight.

You will notice the close-up picture of a basic TRUGLO sight available for about $100. The five pins help you achieve accuracy over various distances. Setting your distances is a simple case of adjusting one pin at a time.

Start with the top green pin and set to say 20 yards, the second red pin to 30 yards and so on until every pin is set at 10-yard increments. This exercise can take up valuable hunting time while the five pins are honed, so it’s best to set up your sight before actually heading out on a hunt. Every pin is locked by Allen key after you achieve a tight and accurate grouping of arrows.