Why Your Bow Sight Adjustments Keep Failing

You swear you did everything right, but you’re still staring at a target with arrows consistently missing the bullseye.

I’ve spent thousands of hours coaching archers, and I’ve noticed that most shooters overcomplicate the sighting-in process. The confusion comes from a common misunderstanding about how bow sights work. 

Unlike scopes on rifles, where you adjust to where the bullet hits, bow sights follow a different rule. It’s a simple principle, but one that trips up experienced shooters regularly.

Thankfully, once you understand this concept, you’ll never struggle with sight adjustments again.

Let me walk you through the most efficient way to dial in your pin and hit the mark every time. No complicated calculations or wasted arrows needed.

Follow Your Arrow: The Golden Rule of Bow Sighting

Here’s the rule that’ll save you time and frustration: When your arrows hit consistently in one direction, move your sight in that same direction:

• If your arrows group low on the target, move your sight down.
• If your arrows impact high, move your sight up.
• If they hit right, move your sight to the right.
• If they’re landing left, move your sight to the left.

This may feel counterintuitive. Your instinct might be to move the sight in the opposite direction of the miss. Fight that urge.

When you move your sight down (following a low arrow), you’ll naturally have to raise your bow arm slightly to realign that pin with the target. This elevation change sends your next arrow higher.

I’ve watched countless shooters grow frustrated trying to adjust their sights after moving them in the wrong direction. Follow your arrow, and you’ll see immediate improvements.

Fine-Tuning Your Adjustments: Don’t Overcompensate

The most common mistake I see, from experienced archers too, is over-adjustment. When your arrows are off target, the tendency is to make dramatic sight changes.

But a little adjustment goes a long way, especially with modern bow sights. Here’s my approach to efficient sight-in:

1. Shoot a three-arrow group at your desired distance (I start at 20 yards).
2. Observe where the arrows consistently impact.
3. Make a small adjustment in the direction of your miss.
4. Shoot another group and evaluate.
5. Repeat with increasingly smaller adjustments until you’re centered.

The secret is patience and incremental changes. Sight adjustment is like seasoning food: You can always add more, but you can’t take it away once you’ve gone too far.

When I’m dialing in a new bow setup, I typically expect to make two or three adjustments to get centered vertically, and the same horizontally. Any more than that likely means you’re overcompensating with each change.

The Value of Micro-Adjustment Sights

Not all bow sights are created equal, so invest in a sight with true micro-adjustments. The difference between “close enough” and dead-center often comes down to the precision your sight allows.

Quality micro-adjustment sights feature:

• Click-style adjustments for repeatable, measurable changes
• Fine-tuned movement (typically 0.002″ per click)
• Locking mechanisms to prevent accidental movement
• Clear reference scales for tracking adjustments

This precision becomes particularly valuable as you extend your effective range. At 20 yards, small sight imperfections might be tolerable. At 40+ yards, those same imperfections translate to significant misses.

Micro-adjustment capability separates recreational-level equipment from true performance gear. If you’re serious about accuracy, this is one area where investment pays immediate dividends.

Precision over plastic: The ability to make micro-adjustments with true precision is only achieved with a machined metal sight. Plastic sights tend to bend, warp, or often settle back into their previous position — compromising consistency. This is where the money you pay comes into play. A high-quality machined aluminum sight is worth every penny when these micro movements matter.

Practical Application: Three Shots to Perfection

Recently, I was setting up a new bow and found my first arrow hitting low on the target at 30 yards. Following the “chase your arrow” rule, I moved my sight down accordingly.

On the second shot, I overcompensated to demonstrate the principle. As expected, the arrow hit high, proving the adjustment was working, just too aggressively.

For the third shot, I made a small correction, moving my sight up slightly to compensate for the high impact. The result was a perfect center hit. Three arrows, three adjustments, and the bow was perfectly sighted in.

This systematic approach works regardless of your equipment or experience level. The physics remain the same whether you’re shooting a $300 bow or a $3,000 competition rig.

Simplicity Equals Consistency

Properly sighting in your bow doesn’t require complex calculations or special tools; just an understanding of one simple rule: Follow your arrows with your sight adjustments. This principle has guided every bow I’ve ever set up, from my first youth bow to the competition rigs I shoot today.

Keep this sequence in mind when you’re dialing in your setup:

1. Shoot a consistent group.
2. Identify the miss direction.
3. Move your sight in the SAME direction as the miss.
4. Make smaller adjustments as you get closer to center.
5. Confirm with final shots.

By embracing this approach, you’ll eliminate the frustration of sight adjustment and spend more time enjoying the satisfaction of arrows that hit exactly where you’re aiming.

Keep your adjustments small, invest in quality micro-adjustment sights if possible, and trust the process.