While covering a wealth of archery equipment, here, we have rounded up the best compound bow sights as suggested by our expert team. So, if you are looking for a workable, easy-to-use sight, here they are:
Here are the best compound bow sights (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best overall: Compound Bow Archery Sight Kit
- Best For Casual Shooters: Trophy Ridge Fix Series Sight
- Best For Beginners: IQ Bowsight Micro 3 or 5 Pin Compound Bow Archery Sight
- Best for advanced shooters: TRUGLO Carbon XS
- Best For Low Light Conditions: HHA Optimizer Sight 5519
- Best For Target Shooting: Southland Archery Supply SAS
| Top 6 Best Compound Bow Sights | ||
|---|---|---|
Best overall | Compound Bow Archery Sight Kit | Read Our Review |
Best For Casual Shooters | Trophy Ridge Fix Series Sight | Read Our Review |
Best For Beginners | IQ Bowsight Micro 3 or 5 Pin Compound Bow Archery Sight | Read Our Review |
Best for advanced shooters | TRUGLO Carbon XS | Read Our Review |
Best For Low Light Conditions | HHA Optimizer Sight 5519 | Read Our Review |
Best For Target Shooting | Southland Archery Supply SAS | Read Our Review |
Best overall: Compound Bow Archery Sight Kit
- Extremely affordable
- Quality & workable - 6061-T6 aluminum bracket, 3 pins, markings, & level with two vertical bars
- Versatile - Adjustable for left and right-handed shooters
- The predrilled holes are slightly tough
Start with the Compound Bow Archery Sight Kit from TOPOINT ARCHERY, we bet that you probably have just had your reservations about such a cheap sight on your bow.
But the truth is this high-quality product could please you.
It is constructed from the 6061-T6 aluminum bracket and 3 highly-visible pins to fit perfectly most compound bows with no modifications required. Despite the rock bottom price point, it still features markings for windage and elevation, as well as level with two vertical bars, which we really appreciate.
Last but not, it fits all archers, no matter you’re left- or right-handed shooter.
| Compound Bow Archery Sight Kit Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 5.6 ounces |
Material | 6061-T6 aluminum |
Number of Pins | 5 |
Pin Diameter | 0.029" |
Highlight Features | Level with two vertical bars Markings for elevation and windage Adjustable for left and right-handed shooters |
Priced under $15 with no compromises of quality, this is an excellent choice for those bow enthusiasts who aren’t ready to spend 3x than that amount for a name brand sight.
Best For Casual Shooters: Trophy Ridge Fix Series Sight
- Convenient - four mounting positions
- High-quality - nicely encased fiber optics with a rubberized coating
- Accurate - Allen bolt and thumb screw for micro-adjustment
- It’s finicky if you try turning on a light that is supposed to help brighten the pins
- Wish they added an extra color for the pins
The Trophy Ridge Fix Series is an excellent bow sight that any casual shooters would fall for.
It offers four mounting positions, which is convenient depending on how far you like the sight from your riser. The fiber optics are nicely encased in plastic with no loose ends that could break off. And, it’s also got a rubberized coating to help with vibration.
The best part about this bow sight, which we found very little information provided online is it’s micro-adjustable.
One typical issue of multiple-pin sights is you can move the individual pin close, but hard to get it precisely. With the Allen bolt and thumbscrew, such adjustment is much more accurate with ease.
| Trophy Ridge Fix Series Sight Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 11.2 ounces |
Material | ballistic co-polymer material |
Number of Pins | 3 |
Pin Diameter | .019” |
Highlight Features | four mounting positions; nicely encased fiber optics with a rubberized coating; Allen bolt and thumb screw for micro-adjustment |
Casual shooters will get big utility out of this Trophy Ridge Fix Series Sight. It receives high ranks for the accuracy adjustment and convenience it offers.
Best For Beginners: IQ Bowsight Micro 3 or 5 Pin Compound Bow Archery Sight
- Easy to adjust & ultra-accurate – micro-adjust knobs
- Fit versatile shooting styles – dual position mount
- Allow for longer-distance shoots – Retina lock technology
- Little heavy
- Pins are a bit small
With an easy-to-use design, the IQ Bowsight Micro 3 or 5 Pin Compound Bow Archery Sight is perfect for beginners.
Like the Trophy Ridge, it provides micro-adjust knobs for simple and quick adjustment of the windage and elevation to accurate positions, with no tool locking knobs needed. It also features a dual-position mount to fit different shooting styles.
While embodying the most basic things that many novice shooters are looking for, the sight offers RETINA lock technology which lets you make longer-distance shoots with tighter groups.
This addition also gives you instant feedback to help determine the anchor point change or the slightest torque.
| IQ Bowsight Micro 3 or 5 Pin Compound Bow Archery Sight Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 7.4 oz. |
Number of Pins | 3-5 |
Pin Diameter | .019” |
Highlight Features | Micro-adjust knobs Dual-position mount Retina lock technology |
Rather than buying cheap sights and swapping them many times per year, you’d prefer to invest in a really high-quality functional model for long-time use? Look no further!
Best for advanced shooters: TRUGLO Carbon XS
- Ultra-lightweight – carbon composite materials
- Durable & bright - Unique Pro-Bright pin design, ultra-long TRU-FLO fibers, & glow-in-dark shooter’s ring
- Greater vertical adjustability - a reversible bracket
- No instructions
The TRUGLO Carbon XS strikes a prime balance between ultra-lightweight construction and durability.
While the carbon composite materials make the total weight less than 4.2 ounces, its Unique Pro-Bright pin design offers decent durability.
This pin design, combining with the ultra-long TRU-FLO fibers and the glow-in-dark shooter’s ring, also gives you extraordinary brightness with no glare from the LED light, which makes it perfect for improved peep alignment.
But that’s not all about this wonderful bow sight. To top up the vertical adjustability, TRUGLO also added a reversible bracket so it’s versatile enough for both left- and right-handed shooters.
| TRUGLO Carbon XS Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 4.2 ounces |
Material | Ultra-lightweight carbon-composite construction |
Number of Pins | 3 |
Pin Diameter | .019" |
Highlight Features | Carbon composite materials Unique Pro-Bright pin design Ultra-long TRU-FLO fibers & glow-in-dark shooter’s ring A reversible bracket |
With all things considered, the TRUGLO Carbon XS is unparalleled for its adjustability, durability, lightness, and brightness – a perfect combination that we highly recommend for advanced shooters.
Best For Low Light Conditions: HHA Optimizer Sight 5519
- Shine bright at night with adjustment - sight tapes
- Keep you focus better on the pin, deliver easy installation, & accuracy at a longer-distance shoot - a single-pin adjustable sight
- Easy to set up – readable, clear instructions
- Pricey
- Can’t mount a quiver to it without a bracket
Featuring no light, but the reason why we highly recommend the HHA Optimizer Sight 5519 for low light conditions is it comes with sight tapes and the ability to adjust the pin brightness.
We have to agree that this product makes everything much easier in darkness.
It is a single-pin adjustable sight, which delivers no obstructed view downrange while always keeping you highly focus on the same pin, making it a wonderful option for deer tree-stand hunting or target shooting.
With a simple design, setting the bow sight up can’t be easier and it also comes with very readable, clear instructions. The model also gives you extra confidence to shoot at longer-distance yardage.
| HHA Optimizer Sight 5519 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | 12.8 ounces |
Material | 100-Percent machined aluminum |
Number of Pins | 1 |
Pin Diameter | .019” |
Highlight Features | Sight tapes A single-pin adjustable sight |
Looking for a bow sight for low light conditions to use in the next time you put camouflage on? This is it!
Best For Target Shooting: Southland Archery Supply SAS
- Not cluttered to your observation - 2” diameter housing for a significantly larger field of view
- Easy to replace the pins – 5 pins size 0.019 inch in diameter
- Decent precision shooting - bubble level
- The thumbscrew used to lock the dovetail down could be in higher quality
While other 5-pin bow sights are cluttered to make a good shot, the Southland Archery Supply SAS, luckily, doesn’t a thing.
It highlights a 2” diameter housing for a significantly larger field of view so while adjusting the pin, it doesn’t disturb your observation at all. Regardless, this tool-less sight is very easy to use.
You can adjust it to your dominant side, replace any pin wanted as it features a standard size of 0.019 inches, and if you don’t want to use all five pins, just remove one or two. Our tester particularly loves its bubble level for decent precisions shots, which is perfect for target shooting.
| Southland Archery Supply SAS Specifications | |
|---|---|
Weight | < 1.5 pounds |
Material | CNC Aluminum |
Number of Pins | 5 |
Pin Diameter | .019" |
Highlight Features | 2” diameter housing Five .019" full capture pins Bubble level Right or left hand |
Overall, Southland Archery Supply SAS is a real rock star for target shooting that Southland continues to upgrade.
How To Choose The Best Compound Bow Sights?
To make sure the bow sight you’re going to choose will meet your needs the most, here are a few important questions to wonder:
- What is it used for: shooting for fun, bowhunting, or tournament shooting?
- How much time are you willing to practice with the sight?
- What is your budget?
Once you’ve got all the answers, let’s get started:
The Number Of Pins
There are two typical options of pins:
Single-pin
- Just as its name defines, the single-pin features one pin mounted on the sight to be used for the yardages.
- 1 pin = 20 yards.
- Accordingly, it can’t be adjusted, which means if you shoot a 20-yard shot, then step back to 40, you have to move to the yardage you’ll be shooting.
- In turn, this simplicity eliminates the risks of using accidentally a wrong pin on your short as there’s just one option, and it also gives you the wonderful ability to shoot point on every time. For example, if you plan to shoot a 52-yard shot, just adjust it for 52 yards and hold dead on the target.
Multiple-pin
- This type is more popular because it offers several pins set at known distances.
- Depending on personal preference, the archer can adjust to use it anywhere between 3 and 6 pins and there also comes with different colors to easily differentiate them.
- The biggest advantage of multiple-spin sights is the easy range adjustments, meaning that you can set as many pins as needed, at the distance you want. So, if you shoot a 20-yard shot, with a multiple-spin, you don’t have to step back but simply choose the right pin for that.
- But make sure to pick the right pin for the distance you prefer. Here is probably the biggest flaw of this model – you have to estimate certain shots.
- The common case is you have pins set at 20 and 30 yards but are shooting a 28-yard shot. It requires you to estimate where to hold. Many archers also complain the multiple-pin is too cluttered to focus because there are so many options to adjust.
- And this is also the type that requires more time to practice with.
Ease Of Adjustment
- Make sure to pick a bow sight that is easy to adjust the windage and elevation as well.
- Although some models provide Allen keys and other tools for this, we still prefer to use adjustment knobs as they are adjusted incrementally and give you finer and easier tuning.
Which Brands Make The Best Compound Bow Sights?
Trophy Ridge
- The brand that’s known for its signature REACT technology which allows the sight pins to react together or simply put.
TRUGLO
- TRUGLO is a well-known manufacturer specializing in optics, archery, handgun, red dots, and more. A place where you can get a customizable option to your specific needs, at a comparatively affordable price.
HHA
- A reliable brand of choice for bow enthusiasts, pro shooters, and movable sight aficionados worldwide, with over 30 years’ expertise in the archery realm.
FAQs
How many pins do you need on a bow sight?
This feature actually depends on two things:
- The type of shot opportunities that you typically run into
- Where you hunt
…and there are 2 common options to choose from, which has been written in detail in our buying guide above. Read it to learn more!
Are single pin sights good for hunting?
The single-pin sight is good for hunting as long as you want something that requires little adjustment to focus more on shooting and to minimize the risks of choosing the wrong pin. But make sure that you don’t mind the inconvenience of manually moving it to the yardage you’ll be shooting.
How do you sight in a single pin sight?
What distance should I set my bow sights?
This depends a lot on your bow.
Some models will drop a few inches between 10 and 20 while others shoot laser straight out to 20 yards. For the first pin, we highly recommend setting yours at 10 yards and then work it out until you see the range where you need another pin.
Conclusion
We believe that once understanding the strengths of each sight as well as their applications to the hunting style and purpose, you will select the best compound bow sight more easily. That’s why our tester team worked so hard to narrow down to this list as well as the brief guide.
Hope it has helped you! Thanks for reading.
Bryan Listor
