The Finest Bow Sights for Looking in 2024

Single-pin, multi-pin, slider, or fixed, it doesn’t matter. Having a quality bow sight needs to be on your radar for the coming hunting season.

There is no shortage of options out there when it comes to bow sights. I get a chuckle these days with how many there are, especially looking back on my first bow sight. These days, it would look more like a paperweight than a bow sight.  A rusty relic with no agenda.

Bow sights of today are a stark difference from that old relic I had. The level of craftsmanship, precision, and features are unbelievable. From fiber optic pins to micro adjustments and built-in rangefinders, they are a work of art. It is undeniable that they are a huge part of the success of the modern-day bowhunter.

Instead of sifting your way through the ocean of available bow sights, we at GearJunkie did the sifting for you. We’ve broken down our top picks of bow sights for 2024.

For a side-by-side spec comparison, have a look at our chart, and be sure to read our buyer’s guide to help you decide which bow sight is best for you.

Editor’s Note: This guide received an update on June 12, 2024, adding the reliable CBE Trek Pro Micro 3V and awarding it our top choice for a single-pin sight. We also now cover the HHA Tetra RYZ, a great option for folks who like to shoot at longer ranges.

The Best Bow Sights for Hunting of 2024

Bow Sight Comparison Chart

How We Tested Bow Sights

Well, we bow hunt … a lot. After spending an immense amount of time in the field each year, what works, what doesn’t, what we need, and what we don’t becomes apparent. Whether in the mountains getting bumped off rocks and rocked by the weather or on the plains crawling through the grass and ingesting an unhealthy amount of dust and debris. From shooting in broad daylight to the fading light of the evening. Our bowsights get put through the wringer.

Rain? Yup. Snow? Definitely. Brutal heat? We’ve cooked them and then some. Our goal is to do the brunt of the research so you don’t have to and can walk into the field with good bow sight and confidence.

How easy is it to operate the bow sight? Does it lose its zero after getting bumped? What about the adjustability? Do the pins starburst in daylight and become non-existent in the evening? These are just some of the things we’re paying attention to when trying out a new bow sight. Along with that, we also consider the expertise and experience of trusted people around us and market demand at various price points.

Bowhunting is something Josh Kirchner thinks about every single day. He’s lucky to spend a good majority of the year with a bow in his hand.  From the alpine to the desert, he’s stalked and ambushed big game animals successfully with a bow and arrow year after year. It’s his passion, and he has a deep appreciation for the level of difficulty that goes into a successful archery hunt. The gear that compromises that success is the gear Josh won’t waste his time using.

If you’re looking to get your whole kit dialed, check out our comprehensive guide to the best archery release aids, as well as our guide to the best hunting arrows.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Bow Sight

Single-Pin or Multi-Pin Bow Sight?

Perhaps the biggest question for bowhunters looking for a new sight is whether to get a single-pin or a multi-pin version. Each of them has its own pros and potential cons in the field. We’re going to break that down for you here. With any luck, you’ll know exactly what to set your sights on after the fact.

Multi-Pin Sights

Advantages

As I mentioned above, multi-pin bow sights are, without a doubt, the most common bow sights used among bowhunters. There are several reasons for that. The first is they are a set-it-and-forget-it system. With the exception of using a multi-pin slider, your pins are what they are.

This leads me to another benefit: Quick yardage pin acquisition is easier with a multi-pin. When a hunter draws their bow back, they know what their pins are, and there is no “hold on, let me dial,” especially after an animal decides to move.

Lastly, multi-pin bow sights also shed light on arrow trajectory. For instance, if you are aiming with your 40-yard pin, but while doing that, your 20-yard pin is sitting on a branch at the halfway point, you’ve likely got a deflection in your future and need to adjust.

Disadvantages

On the flip side, multi-pin sights don’t offer the best of sight pictures. There’s just a lot going on in there, which can muddy your view.

With that in mind, having a plethora of pins inside the housing also has a way of confusing folks. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say “used the wrong pin” after a miss.

Furthermore, these are a set-it-and-forget-it system, but unless you’re using a slider, you won’t be stretching the distance too much in practice. There is great value in practicing long-range shooting, as it makes one even more accurate at the shorter ranges.

Single-Pin Sights

Advantages

While single pins might not be as prevalent in the mountains as multi-pins, there is 100% value in running one pin versus multiple for bowhunting. The first that comes to mind is more of a clear-sight picture. There is no clutter and no such thing as using the wrong pin accidentally in those high-intensity bowhunting situations. You’ve got one pin to worry about, and that’s it.

And with that one pin, you’re going to get exact yardage accuracy. A single-pin sight operates off of a sight tape, so the hunter can dial exact yardage and not have to worry about pin gapping (example: aiming between 30-40 pin for a 35-yard shot).

Single pins are also incredibly easy to sight in. Unlike having to go through sighting in each and every pin on a multi-pin, single pins only require one to sight in two different yardages — a close shot and a farther shot. From that info, you’ll be able to get your sight tape, and it’s off to the races from there.

Disadvantages

It’s not all roses and sugar plums with single-pin sights. And really, this all comes down to one disadvantage that affects a few different things. The disadvantage is time. Single-pin sights are a time sucker because they take longer to adjust for yardage.

So, when that elk decides to move at the last minute while you’re at full draw, you’ll either have to let down and readjust or try to compensate and risk your precision. It’s a sticky situation either way.

This can also cause one to take an even longer amount of time coming to full draw. When things heat up quickly, you need to act quickly, and a single pin doesn’t lend to that in the least. Even if you’ve got all of the ranges memorized in front of you, you’ll still have to adjust your sight to wherever that animal steps out.

And when you do have to adjust your sight, this is more movement you’re throwing into the mix. Bowhunting is a game of inches, and the less movement, the better on our part. Having to move and adjust your sight is a hunter risking getting busted, as well as risking precious time doing so.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between a single-pin and multi-pin bow sight all comes down to comfort and personal preference with a sprinkle of your own hunting style. I know folks that just prefer not to monkey around with remembering which pin to use in the heat of the moment, so they shoot a single.

A popular tactic for ambush hunting from a tree or ground blind. And then I know folks that are diehard spot and stalk hunters, and they feel they need those multiple pins in order to act quickly when that opportunity finally arises.

Whatever it is, pick one, run with it, and know how to use it — because the most important thing of all is being able to put the arrow where it needs to go, right behind the pin.

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