Single pin vs 4 pin sights

[wildcat3]

I've got a Hoyt Powermax about a five year old bow. I bought it as a package ready to hunt. I've killed a couple deer with it and set it up. Thinking about getting it out and doing some bow hunting this fall. I have never been a big fan of the four pin sights that came on the bow although they did serve me well for what few times I hunted with it. The single pin just looks much easier to see and aim to me however I know very little about bows and bow accessories. Wondering what kind of sights some of the more experienced bow hunters are are using.

 

[Ho ace]

My .02

I considered the options as well and talked to a few folks about their opinions and decided a multi pin sight was the best option for me.

Single pin sights seem to be the latest trend and if I were hunting elk or shooting 3D that would seem the way to go for sure. They definitely offer a open sight window and can dial into any yardage your capable of shooting.

My reasoning for a multi pin sight is I am mostly tree stand hunting whitetail deer and got alot going on when a target steps into the picture and just feel I am better off not having to fiddle with adjusting the sight.

I settled on a Trophy Ridge Hotwire 3 pin adjustable and it is ok. I have a 20, 30, 40 pin and can dial my 40 pin out to 60 yards. Not gonna shoot a deer at 60 yards but fun to target shoot at long distances.

There are several option out there in 2 or 3 pin adjustable sights you may want to consider.

 

[kilerhamilton]

One pin for some years now. It has not got me in trouble yet. And I shoot a slow bow. Furthest shot 35yds from a stand on a deer. If you practice enough you learn your arrows trajectory. My pin on 20yds I can shoot out to 40yds pretty confidently I can hit a softball.
With a single pin the pin is in the middle of the housing and your vision isn’t blurred at low light.
IMO

 

[Hughes]

This past season I transitioned to a single pin sight from a 4 pin... I can assure you I will never go back. The sight picture is so much better and it's less chaotic. It makes it much more simple and straightforward. It's easier to make an ethical shot on a deer because you don't have other pins blocking view/the deer's vitals. I shoot so much better with a single pin too. My groups are fantastic. Never would be able to do as good with a multi pin. I treestand hunt whitetails and had zero issues with adjusting my pin however I didn't really need to because with my pin being set at 25 yards, anything within 35 yards doesn't need adjustment just because I know how my arrow flies (practice!!). I really like it and would highly recommend it to anyone wanting or thinking about switching. HHA is the way to go if you're gonna get one!

 

[ncscrubmaster]

I went to a one pin sight and also will never go back. Several things to like but the best is easy adjustment. Thank the lord I don’t have to have an allen wrench to adjust. It’s easy to move from 20,30 or 40. I shoot better with one pin because to me multi pin there is a lot more clutter in the sight. This evening I put a magnifier on my sight that will help me see the target at longer distance. I can’t wait to try it out. Also they have different sizes of the one pin as far as the dot itself. Don’t get one to big because it causes a halo effect in low light.

 

[brownisdown]

I have always strongly preferred the single style up pin. When spot hogg introduced the double and triple up pins it was the best of everything.

 

[QBD2]

I’ve got 3 pins, but the bottom 2 are target only. 33, 55, 70.

 

[dfitzy]

I use 3 pins. I like the spot hogg fast Eddie as it’s adjustable when I want to shoot long range. I tried a single pin but didn’t want to have to make adjustments on the fly. Lots of good options out there.

 

[coachcornbread]

I use 3 pins. I like the spot hogg fast Eddie as it’s adjustable when I want to shoot long range. I tried a single pin but didn’t want to have to make adjustments on the fly. Lots of good options out there.

Just ordered a fast Eddie myself. Can’t wait to try it out!

 

[30/06]

3 pin slider here. 20-30-40 and can slide to 60+. MBG ascent, built very well with bright pins.

Have shot single pins in the past (HHA). Great sights but didn’t want to deal with dialing in the heat of the moment and remembering to dial it back to 20.

 

[TobyScreams]

Single pin. I found when drop tuning I was shooting just my top pin further out I was more accurate than using any other pin. That’s what prompted the switch. Though admittedly I’ve missed my target twice over the years where I forgot to readjust the yardage and went from 20 to 70.

 

[Tallpine89]

For hunting I like a single pin but do not like the adjusting for closer shots. I have used for years with great success the Tru Glo Pendulum sight with the adjustable sight. This has given me the best of both worlds, 5 to 35 yards I use it in pendulum mode and to be honest 90% of my kills are in that range but I can lock it down and adjust it to shoot like a fixed one pin sight for longer yardage. I killed a nice 10pt in Kansas at 42yds and a nice 8pt in Missouri at 49yds with it locked down and adjusted for those yardages but most other deer I have killed using it in pendulum mode. I also got it with the Tritium pin which is awesome in low light, no sight light needed and actually you can see the pin in total darkness. Has worked great for me hunting.

 

[JJWise]

Personally, I like multiple pins for the instant adjustment in case that deer moves while I’m drawn. I’ve tried to shoot several single pin sights and I wish that they still had the pins oriented horizontally, something about that vertical pin seems to make me want to hold it to the left or right of what I’m aiming at

 

[Shine]

I switched to a single pin a couple years ago and wont go back. So much more sight picture and easy to switch quick. They do make single pins with 2 markings on it so that could help you as well for getting on quick without adjusting if you know the distance the second one is on at.

 

[Hughes]

Personally, I like multiple pins for the instant adjustment in case that deer moves while I’m drawn. I’ve tried to shoot several single pin sights and I wish that they still had the pins oriented horizontally, something about that vertical pin seems to make me want to hold it to the left or right of what I’m aiming at

CBE makes a horizontal single pin sight!

 

[agsnchunt]

You could start by removing all but one pin on your multi pin sight and go shoot some this summer. If you can dial it in for a realistic tree stand range - probably 5-35 yards, you might want to give an adjustable single a try. Or you might be good with a fixed single.

I couldn’t tell you the last time I made an archery shot over 40 yards on a live animal.

You won’t really know until you try.

 

[Bean]

I shoot a single pin on an adjustable sight but it never gets adjusted. Its an old tru glo what would be comparable to the range rover now days. I have it set at 25 yds when I am hunting and that handles everything from under the tree out to 32 ish yards which is my range unless I have time to think it over a while then I have shot to 40 with an adjustment. I could never focus on my correct pin with a multi pin sight I was always dropping down to my 20 yd pin. I know it was in my head but I couldn't stop doing it. Can't settle in on the wrong one if you only have one. Just my opinion which isn't worth much lol.

 

[sky hawk]

If you're going to shoot standing deer in corn piles in NC or 3D archery, I'd go with a single pin. If you're going to hunt rutting bucks in the midwest, I'd choose a multi-pin.

Seems to be a lot of love for single-pins here, but let that buck of a lifetime come charging in and stop, or bound off 20 yards and stop, and you'll be kicking yourself when you have to lower your draw, adjust your sight and redraw.

 

[kilerhamilton]

You could start by removing all but one pin on your multi pin sight and go shoot some this summer. If you can dial it in for a realistic tree stand range - probably 5-35 yards, you might want to give an adjustable single a try. Or you might be good with a fixed single.

I couldn’t tell you the last time I made an archery shot over 40 yards on a live animal.

You won’t really know until you try.

Good point. I know a hand full of sights the first pin won’t get to the center of the housing. Very important for a sight to do in my opinion.

 

[hoyt85]

3 pin slider here. 20-30-40 and can slide to 60+. MBG ascent, built very well with bright pins.

Have shot single pins in the past (HHA). Great sights but didn’t want to deal with dialing in the heat of the moment and remembering to dial it back to 20.

This is my exact setup on one bow......only difference is I'm 25-35-45....can slide out to 100 for practice.

If you're going to shoot standing deer in corn piles in NC or 3D archery, I'd go with a single pin. If you're going to hunt rutting bucks in the midwest, I'd choose a multi-pin.

Seems to be a lot of love for single-pins here, but let that buck of a lifetime come charging in and stop, or bound off 20 yards and stop, and you'll be kicking yourself when you have to lower your draw, adjust your sight and redraw.

And this is the exact reason I shoot a 3 pin slider......

For most bowhunting situations around here I could shoot a single pin and be fine. With practice you should be able to know your hold over or hold under per say. With multiple pins you can also gap shoot. Most shots are going to be inside of 25-30 yards anyway which a single is a good choice for around here, for the most part. However, if you get a rutting buck that's chasing like crazy or cruising hard and he goes from 60 yards to 20 yards and back to 45 in a matter or seconds, even second guessing yourself and trying to get an accurate range quickly can cost you. That's why I range a lot and try to memorize certain distances by landmarks well before the shot opportunity happens...the last thing you want to be thinking about is adjusting your sight in that scenario. Case in point and take it for what it's worth...the deer I killed this year was cruising hard...from first glance to shot was less than 5 seconds. In that exact scenario, if you were needing to make an adjustment on your sight, you will absolutely not have time to do that. After 8 days of dark to dark sits and of all the things can could go wrong, when you get that one chance, you don't want to be driving 13 hours back home kicking yourself in the butt because of some simple boneheaded mistake that you could have avoided.

Use the KISS philosophy IMO

 

[Ho ace]

It should come down to what you are confident in to make an ethical shot.

If the shot presents itself hopefully I have my head together and checked off the steps before releasing the arrow. Grip, anchor, form, range, pin placement, squeeze, etc..

 

[Bean]

If you're going to shoot standing deer in corn piles in NC or 3D archery, I'd go with a single pin. If you're going to hunt rutting bucks in the midwest, I'd choose a multi-pin.

Seems to be a lot of love for single-pins here, but let that buck of a lifetime come charging in and stop, or bound off 20 yards and stop, and you'll be kicking yourself when you have to lower your draw, adjust your sight and redraw.

Aim High Willis Aim High lol

 

[DRS]

Haven't bow hunted in a few years. Just couldn't find the time. The years that I did I switched to a single pin and kept my shots within 25 yards. I hunted mostly in the woods, so at that distance I never felt like it was a handicap. I need the least variables I can have, at crunch time.

 

[Guybo]

I use to have a multi pin but it seems i always only used one pin so i changed. The way i hunt my shots are 25yds and closer so a single pin works for me.

 

[LIZZRD]

3 pin
<20 , 30, <40

 

[kilerhamilton]

Let me share. If a deer is at 30yds and you’re in a tree. If you use your 30yd pin. I almost guarantee you will not hit where you’re aiming. Unless you are using your 30yd pin as a reference and holding it really low. At 30yds my 20yd pin is going no higher than half way up a deer.
Cheers.

 

[Triggermortis]

If I was shooting 3D I would consider a single pin. My early bows I set pins for 15, 25, and 35 yards. Current bows are set at 10 yd increments beginning at 20 yds. With the fps increase over the decades the pin gaps have shrunk and experience has given decent archers range estimation skills to do pretty well whether you shoot single or multiple pins. No matter which you like that yardage estimating is of most importance.

I need less to think about for a shot, not more. Deer move closer, deer walk away - that’s what they do. I’m not gonna be messing with a dial on the sight. Your hand should be on the release and your release on the loop.

 

[Firedog]

I have a 4 pin but the bottom pin is not even set. 20, 35, 50. If I went 1 pin it would not be the adjustable kind.. no time for that in the woods, would just know it was dead nuts at 30 or 35 and hold over/under at other distances.

 

[ABBD]

I have used a single pin HHA sight going on 15yrs. I’m as confident with it as I think I can be. I personally like the sight picture that a single pin offers. I leave it set at 25yds in case things happen quick. Other than that I’ve never had a problem adjusting for shots.

 

[dc bigdaddy]

Does any one have a 4 or 5 pin sight housing that will fit a HHA that I can buy or borrow until the end of June? My youngest son is shooting the Hunting Skills discipline at the National 4H and you can not adjust your sights once you begin the 3D course. Shots are from 5 to 50 yards.
I just found this out this weekend and he has a single pin HHA now.
Thanks,