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How To Aim A Recurve Bow With Sights and Without Sights

If you are passionate about archery but fail to hit the bull’s eye, things can get really frustrating. Don’t worry; you won’t have to go through that ordeal anymore as we are here with all the tips and tricks.

Here we’ll discuss how to aim a recurve bow with & without sights so you can complete your target practice with maximum accuracy.

We know you are eager to know more! So let’s get started, shall we?

If your accuracy is not that advance, you can try shooting with a sight to hit the targeted point. When you are new at archery, using sights can help you to improve your skill. Once you get better, you can start shooting arrows with this equipment.

Here is the step-by-step instruction on how to aim a recurve bow accurately using sights.

Step One – Grab the String

Every archer follows a different style while grabbing the string. And among all the techniques, the Mediterranean is the most popular one for aiming a recurve bow.

To do that, you have to put your ring and middle dinger over the string and below the arrow's nock. While placing your fingers, make sure that they are close to the nock.

After that, take your index finger and place it above the nock. This way, the nock will be placed in the gap of your index and middle finger.

Step Two – Determine the Anchor

While using sights, you have to determine the anchor points differently. The technique we will use here is three-point anchoring.

First of all, put your finger on the tab’s shelf in a way that it touches the bottom of your jaw. And then, allow the bowstring to touch the tip of your nose. After that, the third point will be the string, touching your lips.

Well, that’s the way to anchor while aiming with a recurve bow with sights.

Final Step – Shoot Your Arrow

When shooting with sights, you have to use your sight pin's circular or square part to overlap with your target’s yellow area. To achieve more accuracy, make the X from the target correspond with the center dot of the pin. The whole process will take 5-6 seconds max.

Now, release your arrow if you are done with pinpointing the target. And this is all you need to know about how to aim a recurve bow with sights.

Aiming A Recurve Bow with Sights

3 Steps To Aim A Recurve Bow Without Sights

When you think it is time to step up and become an expert archer, you can start shooting without sight. But if you do so, you will lose the advantages of pinpointing the sight using a device. Thus, you may feel a little difficulty in the beginning.

But you don’t have to spend any sleepless nights while thinking this! We are here with the solution!

We will share some amazing tips with you to become an expert on aiming a recurve bow without sights.

Here is the step-by-step instruction for you.

Step One – Do the Adjustments

As you are trying to aim without any sights, you need to do the proper adjustments. First of all, set up the bow accurately and make sure the draw weight is in your favor. Otherwise, your bow will fail to function when you are about to shoot arrows.

Step Two – Grab the Bow

After doing the adjustments, grab the bow the handle quite gently. While holding the bow, your fingers should be at a 45-degree angle approximately.

Step Three – Face Your Target

With the bow in your hand, stand face-to-face with the target and keep the distance of more than 10 yards. If not, you will fail to shoot properly.

After that, you need to turn your head and look at the target. You can keep one foot on either side if there is a shooting line.

Step Four – Prepare to Aim

Raise your bow until your arm reaches your shoulder. And while doing that, keep your shoulder down. The next thing you need to grip the string with your favorite style; you can try the Mediterranean technique we described before.

After that, draw the bowstring to the corner of your mouth. This is the anchor point for archers who want to shoot without sight. It will help you to achieve greater accuracy.

Final Step – Take Aim and Shoot

To aim, you need to figure out your dominant eye and keep the other one close. Now pinpoint the target with your eye and release the arrow. If you want to shoot the bull’s eye, you will have to go through many trials and errors.

While shooting the arrows, keep your arms relaxed and don’t pluck the string. And stand still until your arrow hits the target.

Aiming A Recurve Bow without Sights

How To Adjust The Sight?

If you shoot with sights, you may need to adjust a few times before hitting the perfect spot. Once you shoot your first arrow, you need to check where it landed and adjust the whole thing according to that.

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that the sight follows the arrows. Therefore, you have to adjust the sight in the direction where you want the arrow to hit. If the arrows have landed to the right and a bit up, you should fix the sight according to that.

Tips for Improving Your Archery Skills

  • To hit the perfect spot, you need to maintain a good stance. It will work as a solid base and help you shoot at the accurate point. 
  • Do not hold your bow with a tight grip, as it can mess with your target practice. Grab the handle where your radius bone meets your soft palm. Gently hold the bow and aim it to achieve greater accuracy.
  • Always make sure you have the perfect anchoring points. If you have trouble with it, you can mark the spots on your hand with a permanent marker or tape. And once you become an expert, you don’t have to use these indications anymore.
  • When using your right hand to pull the bowstrings, ensure that your left elbow is bent away from the bow. This way, you can avoid snapping the string on your forearm.
  • While shooting your arrows, release the bowstring using only three fingers. You don’t have to pull with all your fingers!
  • You have to keep your bow arm up until the arrow hits the target. In this way, you will stay concentrated every time you shoot.

The Bottom Line

So here was everything on how to aim a recurve bow with & without sights. No one can stop you from becoming a great archer as you know all the tricks now!

If you are not good at hitting targets, you can practice with the sights to improve your skill. Once you are capable enough, you can start shooting without any sight like a pro!

When it comes to archery, you need to be focused and practice with the highest determination. If you keep doing the hustle, you will become an expert in no time.

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