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Peep sights are a fantastic little gadget that will improve your accuracy a lot!
Need a little extra accuracy?
Keep on reading!
When I started with archery I didn’t hear of peep sights like the TruGlo Centra Pro for a very long time.
I was more into traditional archery and after a short time with a borrowed recurve bow, I bought my first longbow.
When I saw compound bow archers I was both fascinated and a bit repelled by all their fancy equipment.
It looked all very futuristic and completely different from the bare longbow I was shooting with.
But when I befriended a compound bow archer at my archery range I started to learn and understand more about their tools and little helpers.
One of the things almost every compound bow has (if not all of them) is a peep sight.
It is just a small ring that is put in the bowstring and can improve the aim of the archer immensely.
While they can be used with other bow types, too, they are mainly used with compound bows.
Some archers would say that they are useless with other bows, and others would not agree with that.
Ever shot a gun?
When you aim with a gun you have two points of reference which you line up to hit your target (iron sights).
When you install a peep sight to your bow, you achieve just the same thing.
You will look through the peep sight and line it up with the bow sight you are using.
Once I tried it on my friend’s compound bow I understood how much of a help it can be to the archer.
You still have to use the right archery techniques. However, aiming gets a lot easier when using a peep sight in combination with a single-pin sight or multiple-pin sight.
The main difference between peep sights are:
Before you get a peep sight, you need to know that there are different sizes available:
They are measured in inches, so you will see things like 1/16″, 1/4″, 3/16″.
Now, you will have to find out which size is the best for you.
Usually, we say that if you are hunting, your peep sight should not be too small. If it is too small, you limit your field of vision when looking through the sight and you have to adjust your anchor depending on which pin you are focusing on (if you are using a multiple-pin sight).
A small peep sight also doesn’t let much light through to your eye which can be a problem when shooting at times with little daylight.
I would recommend a medium or large peep sight for hunting.
For target archery, you can choose a small peep sight to get the maximum focus on your pin(s) without getting distracted by anything else.
The other difference is the number of slots the peep sight has.
They generally have two or three slots.
The slots are used to install the peep sight on your bowstring.
Most people I know are using two slots because they think that they are easier to install and use.
A peep sight in action.
I would go for a two-slot peep sight.
Then you have to think about what you want to do:
If you want to go target shooting you can choose a smaller peep sight, e.g. a 1/8″ sight.
If you want to go hunting, choose a bigger one.
A great way for hunters to find the right size is to line it up with the sight ring of your bow sight.
That means that when you look through the peep sight after you anchored, the peep sight should be exactly in line with the sight ring.
That way you won’t see anything that is beyond the sight, have all your pins in sight, and have the maximum amount of light available.
You can easily choose different pins by bending your wrist and never need to change your anchor.
If your bow doesn’t come with a peep sight by default you will need a good-quality bowstring first.
It is easiest to install the peep sight when your bowstring consists of two strands of fibers because you can separate them more easily. (Three if you want to install a three-slot peep.)
To install the peep sight you need to separate the fibers/strands at the place where the sight will be put and then serve in the peep sight. (For that you have to take away the tension from the bowstring first, e.g. with a bow press. Check the instructions for your bow first!)
Make sure that it is correctly aligned and not twisted in a way that you couldn’t look through when drawing the bow.
Then draw the string back and anchor it with your eyes closed.
Open your eyes and if the peep sight is not right in front of your eyes, move it up and down a little, until it is at the right place.
Please note, that this is a bit difficult for people who have never used a peep sight, so if this is your first time, let someone with more experience help you with it.
Watch this video to see how it’s done:
In the video, he separates the string just with his hands, but I would recommend using a string separator to do that.
To keep the peep sight in place you should tie it to the string.
That step is not very easy to explain with words, so here’s a video instead:
This peep sight comes in three common sizes (1/4″, 1/8″, 3/16″) and is super easy to install because it is a two-slot peep sight.
It is made of lightweight aluminum; once installed, you can use it forever.
TruGlo is famous for its high-quality archery equipment and I never had any bad experience with them.
I am sure you will love this peep sight just as much as I do!
How do you feel about peep sights?
Did I answer your question “What is a peep sight?” now or is there something still unclear?
Let me know in the comments below and let’s discuss this really interesting aspect of archery.
It is fascinating that such a small device can have such a huge impact on your archery success.
Happy shooting!