Sight lenses
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: Don
21-Jan-23
Anyone hunt with a lens? If so which one and what are your experiences with it?
From: midwest
21-Jan-23
I don't have a lens in my scope but I use a verifier peep. Honestly, I couldn't shoot without it anymore. It's been a total game changer for me.
From: bghunter
21-Jan-23
Once my corneal transplant is healed and my new contacts come in. I am going to look into a clarifier I heard they work good.
From: Pat Lefemine
21-Jan-23
I use a peep verifier. Sharpens up my pins.
Tried the clarifier and didn’t like it.
From: pav
22-Jan-23
Ditto ohiohunter. How do these lenses (clarifier or verifier) work in hunting situations? I could probably benefit from one...but just seems very risky on spur of the moment shot opportunities. I went to a single pin slider for pin clarity, but having to move the pin with an animal in range can be risky in certain situations. Seems like dealing with a fogged, frozen or dirty lens would be worse?
From: ronsoutdoors
22-Jan-23
I have used the clarifer for years now ,I use some antifog on the lens from time to time . I have only had one issue in the years where it did fog up after a quick shower, the anti-fog seems to have fixed that issue.I guess I would have to wear glasses if I didn't have it which I think would be worse.
From: Bou'bound
22-Jan-23
What’s the difference between clarifier and verifier
From: WhattheFOC
22-Jan-23
A verifier is used when you shoot with pins to clear up the pins. A clarifier is used when you shoot with a scope and a lens to clear up the target. Verifiers are generally preferred by older archers who have lost some ability to focus on objects that are close-up, such as sight pins.
From: Bou'bound
22-Jan-23
Thanks
From: Pat Lefemine
22-Jan-23
I’ve been using my verifier for 4 years now. Not once have I had it fog up. If you’re hunting in a rainstorm or snowstorm it might be a good idea to keep a Qtip handy.
From: wyobullshooter
22-Jan-23
I used a verifier for 2 years and never had a problem with moisture either. The one problem I did run into was shooting into a rising or setting sun.
From: BC
22-Jan-23
Me too with the verifier. My pin was blurry and sometimes I’d see a ghost pin in certain light. Old eyes aren’t what they used to be. The verifier sharpened my pin so now I see a crisp green dot again. Haven’t had a problem with fog or moisture but keep q tips in my pack in case.
From: Charlie Rehor
22-Jan-23
10 years with the verifier. I could not hunt without it. Q-tip in my pack but rarely needed.
From: Ambush
22-Jan-23
Verifier for ten years and have a few Q-tips in my bino pouch. I also have the little plastic "wrench" to take the lens out if ever need to. I used a 1/4" housing until the 5/16" came out and I changed to that. That gives you an actual 1/4" aperture. Northern BC can throw a lot of weather at you, but I've never missed a shot at an animal because of a dirty peep. Sun can be an issue, but not near as much as not being able to see your pins all the time. Be nice is someone invented a string dampener with a little hood for those rainy tree stand days.
From: hdaman
22-Jan-23
How did you determine which verifier lense was right for you? Or did you buy an entire kit and just try each one?
From: timex
22-Jan-23
This is interesting. I have overall really good vision for a 61 yo. I use 1.5 readers for up close. My problem is beyond let's say 40-50 yards with a bow with pins or an iron sight rifle I can either focus on the sight or the target but not both simultaneously, one or the other will be fuzzy.
From: Pat Lefemine
22-Jan-23
hdaman, if your pro-shop sells 'Specialty Archery Verifiers and Clarifiers' they will have a tool that shows you which power is right for your eyes. For me, I needed the #4/silver which was the weakest of the verifiers.
From: midwest
22-Jan-23
I corrected my post. I have a verifier, not a clarifier.
hdaman, The pro shop I got mine from will install and let you try but I didn't have my bow with me so they have a little rig that let's you simulate. It worked perfect.
From: Ambush
22-Jan-23
I started with a #4 and about four years ago switched to the #5. You can get a good idea by trying reading glasses. But generally you start with the lowest # if you have just noticed the problem.
From: hdaman
22-Jan-23
Thanks guys! I appreciate the information.
From: Don
22-Jan-23
I had the lenses in my eyes replaced a couple years ago and my vision is 20/20 at a distance. No glasses now, which is great, but my up close vision forced my into a, “clarifier” to clean up my pins. I was blurring and seeing double pins when my eyes got tired. Still really having a hard time getting a nice clear picture of my target, particularly with certain backgrounds, and my night and dusk vision is definitely not what it used to be either. Not thrilled about shooting a one pin setup, but excited to hopefully really be able to see my target. I’ve never shot a lens so that will be all new for me. Ordered a 6X HHA with a .1 green pin, with a sunshade, and a mechanical rheostat. No idea if I’ll need a clarifier or verifier, but excited to try it out on 3D this year. I’m also curious if anyone actually hunts with a magnified lens. Sounds like historically most, even highly competitive archers don’t hunt with a lens. Just curious who actually hunts with one and if it’s feasible.
From: midwest
23-Jan-23
I thought 'clarifiers' were only to be used with a lens on your scope? Verifiers will clear up the pins for those of us who require 'cheater' glasses. I thought a verifier would affect the clarity of the target but turned out it had a negligible affect for me.
From: boobowmen
23-Jan-23
So if you use a verifier do you also wear your glasses. I am wearing trifocal glasses and shoot a slider. I couldn't read the dial if I don't wear my glasses and am intrigued with the lens idea because I also struggle seeing clear pins.
From: Don
23-Jan-23
I wear reading glasses for some things. I need them to read my phone first thing in the morning. I definitely am not tying a fishing line without reading glasses.
From: Lawdog
24-Jan-23
I couldn't hunt without a verifier in the peep. You do need to pay attention to cleaning the lens, particularly in inclement weather. I have Q-tips for that purpose or use my cloth for the binoculars. I forgot this year, pulled back and rain the day before had blurred the lens. Inclement weather or not, I don't have a choice but to deal with it.
From: pirogue
24-Jan-23
Great info here. I had lens replacement surgery, and I can see fairly well distant and close, but midrange(arm’s length to about 10 feet, is the weak link. Sounds like I need to check out just the peep verifier to clean up the pins.
From: midwest
24-Jan-23
boobwomen, (sorry, that's how I read it...lol)
I don't wear my readers with the verifier. Before I got the verifier, I tried shooting with readers. Could see the pins, couldn't see the target.
From: Gator
24-Jan-23
Using a clarifier for about 6-8 years. A little precaution rain, snow not an issue. A 2X lense for hunting and 4X for target.
From: boobowmen
25-Jan-23
I guess it is time to go to the pro shop and see what I can do. The information in this thread is very interesting and anything to give you a little more confidence can't be bad.
From: smarba
25-Jan-23
I want to know who came up with the names for these lenses? Verifier, Clarifier, can we pick 2 names that are any more confusing LOL?
From what I read each of these systems fit inside the peep? What if you don't use a peep? And how can a lens help make something more clear (e.g. pins) without making something else more blurry (e.g. target)?
My eyes are starting to go downhill after having excellent eyesight all my life. Low light and close-up it's hard for me to see. Is there something that will make pins more clear, but not change what I can see fine as the target? That works without a peep?
From: midwest
25-Jan-23
A verifier in your peep won't make the target blurry. At least it didn't for me.
From: sticksender
31-Jan-23
If I put on a pair of the lowest power off-the-shelf reading glasses you can get (1.25 diopter) my pins clear right up and with the target still in focus. So with that in mind I tried the lowest power (#4) verifier, but it wasn’t quite enough. Switched to the #5 verifier insert and that was about perfect. Just my own experience and yours may vary.
