Sight Tape Issue
Equipment
Just switched over to a single pin slider for the first time. Really took my time getting this right. Got all dialed in at 20 then went to 40 and then to 60 yards. Marked my slider with a pencil at each distance. I go to put my sight tape one and none of them match up. If i find a sight tape where the 20 and 60 match up, the 40 yard mark is off. If I find one where the 20 and 40 match up, the 60 is off. Is this normal? Did I do something wrong? Do I just have to make my own sight tape?
On a different note (and maybe this is my issue), how are you guys lining up your peep/sight housing on these slider sights. If you center your sight housing in your peep at 20, you have essentially have to change your form/anchoring point when shooting at 60 since you slide your sight housing down. So are you just centering your PIN in your peep sight instead of centering your sight housing?
Center your housing and set peep height at a median distance where you expect to shoot or set your peep lower than you typically would for your shortest mark. This will make your anchor mid range and longer yardage feel more comfortable. Having to squeeze into your peep at 20 is not nearly as difficult as having a floating anchor at 70 or 80. Shoot in your marks at 30 and the longest distance that you feel you are accurate. Trying to build a tape using your 20 is difficult because you could have your 20 yard mark off by as much as a few yards and still hit the dot.
If not in a hurry to put a tape on...keep shooting these marks for a few shooting sessions until you are comfortable with your marks. Then you should be able to match up your tape with your marks.
I have a similar issue. Don’t feel bad. I have a four pin slider and use the bottom pin as my slider. I can mark it at 50….dead nuts. I can slide it to 30 and marked it. Shot it at 60 and 70 and marked it. Not one sight tape matches at 30 and 50 to match at 60 and 70.
So I just marked my tape at 50, 60, 70 and 80 and I found a tape to get very close. I had to disregard anything less than 50 on all the pre made tapes.
I just use the blank part of the sight tape and use a sharp to mark my ranges. I only mark the 2,3,4, etc and put a small mark for the 5 yard mark. I make big numbers so I don't need glasses. Works for me
Having used a slider for 50 years, with a solid anchor and good marks all your distances will line up depending on how the tape was made. Not all tapes are the same.
Center the peep and housing at your mid distance. Don't move your anchor to keep the housing centered at short and long distances, let the housing float up or down. Your solid, consistent anchor is way more important to consistent shots than a centered housing.
You can also do as noted and just make your own.
I've been shooting a single pin slider since 2005. I use MBG sight. I sight in my 20 and 60 yard marks. I use a white label type tape. I a take measuring tape and measure between. I then use the tapes provided by MBG by measuring on tape sheets that concides with the measurement. It's always been spot on out to 90yds plus.
I do similar to Bowboy, however I use a 3 pin so I top out the sight, sight in 20-30-40, then I do 60 and 80 with my bottom pin as the slider and mark my points. Then I find the tape from 20-100 that matches my marks. The dual indicators now on the MBG's are really cool and useful. Always keep a consistent anchor and center left and right on the housing for sure but not always up and down as Bob says above.
I guess I don't understand the confusion. I use a HHA sight and corresponding sight-in tape. I do as they instruct...attach the sight-in tape, shoot at 20 yards and note the number on the sight-in tape. Then shoot at 60 yards and note the number. Subtract the 20 number from 60 number and that's the "fixed" tape you want to use. Pretty much idiot proof. Now...if other manufacturers have a different method, I'm not aware of it.
One thing I'm confused about. Why the heck would you use multiple pins on a slider sight? The idea of a slider sight is ONE PIN and slide the sight to whatever distance you want to shoot. Anything else doesn't make sense.
I use 30, 55, and 80 for my 3 marks then pick a tape that matches. I use 30 because a little sight adj shows up better than when I used to use 20.
Cornpone…….I use a MBG 3 pin slider set at 20, 30 & 40. The reason for a three pin (for me anyway) is because 90+% of my shots will be from 40 yds or less, therefore no need to set the corresponding distance before those shots.
My biggest problem with the slider is, remembering to reset it to zero after setting it for a longer shot.
Bob,
Are you using preprinted tapes? I am a little puzzled how you get your tapes to work out when you don't center your peep. If you don't center your housing, doesn't that act as if your peep to arrow measurement is varying? Not doubting your method works just trying to wrap my brain around it.
I "try" to center my scope at all yardages but have learned that at times I will drop out of my peep at long distance causing me to shoot a little low.
Disregard Bob....I see what you are doing now. You are effectively looking in the same spot but when the scope travels it causes your scope to be slightly off center.
I have a MBG single pin slider. Just started using it two months ago and have never shot better. I tool a piece of masking tape and applied it where the factory tapes are supposed to be applied. I sighted in at 20 yards, and marked on the masking tape where the pointer was. Then I did same for 30, 40, and 50 yards. Then I found the factory supplied sight tape that matched the marks on the masking tape. Then I set the yardage indication pointer at the 20 yard mark on the masking tape. Then I removed the masking tape. Then I applied the factory supplied tape that matched the marks on the masking tape, being careful to make sure the 20 yard mark on the tape aligned with the yardage pointer. That’s worked well for me. I’ve not tested beyond 50 yards, as I’ve never shot an animal close to that distance.
I have 3 pin HHA slider. The manufacture printed tapes are not big enough print or bright enough for me to see in low light so I print my own. I always center my peep around the housing and also have the housing bottomed out for my top pin location which for me is 30 yards. This way I can just jam the slider down bottoming it out with out even looking - knowing it is back at my correct starting location putting the top pin at 30 yards. I sight in each yardage for my top pin which I use as my floater marking 30,40.50,60,70,80,90,100 on the blank tape. The second and third pin are just extra pins used for 40 and 50 yards when I do not have time to use my top pin as a floater. Shooting groups at each yardage is the only way I have been successful at marking my ranges. I make my own range tape using excel program and laminate with clear tape. This creation in excel process and then printing can be a little tedious as I get the marks exactly as I have them on my hand written tape. Once done I save it on my computer. I have tapes made for several arrow - bow set ups and can print them as needed. Works for me.
Joe that is the perfect tape for me. I gotta figure that one out. good work.
Center the housing in the peep, always. Use the same anchor, always. Move bow arm up and down. Shoot spot on to as far down as your sight housing will go before in interferes with your arrows. Maybe I’ve never thought that much more about it but it’s always been fairly simple. BTW - For the past 10 - 12 years I’ve printed my tapes using TapPro and they’ve always been perfect. I don’t even know if the software still exists, I know it wasn’t that popular and there’s another one available that’s more popular but I always preferred TapPro. Neither software will set you back much.
Tilz,
I prefer TAP too but my old PC has the copy on it and it is basically dead. I have an Archer's Advantage subscription now. It works fine but I like that TAP allowed me to print tapes with much larger fonts for old eyes.
joehunter's post caused me to do some digging. I always wanted to transfer my tapes to Excel because I could create them to look exactly how I want. I could make fonts as large or as small as I want. I never knew how to create cells to a specific scaled size until now.
If you set your view to page layout you can set row height and column width in inches. A person could either take a preprinted tape that has too small fonts, create one from shooting in all your marks or whatever and create their own custom tapes by getting your marks and then measuring those marks with a set of calipers. You can then take your measurements and create your marks in excel.
joehunter, Is this how you do your tapes?
Thanks guys, this is all great info. I did get it sorted out. What really helped me was doing 30 and 60 instead of 20 and 60. Like a few of you said, 20 is too close alot of times. 30 allows for more exact tweaking. So i marked 30, 40, and 60 and used a sight tape that was extremely close. When i max out my sight my indicator is not on 20, its on like 22/23 but i am nailing 10 rings with it. This morning I shot at 70 for the first time ever and had about a 5" group. I cant believe how good im shooting with this thing. I really like the single pin, for yard shooting anyways. Im still skeptical to see how i like it in intense hunting situations where things are happening quick and im trying to self film.
I set my sight to 25 for whitetails and have shot about 10-12 deer over the last few years without even moving my sight. I have shot most of them at 15-20 yards. It is easy to tell when an animal is less than 20. This allows you to adjust your hold easily by a few inches without without having to range.
I set my slider at 30 for elk and can shoot out to 50 yards easily with my Spot Hogg double pin without even touching the sight. I still prefer to range and adjust when practical.
Good to hear, have fun out there.
