Why are sights scorned as much as what they are?

[Mick Smith]

I've been very interested in archery for nearly 50 years. I can vividly recall reading articles and advertisements relating to lots of different types of sights, way back in the 1960's through to the 70's in the various magazines that were available back then. The sights weren't just for target shooting either, they were also for hunting. The use of sights back in those days was common, even on longbows. This was back in the pre compound days and in the early days after 1966 when compounds weren't yet accepted by the vast majority of archers.

I even bought a sight from the US that I saw advertised in Bow and Arrow magazine. I would have been around 17 at the time. Typically, of the era, it was a recently patented design that offered the world. The sight was designed purely for deer hunting, with what we now call 'trad' bows. It fitted to the front of the riser and it had a 'y' shaped piece of metal that hung down to where your bow hand was located. The idea was to move the 'y' piece in and out with your finger, this moved a pair of horizontal sliding bars in the sight window. All you had to do was bracket the deer's torso in between the horizontal bars and then put the sighting pin on the deer's vitals and it was automatic venison for supper, or so the advertising went. In reality, it wasn't so great, mainly because 99% of my hunting was for rabbits and foxes.

At around the same time, it was becoming increasingly common to see a whole plethora of release aids in everyday use by magazine article writers. Remember, this was still the pre compound bow days. Archery in the US in those days was heaven for anyone with a bright idea, with new inventions popping up all of the time.

There's probably not many of us here at Ozbow, who are interested in collecting vintage traditional bows. I know there's a few. Those members will know just how difficult it is to find vintage bows from that period of archery, that haven't been drilled to accept sights. At a guess, I think it would be about 3 out of 5 bows that would be have been permanently marred by old sight mounting holes. It was a very common practice, to put a sight on your non-compound bow.

I think we can actually blame the compound bow for the way things eventually went with sights. The sort of people who were constantly looking for a technological edge were exactly the same people who went over to the compound once they became established as being reliable and effective bows. The people who didn't follow the latest trends were probably the same people who didn't use sights and were probably the same people who started the traditional movement, as a separate part of archery.

It's funny how things panned out. Target archers stayed with their sights on their recurve bows. Compound users loved their sights from day one, with some exceptions. Trad shooters seemed to have steered away from sights to the extent they're not even used at all. I wonder why this is so.

[Fanto]

we like the challenge of barebow

[bigbob]

Mick my archery spans most of the gamut, having a compound bow with sights for hunting purely in deference to advancing age, a compound I shoot barebow[ no sights, finger release, and a recurve and longbow. I get little from the sighted bow as I believe it's mainly technology that is making the shot, the barebow compound I enjoy immensely as i have a great deal of user input to the successful shot and the two trad bows even more so , as it is basically the archer that directs the shot unaided by any technological advantages.I find more archers are coming back to trad as they rebel against the required precision and constant updating of equipment in the hope of that perfect score.A miss or a second arrow in trad is not a real calamity whereas Even a 'B' instead of an 'A' [in ABA] is almost a disaster.Hunting is a different matter where the best chance at an ethical shot is what is required.Don't think you are going to find very many people using trad gear and adopting sights. It is almost diametrically opposite in purpose. Simplicity and an instinctive shot does it for most people.

[Mick Smith]

I can certainly understand the appeal of a minimalist approach when it comes to hunting. I love the fact that traditional archers have a system that's totally free of gadgets that might or might not work 100% of the time. Most compound archers I know, are paranoid about bumping their bow and upsetting their sights. I'm certainly not a proponent of sights on traditional bows.

I think there could be a place for sights for some beginners in traditional archery. A sight would allow most beginners to hit the target more often, at known ranges, allowing them to be able to think less about aiming and more about their form.

I think the introduction of compound bows actually polarised most of the archers in the early 1970's. Archers suddenly went from one big inclusive group to a number of sub groups. Some went the way of the compound bow in a big way, with sights and all the trimmings. Others still went for compound bows, but were happy to shoot barebow, utilising the advantages of let off and high performance. The top target shooters were using sighted recurves, so they were unlikely to change and as such have remained pretty much as they were in the 1970's, except there has been a lot of refinement in their equipment, but basically it's much the same. The ones that remained evolved into the trad shooters of today. The way I see it, most trad shooters liked the minimalist and historic appeal of shooting their simple equipment without sights and early in the piece as trad shoots became more common, any use of sights was probably frowned upon, as it would be deemed as an unsporting advantage by the majority.

I don't suppose we will ever know exactly why things panned out the way they did. Most of us realise that generally speaking, archers have gravitated into their chosen field because of their different motivation as well as their different personalities and characters. The vast majority of trad shooters are happy go lucky types who don't seem to be as fastidious or serious about their shooting as the other archers, so this pretty much rules out equipment like sights.

[Dennis La Varenne]

Personally, I have no idea why they are scorned by those who do. This from a dedicated barebow instinctive shooter too. You won't hear any badmouthing from me. As Ascham stated at the beginning of Part 2 of Toxophilus -

Philologus: What is the chief point in shooting that every man laboureth to come to?
Toxophilus: To hit the mark.

Some shooters need/prefer them to do that job; others do not.

It is not an issue with me.

[UPTHETOP]

Just for you Mick, bit of age on this bow as well.

Cheers Wayno

[perry]

I can not understand it myself Mick. Who invented Sights - Traditional Archers, Who invented Stabilizers - Traditional Archers, Who invented Release Aids, Traditional Archers, who invented Aluminium Arrows Traditional Archers, who invented Vanes Traditional Archers, who invented Gap Shooting - you got the Idea

I think People need to take stock and embrace how diverse Archery is and recognise the Skillset required to use Sights, actually all other Archery disiplines and Techniques. In the 80's and early 90's I have used Multi Pin Sights on Recurves but they are not for me. Enter the DAS SAF System http://www.3riversarchery.com/SRF+Sight ... eitem.html I have long been intrigued by them and I should buy one to try.

There is also an anti Technology and anti Marketing Mobs, count me in the Anti Marketing Mob. Boils down I guess to what ever Floats your Boat.

regards Jacko

[Mick Smith]

Yes, it's interesting.

That's a nice old Wing (or is it a Bear?) Wayno. I'll bet the person who put those sights on the bow didn't think he was wrecking it. Actually it probably looks better with the sight in place, rather than leaving the mounting holes on the bare bow.

The SAF sight system in your link was very interesting Jacko. I hadn't seen one before. I like the concept. It has sort of combined the qualities of a typical sight with instinctive shooting. If you did buy one, you wouldn't have to drill your bow either, as I see they have a self adhesive mounting bracket for them.