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What hunting sight are you using and why do ya like it?

I use a Copper John Mark III multi-pin housing on a Mark IV slider frame/mount..This gives me up to 5pins(I use 3) set for specific distances(25/35/45),and I set the slider an sight tape to the bottom pin for further distances(marked out to just over 100 yards)...I like this because it gives me the ability to shoot long range using the slider without cluttering up my sight picture,yet still allows me to keep it set for hunting distances without adjusting ..Is copper john the best sight company out there? NO!..But i do feel they are pretty damm good at the price points they offer stuff at....I wanted a Spott Hogg Hogg father with multi-pins but it cost about 3 or 4 times what I got in my Copper John..



 
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hickslawns

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I have a Sword twilight hunter on my Hoyt. I have a Spothogg on my Elite. Spothogg is pretty dang nice and tough as nails. Sword is what I refer to as "a honey for the money". Neither one are worth a wooden nickel if I don't practice with them. There is my 2 cents.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
I have a Sword twilight hunter on my Hoyt. I have a Spothogg on my Elite. Spothogg is pretty dang nice and tough as nails. Sword is what I refer to as "a honey for the money". Neither one are worth a wooden nickel if I don't practice with them. There is my 2 cents.
That is exactly what I am looking for, everybody's .02.
 

hickslawns

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That is exactly what I am looking for, everybody's .02.

I hardly feel qualified to speak as an expert. I really do like the Sword, but I have noticed the pins can get a little tweaked or bent when on long walks to the stand or crawling through the grub. Otherwise it serves my needs. I wish I had a little more experience with various sized peeps and pins. I feel I could better utilize the Sword or Spothogg if the pins were sized a little differently. Just not enough experience with swapping sizes of pins to know how much they may or may not help me. This is where a guy like Brock or Milo or Jesse or Jagermeister might benefit you. They will be more knowledgeable in setups to better steer you towards what you might like or benefit from.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
I hardly feel qualified to speak as an expert. I really do like the Sword, but I have noticed the pins can get a little tweaked or bent when on long walks to the stand or crawling through the grub. Otherwise it serves my needs. I wish I had a little more experience with various sized peeps and pins. I feel I could better utilize the Sword or Spothogg if the pins were sized a little differently. Just not enough experience with swapping sizes of pins to know how much they may or may not help me. This is where a guy like Brock or Milo or Jesse or Jagermeister might benefit you. They will be more knowledgeable in setups to better steer you towards what you might like or benefit from.

Nobody said anything about an "expert" opinion Phil. ;) just ragging on ya! But seriously I am just trying to get as much input as I can so when I decide to buy a sight I will feel confident that I have gathered as much info as I can.
 

hickslawns

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hahahaha! You want to know about plowing snow? I still don't consider myself an "expert" but could give you a lot better info on the subject. I have run all kinds of snow equipment. Only experience with a handful of sights. Truthfully, the first sight I bought was a $20-40 Truglo. For the money, it really wasn't all that bad. If you are working on a budget these would certainly suffice. There. I am completely out of info on sights now. You have totally picked my brain. rotflmao
 

buckbuster217

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Byesville, Ohio
I'm shootin a Viper 4 pin sight with .029 pins, pins are nice and bright and it has held up well, I have had it for 4 years now and no problems, I think I am going to replace it with a spott hogg this year and move the viper to my back up bow. Going to get .019 pins on the spott hogg
 

Fluteman

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I'm using an Axcel Armortech with three green .019 pins. This is by far the best sight I have ever owned. The gang elevation and windage adjustment is completely toolless and micro adjustable. Each pin can be micro adjusted as well by loosening a set screw and turning the adjustment knob on the bottom. Don't really see myself changing to something different anytime soon.
 

bowhunter1023

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Appalachia
I've been through 5 different sights in the past decade. Like most things in archery, hunting sights run the gamut from el cheapo specials to top of the line engineering that has a price tag to match. The el cheapo models will be plastic or cheap aluminium; offer little to know adjustability in terms of truly fine tuning your sight; have pins that can easily be damaged, screws that can be stripped, and pin rails that can get wollered out. The top end sights will offer true micro tune capabilities; are built to last; come with several features you cannot find on cheaper sights; and will generally fit the old mantra "you get what you pay for". From my experience, the sight is the last place you should skimp when building a bow.

If you have never visited Hunters Friend before, they have a great generalized guide to sight selection and long several other helpful articles: Hunters Friend Bow Sight Buyers Guide. You can read over this article to get familiar with all the options out there to see what really fits your needs. That being said, here is what I currently have, why, and what I like/dislike about the sights.

On my Mathews Switchback XT, I have a Viper MicroTUNE that I purchased new in 2007 and completely overhauled in 2010. My opinion is that the name of this sight is a misnomer and that what it truly lacks, is real micro-adjust capabilities. While the windage and elevation can be adjusted in a micro manner, the pins cannot and that has been a sore spot for me since purchasing the sight. I have equipped it with a 3x Zeiss lens and a sunshade which make it great for shooting 3D and indoor. With 7.5" fiber optics, the 5 flo. green .019" pins are plenty bright. However they are very vulnerable to being broke and I have broken several pins while walking through brush with my bow. IMO, this is often one of the most over looked things when buying a bow sight and that is pin durability. My other major beef with this sight has been the dovetail lock. It can be difficult to find the right notch in the dark. Overall, the Viper has been a B or B+ sight for me and their service has always been top notch. They are an Ohio based company and make some other great sights.

I just bought a Spot Hogg Hogg-It for my Strother Infinity. At $246 it was not cheap, but it was built to my specs and should last me a very long time. IMO, the Spot Hogg sights are arguably the best sights on the market. With the Hogg-It, I get virtually indestructible pins; full 2nd and 3rd axis leveling; vertical aiming wire; individually micro-adjust pins; and 5 pins in a custom set up with wrapped fiber optics. I am shooting 5 flo. green pins with the first 3 being .019" and the last 2 being .010". This sight is the #1 ranked bow sight for pin shooters in the world and it leaves little doubt as to why once you get your hands on one. I really like the Axcel Armortech that Greg has on his bow and it is very comparable to the Hogg-It. My major reason for choosing the Spot Hogg over the Axcel was the wrapped pins and the more streamlined look of the Spot Hogg.

As evidenced by my two hunting sights, I prefer a dovetailed sight. I shoot a lot and rarely do I stay in the same groove. My peep is a Specialty Archery Super Peep with interchangeable apertures and I will change them several times over the course of the summer to fit how I am feeling or shooting at the time. Being able to adjust the distance between my eye and my pins helps with accuracy and pin clarity. If you have never shot a sight with dovetail adjustments, it is certainly something to look in to.
 

finelyshedded

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Don, when I bought my last bow(Mathews Drenalin LD) a few years ago I was so uninformed on what the latest and greatest bow accessories were out on the market then. I had my previous bow about 13-15 years and didn't do much upgrading on its setup either. Talk about being out of the know...lol

So when my wife said if you need a new bow, then go ahead and go but one! I went on a terror TOO say the least.:pickle:

I went to the nearest Mathews dealer and had them order me a Drenalin LD which I really liked. I guess the forgiveness and smoothness in the draw is what I really liked although being 37" from ATA made it one of the longer,heavier more cumbersome bows out there. Bought it with no regrets and started addressing the accessories.

Without any knowledge of the latest gadgets on the market and not having Milo and TOO around at the time I basically relied on this archery dealers opinion on most of the things. He had everything from middle of the road to the high end stuff. I asked him what the best sight he had available was and he said, IMHO, I'd get a Spot Hogg, they are very durable,micro-small but very bright pins and had the 3rd axis adjustment system. This was pretty much foreign to me but he explained it to me in layman terms and then told me what the spot hoggs cost....WOW! $230.00....Who in their right mind would spend that much money on a friggin sight?!?


ME, that's who:pickle:

Well, since I was given the green light to get what I wanted I was certainly going to ....get what I wanted. After buying the spot Hogg and hunting and shooting with it, I'd have to say it was money well spent. Of all the accessories that go on a bow,IMO, the sight and rest are the two most important.

I'm no archery pro or authority on archery tackle by no means but having bowhunted nearly 35 years I have to say, archery accessories have come along way! If you can afford whatever you're looking to buy, get it! "You do get what you pay for".

The Spot Hogg Hunter with 5 pins is what I have and couldn't be any happier.
 
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jagermeister

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I'm currently shooting an Axcel Armortech HD with 4 green pins... top one is a .019" and the bottom three are .010". I've had it for a few seasons now and it's been a great sight. Like Jesse said, quality and feature-wise it is very comparable with the Spot Hogg sights. The tooless microadjust pins are an excellent feature, although they sometimes need a tool to be tightened down completely. The sight is tough as nails as well... arguably as tough as a spot hogg in my opinion. I would not hesitate to shoot with an Axcel sight. All that being said, if I were to buy a sight today, I'd probably buy the sight that Jesse just purchased. It's got all the features that I like and no downfalls that I've seen. For the money it's one of the best sights on the market, IMO.

In regards to the Sword twilght hunter... As Phil said, it's a decent sight for the money. Key words there, for the money. I have owned and shot a twilight hunter, and while it was certainly functional, IMO it just wasn't good enough. The toughness factor is non-existant, pin adjustment is mediocre, and the pin tracks are easily stripped and compressed. For the money it will generally get the job done, but compared to other sights on the market it's not even in the same ball park. IMO a twilight hunter is not a sight that's going to last you 3 or 4 or 5 seasons, hunting and shooting regularly.
 

hickslawns

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Glad these guys chimed in. I will further show you how little I know about these. After reading the posts it dawned on me: Doh! I did NOT buy the Spot Hogg sight. Was ready to pull the trigger on one thru Milo and found an Axcel Armortech NIB for $150. I am nowhere near the level where these guys are so take their advice on it. :smiley_crocodile:

I am an idiot.
 

Ricer2231

Senior Member
Glad these guys chimed in. I will further show you how little I know about these. After reading the posts it dawned on me: Doh! I did NOT buy the Spot Hogg sight. Was ready to pull the trigger on one thru Milo and found an Axcel Armortech NIB for $150. I am nowhere near the level where these guys are so take their advice on it. :smiley_crocodile:

I am an idiot.

Where did ya find your armortech?
 

Beentown

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Black Gold Ascent with 6" dovetail. Great sight so far. Extremely well built and the brightest pins I have seen with no light. Top manufactures IMHO are:

Spott
Axcel
Black Gold

For value minded:

Sword
Viper
Copper John