September 09, 2014
By Tracy Breen
Based on what's been introduced in recent months , 2014 will be another great year for archery gear junkies. Many manufacturers continue to raise the bar, and all of us stand to benefit from it.
Sight makers, in particular, are offering lighter and tougher products than ever due to space-age materials while addressing some of the issues with mounting quivers tight to our bows to reduce canting. But as any bowhunter will tell you, the most important feature of any sight is trusting the pins to be intact and in the correct position when you pull up to make the shot.
Fortunately, manufacturers are all well aware of what bowhunters demand from their aiming accessories. Following are the 2014 industry-leading sights:
Apex Gear | Covert The
Apex Gear Covert is a versatile sight. It can be used by a left- or right-handed shooter, comes with a removable light and has Versa-Pin Technology, which allows the hunter to change the pin size if desired. (Standard configuration is one .010 pin and one .019.)
Another feature is the stainless steel hardware, so you never have to worry about rusting. The sight has an easy-to-read sight tape, allows second- and third-axis adjustments and a bubble level and is extra lightweight.
Price: $ 158
Archer Xtreme | A.X. Driver The
AX Driver series is now available in a 4-pin version. Much like the popular single-pin version, it has a gear-driven system that allows you to quickly and easily adjust pin elevation so you no longer must guess or hold pins high or low. The sight also has second- and third-axis adjustability and an easy-to-see bubble level.
Price: $ 179.99
Black Gold | Widow Maker Big game will hate
Black Gold's Widow Maker 5-pin sight. It comes with many features, including 1-piece, micro-grooved machined pins, a high-performance PhotoChromatic shell; SkyCoil light-gathering system that adjusts to the amount of daylight and a large second-axis-adjustment level that's easy to see. The bubble level also is 40 percent larger than others.
Price: $ 149.95
Cobra Archery | Buckhead Toolless Cobra Archery is known for quality sights that are priced to sell. Its
Buckhead 5-Point Toolless model comes with all kinds of bells and whistles. Knobs control windage and elevation adjustments, eliminating the need for tools. The sight has a reversible bracket, an adjustable third-axis bubble level and five fully protected metal fiber optic pins with .019 fiber. There also is a rheostat light.
Price: $ 139
Fuse | Helix Micro The
Helix Micro has a micro-adjustment knob that lets you quickly and easily fine-tune the sight. Stealth Band technology also destroys vibration and noise. The sight is built with tough steel pins, has second- and third-axis adjustments and features extra-bright .019 fiber optics. The micro version is available with 3, 5 or 7 pins. A standard version is also available for bowhunters wanting a more basic sight.
Price: $ N/A
IQ | Micro Bowsight Torquing your bow hurts accuracy. The
IQ Micro Bowsight with Retina Lock Technology helps you align your eye with the sight more consistently, reducing torque to produce tighter groups. This sight now features tool-free, micro-adjustment controls and .019 fiber optic pins (3, 5 or 7) for even greater accuracy and precision. There's a level built in. A rheostat sight light is available, as is a left-handed model.
Price: $ 149.99 (3-pin);
$ 159.99 (5-pin);
$ 169.99 (7-pin)
Spot Hogg | Hogg-It The
Hogg-It is super tough and features the company's Bullet Proof pins. These aluminum pins encase the fiber optic to eliminate breakage. The sight has a quick-release knob, solid aluminum construction, second- and third-axis leveling, no-clamp gang adjustment, micro-adjustable pins and a vertical aiming wire. You can get it with 3, 5 or 7 pins, with .010, .019 or .029 fibers.
Price: $ 242 (3-pin);
$ 266 (5-pin);
$ 290 (7-pin)
Sure-Loc Sportsman Special One of the interesting new sights in this line is the
Sportsman Special , made for bowhunting and competition shooting. This premium scope-type sight is weatherproof and is built with titanium guide rods for light weight and extreme strength. The scope comes with a bright fiber intensity kit, and the .0015 pin has micro-adjustable windage capabilities. You can get the sight with a 35mm or 42mm housing.
Price: $ 299.99
Trophy Ridge | React-One Trophy Ridge has long been a leader in sight design, and 2014 is no exception. Sight in the
React at 20 yards and it's quickly on out to 100, thanks to its Smart Pin technology. The sight's master adjustment knob makes setting the pin quick and easy. You have a choice of fiber optic pins in either .010 or .019. The sight comes with a rheostat light, has second- and third-axis adjustments and is made of aluminum.
Price: $ 199.99
Trijicon | AccuPin The
AccuPin single-pin sight has AccuDial and Bowsync technology, so it's accurate from just a few yards all the way out to 80, in yard-by-yard increments. Simply get it set for 20 and 60 yards and the whole sight is set. Each yard marker is laser etched into the dial so there's no worry about tape coming off. The pin is powered by tritium and fiber optics for outstanding brightness.
Price: $ 560
TruGlo | Rival The
Rival contains many features bowhunters have come to expect from TruGlo, plus a few new ones. There's an adjustable second-axis aperture, a reversible bracket for increased vertical adjustment range and a removable light. The sight is available with three or five pins and has Tru-Touch coating. The pin housing features luminescent tape for high visibility in low light.
Price: $ 121 (3-pin);
$ 133 (5-pin)
