Elevate Your Archery Rig with Quality Bow Accessories

I remember my first flagship bow purchase as if it were yesterday; I was 20 years old. The pro shop was Johnson’s Sport & Ski, and the bow model was a Mathews Outback.

I was newly married, teaching fifth grade and dirt poor. Thank God for my dad! He knew what archery and bowhunting meant to me and footed the bill. Although I had enough budget to cloak my new shooter in fancy-to-do accessories, I went the low-end accessory route. This was a mistake!

A year later, I swapped my plastic five-pin sight, brush-style arrow rest, janky quiver, and stabilizer crafted from low-quality rubber for better gear.

While a flagship bow is undeniably impressive, the quality of the accessories truly elevates your compound rig’s performance. This was a lesson I learned the hard way.

THE SIGHT

A top-tier sight is a must-have for whitetail hunters. If you pick an option with brittle plastic pins, horrible light-gathering fibers and poor adjustment, not only will your accuracy wane but you’ll likely experience accessory failure at a time when performance is a must. Trust me on this.

Yes, you are going to spend some money on a top-end sight. However, when you purchase a sight like Black Gold’s Dual Trac, you get the no-clutter housing of a single pin with the addition of a second independently adjustable pin. Convenient features like micro-adjustable first and third axis and rugged dependability will prove that your money was well spent.

I applaud the sight’s lightweight nature. The Black Gold feature I will never tire of — the PhotoChromatic shell — automatically adapts to gather more or less light, depending on the current lighting conditions.

The rear-facing sight tape rail makes sight tape attachment a breeze, and you always have a clear view of the tape. The Dial of Death extends out from the sight, and the knurled aluminum wheel allows you to dial in one-yard increments to the exact range of your target. The dial is smooth with zero slop.

Another win of this modern- day sight is the multi-position dovetail bar, and the quick-turn nob on the bracket makes from-the-riser length adjustments quick and easy.

MOVEABLE SIGHT ADVICE

When you invest in a top-tier moveable bow sight, take the time to learn all about its technologies. You’ll only take full advantage of your investment if you do. This sight sports micro-adjustable windage and elevation, and with the 54 included sight tapes, you can take your time to dial it in perfectly.

It’s also important to take your time selecting a sight tape. The process should take days rather than minutes. Follow Black Gold’s sight-in instructions, and before deciding on a tape, prove it at ranges close and far for multiple days in a row. If you don’t, you’ll go through sight tapes like chewing gum, and the process will be frustrating!

THE REST

This is the only bow-mounted accessory that contacts the arrow, so don’t take making this decision lightly. Pick a sub-par rest, and your accuracy will never be what it could be.

Ripcord has several flagship rests, both limb-driven and cable-driven. The sleek, streamlined and tough-as-nails Ratchet is available in limb- and cable-driven options and a standard or micro-adjustable build. Another hat-tipper is that the rest is offered as a standard Berger mount or as an IMS mount.

First, I want to say I’m a cable-driven guy and prefer that model. Second, you can’t go wrong with either limb- or cable-driven makes. I do recommend, though, the micro-adjustable option with the IMS mounting system.

IMS (Integrated Mounting System) means the rest mounts to the back of most modern-day flagship risers. With no rest mounting bar or screw, weight is eliminated, and the two-part locking system ensures precise leveling and promises your rest will never move once locked down. Ensure that your rig is IMS-compatible before purchasing this mounting style. Other benefits of the IMS System include micro-adjust windage and elevation for exact tuning.

The Ratchet sports a deep recessed arrow cradle arm and capture bar, making this rest excellent for any bowhunting situation. With the arm up in the ready position, there is zero chance of the arrow falling off the rest. Speed Set Technology makes rest timing a breeze. You can take up your cable quickly with dial clicks, and when the arrow is launched and the arm contacts the arrow shelf, an anti-bounce back eliminates the possibility of the arm springing upward and contacting carbon as it makes its from-the-string departure. A padded launcher and the over-molded containment arm reduce noise and keep you stealthy.

Your accuracy will improve when you pair the right arrow (spine matters based on draw weight) with a quality rest that tunes like a dream. Improved accuracy boosts confidence, and confidence leads to meat for the freezer and a mount for the wall.

THE QUIVER

Quivers don’t get much love; they aren’t a super sleek accessory. They usually don’t make YouTube video reviews or even get a magazine gear category that’s all their own, but I’m not sure why. The quiver is an integral accessory. Whether you shoot and hunt with your quiver on or off your bow, a subpar model could mean the difference between a punched tag and a sob story.

I’ve been shooting TightSpot quivers for years. These quivers are bulletproof and quiet, aid in bow balance, offer limitless adjustments and go on/off the bow quickly.

TightSpot, in grand fashion, has built several awesome quivers. Some of the manufacturer’s most recent makes, like the Pivot 2.5, Shift Lock and Air Lock, are the favorites of many. I’m an “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” guy. While I’ve used and had excellent experiences with the Pivot 2.5 and Shift Lock, my number one go-to is the 5-Arrow Quiver.

I appreciate that I can move the quiver in/out and up/down to achieve perfect bow balance. The quiver hugs the riser and melds to the bow rather than looking like a separate attachment that sticks way off the weapon, which can cause the feel of full draw to be unbalanced.

Each arrow gripper is individually adjustable via an Allen wrench, and the hood holds arrows tightly and works in concert with the quiver to thwart post-shot noise and vibration.

I shoot micro-diameter Easton X10 Parallel Pros and 4MM Axis Long Range arrows. These arrows sport a thin build, and lesser quivers need help holding them tightly. TightSpot quivers do not. Weighing only 9.9 ounces, this quiver, thanks to the simple but innovative bracket system and lever lock, means you can take the quiver off your bow and hang it in your tree stand. If you are spotting and stalking, or you’re a bowhunter who prefers always having their quiver mounted to their bow, this quiver kills vibration and noise from multiple angles and will be the last quiver you ever need.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Don’t be me! Don’t go through a single deer season or shooting session without top-end accessories. I’ve written many times (and I stand by it) that I would rather hunt and shoot with a budget-style compound bow outfitted with top-of-the-line accessories, than a flagship bow outfitted with sub-par accessories.

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