Nothing sets off a bowhunting camp debate like the mention of bow sights. Which is best—single, multi, or moveable? Check out a quick review of each and then decide which one is right for your hunting style.

Single Pin: A one-pin setup sighted-in at 20 or 30 yards is a Southern bowhunting staple, and for good reason. The South’s whitetail woods are immensely thick, with shot distances rarely exceeding 30 yards. Single-pin setups eliminate multiple-pin confusion and provide an unrestricted sight window devoid of cluttered pins.

Multiple Pins: Early compounds struggled to push arrows to speeds above 220 feet per second. Trajectories featured an exaggerated arc, which rose sharply and fell quickly. As a result, shot gradation was exaggerated, and having several pins proved invaluable to compensate for these slower speeds. They remain hugely popular.

Moveable Sights: Because they can be moved up or down, ranging sights, as they’re sometimes called, are adjustable for target distance. The variations on these sights are seemingly endless.

What’s Best?
Although single-pin setups are idiot-proof, they are limited to a finite range. Even the best archers struggle to compensate.

Multi-pin setups shine when you’re covering long shot distances; however, they must be gap-shot (shot between two pins) when a dedicated pin isn’t available.

Moveable sights, on the other hand, allow hunters to cover any specific shot distance without being handicapped by holdover or the need to gap-shoot. However, they must be adjusted for distance.

Each setup should be vetted according to your bow and shooting style.