The Perfect Bowsight for Elk Hunting

By Zach Bowhay

Perfect Sight Setup for Elk

Is your bow sight the right choice for elk hunting? That’s the question I want you to ask yourself today. As an experienced hunter who has spent countless hours perfecting my gear setup, I urge you to analyze your chosen sight and consider whether it's the best setup for making a shot on a bull elk this coming fall. I shoot my bow a lot and hunt several different species each fall. My focus, more than anything, is generally on elk hunting. I often hunt whitetails, so I set up an older bow specifically for that purpose. If I know I will be hunting early-season mule deer, I may use my elk setup, or sometimes I will switch sights after the mule deer hunt for the elk hunt.

As a self-proclaimed gear nerd, I've always been meticulous about my bow setup, particularly for my elk hunts. The challenge of getting a shot at a bull elk is already daunting enough, so I prefer not to complicate things further.

Single Pin

I think that a single-pin moveable sight is the best option for a couple of elk hunting styles. These include the spot and stalk hunter in open terrain and the hunter who primarily hunts over a water source, wallow, or trail where likely distances are known well before an animal comes into view.

Personally, I feel that a single-pin slider sight with a vertical pin is the best setup for optimal accuracy. Of course, some may disagree, but it doesn’t matter who is correct. I think it’s the best setup for these hunts because it's often easier to range and move a sight in spot, stalk, and ambush scenarios than it is when calling a bull in.

In most cases, when I spot and stalk bulls, the shots are a little further, and having the ability to range and move your sight to an exact distance can be crucial as range and sight pin gaps increase.

For the hunter waiting in ambush with known distances in mind, having a single pin to aim and shoot with can alleviate confusion and be a deadly setup. The only caveat here may be choosing a sight like a Spot Hogg Fast Eddie with a second aiming point on the vertical pin. Fast Eddie MRT, Double Pin (spot-hogg.com) If the occasion arises, this option gives you that second point of reference, but you keep the clear, uncluttered view of a single-pin setup.

Fixed Pin Sights

For some, a fixed pin sight with three, five, or even seven pins is the easiest option. Elk are big animals, and errors in range estimation with today's bows, especially within close range, can often result in a killing shot. For example, if you have a fixed pin sight with five pins set at 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards and shoot at a bull with your 30-yard pin at a 34-yard target, you will likely still be in the zone. However, if the shot is 64 yards and you shoot for 60, the results could end poorly.

This setup is fine for most elk hunters who shoot reasonable distances with a modern compound.

I see a few drawbacks of this type of sight as negatives, though; for that reason, they aren’t my choice. These drawbacks include the inability to dial in more exact ranges on longer shots. Additionally, my aging eyes and the tendency of multiple pins to have a halo effect, especially in varying light, pose challenges. Lastly, having many pins can confuse the already tense situation of a bull elk standing before you.

Fixed Pin Slider - Best of Both Worlds

My elk hunting style consists of approximately 60% calling, 35% spot and stalk, and 5% waiting in ambush. Because of this, I have been using a fixed-pin slider sight for years. From 2010 to 2022, I shot a three-pin slider sight from Black Gold. Ascent Verdict Assault – Black Gold Bowsights (blackgoldsights.com)

With most of my elk hunting involving calling bulls to my location in timber, I had three pins set at 30, 40, and 50 yards. My bows have been fast enough that for shots closer than 30 yards, I can still use my top pin and be just fine. With these three set pins, I could cover 90% of the shots I would get on called-in bulls.

Beyond 50 yards on call-ins or when I am spot and stalk hunting, I can range and slide my sight to exact distances and shoot my bottom pin at that exact range. This setup is simple and has proved to be a killer setup for me and many others.

I have hunted elk for the past few seasons with a sight from Option Archery. Canyon Pounder Sight - (Moveable Housing Models) - Option Archery If you don’t know, this sight is a hybrid type sight. It has fixed pins; then, you can flip the sight open and have a single-pin slider option. In my opinion, this single pin isn’t as “nice” of a view as a vertical pin, but it’s a nice, uncluttered view, nonetheless. Each of these sights and countless other multi-pin slider options from different companies are great for the hunter who wants the best of both worlds. This type of sight allows me to handle scenarios I am likely to have.

Doesn’t Mean I’m Right, Doesn’t Mean I’m Wrong

As you can see, for my hunting style, the best option is a sight with a few pins that can be adjusted to shoot exact ranges at longer distances. Some hunters prefer fewer moving parts because they fear equipment failure or find the idea of continually moving a sight intimidating. This type of sight can lead to catastrophe when you forget to move your sight back to its zero and then fire at an animal or target, causing you to miss by a foot. However, these mistakes rarely happen with practice and use, and you become very efficient.

Still, some prefer the simplicity of a fixed pin sight or a single pin's clear view and pinpoint accuracy. The honest answer is there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to the right sight for everyone. I am simply suggesting that you analyze your elk hunting style and match your bow sight to be most effective in the scenarios you will likely encounter.