The host of this how-to video from the B&B Archery’s YouTube channel does an excellent job explaining a tried-and-true method to easily get your compound bow sighted in perfectly.
Remember: You move your bowsight pin in the direction of your miss. In other words, if you shoot a three-arrow group at 20 yards and it’s 3 inches to the left of the vertical tape, to fix it you need to move your bowsight to the left. How much to move the pin is simply a guess.
If I was hitting 3 inches left at 20 yards, I’d start by moving my pin about 1/8-inch to the left, then shoot three more arrows to see the results of this adjustment. I’d need to adjust more to the left if I’m still missing left (likely a smaller amount), or if the initial adjustment guess was too much, then I’d need to move it a bit to the right. It’s important to take it slow and concentrate on making good shots.
As the host explains, worry about one pin adjustment at a time. After you are dialed in left-to-right (arrows are hitting a vertical tape), then work on getting dialed in for up and down (tying to hit a horizontal tape).
Tip: In the video, the host is shooting at an archery range where the entire wall is made up of foam targets. If you’re doing this initial sight-in procedure in your basement or backyard and you own only a small portable target, then don’t assume your first arrow will strike it at 20 yards. Don’t be embarrassed to stand extremely close to the target to ensure you don’t put that first arrow into the wall or backyard fence, breaking the shaft and damaging whatever it impacts.
If I’m using a 20-inch-square foam target and it’s my first arrow with a new bowsight installed on a compound, I’ll stand at only 10 feet just to be safe. After drawing my bow, I’ll put the top pin on the middle of a 4-inch-long vertical tape, then I'll briefly look away from my pin and simply eyeball whether my arrow will hit the small target someplace. If I’m confident it will, then I turn my attention back to aiming and making a good shot (no hand torque, no punching the trigger, etc.).
One more money-saving tip: After you get dialed in horizontally and vertically, and now you’re hitting bull’s-eyes at 20 yards, stop shooting multiple arrows at one target dot because you’ll needlessly damage arrows. If you’re shooting five arrows per round, then choose five different dots.
