If you’re like me, you prefer to build your own custom sight tape for your single-pin or fixed-pin moveable sight. No, there’s nothing wrong with the tapes manufacturers provide, nor those you can construct and print from web-based programs. I guess I’m just old school. I want the marks on my sight tape to be ones I ink in colored permanent marker, and this system, at least in my opinion, has its advantages.

Currently, I’m shooting a Black Gold three-pin moveable on my Elite Impulse 31. My fixed pins are set at 30, 40 and 50 yards, with my bottom (50-yard) pin used as my moveable. Because I sighted-in properly, my indicator needle is at the top of my vertical drive. This gives me two advantages. One, I can, without looking, reset my sight to its original 30-, 40- and 50-yard setting. The drive simply bottoms out at the top. Two, this gives me the full range of my vertical drive.

The first mark I place on my blank sight tape will be for 60 yards, which brings us to benefit of building your own sight tape. If you dedicate yourself to the process, you’ll be forced to practice more and fine-tune your setup instead of simply putting your trust in some pre-printed number on a tape.

Pick a day with little to no wind (if possible) and move your sight up or down your vertical drive (depending on how you have your moveable sight set) to where you feel like you can put at least three arrows on a large bag or foam target face. If you’re an experienced shooter, you will have no trouble doing this. I put a two-inch orange sticker right in the middle of the target and shoot three arrows at 60 yards.

Next, after removing the arrows and making a few sight tweaks, I shoot a second three-arrow group, then a third, then a fourth and a fifth. After five three-arrow groups I make a mark in pencil on my sight tape, reset my indicator needle to its original position, and shoot some 30-, 40- and 50 yard groups. Then, just before I call it a day, I shoot one more three-arrow 60-yard group and see how everything sits.

The next day, I repeat the process above and, after putting no less than 12 three-arrow groups through my bow at a distance of 60 yards, I make my permanent mark. I repeat this process over the next several days and weeks to make marks at 65-100 yards. By the time I’m done, I’m uber-confident not only in my shooting, but in my sight tape as well. Give it a shot and see how it works for you. You may never go back to a pre-manufactured sight tape again.