There is something about the use of a recurve bow that is undeniably nostalgic. With a recurve bow in hand, if only for a minute, we feel a connection to the primitive archers that came before us. While several archers shoot in a purely instinctive manner, others prefer the use of a sight.
From the mid-20th century, recurve bows often sported sights. This trend, however, diminished as compound bows took center stage.
If you’re a collector rummaging through vintage recurve bows at flea markets, it’s common to find these relics with pre-drilled holes on the risers, specifically designed for sights.
As a seasoned archer and bow enthusiast, I can’t stress enough the advantage of trying out a sight if you’re a budding recurve shooter.
This accessory helps eliminate the complexity of aiming, allowing you to pour your efforts into achieving shot consistency.
Once you master this, you’ll find that transitioning to sightless aiming—using the arrow intuitively or deliberately—becomes a significantly smoother process.
At a Glance: My Top Recommended Recurve Bow Hunting Sights
Top Notch Recurve Bow Sights
In the world of archery, accuracy is everything. Whether a seasoned archer or a newbie, the right gear can drastically elevate your game.
This is where the remarkable Trophy Ridge Mist 3-Pin Sight enters the picture. As a seasoned archer with a passion for the sport, I’ve taken this innovative piece of equipment for a spin, and I’m thrilled to report that it’s a game-changer.
Features:
- Reversible – 0.019-Inch Pins
- Swift Sight Acquisition with Green Hood Accent
- Enhanced Customizability with Multiple Mounting Holes
- Precision Aligned Shots with Built-in Bubble Level
- Ultimate Visibility with Three Ultra-Bright Horizontal .019″ Fiber Optic Pins
- Versatile Reversible Mount for Both Left- and Right-Hand Bows and High or Low Anchor Points
The first thing to catch your eye about the Mist 3 Pin Sight is its striking green hood accent.
Though it might seem like a decorative touch, it serves a critical function. This vibrant green accent isn’t just there to look cool; it aids you in acquiring your sight picture more swiftly.
This feature could be the difference between a miss and a bullseye in high-pressure scenarios where every second counts.
Customization is paramount in archery, and the Mist 3 Pin Sight doesn’t disappoint. It’s equipped with mounting holes, allowing you to fine-tune your setup to just how you like it.
Whether you’re shooting with a left- or right-handed bow or prefer a high or low anchor point, this sight caters to your needs.
It’s like having a bespoke suit tailored for your bow, ensuring a flawless fit each time.
This sight is the perfect companion for target archery and hunting (read.. perfect bow stabilizer).
Huntingdoor Archery Recurve Bow Sights
User Rated:
Price: Price not available
The Huntingdoor Archery Recurve Bow Sight takes traditional archery accuracy to the next level by providing an archer with an easy-to-use method for aiming in any number of circumstances. This sight is a good fit for an awesome takedown bow, too.
This sight features a single sight pin and is fully adjustable to any distance an archer chooses to shoot.
Features:
- A single-pin ring sight for fast and seamless aiming
- Robust metal construction ensures longevity and enhanced durability
- Easy-to-read range figures make adjustments a cinch
The Huntingdoor Archery Recurve Bow Sight boasts impressive durability thanks to its all-metal hardware and bracketing. With its universal design, this sight is equally at home on a hunting expedition or a target archery range.
e5e 1-Piece Recurve Bow Sight
User Rated:
Price: Price not available
The e5e 1-Piece Recurve Bow Sight is an excellent choice when a single bow sight requires both durability and precise adjustability.
This T-handle ring sight offers archers micro-windage adjustments, allowing for precise shot placement, no matter the distance to your target.
Specs:
Weight: 4.5 oz
Features:
- Universal fitment means this sight will fit both right and left-handed bows.
- ABS Material construction ensures that the sight is both lightweight and durable
- Micro-windage adjustments promote precision marksmanship
Another noteworthy feature of the e5e Recurve bow sight is its universal fitment. This sight is easily interchangeable to fit both right and left-handed bows.
Both recurve and take-down bows will accept the use of this sight.
SHARROW Recurve Bow Sight
User Rated:
Price: $32.99
The SHARROW Recurve Bow Sight is built not only to function as a precision piece of equipment but to look the part while doing so.
This sight features a traditional ring-style housing/pin, fully adjustable windage, and elevation settings. The SHARROW Bow Sight is also constructed from lightweight, durable aluminum for enhanced integrity.
Specs:
Weight: 4.7 oz
Features:
- Fully adjustable windage and elevation adjustments take accuracy to the next level
- Extremely lightweight ABS metal construction makes use enjoyable
- All required mounting hardware is included for trouble-free installation
All necessary mounting hardware is included with this sight, and it is easily fit to any recurve or take-down bow with late-model traditional mounting points.
If you are searching for a ring sight that is as sleek as it is functional, the SHARROW Recurve bow sight is the way to go.
HRCHCG Archery Recurve Bow Sight
User Rated:
Price: Price not available
If you seek to retain the overall simplicity that traditional archery is renowned for but feel that using a sight would be helpful, the HRCHCG Archery Recurve Bow Sight is just what you are looking for.
This sight does not have many bells and whistles that other recurve bow sights are known for. However, it does indeed get you on target in a precise manner.
Specs:
Weight: 2.4 oz
Features:
- Simple installation can be completed in minutes
- 30-day satisfaction guarantee warranty
The HRCHCG Archery Recurve Bow Sight is easily mounted in place by simply tightening two screws, and sight pin adjustment is equally trouble-free. This sight also comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
read.. the perfect recurve bowstring
What Makes A Quality Recurve Bow Sight?
When purchasing a recurve bow sight, several factors must be considered before making your decision.
Without considering these factors, you might regret your hastily made purchase. So what should you be looking for when shopping for the best recurve bow sight?
A Sight That You Don´t Even Know Is There
For most, one of the biggest draws toward traditional archery is the simplicity of the sport.
Much of this has to do with the lightweight feeling that is rendered when shooting a bow free of accessories.
For this reason, a recurve bow sight must be as light as possible. A lack of excess weight also promotes better marksmanship as well.
This is just one of the reasons that we cannot get enough of the SHARROW Recurve Bow Sight. At just 6.4 ounces, you would likely not even know that it was on your bow if you weren’t aiming through it.
A Sight That Hunts As Hard As You Do
As with any bow sight, it is of vast importance that a recurve bow be as durable as possible. This is true for higher-priced and budget-priced recurve bows.
Despite our best efforts, our sights get bumped, hung on foreign objects, and bounced around. In these situations, a sight that lacks durability will not last long.
If you are looking for a sight that is as durable as the day is long, the Huntingdoor Archery Recurve Bow Sight is likely exactly what you have been searching for. This sight’s all-metal construction can take all of the abuse you can hand out, and still come back for more.
A Sight That Provides The Bigger Picture
No matter how long you have been participating in archery, it is likely that at one point in time or another, you have shot a bow whose sights did more to block your view than they did help it.
When this occurs, accuracy can suffer rather than improve as hoped.
This is another reason we love the Trophy Ridge LED Bow Sight. This sight utilizes an open-view window and LED center point to provide hunters and target archers with a clear view downrange.
Which Recurve Bow Sight Is The Best?
When comparing the recurve bow sights on this list, I believe the Trophy Ridge Mist 3-Pin Sight is the best sight, with the SHARROW Recurve Bow Sight coming in as a not-so-distant runner-up.
The TRUGLO Range-Rover features an adjustable LED center dot fixture that allows an archer maximum visibility, is constructed of high-strength aluminum, and weighs less than 1 pound.
These factors all equate to a sight that any hunter would be proud to sport on their bow.
How To Choose The Best Bow Sight?
When attempting to choose the best recurve bow sight, you must first carefully analyze your personal needs. This will directly influence the particular sight variant that caters to the situation. The factors that you must consider are:
- What kind of shooting will I be doing? Target? Competition? Hunting?
- Are multiple points of adjustment important? Or do I just need a pin for reference?
- How much money am I looking to spend?
read.. What do the pins mean on a sight?
What Type Of Sight Is Needed?
The biggest single factor that comes into play when deciding which type of sight is needed, is the shooting that you will be doing. Certain types of sights are not always conducive to one particular type of shooting versus another.
For example, an open ring sight is not well suited to long-distance or outdoor shooting. This would make it a poor choice for hunting.
On the other hand, this same ring sight might work wonderfully for a beginner or someone who is shooting at an indoor 20-yard range.
The same thought process rings true for the other two types of recurve bow sites, the pin sight and the target sight. Assess your needs, and then pick a quality sight within that category.
What Specific Model Is Best?
Within each subset of recurve bow sights, there always tend to be some models that stand out above the rest. These top contenders are always great options to consider:
Ring Sight (SHARROW Recurve Sight)
It is hard to go wrong with the SHARROW Recurve Bow Sight. This sight has perhaps more features than any other ring sight on the market today.
With a full range of windage and elevation adjustments and a stylish overall design that will look good on any bow, the SHARROW Recurve Bow Sight is worth a closer look.
If you are looking to aim with a level of precision that is seldom achieved with a recurve bow, the Trophy Ridge Mist 3-Pin Bow Sight has you covered.
This sight features tool-less adjustments, .019 fiber optic pins, and a rheostat light. The Trophy Ridge React Sight will have you shooting far better than you thought possible in no time.
Target Sight (TRUGLO Range-Rover)
The TRUGLO Range-Rover PRO LED Bow Sight is truly revolutionary in many facets. This sight is completely pinless, leaving the archer with an unrestricted field of view.
This sight also has an LED-illuminated center point that is completely adjustable.
Types Of Recurve Bow Sights
There are three general types of recurve bow sights; Each one offers distinct advantages.
As mentioned above, the type of sight you choose should be metered against the shooting you intend to do.
Ring Sight
Just as the name implies, a ring sight is a circular sight peered through when shooting to line your arrow up with its intended point of impact.
These sights are wonderful for indoor shooting or shooting at short distances, but the sight’s small field of view renders them rather useless in direct sunlight or at long distances.
Pin Sight
When you think pin sight, for the most part, think compound bow. There are multiple types of a pin sight but they all resemble those found on modern archery equipment.
When at full-draw, the pin for a particular distance comes in line with the target, and an arrow is released. Though it can be difficult to fit a recurve bow, a pin sight is effective in all conditions.
Target Sights
Like a pin sight, modern target sights take on many forms and fashions. These sights typically rely upon very small fiber optics to enhance aiming potential.
These sites are generally used in all forms of competition. However, a target sight’s biggest downfall is its price, which can be quite hefty.
