Bow Sight Maxed Out? Fixes and the Follow Rule

To adjust a bow sight, follow the arrow: move the pin or housing toward where your group landed, so up if you hit high and down if you hit low, left or right to match. If the sight is maxed out and can't move any further, the sight usually isn't the problem. Something else is pushing the arrows off line.

The follow-the-arrow rule

Archery 360's guide to adjusting a bow sight starts simply: "Start at 10 yards and shoot a group." It asks for three arrows shot with good form, then gives the rule: "If your three-arrow group isn't where you aimed, move your sight toward the group." Its example: "if your three arrows grouped left, move your sight-pin left."

The same rule covers both directions. Windage, in Archery 360's words, "moves the pin left or right"; elevation "slides the pin up or down." So the answer to "bow sight up or down?" depends only on where the arrows went. High group, move the sight up. Low group, move it down.

Make small moves, shoot a new group, and repeat.

Why a sight runs out of travel

If the housing reaches the end of its bar, there are two broad cases.

Elevation maxed out. This is often just a matter of position. Archery 360 says that "if you run out of room to move your pin, loosen the screw that lets you move the sight housing up and down."

Windage maxed out. This is the "maxed out to the right" (or left) problem. S&S Archery, writing about one maker's sights, says running short of left windage "is a problem that is becoming more common with increasing riser widths." Its first piece of advice is to "make sure your bow is tuned properly! Shoot through paper, is your rest tuned correctly?"

If arrows leave the bow off line, the sight must keep moving to follow them.

Fixes to check, in order

These are common pro-shop checks. None is guaranteed to bring a sight back into range.

For the mount, S&S Archery describes a fix specific to Black Gold sights: "Remove the 2 inner screws and move the 'football' shaped mount over one position," then "re-level the sight to your bow using your second axis adjustments." It also mentions asking Black Gold about an XL windage bar. These are model-specific steps; check your own sight's manual before removing anything.

Moving a rest means re-tuning afterwards. Our drop-away rest guide explains how centre shot is set.

When to see a pro shop

Visit a shop if you've followed the arrow, reached the end of the bar, and aren't sure which of the checks above applies. Archery 360 notes that "pros at an archery shop will gladly assist," and a shop can watch you shoot and paper tune the bow.

If you want finer control once the bow is tuned, you can browse micro-adjust bow sights or compound rests with centre-shot adjustment on Amazon, as examples to consider.

Frequently asked questions

Do you move a bow sight up or down?

Move it toward the arrows. Archery 360's rule is to move the sight toward the group, so if your arrows hit high, move the pin or housing up, and if they hit low, move it down. Make small changes and shoot a fresh group of three after each one.

Why is my bow sight maxed out to the right?

Usually because something sends the arrows right, and the sight has followed them as far as it can. S&S Archery's first advice is to check that the bow is tuned and the rest set correctly. A pro shop can check centre shot, peep alignment, torque and sight mounting.

Which way do I adjust my bow sight left and right?

The same way the arrows went. Archery 360's example: "if your three arrows grouped left, move your sight-pin left." Groups to the right mean moving the pin right. Move in small steps and confirm with a fresh group.