Aiming is extremely-important; one miss can cause the difference between gold and silver in a competition. Therefore, most archers utilize several attachments like peep sights to improve their aim.
The general concept of aiming using a peep sight is to align the target with the pin of the peep sight with your dominant eye while also aligning the forward sight with the related target.
Don’t worry because I will break down the points on how to aim a compound bow with a peep sight below.
Choose the Appropriate Peep Sight
Compound bow sights allow you to focus on your aim by reducing distractions. So ensure that your anchor point does not waver.
There are numerous peep sights available in a variety of sizes and housing styles. The peep sight size determines the number of pins, their placement distance, proper positioning, and the overall field of view.
While the sight housing defines the number of pins, how far apart they are separated, and where you should locate them. Due to the obvious vast field of view and enough room to move pins throughout, most archers choose a compound bow peep sight with an extensive, spherical housing of at least one 5/8-inch in diameter.
You can enhance the focus of your sight better if you move your pin further spread the riser of your bow. Just a small halo of light should be visible outside of the sight ring or around the colored ring of the sight.
How to Install a Peep Sight

You may use a regular D-loop to attach your peep sight, though some people use a torque-less loop that self-aligns instead. Your peep sight must be inserted into your string and positioned to the center. To separate the strands of your bowstring, use a bow press.
You can also try other methods of separating your strands, but they can frequently end in injury to you or the bowstring. Most archers choose a two-color string when installing a peep sight since it is the most visually appealing choice.
Select the Appropriate Height
As you set the right height for your peep, ask the assistance of a friend. Close your eyes and pull your bow to your anchor with the peep sight mounted on your string. After you’ve drawn, open one of your eyes and stay still. Rotate the peep into place and move it up or down the thread with your companion. You must precisely align the forward sight aperture.
Take Shots for Calibration

It requires a lot of shooting to figure out how to line your peep sight correctly. I recommend you fire off at least fifteen to twenty shots with your peep adequately fixed before you start adjusting the placement. This ensures that the bowstring’s twists and stress settle in.
Rotate the Peep Sight into Position
After you’ve determined the proper height for your peep sight and launched a few shots, it might not be enough to sync your peep sight to your eye fully. Add or subtract half a turn at a time until the peep is in the proper position.
How to Optimize Your Peep Sight Calibration
As you fine-tune your peep sight, place it in its center position and adjust by pulling the string off the peg and twisting it in or out by a complete turn. Avoid making a half-turn adjustment. You should always tweak to the other side everything you do on one side, or your cams will be out of rhythm. Once you attain a stable balance, flipping the peep sight over once or twice may be necessary. (1)
In most cases, a few twists of the bowstring can fix any irregularities. Still, for the best precision, precise perpendicular alignment is required, which you can only achieve through careful bowstring twisting and strand switching. (2)
Here’s a more detailed guide on how you can adjust your bow’s peep sight.
Shooting a Bow with a Peep Sight

It isn’t as difficult to use a peep sight as most archers and hunters believe. Peep sights are the solution to the widespread belief that arrow shooting precision is impossible.
Stretching and warming up will help you prepare for your shot.
- Assume a firm shooting stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and your target at a 90-degree angle.
- Maintain a natural bow stance.
- Pull the arrow back to your anchor points by nocking it.
- It’s now time to line up your shot.
Compound Bow Peep Sight Tips
Persistence is one of the keys to bow and arrow accuracy. You must be able to look through your front sight at all times and strike the target exactly where you want it.
So, how should you use a peep sight?
- Using your dominant eye, peek through the peep sight and aim at your target.
- Mark your target with the forward sight using the target lined up in the peep.
- Close your one eye to make it easier to concentrate using your peep sight, and make sure you line your target with the correct pin for its distance.
- Ensure your forward sight’s bubble level is in the center point once you’ve aligned your peep sight to the pin. You may tweak your bow alignment to the left or right if it is not aligned correctly.
- Let your peep sight pin float about the target slightly and release only when you are confident, rather than trying to line it up.
Why Should You Use a Peep Sight?
You’d be amazed at how many archers, even seasoned archers, have no idea what a peep sight is for. A peep sight is little more than a hole in your bowstring that helps the shooter confirm an appropriate line of sight between their vision, the pin, and the target, much the same as a peep sight on a rifle. Peep sights allow you to refine your shooting skills while also ensuring that you are continually tuned in.
There are numerous advantages to using a peep sight. For example, a peep sight can significantly aid in narrowing your field of vision and eliminating external distractions. When hunting large game like white-tailed deer or elk, this is quite useful.
When shooting your bow, peep sights might help you stay reasonably efficient. In archery hunting, as in any activity, sticking to the basics and following a program is crucial. It’s straightforward to move your anchor point without noticing it and might reduce your accuracy significantly.
Peep sights can often help with this problem, but they aren’t a complete solution. Using a feature like a kisser button in tandem with a peep sight will help you guarantee that your anchor point is always strong. While there are other advantages to having a peep sight, these are the primary reasons why most hunters will use one in combination with their bow sight.
Why Shouldn’t You Use a Peep Sight?

Using a peep sight has several disadvantages. These drawbacks are noticeable when archery hunting and pursuing white-tailed deer, but they are less of an issue for people who simply love competitive archery.
If there is one issue many archery hunters have about peep sights is they cannot shoot well in low light circumstances. While peep sights can aid boost accuracy by narrowing the sight view, they can also impair light absorption capabilities, making it difficult to see your target when the light dims. This feature of the peep sight has cost many white-tailed deer hunters a deer at one time or another.
Another disadvantage of using a peep sight is that you have to rely on it to fire your bow. When you use the peep sight to sight in your bow, you are entirely reliant on the peep sight. If your peep sight fails, you’re effectively dead in the sea because it’s impossible to be accurate at that point.
If you happen to aim your target without peep sight, you may click here. Until our next article guide!
References
(1) rhythm – https://www.britannica.com/art/rhythm-music
(2) precision – https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/physical/world-ocean/map-distortion/practices-science-precision-vs-accuracy