# Sight extension length?



## Kenny G (May 18, 2004)

How much does it matter to a "new to using a sight" shooter? I see some that are rather long 9" and some that seem pretty short. Will it really matter at 20 yards? Pros and cons of each would be appreciated. Thanks, Kenny.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

Kenny -

My new sight shooters keep their sights close to the riser. It makes the aperture look bigger and masks some of their oscillations (wobble). That gets the then on target faster and that gives better scores.

For outdoor shooter, the closer the sight is to the riser, the greater your elevation travel (meaning you can reach out farther). In the old days, having the sight mounted on the face of the bow wasn't uncommon.

For more experienced shooters. the amount of extension can be used to fine tune the visible wobble, size of aperture and even balance of the bow.

Viper1 out.


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## icehaven (Nov 30, 2010)

Viper1 said:


> For more experienced shooters. the amount of extension can be used to fine tune the visible wobble, size of aperture and even balance of the bow.


are you referring to a sweet spot of the equipment or just personal preference?



i agree with viper, except i would also apply the "buy nice or buy twice" rule, and say you should get a good sight and pull it all the way in for a while


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

Kenny G said:


> How much does it matter to a "new to using a sight" shooter? I see some that are rather long 9" and some that seem pretty short. Will it really matter at 20 yards? Pros and cons of each would be appreciated. Thanks, Kenny.


The shorter 6" extension is almost exclusively used on compound bows, as is the 4" sight bar. For recurve bows you want a sight with a 9" extension and 5 1/2" sight bar. Although rare, you will occasional see a 12" extension on a recurve bow sight.


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## zal (May 1, 2007)

Anything from 6" to 9" is fine, really. I recently switched to CJ ants which has 4.5" frame and I think my extension is at about 7.5" which is more than plenty. I've had no issues after shooting 9" Shibuya and 11" Yamaha.

Most have to take the sight in at 90m anyway.


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## TheOldNewbie (Mar 31, 2012)

Seattlepop said:


> The shorter 6" extension is almost exclusively used on compound bows, as is the 4" sight bar. For recurve bows you want a sight with a 9" extension and 5 1/2" sight bar. Although rare, you will occasional see a 12" extension on a recurve bow sight.


The low end beginner sights for recurve bows also have 4" or 5" extensions and 5 1/2" sight bars and are not applicable for compound bows. They work fine for lower weight recurves at the beginner level.


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## Viper1 (Aug 21, 2003)

ice - 

Depends on the shooter's sensitivity. I'd say 90% preference and 10% "sweet-spot", since most shooters won't really notice or be able to exploit any difference. Making the shot more comfortable does help in the score department.

Viper1 out.


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## Bean Burrito (Apr 20, 2011)

TheOldNewbie said:


> The low end beginner sights for recurve bows also have 4" or 5" extensions and 5 1/2" sight bars and are not applicable for compound bows. They work fine for lower weight recurves at the beginner level.


If by low end you mean the super crap options offered by Cartel then I'd say they aren't suitable for anyone. A sight is worthless if it moves. We have elastic bands on the ones on our club bows.

If you mean the $40 or so Cartel offerings, still ****, poorly made, and not worth it.


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## TheOldNewbie (Mar 31, 2012)

Bean Burrito said:


> If by low end you mean the super crap options offered by Cartel then I'd say they aren't suitable for anyone. A sight is worthless if it moves. We have elastic bands on the ones on our club bows.
> 
> If you mean the $40 or so Cartel offerings, still ****, poorly made, and not worth it.


My wife has been using the Fivecs Falcon for a couple of months now and it has not once loosened. I don't know about the low end Cartel sights, but don't condemn all sights that cost less than $250. Her $30 sight certainly isn't in the same class as the $300 sights, but in my opinion spending $300 on a sight for recreational shooting is just a waste of money unless you use $20 bills to light your charcoal grill.

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/fivics-falcon-recurve-target-sight.html

I also haven't had a problem with my low end Cartel sight.

http://www.eders.com/products/1-cartel-x-pert-carbon-sight-black-rh.html

The above 2 sights are also recommended by Cal Archery at Berkeley as reliable target sights that they have had experience with, so it is not just my opinion.


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## Kenny G (May 18, 2004)

Thanks for all the info, it is very helpfull. Kenny.


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