Traditional Recurve Bow Sights

Recurve bows have limb tips that curve away from the shooter when the bow is not strung. Traditional recurve bows are made of laminated wood. These types of traditional bows generally are kept in a traditional style and do not incorporate any sights. While some traditional bow shooters do install sights on their bows, others still prefer the traditional methods of primitive sights, riser markings or O-rings.

  1. Contemporary Bow Sights

    • Generally most traditional style recurve bows made as of 2011 have provisions for sight mounting if desired. Though most traditional shooters do not use protruding style sights that are typically used for compound bows, any sights compatible with the bow mount can be installed. Sight types include adjustable arm sights with a variety of adjustable sight pins, fiber-optic sights and low light illuminating sights.

    Primitive Sights

    • Primitive sights are essentially a specific point either marked on the riser or memorized by the shooter. This riser point is unique to the bow shooter's eye and in the particular way that he holds the bow. The point is useful because it establishes elevation and gives the shooter a mark of reference to specific distance. Some shooters mark two or more points on the riser for specific distances.

    O-Rings

    • O-Rings are generally used by traditional recurve competition shooters. During most traditional recurve competitions, protruding sights are not allowed by regulations. Attaching an O-Ring to the lower limb helps to establish an elevation reference point, and a hole which the shooter can line up the arrow with as an aiming point.

    Rubber Band Sights and Point-of-Aim Objects

    • Much like attaching an O-Ring, rubber bands are used in the same way for competition shooting where contemporary protruding sights are not allowed. These are attached to a point selected by the shooter on the lower limb, and cannot be wider than 1/8-inch. These sights are often used in conjunction with a ground based point-of-aim object. The object is generally placed on the ground between the shooter and the target to establish elevation and aim reference. General rules for most competitions require that the object used cannot be larger than three inches in diameter or higher than six inches from the ground.