If you're considering a single pin for hunting, look into a double vertical pin. Gives you a second reference point and may clear up some of your concerns.

 

Single Pin can be very productive even when the deer is moving. Just practice enough to know where to hold at different distances. It might be you hold exact or you hold a little high on the kill zone. Leaves all the clutter.

 

If you are hunting, 3 pin slider all the way. At least for me. That way I have out to right at 50yds off my level and can dial further if needed. Most hunting shots should be under 50yds. For target I think a one pin wins unless you are shooting in a restricted class.

 

I have used a single pin forever and can’t use anything else. I’m thinking of trying one of the double pin setups just to have the extra pin so I don’t have to adjust. For me, I love the uncluttered view of a single pin.

 

I like the single pin, be running one for years, and don’t plan on changing now.
Good luck

 

One option starting out is buy two inexpensive sights . Buy a basic 4 or 5 pin sight, and there is a cheap slider single pin sight made by GWS which actually works good and has a really good pin. Once you get them sighted in, you can swap them around in the off season and get some experience with both. That will help you get real world experience and figure out what you want. The top end sights are getting really expensive...it will really help to have some experience before you shell out big money. You shop around you can find both sights for probably around 125 dollars. Then later if you upgrade you still have back up sights or for another bow. I have two bows I never even upgraded. I have been using the GWS single pin sight and a basic Apex 4 pin for years.....

The trend has been going to multi pin moving sights..... So you have like three pins which is not to cluttered, and that takes you out to around forty....then ....dial if you want to go beyond that. 90 percent of your hunting will be covered by the three pins if your mostly an eastern hunter.

 

I’ve been using a single pin since 2006. I like the benefits of not having multiple pins to clutter my sight picture. I just set it at 30yds and can shoot out to 40 if need be. I live out west. The new double pins are nice and I have one from Montana Black Gold and 2nd pin is adjustable.

 

I’ve just gone from using multi pins to a single pin, with my eyes not being as good as they used to be I found my sight picture was too cluttered with the multi pin sight.

I ended up buying a Axcel Landslyde and found it really easy to get it dialed in. I’m really happy with the change and as others suggested, I’m going to do some shooting a bit under and over my dialed range and get familiar with my setup.

I think it’s also a matter of remembering to range, dial and draw when changing over from the multi pin, but that’s a matter of plenty of practise so it becomes a natural routine.

 

Well I look at it this way. People frequently state their max shot on a deer is 35-40 yards. With a 2 pin slider you could put it at 25 yards and that would put your second pin right around 33-36 yards depending on your fps. You would gap shoot with a fixed pin so really is no difference but have the ability to use exact yardages. All about practice and shooting off the 20 yard line.

 

I’m one of the guys who tried a single pin and hated it for hunting. I went back to a 5 pin fixed and that was perfect for hunting. Since I shoot at a club and enjoy long range shooting I bought a 3 pin slider, best of both worlds.

One thing I don’t see mentioned a ton in this debate is the difference between vertical pins and horizontal ones. I found that I dislike vertical pins because they cover up part of my target and I cannot see between the gaps. I greatly prefer horizontal pins as I can see between the gaps.

 

I’ve done 5 pin fixed sights, 3 pin sliders, single pin sliders and now a 2 pin slider. They all have pros and cons. You will get a lot of opinions on them all.

You will also likely want to try all the options because until you do, you will wonder if another option is better. In the end, you will realize like all of us that have tried, that they all have pros and cons, they can all work for hunting and you can train yourself to like or hate them all.

If you have buddies who have old sights, try to borrow them to experiment.

If not, buy a quality 3 or 5 pin slider. That way you can shoot it as a single pin, double pin, 3 pin or 5 pin fixed/slider. It will give you all the options. But make sure it’s quality, otherwise you will inevitably want to upgrade to a “better” one soon.

Just my two cents…

 

Welcome to AT from northern Illinois. Shot multi pins for many years, then switched to a single pin HHA about nine years ago and have suck with it ever since. All three of my Elites have them……..2014 Elite E35 HHA Optimizer Kingpin, and my 2021 Elite Enkore and Remedy both have HHA Tetras.

 

Man, this is something you'll have to experiment with by picking up a couple used sights here in the classified ads.

I shot single pins for a long time and it's a clean uncluttered housing, for sure. Some housings allow you to have the pin come out in 4 or more positions around the housing. I also shot a double stack. I liked them both BUT after a Elk hunt using my single pin I now shoot a 4 pin slider. I can now walk around the woods here out west and shoot 20-50 before sliding and if the target was 55 I'd just gap a high 50.

I've had a couple mental mistakes in practice but a simular mistake cost me a Elk, along with a couple more factors not bow related.

The trick with a multi pin fixed/slider is pin gapping. It can be pesky with a slower FPS bow but also pesky with narrower gaps.

Reps on the range and shooting 3D style should help imbed those gaps.

You almost have to talk to yourself when pin gapping..."Range is 47. Okay hold 50 under" or "gap 40-50" depending on how you've taught yourself.

Good luck on your quest to find and shoot what sight works for you and your hunting style.

 

Ranger in post 3 nailed it. If a deer is moving around and it’s relatively close, you’re probably not going to be adjusting your slider much. If you’re at full draw, you can’t adjust your slider without letting down which is a lot of motion. You are going to need to use judgment on where to hold your pin. Doesn’t matter if you have 1 pin or 3. Personally, I like a single pin set at 30 yards. I know my holdovers/unders from 5 to 40 yards with my sight set to 30.

 

I used a few different single pins. I wouldn’t use one that didn’t have a second point. 20/30 pin or similar.
That said I went with a multi pin. If you tree stand hunt/ ground blind hunt you need at 2nd pin minimum.

 

It comes down to personal preference. You'll have to shoot both yourself to get a better understanding of what you like.
I like a single pin. Multi is too much clutter for me. Especially in low light. I like the full view of my target. I won't hunt beyond 30yds. I'll range my surroundings when I'm in my tree so I have a good idea where to keep my pin. And it isn't that difficult to move the pin if I need to.
But that's just me. You may be different. Good luck!

 

I definitely agree that it feels cluttered. I’m going to look into getting a single pin sight soon.

 

Garmin A1i ..you can have Both ..single pin or fixed pins at the push of a button ..

 

I don't like looking through a picket fence, can't tell you how many people have told me they have shot the wrong pin and missed a deer. I shoot a single (HHA Kingpin) and keep it on 26. I shoot the same sight for 3D all year long. I know how high to aim for 30, 35, 20 without moving the pin. You will probably have to split pins with a 4 or 5 pin also. I really don't shoot over 30 yards (Tennessee tree stand) If I want to shoot 50 it only takes a second to move a pin. If the deer is moving at 50, I really don't want to take that shot.

 

can't tell you how many people have told me they have shot the wrong pin and missed a deer.

Probably about the same that forgot to move their pin if it's movable. Also I think a lot of times people say that rather than they just screwed up. It's the better excuse than I misjudged the deer by 10 yards..............lol

 

Bow speed, distance you hunt, hold off's vs gapping pins, old eyes vs new (lol) you tell us? Choose the best for you.

 

5 Pin .019 pin and be done with it.

The only reason I shoot a 5 pin is so I can practice at longer ranges. I never shoot past 40.

 

5 Pin .019 pin and be done with it.

The only reason I shoot a 5 pin is so I can practice at longer ranges. I never shoot past 40.

That's what I always did as well. I like being able to shoot at longer ranges without moving pins or holding off too much etc. That said this year I have Frankenstein'd up a one pin that's real light, simple and has a really large fiber for my aging eyes because that's becoming an issue more every year. I'm good out to 30 with my setup but I'll miss shooting BH's at 40 & 50......and just the longer practice.

I'm thinking about adding another and possibly taking it out when season starts and the long-range practice is over......or leaving it in. There are always compromises IMHO there is no perfect system out there that does it all. You have to just pick what works best for you.

 

I think the main thing you need to think of is distances and speed. Figure out how far you're going to hunt, and how much time you'll have to shoot. That will give you your answer.

 

I love my vertical double. For me it’s all about versatility and sight picture.

 

Several years ago I faced the same dilemma. I decided to test out a slider and haven’t looked back. The sight picture is just so much better when leveling that pin on a deer, or target for that matter. Typically speaking I set my sight to 25 yards when I’m hunting and I hold a little low or high for an average bow shot. If the deer is pushing the limits I always have time to range and adjust the pin. But I won’t always take the shot. I need a calm enough deer, calm enough winds, and a great shot Angle. If I feel the deer is coming closer I wait. If they are gonna walk out of your life then I might just let them walk.

 

I cringe when I see "hunters" on TV messing with their sight pin in the heat of the moment. I couldn't handle that. lol

 

I cringe when I see "hunters" on TV, Youtube or internet miss....and then claim they "used the wrong pin" in the heat of the moment.

 

im a fan of 3 pin sights, 5 pins are too distracting and single pins require too much movement if you need to adjust