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I have a PSE Team Fitzgerald bow (yeah, its old) with Cobra Sidewinder sights. Started practicing about 2 weeks ago (and not every day). Twice ive had to adjust the sights to the left or right. It will shoot fine, then a few days later, its shooting to one side or the other. My groups are tight, so i dont think its me. I'll adjust the sight and i'll hit bullseye once again. I tried to move the sight by hand, and it wont budge. It dont appear to be moving. Everything is tight. I dont want to place a bad shot on a deer because it was shooting fine one day and suddenly its off without me knowing it. Any suggestions before i tie a rope around it and drag it behind my truck ??
 
hard to say but could be your rest moving or your anchor point not being consistent. I would start there but if you have already determined that is not a possible cause then im sure someone else on here and add some suggestions.
 
also does your sight have marks on it to show what you have it set to? if not i would put a line on where you have it now just to confirm it is not moving. If you have a line drawn and the next time you shoot it is off you will atleast be able to 100% know its not the sight.
 
REN is on the money.

Start by eliminating variables.
Use a sharpie marker or some liquid paper correction fluid to mark your site and rest. You can also use a regular mailing label. Take a ruler and a sharp pencil or fine point pen and make marks every 1 mm. Then trim the label down to size and stick it on your bow so you can see how much adjustment or movement you are getting.

Once you eliminate your site or rest moving, then check your nock point. Make sure that isn't moving. Then move on to your peep/kisser button.

If NOTHING is moving and you are confident in your form,(dead on consistent anchor point, no torque, etc..) its possible that your bow is out of tune.

Go online and find the spec's for your bow and measure your Axle to axle and brace height. If everything else checked out, it is likely a cable or string adjustment is needed.
 
Exactly has previously stated is the best, and most logical place to start. It is a good idea after you get everything set, to use white-out and mark places that move so if your out in the field and notice something has moved, you know how much to move it back.
 
Assuming everything is okay with your sight and bow tune . Make sure you are maintaining correct form by keeping the bow level , centering the sight housing in the peep , and keeping a solid anchor . Sometimes an inconsistent anchor will produce left and right grouping , and not having much practice time may be a contributor to this inconsistency .
We all get rusty with our form . Don't be too quick to adjust your sights. Go out the next day and see if it stays the same before making adjustments . Usually if it goes back the other direction the next day , it's your form .
 
This problem is often a problem with your anchor. You have not been shooting regularly, so your anchor is moving into and away from your face. A slight change will make a significant difference in the arrow impact.

Try to find 3 or 4 ways to verify your anchor. If you shoot a kisser make sure it is hitting the same place, have your string just touch the tip of your nose (don't pull to the side of your nose, but just touch the tip), align the hole in the peep with the ring on your sight, or some reference on the sight(if your sight is rectangular), and make sure the string bisects the arrow at full draw (i.e., The string will be out of focus but make sure it is running straight down your arrow shaft all the way to the point of the arrow). These tips can help you to reach that perfect anchor each time.

And make sure you draw the bow to you and DO NOT EVER draw yourself to the bow. What I mean is stand facing your target, relax, As you draw the bow back do not move your head back or forward, do not lean into or away from the target, do not raise the bow over your head to draw or point it towards the west if you are facing North (right hand) to draw back. Draw straight back and do not move or contort your body to draw. These types of contortions will draw you out of alignment and cause you to have to hunt for body center. If you can't draw your bow straight back without the contortions you are pulling too much weight. Drop it 5-10lbs. You will be surprised how quickly the weight can come to you if you are drawing properly.

If you use some other reference, that is fine, just find a reference and make sure you use it the same EVERY time.
 
I would think twice about storing a bow long-term in a case�even inside your house. A case can have a higher moisture content because moisture becomes imbedded in the foam and protective padding, and this can lead to premature string damage/weakness and rusting of vital parts of the bow. It is best to store your bow inside the house where humidity and temperatures are constant and only use the case for transport.
 
TNDeerGuy said:
I would think twice about storing a bow long-term in a case�even inside your house. A case can have a higher moisture content because moisture becomes imbedded in the foam and protective padding, and this can lead to premature string damage/weakness and rusting of vital parts of the bow. It is best to store your bow inside the house where humidity and temperatures are constant and only use the case for transport.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I keep my bow inside but not in the garage nor a bow case. I wipe my entire bow down with a Hoppes Silicone Gun Cloth frequently after shooting. This prevents corrosion on screws and keeps everything looking new.
 
fishboy1 said:
So did you figure it out?

What was the issue?
Click to expand...

Not yet. I had to drive to Indiana. Im on the way back now. I will start going down the list tomo. Archery season is approaching with the quickness ! I WILL be ready opening day.
 
Ok. So i began shooting today. All arrows went consistently right, just a couple inches. So i adjusted the sights and marked it this time to see if anything moves. Shot again and was dead on usually. One problem i seem to have is with form. I anticipate the release and find myself jerking the bow one way or another.

But another question. One thing i dont understand about my sighting system. The windage scale is so far to the right, that it only takes up half of the space of the clamp that holds it in place. In other words, if i moved it a little more to the right, there would be no more windage bar. My sight housing would fall off. Common sense tells me something is jacked up. I know i should have room on both sides of the clamp to adjust left or right. Its always been that way though.
 

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