Is Your Peep Height Correct?
Having your peep height set properly is paramount to achieving your best accuracy in the field. The importance of this tiny accessory is often overlooked, it is one of the least expensive accessories on your bow, yet plays one of the most important roles.
Problems with Peep Height
If your peep height is set too low, you will struggle to get the maximum distance that your bow is capable of shooting. We find this is often the case when a customer brings a bow in and they are only getting out to 70 or 80 yards before they run out of sight adjustment. Customers with similar arrow speeds can get out to 100 yards or more. Having your peep too low will seriously hinder the distance you can get out of your setup. Shorter archers will naturally have their peep lower than taller archers and that is perfectly fine, we just don’t want to hinder ourselves if we don’t have to.
Do I have a Consistent Anchor Point
If your anchor point is inconsistent you will be constantly changing your peep height or adjusting your head up or down to find your peep. Developing a shot process and ensuring you are anchoring the same way every time will ensure accuracy. There isn’t one perfect way to anchor that fits every archer, the main thing is to do the same thing EVERY TIME. However, I have found using the 2nd knuckle of my index finger under my ear, bringing the corner of the string to touch the corner of my mouth, touching the tip of my nose on the string and then looking through the peep and aligning it with the ring of my sight provides me a very consistent anchor. Facial structures will vary from person to person so the described method is a great starting point but it is certainly not a one size fits all.
How do I know it is right?
Once we have established a consistent anchor point, there is a test we like to perform to check peep height. We ask the customer to come to full draw, close their eyes and then get completely comfortable into their anchored shooting position. When they open their eyes, they should be looking through their peep sight without having to adjust their head up or down. We often don’t realize that we are picking our head way up, or hunching down to see through our peep, we want a nice natural head position and a clear sight picture through the peep.
Secure the Peep
Last but not least, we must make sure that after the proper peep height is found, it is secured into place and won’t slip or move on you in the field if it gets bumped. If your peep height moves, it will 100% change your point of impact. I have heard horror stories of peeps getting bumped in the field and the hunter ends up missing the animal of their dreams when the moment of truth came. We tie our peeps on the top and bottom and also secure around the center of the peep to ensure they don’t move. We recommend replacing your strings & cables every two years at a minimum to ensure your peeps aren’t rotating due to stretched out strings. Peep twist is the most common problem in archery and can be extremely irritating if you are on the wrong end of it, especially if you are already out in the field. We recommend America’s Best Bowstrings that come with a no twist warranty for 1 or 2 years depending on the series you go with.
Small but Mighty
The peep is small, but it plays a massive role in the shot process, ensure your peep height is set properly and you will improve your accuracy this off season. If you are in the Phoenix area we are happy to help you in person, please reach out if you have any other questions or comments regarding peeps. Good luck in the upcoming draws!