Sight Tape Calculation for Outdoor Recurve Archery

A sight tape is a calibrated scale attached to your bow sight that tells you exactly where to set your aperture for every distance you shoot. For recurve outdoor archers competing at multiple distances — 18m through 90m — a sight tape is not optional equipment. It is essential. Here's how to create one correctly.

Why You Need a Sight Tape

Without a sight tape, you rely on memorizing specific sight numbers for each distance. This is unreliable, slow to adjust in the field, and leaves you guessing at unspecified distances (critical in field archery). A sight tape gives you a visual scale on the sight bar where each distance has a marked, pre-tested position. Moving between distances takes 2 seconds instead of 30.

Method 1: Shoot-In Method (Most Accurate)

1. Shoot at 18m, record your sight position on the scale
2. Shoot at 30m, record the position
3. Repeat at 40, 50, 60, 70m (and 90m for full WA outdoor rounds)
4. Plot your recorded positions on graph paper or a sight tape template
5. Fill in intermediate distances by interpolation
6. Print or hand-write the tape, apply to the sight bar

The shoot-in method is highly accurate because it uses your actual setup (your specific bow, arrows, point weight, and draw length) rather than a mathematical model.

Method 2: Calculator Method (Faster Start)

Online sight tape calculators allow you to input two data points (your sight positions at two known distances) and mathematically calculate the complete tape curve based on ballistic physics. Popular tools include the Arrowinsight calculator and those embedded in apps like Artemis or iSight.

This method is faster but slightly less accurate than the shoot-in method, because it applies ballistic assumptions that may not perfectly match your specific arrow setup. Always verify with live shooting at multiple distances before relying on a calculator tape in competition.

Key Variables Affecting Your Tape

• Draw weight and draw length — affect arrow speed, which determines scale spread
• Arrow weight per inch and total weight — heavier arrows drop faster (steeper tape curve)
• Point weight — changes the arrow's front-of-center balance and trajectory
• Sight radius — different sight models have different visible scales

If you change any of these variables significantly, your tape becomes invalid and must be recalculated.

Competition Day Use

When the range officer announces the distance, locate it on your tape, set your sight, verify it's aligned on the marked position, and proceed. In changing conditions (temperature change, arrows shot outdoors in cold vs. warm weather — cold slows arrow speed!), maintain a mental note that your tape may shift by a fraction of a ring. This is where competition experience and a well-documented logbook become invaluable.