How to Aim a Bow Without Sights: Gaps, Point-On and the Method That Fits You
To aim a bow without sights, you use the arrow point itself as the sight. The common methods are gap shooting (hold the point a set distance under the spot, a gap that changes with range), string walking (keep the point on the spot and move your fingers down the string instead), split vision (aware of the arrow but focused on the spot) and instinctive shooting (no conscious reference at all). Gap shooting is the easiest to learn because you can measure it.
Every one of them starts from the same fact: your eye sits above the arrow, so at short range the point covers a spot below where the arrow will hit. At one distance, your point-on, the two line up. Your anchor and arrow speed set where that is.
- 32 / 43 / 69 ydmodeled point-on for a cheek, corner-of-mouth and under-chin anchor, same 40 lb bow and arrow
- 20–25 ydwhere the gap at the target is biggest for a corner-of-mouth anchor, about 29 in; it doesn't shrink steadily
- 10 gr/lbarrows at the same grains per pound fly the same speed from 30 to 50 lb in the model, so their gaps match
A 2011 TradTalk thread asking "What method of 'aiming' do you use?" opened with a line a lot of new barebow shooters would recognize: "Have been trying instinctive shooting and have been frustrated with the results." This page gives you something to measure instead: the gaps for your own bow, from the same trajectory model as my trajectory and sight-pin visualizer.
Enter your bow and anchor. It works out your point-on distance and a gap chart from 5 to 50 yards: how far under the spot to hold the arrow point, and what that gap looks like right at the arrow. Print it and correct it on the range.
What Are the Ways to Aim a Bow Without a Sight?
Five methods cover almost everyone. They differ in what you move as the distance changes: your aim, your fingers, your anchor, or nothing you think about.
| Method | What changes with distance | Learn it by | Fits hunting? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gap shooting | Where you hold the point, under or over the spot | Shooting each distance and noting the gap | Yes, inside your point-on |
| String walking | How far down the string your fingers sit | A crawl chart, one setting per distance | Awkward: a new distance means a new draw |
| Face walking | Where you anchor on your face | Marking anchors per distance | Rarely used |
| Split vision | Nothing deliberate; the gap is seen, not held | Gap shooting until it becomes peripheral | Yes |
| Instinctive | Nothing conscious; the brain judges the arc | High volume at varied, unknown distances | Yes, at short range |
String walking has its own calculator: the string-walking crawl calculator writes a starting crawl chart. The rest of this page is about gaps, because every other method rests on the same geometry.
How Does Gap Shooting Work?
You look down the arrow, so your eye is a few centimeters above the line it flies on. Close in, that puts the point of the arrow below the spot it will hit. Gap shooting means learning how far under the spot to hold at each distance. Here's how that gap behaves for one bow, modeled with three common anchors:
Notice the middle curve. The gap measured at the target doesn't shrink steadily as you back up: for a corner-of-mouth anchor it grows to about 29 in at 20 to 25 yards, then closes to zero near 43. That's why gap charts that simply say "less gap at longer range" confuse people at 15 yards.
What does shrink every step is the gap as you see it at the arrow point. Some archers call this gapping at the bow: the space between the point and the spot, measured right at the riser.
| Distance | Hold under the spot, at the target | Gap at the arrow point |
|---|---|---|
| 5 yd | 11 in under | 1.77 in |
| 10 yd | 20 in under | 1.57 in |
| 15 yd | 26 in under | 1.36 in |
| 20 yd | 29 in under | 1.14 in |
| 25 yd | 29 in under | 0.91 in |
| 30 yd | 26 in under | 0.67 in |
| 35 yd | 19 in under | 0.42 in |
| 40 yd | 8 in under | 0.16 in |
Same bow as the chart. Every number is in the gap and point-on data (CSV).
What Is Point-On Distance?
It's the distance where the gap is zero: put the point on the spot and the arrow hits it. Inside point-on you hold under; past it, over. Two things move it, and draw weight on its own isn't one of them.
| Bow and arrow | Speed | High cheek | Corner of mouth | Under the chin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 lb, 300 gr | 188 fps | 32 yd | 43 yd | 69 yd |
| 40 lb, 400 gr | 188 fps | 32 yd | 43 yd | 69 yd |
| 45 lb, 420 gr | 195 fps | 34 yd | 46 yd | 73 yd |
| 50 lb, 500 gr | 188 fps | 32 yd | 43 yd | 69 yd |
| 40 lb, 300 gr | 217 fps | 41 yd | 55 yd | 86 yd |
28 in draw, feathers, the site's trad-bow speed model (72% limb efficiency). Point-on rounded to the nearest yard.
The anchor is the big lever: dropping from the cheek to under the chin more than doubles point-on, because the eye sits farther above the arrow. The second is speed, which comes down to grains per pound. At 10 gr/lb, a 30, 40 or 50 lb bow all throw the arrow at the same speed in the model, so their gaps match. Drop the 40 lb bow to a 300 gr arrow and point-on moves out from about 43 to 55 yards. For hunting, many barebow shooters choose an anchor and arrow that put point-on near their longest shot, so every gap is a hold-under.
Is Instinctive Shooting Different From Gap Shooting?
Less than the names suggest. Split vision is gap shooting where the gap is seen at the edge of your focus instead of measured, and many instinctive shooters describe the arrow sitting in their peripheral vision. In the two TradTalk threads that asked directly, from 2011 and 2012, 28 of the 44 members described how they aim. Instinctive (19) and gap (18) came up almost equally, most named more than one method, and one 50-year bare bow hunter put it in a word: "Out to about 35yds I'm a "gap-stinctive" archer."
My read: learn your gaps first. They give you something to correct when a shot goes wrong, and with enough repetition the conscious gap fades into split vision on its own.
Which Eye Should You Aim With?
Your dominant eye, on the same side as your string hand, with both eyes open if you can. To check, point at a distant object with both eyes open, then close each eye in turn: the eye that keeps your finger on the object is your dominant eye. If it's on the other side from your string hand, closing or blocking that eye is a common workaround for barebow, because the gap is read from the eye over the arrow.
How Do You Practice Aiming Without Sights?
- Fix your anchor. One spot on your face, same finger placement, every shot. A moving anchor moves every gap.
- Start at 10 yards. Shoot until a group forms, then note where the point was relative to the spot. That's your 10-yard gap.
- Step back 5 yards at a time. Repeat until you find the distance where the point sits right on the spot: your point-on.
- Write the chart, or print the one from the Gap Chart Maker and correct it with your real numbers.
- Test at unknown distances. Walk a course or have someone set targets you haven't ranged. That's where gaps turn into judgment.
None of it works with an untuned bow or an inconsistent release; a bareshaft check with the bare shaft tune assistant comes first. The hand you draw with also sets where you can anchor, covered in thumb ring vs three-finger release.
Gap shooting, with a corner-of-mouth anchor and a printed gap chart. Shoot it at known distances until the gaps match the chart, then shoot unknown distances until you stop thinking about them. If you shoot target barebow and want more precision at set distances, add string walking. If you hunt, set your arrow and anchor so point-on sits near your longest shot.
Shoot a method I haven't covered well? Tell me through the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you aim a bow without sights?
Use the arrow point as your sight. With gap shooting you hold the point a set distance under the spot, a gap that changes with distance; with string walking you keep the point on the spot and move your fingers down the string; with split vision or instinctive shooting the gap is seen rather than measured. Gap shooting is the easiest to learn.
What is gap shooting in archery?
Holding the arrow point a measured distance below or above the spot so the arc of the arrow carries it to the target. The gap depends on your anchor, arrow speed and distance, and it reaches zero at your point-on distance.
What is point-on distance?
The distance where you put the arrow point directly on the spot and hit it. Inside it you hold under, beyond it over. In my model a 40 lb recurve with a 400 gr arrow has a point-on near 32 yd from a high cheek anchor, 43 yd from the corner of the mouth and 69 yd from under the chin.
How do you aim instinctively with a bow?
Focus hard on a small spot, draw to a fixed anchor and release without consciously placing the arrow point, letting practice judge the arc. Many instinctive archers say the arrow still sits in their peripheral vision, which is close to split vision. Learning your gaps first gives you something to correct when shots miss.
Does the gap get smaller as you move back?
As you see it at the arrow point, yes, every step. Measured at the target it doesn't: for a corner-of-mouth anchor and a 40 lb, 400 gr setup the gap grows to about 29 in at 20 to 25 yd, then closes to zero near 43 yd.
Should you aim with both eyes open?
If your dominant eye is on the same side as your string hand, yes; it keeps your posture natural. If it's on the other side, many barebow archers close or block that eye, because the gap is read from the eye over the arrow.
Is string walking better than gap shooting?
For target barebow at set distances, many archers find it more precise, because the point stays on the spot. For hunting it's awkward, since a new distance means a new finger position and a new draw. The string-walking crawl calculator writes a starting crawl chart.
Hey, what's up? Burak here. Archery addict, board game geek, Daft Punk fan.