Do You Follow the Arrow When Sighting In a Crossbow?

How Crossbow Scopes Differ from Open Bow Pins

Crossbow scopes and vertical bow pin sights work on two opposite concepts. When archers shoot compound bows with aiming pins (small glowing fiber dots mounted in a front sight guard), they adjust a physical object that they stare at while lining up through a string peep hole. If the arrow lands low, the archer slides that metal pin down. Lowering the pin forces the shooter to raise their hands and bow arm on the next shot, which brings the arrow back up to the bullseye. That physical process created the old archery rule to follow the arrow or chase the arrow with your sight pin.

Modern crossbows do not use open pins. Instead, you look through a glass optical scope. Inside that scope tube sits an etched aiming pattern with crosshair lines (the reticle). On the outside of the scope body are two adjustment knobs (turrets). One knob controls elevation (the up-and-down adjustment), while the other knob controls windage (the side-to-side adjustment). When you turn these knobs, you are not moving a physical pin that your eye tracks across a target face. You are moving mechanical internal lenses.

Scope makers design these dials for point of impact. The letters and arrows printed on the dial face tell you where you want your arrow to move, not where the crosshairs are shifting inside the tube. If your arrow strikes low, the dial tells you to turn toward UP to lift the arrow hole higher. If you try to follow the arrow as an archer does with a bow pin, you turn the scope knob down, sending your next arrow even deeper into the bottom of the target. To master your zeroing (setting the scope so the crosshair lines match where the arrow actually hits), you must forget the bow pin rule and let the scope dial move the arrow impact toward the bullseye.

Step-by-Step Directions to Dial In Your Crossbow Scope

Dialing in a crossbow scope takes only a few minutes when you turn each knob the right way. Keep your target at 20 yards, rest the crossbow securely, and follow these steps to move your arrow impact directly into the center.

1. Turn the top knob toward UP if your arrows hit low.

   Look at the arrow impact hole below the bullseye. Remove the dust cap from the top knob on your scope. Twist the dial in the direction marked UP. Turning toward UP lifts your future arrow strikes toward the horizontal center line.

2. Turn the top knob toward DOWN if your arrows hit high.

   Check the distance your arrow landed above the center dot. Rotate the top adjustment knob toward the direction labeled DOWN. Turning toward DOWN lowers the arrow impact so your next shot strikes closer to the middle.

3. Turn the side knob toward RIGHT if your arrows hit to the left.

   Locate the side-to-side knob on the right side of the scope tube. If your bolt enters the target to the left of the aiming point, turn this dial in the direction marked R or RIGHT. Moving this knob to the right steers the arrow impact toward the right side of the board.

4. Turn the side knob toward LEFT if your arrows hit to the right.

   Notice how far your arrow strikes to the right of your vertical crosshair. Twist the side-to-side knob in the direction labeled L or LEFT. Turning toward LEFT shifts the impact point back toward the center from the right.

5. Calculate your click count based on your shooting distance.

   Look at the fine print on your adjustment knobs to find the click measurement, which usually says 1/4 MOA or 1/2 MOA. Most hunting scopes use 1/4-inch adjustments at 100 yards, which means each click moves your arrow only 1/20 of an inch at 20 yards. You need roughly 20 clicks to move your arrow impact a single full inch at 20 yards. If your dial states 1/2-inch at 100 yards, you need 10 clicks to move the arrow one inch at 20 yards.

6. Shoot a three-arrow group before making further knob turns.

   Resist the urge to turn dials after a single shot. Aim at different bullseyes on the target to avoid splitting bolts, but maintain the exact same rest position and cheek weld. When three arrows group tightly together, measure that group against the bullseye and make your final dial adjustments with complete confidence.

Why Vertical Bow Shooters Get Confused by the Chase Rule

The habit of chasing the arrow runs deep among traditional and compound bowhunters. When an archer steps onto a target range with a vertical compound bow, the sight sits several inches out in front of the riser on a mounting bracket. That sight housing holds fixed multi-pin sights or a single aiming dot. The archer does not look through magnifying glass; they look directly at a colored bead floating over the target.

When an arrow strikes six inches low on a vertical bow, the shooter leaves their bow arm right where it was and moves the sight pin downward toward that arrow hole. On the next draw cycle, the shooter pulls the bowstring back to their anchor point on their cheek, looks through the string peep hole, and lines the lowered pin back up with the bullseye. Because the pin moved down, the archer must physically raise the bow riser to align the bead with the center dot. Raising the entire bow angle raises the launch trajectory, bringing the arrow up. The archer literally chased the arrow with the pin to fix the shot.

When that same hunter switches to a hunting crossbow with safe de-cocking features, muscle memory creates an instinct to push sight mechanisms toward the point of error. But an optical scope does not work by raising or lowering an external aiming bracket. The crosshairs remain centered in your visual sight picture while internal brass gears tilt the erector tube inside the scope housing. Scope dial labels exist to eliminate mental math for the shooter. The arrow printed on the knob points toward the direction you want the hole to travel on paper. Trying to chase the arrow on a scope dial reverses the entire mechanism, widening the gap between your crosshair and your impact point.

Common Crossbow Sighting Mistakes That Throw Off Your Group

Even when you turn adjustment knobs in the proper direction, mechanical errors can make arrows wander across the target. Review this checklist to ensure your setup stays steady while zeroing your optic.

• Resting the limbs or cams on hard shooting surfaces: Crossbow limbs flex with hundreds of pounds of pressure in a fraction of a second. If you rest the bow limbs, cams, or foot stirrup directly against a hard wooden bench or steel shooting rail, the recoil vibration kicks the bow off line during release. Rest only the synthetic forearm grip or bottom stock on soft shooting bags.
• Cocking the bowstring unevenly across the flight track: If you pull the bowstring back with a manual rope cocker and pull harder with one hand, the string center will sit slightly left or right of the trigger latch. That uneven tension sends arrows off to one side on release, mimicking wind drift. Mark the center of your bowstring serving with a silver permanent marker and confirm it locks squarely in the center of the latch every time.
• Tilting the crossbow sideways while aiming: Crosshair lines must remain level with the horizon. Tilting the crossbow, known as canting, causes arrows to impact low and in the direction of the lean. Pay close attention to a scope bubble level if your rail features one, or align the horizontal crosshair line flush with the flat edge of your target block.
• Tolerating loose scope mounting rings or base rails: Crossbows produce heavy forward and backward recoil that rattles loose hardware over time. Check the screws securing the scope base to the receiver rail, as well as the ring caps holding the scope tube. Loose rings allow the optic to slide inside the mounts under fire, destroying zero.
• Skipping arrow shaft checks between shots: High-speed crossbows drive carbon shafts deep into target blocks. Always perform a quick check by bending the arrow gently by hand to listen for cracking sounds before shooting it a second time. A cracked or fractured carbon shaft flexes unpredictably in flight, creating wild flyers that have nothing to do with your scope settings.

Locking In Your 20-Yard Zero Before Moving Back

Always complete your initial scope calibration at 20 yards. Starting at 30 or 40 yards leaves too much room for human aiming error, crosswinds, and lost arrows that completely miss the backstop. Twenty yards provides a clean, flat flight path that lets you see exactly how the scope dials respond to each click.

Sit at a sturdy bench and support both the front and rear of the crossbow stock on firm shooting rests or sandbags. Squeeze the trigger slowly without anticipating the recoil. Once your first arrow impacts the target, examine where it landed in relation to your aiming point. Shoot a second bolt to ensure your first release was not a flinch. When two or three arrows land within a tight circle, count your distance from the bullseye.

If your group sits two inches low and one inch to the right at 20 yards, adjust your top knob toward UP and your side-to-side knob toward LEFT. If your scope uses 1/4 MOA clicks, turn the top knob roughly 40 clicks toward UP and the side knob roughly 20 clicks toward LEFT. Fire a confirming arrow. Once your arrow splits the center dot at 20 yards, your baseline zero is locked.

If you shoot a crossbow package with an illuminated optic, the scope likely features multiple horizontal lines or dots stacked below the primary crosshair. These lower markers represent 30, 40, and 50-yard aiming references. Modern crossbow scopes often feature an arrow speed ring on the magnification collar. Once your primary 20-yard crosshair hits center, you simply turn that speed ring to match the advertised velocity of your bolt setup. That adjustment spreads the lower reticle lines to match arrow drop automatically as you step back to longer distances.

FAQs

Which way do I turn the scope knob if my arrow hits low?

Turn the top adjustment knob toward the direction marked UP. Crossbow scope dials indicate where the arrow impact point will move on the target. Turning toward UP raises the arrow impact so your next shot strikes closer to the center crosshair.

How many clicks does it take to move an arrow at 20 yards?

On a scope with 1/4 MOA dials, you need roughly 20 clicks to shift your arrow impact by one single inch at 20 yards. Scope adjustments are calibrated for 100 yards, where four clicks move an impact one inch. Because 20 yards is one-fifth of that distance, each click moves the impact point a much smaller amount.

What distance should I start at when sighting in a crossbow?

Always begin sighting in your crossbow at 20 yards. Starting at this closer distance prevents arrows from missing the target block entirely, saving you time and avoiding damaged equipment. Once your arrows hit dead center at 20 yards, you can step back to 30, 40, and 50 yards to dial in secondary crosshairs.

Why are my arrows grouping tightly but in the wrong spot?

A tight group away from the bullseye simply means your shooting technique and bow components are consistent, but the scope dials need adjustment. Measure the distance from your arrow group to the bullseye, calculate the required clicks, and adjust the elevation and side-to-side knobs to steer that cluster directly into the center.