Wild Pursuits - Texas Hunting Adventures recently spoke with Tim Zelenka, owner of ARD, about his innovative red dot sight system for bowhunting. Tim explained that while bowhunting with a red dot sight isn’t new—he’s been doing it for 30 years—he made a significant advancement in 2020. He developed an adjustable mount for the red dot sight, addressing the limitations of previous systems that were fixed in one position and sighted to a single distance. Unlike its predecessors, the ARD system fits on any bow, offering greater versatility and precision.
How it Works: The red dot sight functions similarly to how it would on a pistol. You aim, focus the red dot, and release your arrow. The red dot sight is secured within sight rings that are attached to the adjustable mount. This mount is then affixed to the bow with a base. The mount moves on an arc, allowing the red dot to be aligned with your eye at any distance by simply turning a knob.
Magnification for Longer Distance: Tim mentioned that red dot sights are not magnified, only scopes are made with magnification. However, there is a company called Optix 300 that makes a magnifier lens compatible with the ARD system. For those who want to use magnification, Optix 300 lens ranging from 2x to 4x work well with archery without adding blurriness.
Shooting with the ARD: According to Tim, maintaining “good form” is crucial when shooting with an ARD Bow Sight. Proper form allows you to see the red dot. If you’re torquing the bow or your anchor is off, the red dot won’t be visible. Correcting your form to hold your head and bow straight will reveal the red dot in the center of the sight lens.
Benefits of the ARD Bow Sight:
Simplifies aiming to a single point—the red dot—eliminating the need to focus through a peep sight, to the sight pins, and the target... leading to faster target acquisition.
Aging eyes and far-sightedness: As we get older, it may be necessary to use reading glasses to see up close. With the ARD Bow Sight, you focus only on the target, this eliminates blurry pins.
Form and anchor point: Achieved by ARD, red dot technology forces the archer to keep everything (grip, head, anchor) aligned to make a good shot. The ARD system reinforces good form by providing instant feedback on form from the location of the red dot within the sight.
Distance adjustment: Turn the knob (18-adjustable clicks) to adjust for distance.
Enables shooting with both eyes open
Extends lowlight capabilities: Eleven different brightness settings and with the Matchdot II, there are six dot-size options, ranging from 2 MOA to 8 MOA dot (dot inside circle).
ARD Reviews: The ARD has received overwhelmingly positive feedback both on and off the website. Out of 25 reviews on the ARD website, only one person rated the ARD less than the top rating of 5. This reviewer gave a rating of 4, citing the lack of magnification as a factor that could have improved the product. Additionally, Tim shared that he’s received a lot of feedback about how the simplified aiming process has extended the archery and bowhunting experience for individuals with aging eyes and far-sightedness. Seniors are still happily able to participate in a sport they love—archery and bowhunting—with their grandchildren.
Many thanks to Tim Zelenka! We appreciate his time and knowledge about ARD Bow Sights. Like most bowhunters, we are always eager to discover advancements in the sport that will elevate our hunting adventures to the next level. We look forward to hunting with the ARD this season and sharing our experiences in another blog post.
If you’ve had the opportunity to hunt with ARD Bow Sight, we invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section. We look forward to reading about your experiences with this game-changing innovation. Also, we’re glad to share that ARD has a Military and First Responder Discount program. For more information on ARD, check out their website: ARD Bow Sights.
To receive updates on Wild Pursuits - Texas Hunting Adventures activities subscribe in the footer (below) and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
To the Hunt!!!
Comments