In August 2024, we published a blog post, Innovative Bowhunting with Tim Zelenka: The Adjustable Red Dot (ARD) Bow Sight. In the post, we mentioned that we’d purchase the system, try it, and report back. I’ve had an opportunity to use the system on my bow and want to share my experience. My perspective is based on bowhunting rather than competitive archery target shooting.
Weight: The system is lightweight; I didn’t feel a noticeable difference between my beloved Trophy Ridge React Pro 5-Pin (9.5 oz) and the ARD Ultradot Package (12.8 oz). For bowhunters, a lightweight system is crucial for maintaining balance and reducing fatigue while waiting for game to turn broadside and during long hunts.
Appearance: I like the appearance of the ARD System on my bow. The bracket and tube (length) are complementary, and the colors integrate nicely with the bow, giving it a modern and professional appearance.
Installation: Archery experts at my local range attached the system to my bow for me. This was a convenient option, but I should have taken the time to do it myself to familiarize myself with every aspect of the system. I recommend mounting it to the bow yourself, following the detailed instructions on the ARD website. The familiarity will be to your advantage when you’re at the range or in the woods and you want to make an adjustment.
Sighting In: After watching the ARD instructional video on sighting in, it was a breeze. After zeroing at 20 yards, out to 40 yards was a simple two-clicks at each 10-yard interval. At 40 yards, I made a fine-tune adjustment, and then it was another two clicks to get on target at 50 yards. I thought that my shot was off a few times, only to walk down range and find that my arrows were on target.
Shooting with the ARD: I used a 5-pin sight for years and during that time, I’ve shot with either one eye open or one eye fully open and the other partially open. It was an easy transition to shoot with both eyes open, as I placed the red dot on the target and then focused on the red dot in the sight. Ironically, after shooting with the ARD, I picked up another bow with a 5-pin sight and subconsciously began shooting with both eyes open, accurately! Shooting with both eyes open improves peripheral vision and depth perception, enhancing overall accuracy.
Accuracy: If you shoot accurately with a pin sight, you’ll shoot accurately with the ARD. In fact, I found that the ARD enhanced my ability to shoot efficiently by enabling me to get on target quicker and causing me to bring my anchor and body into alignment in order to see the red dot in the center of the glass. I used pistol targets (8x8”) to sight in, with the largest groups (2-3”) occurring at 50 yards. The ARD brightness levels (11 settings) are a useful feature. For example, when I was sighting in on the pistol target, it helped to be able to decrease the brightness level as the red dot was dominating the small red bullseye when on the brighter settings.
I still enjoy shooting with a peep and sight pins out of habit, but I really enjoy the ARD. The way it fits my bow and enhances my overall archery experience has me thinking about adding another red dot to one of my other bows. Kudos to Tim & the ARD Pro Staff for uploading great instructional videos on the site – great customer service! The last step is to hunt with the ARD System, but it has already proven to be a winner, and I will continue using it. I highly recommend it!
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To the Hunt!!!
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