Free bowhunting tool
Bow Sight Tape Generator
A print-perfect sight tape for your slider, at true 1:1 with a scale-check ruler so it mounts dead accurate. True it from your own marks for a chronograph-free fit. And the part no other tape does: it shows how far your arrow stays lethal on every animal, mark by mark.
Measured, or estimate below
Total finished weight
Distance from your peep sight to the pins. Sets the tape scale.
No chronograph? Estimate speed from your bow
Prints an accurate tape straight from your speed. Shoot it, and if a far mark is off, switch to a marks method to true it to your exact arrow.
Your marks
Tape length 2.32" (59 mm). The exact-size PDF prints truest across printers; either way, check the 4" ruler.
| Yards | Tape pos | Speed | Energy | Enough for… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 0.00" | 271 | 73.6 | up to eland |
| 30 | 0.23" | 263 | 68.9 | up to eland |
| 40 | 0.47" | 254 | 64.5 | up to sable |
| 50 | 0.74" | 246 | 60.4 | up to gemsbok (oryx) |
| 60 | 1.01" | 238 | 56.5 | up to greater kudu |
| 70 | 1.31" | 230 | 52.9 | up to nyala |
| 80 | 1.63" | 223 | 49.6 | up to warthog |
| 90 | 1.96" | 215 | 46.4 | up to warthog |
| 100 | 2.32" | 208 | 43.4 | up to warthog |
How far you stay lethal
Retained kinetic energy vs the guideline for each animal, using your arrow.
A guideline built on the published bowhunting energy bands, not a rule. Shot placement and a sharp broadhead beat any number. Always confirm your zero and marks on paper before hunting.
This calculator is one tap away in the field, free, with your whole hunt.
It is built into the free hunter app, alongside everything you need on the hunt and after it. No app store, no cost, and it all works offline deep in the bush.
Step by step
How to get the most accurate sight tape
Five steps, in order. Get the first two right and the tape is close. Do the truing step and it matches your exact arrow.
- 1
Measure your sight radius
This is the single most important number and the one people guess wrong. It is the distance from your peep sight to your sight pins, measured along the aiming axis, not the length of the sight bar. It usually falls between 32 and 36 inches on a compound. Come to full draw (or hold the bow at full-draw geometry) and measure from the peep in the string straight to the centre of the pins. Get this within about half an inch: it stretches or squeezes the whole tape.
Pro tip. Too short bunches the marks and you shoot low far out. Too long spreads them and you shoot high.
- 2
Get a real arrow speed
The tape needs your arrow's launch speed in feet per second. A chronograph reading of your finished hunting arrow is best. No chronograph? Use the IBO estimate built into the tool: enter your bow's IBO rating, draw weight, draw length and arrow weight and it gives a sensible starting speed. Treat an estimate as a starting point, then true it in the next step.
Pro tip. Shoot your actual hunting arrow, broadhead weight and all, not a bare shaft. Speed changes with total arrow weight.
- 3
True it from your own marks (the accurate part)
Every arrow's drag is a little different, so a tape built from specs alone can drift at distance. Instead, sight in dead-on at two or three distances, then measure where the pin actually sits on the sight bar for each one and enter those. The tool solves your arrow's real speed and drag from your marks, the same truing method top ballistics software uses. Three marks let it find your true speed with no chronograph at all.
Pro tip. Spread your marks out, for example 20, 40 and 60 yards. Marks that are close together tell the solver less.
- 4
Print at 100% and check the ruler
A sight tape is only correct at true 1:1 size, because every mark is a real physical distance. In your print dialog set scale to 100% or 'actual size' and turn OFF 'fit to page' and 'shrink to fit'. The printout carries a scale-check ruler: measure it with a real ruler and it must read exactly 4.00 inches. If it does not, the printer rescaled the page, so fix the setting and reprint.
Pro tip. Printer drivers love to shrink by default. Always trust the 4 inch ruler over what the dialog claims.
- 5
Mount it straight and confirm on paper
Cut the tape and fit it to your sight bar so a known mark lines up with your indicator at the distance you sighted in. Keep it square to the bar so it does not read progressively off as you dial. Then shoot it: confirm at least your near, middle and far marks on a paper target before you take it hunting.
Pro tip. Dial each yardage and shoot one arrow. If a far mark is off, re-true with that mark rather than nudging the whole tape.
Put this on your site
Run a bowhunting blog, club or shop? Drop the sight tape generator into any page, free. Just keep the credit link.
<iframe src="https://www.huntdesk.co.za/tools/sight-tape-calculator/embed" title="Bow Sight Tape Generator" width="100%" height="820" style="border:0;max-width:520px" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<script>window.addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e.origin==="https://www.huntdesk.co.za"&&e.data&&e.data.type==="hd-arrow-height"){var f=document.querySelector('iframe[src="https://www.huntdesk.co.za/tools/sight-tape-calculator/embed"]');if(f){f.style.height=e.data.height+"px";}}});</script>Frequently asked questions
How does a bow sight tape work?
A sight tape is a printed strip on a moveable (slider) bow sight. Because an arrow drops more the further it flies, the yardage marks are not evenly spaced. The tape places each yardage at the exact position the pin must sit to hit at that distance, so you dial the number and aim dead-on.
Why does the tape have to be printed at 100%?
A sight tape is only accurate if it is printed at true 1:1 size, because the mark positions are real physical distances. Always print at 100% (or 'actual size') and turn off 'fit to page' or 'shrink to fit'. This tool prints a scale-check ruler so you can measure it: if the ruler is not exactly 4 inches, your printer rescaled it, reprint at 100%.
What do I need to make an accurate sight tape?
Three things: your arrow's launch speed in fps (a chronograph is best, or estimate it from your bow's IBO rating), your total arrow weight in grains, and your sight radius (the distance from your peep to the pin). The sight radius is what sets the scale, so measure it carefully.
How do I make it exact for my bow without a chronograph?
Use the marks method. Sight in at three distances, measure where the pin sits on the tape for each, and enter them. The tool solves your arrow's true speed and drag from those marks, no chronograph needed, the same 'truing' approach used by top ballistics software.
Is my bow enough for elk, kudu or buffalo?
This tool shows the answer on every mark. It works out the kinetic energy your arrow still carries at each distance and compares it to the guideline for each animal, so you see exactly how far your setup stays lethal, from whitetail out to the biggest game. Shot placement and a sharp broadhead still matter most.