Sports

HHA Sports, Single Pin Sighting Systems; Optimizer Ultra Product Review

/ Steph Brown / Leave a comment

Optimizer UltraWhat sight is right for you? There are so many different sights on the market to choose from. Finding the right one can be challenging. Over the past few years I have tried several different sights. 3 pins to 5 pins and I always felt like there was something missing. Admittedly the 5 pin sight was the way to go for me. Additional yardage markers came in handy to really get dialed in. Setting each one up was always a task though. It never seemed like I could get my 5 pins to sight in high enough in the housing to utilize all of the pins though. Move the pins, move the pins and them move them some more. There had to be an easier way to get an accurate setting on my bow with half of the work involved in sighting in each individual pin. One thing I had noticed with the multi pin sights is that the different color pins seemed to be a bit distracting and certain colors were more visible than others. You can pay extra to have your pins all one color but with the money you put into a quality sight why should you pay more when you can just buy one that fits all of your needs? I had heard several people talk about different sights on the market including the one pin sights which intrigued me. That is what began my research on the one pin and how they worked. I was very hesitant about single pin sights because the thought of having only one pin honestly scared me. How does it work? How hard is it set up? How accurate can it be?

After months of messing with my newest 5 pin sight I was having frustrations and to top it off the lighting mechanism on mine had quit working for the second time and it wasn’t even hunting season yet! One week before season opener I made the crazy decision to take off my new sight and give this one pin sight a try. Lots of deliberation went into this and I landed on a sight that I had read great reviews about as well as had many other bow hunters tell me they were using with great success. I started asking around about the set up process each person I spoke with said it was a really simple process. That was to be determined. I honestly thought they were pulling my leg. It really cannot be that simple. So I took the plunge and went with the HHA Sports Optimizer Ultra. I couldn’t wait to get the package open and see how this sight worked. I started reading the directions on the set up and it truly seemed to simple. Mounting the sight on the bow was a breeze. Another thing I found super helpful was HHA’s website that is very user friendly and provides directions to all of their sights along with helpful hints. You have two options when sighting in your bow. Dial it in at 20 yards and 60 yards or 20 yards and 40 yards. For the most accurate settings dialing in at 60 yards is suggested but not necessary. When bow hunting I choose not to shoot past 35 yards in any setting so I went with the 20/40 yard set up.
Starting at close range I made sure my housing was where I needed it. Sighted in at 20 yards using the sight in tape that is preinstalled on the dial. The dial is located where you would normally move your pins up and down. Instead of moving pins and moving pins like I mentioned before you simply turn the dial with ease and the housing moves the pin up or down. Finally a sight that doesn’t require me to break out an Allen wrench every time I feel something is off. My problems might be solved here. Once I was sighted in at 20 yards and felt good about my placement and grouping I marked the sight in tape on the dial exactly where the dial marker was at during my final placement. Next was to move out to 40 yards. I started by doubling the count from where I was at since I was doubling my yardage. This proved to be pretty close to accurate but still took some minor adjusting. Once I had a good group going with my first few arrows I was in awe at just how accurate the sight was. 40 yards and I was slinging bulls on my first three arrows. Needless to say I was hooked immediately. Not only was this sight easy to set up but it was deadly accurate. Having only one pin to concentrate on during my shots gave me more confidence in my shooting ability. This new sight made me fall in love with my bow all over again. Well it was time to make this sight official and replace the sight in tape with the actual yardage tape. Once that was set in place I knew this sight was going to be game changer for me. When learning to judge distance my dad always told me to get settled in to wherever I would be sitting and sight in on everything I could within ethical shooting distances so I knew where I needed to be when it came time to make my shot. Keeping that in mind I knew this would be an easy adjustment and make bow hunting a lot less unnerving. Whether you are a bow hunter or not this sight is great for accuracy. With a quick turn of the dial my bow is set to the exact yardage I need and now all I have to do is aim and take a slow deep breath, exhale and let my arrows fly.
If you have been in the market for a new sight or maybe you are just considering trying something new I highly recommend checking out HHA Sports and see their full line of sights to find the one that is right for you.

Tips For Purchasing A New Compound Bow

/ Steph Brown / 1 Comment

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Recently I decided to upgrade my compound bow after nearly a year of going back and forth on what I should get. The best advice I can give you is to go to a professional. There are a lot of people who can provide you with information regarding archery but you need a knowledgeable professional to make sure that you make the right purchase.

Check out your local archery shop. Have them fit you for a bow so you know exactly what you need. Find out about the latest equipment on the market. Make an informed decision because this is a big purchase. Another thing to consider is how serious you are about the sport. Bows can range from $200 to $2000 or more depending on what you add or change out on your rig. You can upgrade almost any aspect of your bow. Are you wanting to get into the sport of archery or primarily going to use the bow for hunting? These are all deciding factors on what bow might be right for you.

Personally I went with the Hoyt Charger Vixcen because I fell in love with it. I loved everything about the bow from the way it felt in my hand to the way it looked. This bow just met my needs for bow hunting with its speed, accuracy and quietness. In my case I changed out the stabilizer, sight and hand sling right from the get go. More upgrades to come too!

I found a trusted professional that I go to for all of my archery needs. They set up everything on my bow all the way down to fitting me for the proper arrows. Safety can never be overlooked and having a professional on your side is always in your favor.

Bow pictured: 2014 Hoyt Charger Vixcen

Venison Crock Pot Recipe

/ Steph Brown / 3 Comments

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Preparation of your bounty and ensuring that your game was field dressed and processed properly and promptly is essential for great tasting Venison.

Crock Pot Venison

What you will need:

  • Any sized Crock-pot based on the size portion you will be cooking for.
  • Venison Chops or Roast
  • Vegetables (Small bag of red potatoes, small bag of carrots, 1 package of baby portabella or white mushrooms.  You can use whatever vegetables you prefer.  Mix it up a bit.  Try using celery and your favorite peppers and onions.  Don’t go overboard on ingredients unless you are using a large slow cooker.
  • 1- 2 cups Beef broth and/or Cream of Mushroom soup.
  • Lots and lots of spices! (Mediterranean sea salt, cracked pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, fresh garlic cloves and steak seasoning or any of your personal favorites)

Preparation:

  • Cube Venison Chops or Roast (place in slow cooker)
  • Chop vegetables and mushrooms into bite sized pieces and toss them in with the Venison
  • Season meat and vegetables generously.  Always important not to salt too much but don’t be afraid to use seasonings that are not high in salt content.
  • Pour beef broth and/or cream of mushroom soup over the meat and seasonings.  Stir the contents of the crock pot really well.  You may only need 1-2 cups of broth or 1-2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup depending on how many servings you are making.  (Remember this is not a soup recipe so don’t over do the liquid to meat/vegetable ratio.)

Once all of your ingredients are in and stirred, place the lid on your Crock-pot and turn on High for 4-5 hours depending on how well done you prefer your meats to be cooked.