How to Install and Align a Peep Sight

Tools and supplies

Tools

• Bow press (often needed to open the string safely)
• Allen wrench set (for the rest/sight if you bare-draw to check)
• Scissors or a serving tool

Supplies

• Serving thread (to serve/tie the peep in)

Steps

1. Find the rough peep height first

   Come to full draw at your normal anchor with your eyes closed (have a helper spot you safely, arrow on a target or in a safe direction), then open your eyes. Note where your line of sight crosses the string — that spot is roughly where the peep needs to sit so it lands in front of your eye every draw.

2. Open the string and separate the strands

   A peep installs between the string's strands at that height. Many bows need a bow press to relax the string so you can split the strands evenly without damaging them; do not force a tight string apart. Divide the strands into two equal groups and seat the peep between them so the aperture faces front-to-back.

3. Place the peep at eye/anchor height

   Position the peep at the rough height you found, with the same number of strands on each side so it sits centered and square in the string. Slide it up or down a little if needed; small height changes have a large effect on where the peep lands at full draw.

4. Check alignment with the eyes-closed-then-open method

   Draw to your natural anchor with your eyes closed, settle, then open your eye. The peep should be sitting centered right in front of your pupil, letting you see the front sight cleanly. If you have to move your head, push your nose into the string differently, or change your anchor to see through it, the peep needs adjusting — your anchor stays fixed, the peep moves to you.

5. Adjust height and rotation until it lines up every draw

   Fine-tune by moving the peep up or down a few strands for height, and by adjusting how the strands cross or how the peep is served so it rotates to face you squarely at full draw. Repeat the eyes-closed-then-open check several times until the peep settles centered and facing forward on every single draw, with no head movement.

6. Serve or tie the peep in securely, above and below

   Once it lines up consistently, lock it in place with serving thread or tie-in knots both above and below the peep so it cannot slide or rotate. Tie it securely on both sides; a peep that creeps even slightly will throw your aim off and is a safety concern if it can pull free.

7. Shoot it in, then confirm with a coach

   Shoot a few ends and recheck that the peep still centers and the serving holds. Because opening the string, peep rotation, and final serving can be tricky, have a coach or pro shop confirm the install and height — and do the press-and-strand work for you if you do not have a bow press or are unsure.

What a peep is and what “aligned” means

A peep sight is a small ring set between the strands of a compound bow’s string at eye level. At full draw you look through the peep at your front sight, so it works like a rear sight and gives you a repeatable aiming reference. “Aligned” means the peep sits centered right in front of your eye every time you reach anchor, with no head movement — so you see the front sight cleanly without hunting for it.

The guiding principle for the whole job: your anchor stays fixed, and the peep is moved to your eye — never the other way around. If you find yourself shifting your head to see through the peep, the peep is in the wrong place.

Finding the height and installing it

Start by finding the rough height. Come to full draw at your normal anchor with your eyes closed (have a helper spot you, arrow pointed at a target or a safe direction), settle, then open your eyes and see where your line of sight crosses the string. That crossing point is roughly where the peep belongs.

To install it, the string strands are separated and the peep is seated between them at that height. A bow press is often needed to relax the string so you can split the strands evenly without damaging them — do not force a tight string apart. Divide the strands into two equal groups so the peep sits centered and square, with the aperture facing front-to-back, and slide it to your rough height. Small height changes have an outsized effect on where the peep lands at full draw, so expect to fine-tune by only a few strands at a time.

Aligning it: the eyes-closed-then-open method

This is the reliable way to dial alignment. Draw to your natural anchor with your eyes closed, settle into the shot, then open your eye. The peep should be sitting centered directly in front of your pupil, framing the front sight. Because your eyes were closed, you did not subconsciously steer your head to find the peep — so you get an honest read of where it actually sits at your true anchor.

If it is off, adjust the peep, not your form:

• Height — move the peep up or down a few strands so it lands in front of your eye.
• Rotation — change how the strands cross, or how the peep is served, so the aperture faces you squarely instead of turned at an angle.

Repeat the eyes-closed-then-open check several times. You want the peep to settle centered and facing forward on every draw, with no head movement, before you make anything permanent.

Lock it in and confirm with a coach

Once the peep lines up consistently, secure it with serving thread or tie-in knots both above and below so it cannot slide or rotate. Tie it firmly on both sides — a peep that creeps even slightly will shift your aim, and one that can pull free is a safety concern. Then shoot a few ends and recheck that it still centers and the serving holds.

Opening the string, getting peep rotation right, and finishing the serving can be fiddly, and the press work has to be done safely. If you do not have a bow press, or you are at all unsure, have a coach or pro shop press the bow, place the peep, and confirm the height and alignment for you. Getting this right once, with help, beats fighting a peep that never quite settles.