Arrow Drop, Sight Pin Gaps & Yardage Tape
A simplified (no-drag) projectile-drop estimate — the standard simple approach most free arrow-drop calculators use.
How this works
This is the same simplified physics used by most free online arrow-drop calculators: it treats the arrow as traveling at constant forward speed while gravity pulls it down, ignoring the actual air drag that slows a real arrow in flight. It's a reasonable approximation at bow-hunting ranges because arrows don't slow down as dramatically as bullets do over 20-40 yards.
Building your own yardage tape
Each pin gap is reported relative to your top (closest-range) zero pin, in inches below where that top pin is aimed — which is exactly the information needed to set additional sight pins or build a paper yardage tape for a single-pin slider sight. Because this ignores drag, always confirm actual pin settings by shooting groups at each real distance rather than trusting the math alone past typical hunting range.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this past 40 yards?
Less accurate the farther you go — this uses a simplified no-drag model that tracks real arrow flight closely at typical bow-hunting distances but increasingly underestimates drop at longer range, where real drag matters more.
Can I use this to set up a single-pin slider sight?
Yes — the pin-gap output at each yardage is exactly the information needed to mark a yardage tape for a slider sight, though you should always confirm the actual settings by shooting groups at each real distance.
Why does this ignore air drag?
It's the same simplified approach most free online arrow-drop calculators use — treating the arrow as constant-speed while gravity pulls it down — which is a close enough approximation at typical hunting ranges to be useful without needing a full drag model.
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