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.jpg "Image") ProSlideTM From Toxonics Offers Range- Adjustable Precision
The problem with most range-adjustable sights being built today is they don't offer the same precision you can get in fixed-pin sights. Toxonics set out to change that with the new ProSlideTM, a gear-driven sight that can use from 1 to 5 Metal OpticTM Pins because the head of the sight is the same as the company uses in its fixed pin sights.
"Most range adjustable sights pivot on a round plastic bushing that slides up and down in a slot," President Scott Slates said. "Obviously there are only two points of contact there and it is very easy for the sight to develop slop as wear occurs at the tangents. The backlash that develops over time can throw your sight marks off by several yards. Because the mechanical advantage is different at the center of the adjustment range than it is at either end, even when new these sights don't have a uniform feel as you make the adjustments."
Toxonics has experience using gear drives in tournament sights, and decided that's what a range adjustable hunting sight needed to offer the precision today's archers want. They bought the equipment that cuts gear teeth into the front end of the adjustment arm, and into a matching adjustment block that rides on a Delrin plate. Delrin is an extremely hard, slick polymer often used for cam bushings, and in this case it forms a 3/4 inch wide, 2 inch tall plate that's keyed to ride in a slot. That huge, slick bearing surface, combined with the use of gears that give a constant mechanical advantage, provides the aptly-named ProSlide sights with a buttery-smooth action. The locking mechanism is at the junction of the slides, so it's easy to set the tension where you want it for quick adjustments or snug it down so there's no possibility of vibration at the shot.
.jpg "Image") "A lot of range adjustable sights look about as large as a mailbox when you get them mounted on a compact hunting bow," Slates said. "I wanted to design one with a gang adjust. That allowed us to make a very compact sight. You can move the arm to the bottom, use the gang adjust to set your pin, then the 1-3/4 inches of travel is more than most archers will ever need, even if they're practicing at 70 or 80 yards."
The prototype for this range adjustable sight used a simple round aperture and unshielded vertical fiber optic pin, which is how you'll find it pictured in the 2008 catalog. As Slates refined the design he decided to use the same "front end" as the company's proven Metal OpticTM sights, with their virtually unbreakable blade style steel pins. "We know there is a lot of interest in the market for multi-pin range adjustable sights, and the AR series really opens things up for the guys who want to shoot 3D, hunt out west, or just practice at long range so they can build their confidence and fine-tune arrow flight."
Toxonics will be stocking six different ProSlide AR sights this spring. The AR119 has a single .019 Metal OpticTM Pin coming in from the side. The AR129 has the larger .029 fiber protected in the groove of its correspondingly thicker metal blade. The AR319 has three of the finer pins; the AR329 has three of the brighter pins. Similarly the AR519 and AR529 designate five pin models.
"We do all the machining and assembly here in our new plant in Mineral Springs, so it's easy for us to accommodate custom orders," Slates explained. "In fact since we only charge a premium of $1 per pin to assemble a custom sight, we have many dealers and hunters asking for a special number of pins or a special arrangement of colors."
To contact Toxonics, go on-line to www.toxonics.com or call (573) 436-5130. You can also request a catalog by writing the firm at 10121 Business Park Drive, Mineral Point, MO 63385. |
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