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Dovetail versus integrated sight mounts

A standard dovetail sight bolts to the side of the riser, while integrated mounts build the dovetail or rail into the riser itself.

The standard dovetail mount

The long-standing way to mount a sight is a dovetail bar clamped to a block on the side of the riser, often through a two-hole or Berger-pattern fixing. The dovetail lets you slide the sight in and out to set the distance from the riser, which affects your peep alignment and sight picture.

This side-mount dovetail is common across brands and is why many sights are broadly compatible with many risers.

Integrated mounts

Integrated systems build the mount into the riser. Mathews Bridge-Lock slides a dovetail sight bar into a channel in the top of the riser. Hoyt uses an in-line and picatinny-style integration on its risers. These aim to cut flex and part count for a more rigid, repeatable sight.

The gain is rigidity and a cleaner setup; the constraint is that the sight has to match the riser's specific integrated interface.

Compatibility and adapters

A standard dovetail sight fits a riser set up for a side dovetail. It does not drop into a Bridge-Lock channel or a Hoyt in-line mount without the right sight or an adapter. Equally, a Bridge-Lock sight needs a Bridge-Lock riser or an adapter to run elsewhere.

Adapters exist in both directions, so you can often keep a sight you like when you change bows, at the cost of adding a part to the mount.

Choosing a sight mount

If your riser is a standard dovetail bow, a conventional dovetail sight is the straightforward choice. If it has an integrated interface such as Bridge-Lock or a Hoyt in-line, look first at sights built for that system for the most solid mount.

Identify your riser's sight interface, then let the fit tool show the sights that match it directly.

Related

Sources: Mathews · Hoyt