My eyes aren't what they used to be. With rifles, I'm able to equalize my optical flaws with glass, and with handguns, I've embraced the red dot.
Archery was a different story. I thought I was going to have to shoot left-handed now since my eye dominance seemed to switch sides. Or so I thought before I walked into my local bow shop, Hoffman’s Archery, and asked for some help.
Farron Moss, the owner of Hoffmans, agreed - I could switch to being a left-handed shooter. It could be done, and in the long run, I’ll shoot better or ...
I could correct my vision with a verifier in my peep. I instantly aged another ten years when he told me this, until he did a quick poll in the bow shop to reveal that almost everyone there, from young to much older than I, used verifiers and even clarifiers to shoot better.
Men. We always think we’re the only ones with our problems. Farron grabbed a set of lenses, tested my vision until it was razor-sharp, then updated my peep sight.
Then, I drew my Mathews Lift RS, looked through my peep, and smiled while Aladdin’s “A Whole New World” played in my head.
It indeed was a whole new world.
According to P.J. Reilly, technical writer for Lancaster Archery Supply, using clarifiers and verifiers is far more common than many shooters realize.
“It’s very common for archers to install a clarifier or verifier in a peep sight,” Reilly explains. “Basically, everyone who uses a lens in their scope housing also uses a clarifier in their peep sight. It’s really the only way to clear up the view of the target.”
Clarifier vs. Verifier
Understanding the difference between these two lenses is key. I didn't, and P.J. set me straight.
A clarifier is used when a magnifying lens is installed in the sight housing. Target archers frequently use magnified scopes, and without a clarifier in the peep, the magnified image can appear blurry.
The clarifier corrects that image, allowing the shooter’s eye to properly focus on the target through the magnification.
A verifier, on the other hand, serves a different purpose.
“Using a verifier is common among older bowhunters and others who have trouble seeing their sight pins clearly when they are not using a lens in their scope housing,” Reilly says.
In simple terms:
- Clarifier: sharpens the target when a magnified scope lens is used
- Verifier: sharpens the sight pins when no scope lens is present
For many bowhunters whose eyesight has changed over time, a verifier can restore pin clarity without altering the rest of the setup.
Why Eyeglasses Don’t Always Solve the Problem
Many archers assume their prescription glasses will solve sight-picture issues. In reality, the situation can be more complicated.
“A person who wears eyeglasses all the time might not be able to get a clean sight picture with a clarifier while also wearing glasses,” Reilly explains. “Correcting vision through three pieces of glass can be difficult.”
Those three layers might include eyeglasses, a clarifier lens in the peep, and a magnified scope lens in the sight housing.
In some cases, archers actually see more clearly by shooting without their glasses when using a clarifier system.
Conversely, many eyeglass wearers benefit from verifiers.
“A verifier can bring the sight pins into focus when eyeglasses make them fuzzy while still keeping the target clear,” Reilly says.
The best choice depends heavily on the shooter’s eyesight and equipment.
Installation Is Simple
Despite their optical precision, clarifiers and verifiers are straightforward to use.
“They’re very simple to install and use,” Reilly says. “Only certain peep housings are designed to hold them, so you have to be sure you have one of those peeps.”
These systems allow archers to change lenses and apertures to fine-tune their sight picture.
Finding the Right Setup
Selecting the correct lens strength requires experimentation.
“You need to test the different lenses to see what will work for you,” Reilly says. “Every manufacturer offers them in different powers, think of the powers like eyeglass prescriptions.”
Peep aperture size also plays a role.
“It’s possible to clear up a slightly out-of-focus sight picture simply by changing the aperture size in your peep,” Reilly notes.
Often, the clearest sight picture comes from tuning both the lens power and the peep aperture together.
Seeing the Target Again
For me, discovering clarifiers and verifiers was a game-changer. These peep sight inserts didn’t just restore my confidence; they actually helped me shoot better and farther than I had in years.
Of course, as great as these things are, they’ve also eliminated one of my favorite excuses when I miss.
So, there's that ...
Jay Pinsky, Editor, The Hunting Wire & The Archery Wire