Xero Questions: Q&A with Garmin Product Manager Chad VanCamp

I own a pro shop, and I like to help customers get aligned. How do I do that?

Every archer is different, and different face or grip pressure can make the reticle appear differently to different people. To get them most of the way there, look through their peep and get the sight “rough” dialed until the pin is floating around the reticle circle. Then, help the customer fine-tune the reticle/ranging pin alignment from there.

What’s the easiest way to align the pin to the reticle?

When you move the sight on the curved rails, you are actually rotating the sight around the ranging pin, so the green reticle is actually what is moving. My advice is to move the sight on the rail in the same direction you want the pin to go. So, if the ranging pin is down and left of the green circle (insert graphic here), you want the pin to move right and up … so move the pin slight slightly up and slightly right.

My reticle and ranging pin alignment keeps changing. Why?

The reticle is not moving. Your form or grip pressure is changing. This occurred with your previous archery sight, but you never knew it. This product will make you a better archer because of that feature.

My indoor range only goes out to 20 yards. How do I complete a setup and then add pins later?

Your first pin needs to be at least 15 yards, but the next two pins needed to complete the setup must be a longer distance. So, you could set up 15, 16, and 19 to complete the setup. Then you can add pins later. Please note the sight will not give you a pin beyond your max calibrated range.

Why should I set up fixed pins?

You should set up fixed pins to ensure your pin gaps look correct because in a split-second shooting situation you may not have time to range the target. A quick tap of the trigger button will toggle between your fixed pins or your last ranged pins. When the pins time out, you can turn them back to where they last were with a quick tap of the trigger. You can also alternate between single pin and fixed pins with a tap of the “back” key.

The brush is too thick to get a range, but I know the target is 46 yards. What do I do?

Press and hold left or right, and it will take you into manual mode. In this mode you can dial up whatever ranged pin you want. Press “OK” when done. (If hunting at steep angles, you’ll want to dial up the horizontal distance, NOT the line of sight distance.)

When I carry my bow, I hold it by the trigger. How can I disable the trigger while stalking?

Power down the sight and select “Yes” when it asks you to go into stalk mode. This will deactivate the trigger key until you quickly press ANY key on the sight housing.

Battery life on the Xero … what do I need to know?

Ranging is what draws the majority of power. The LED pins require very little power, and the display draws very little power as well. You will get more than a season of shooting and hunting on 2 AAA lithium batteries. If the batteries get too low to range, the sight will let you know. In that case replace the batteries immediately. But if you can’t change batteries right away, you will still have plenty of power to use fixed pins or manual single pins.