Black Gold Sight Bases: Which is best for your build?

Black Gold offers a wide variety of mounting options for their bow sights. Determining which is best for your needs can be confusing. While a .5oz difference may mean nothing to one person, it may eliminate entirely an option for another. Luckily, great companies like Black Gold give us tons of options so that we may choose what is best for ourselves. This article outlines the advantages, disadvantages, and optimal situations for using each of their most popular mounts. Whether you are building a new sight or looking to upgrade the sight you already have, this guide should help you choose the best mounting option for your setup.

X-Frame

The X-Frame has come standard on most Black Gold Sights for years. Recently redesigned, it is a 3 position fixed mount with 3rd axis. If you want a solid fixed mount that you can mount easily to your bow, this is a great choice. Weight: 2.5oz Overall Length: 4.5” Mounting Positions: 3 3rd Axis Adjustable: Yes

ML3

The ML3 was released on the Mountain Lite sight late last year. It forgoes length and mounting positions in favor of ultra light weight. At just 1.8oz it is the absolute lightest option available but that’s not the only reason to choose it. This almost stubby base forces you to mount your sight housing close to your riser. Though technically less accurate, this setup helps mitigate pin shake at full draw. The further your pins are from your peep the more precision you have but it will also amplify any movement in your pins. I don’t know about you, but I left all fantasies of being an ice in the veins stone-cold killer behind me. I getexcited with an animal in my sights! Excitement can cause increased pin shake so this short base may be a better choice for a hunting focused bow setup. Weight: 1.8oz Overall Length: 3” Mounting Positions: 2 3rd Axis Adjustable: Yes

4" and 6" Dovetail

We included the 4” dovetail on our S&S Built sights for good reason. It offers 10 mounting positions which allows you to get an absolutely perfect peep alignment. They are built to be abused. Seriously, you will be shocked by how beefy these dovetails are. They also manage to stay relatively lightweight for being so burly. This base is great for a bow that will pull double duty in the woods and on the 3d course. The 6” version offers the same with even more mounting positions. This can be helpful if you are running a smaller peep like a ⅛”. If you are building a bow specifically for 3d or field archery the longer sight radius may be just the ticket. 4" 6" Weight: 3.2oz Weight: 3.80z Overall Length: 4” Overall Length: 6" Mounting Positions: 10 Mounting Positions: 18 3rd Axis Adjustable: Yes 3rd Axis Adjustable: Yes

4" and 6" Wing Truss

The Wing Truss mount was introduced along with the Pro series sights. The first thing you will notice is how attractive the design is. It simply looks light, and it is. Aside from looks, the Wing Truss mounts have a fair number of mounting positions, are very solid on the bow, and feature a knurled knob that locks the sight in place. This allows you to remove the sight without using tools which can be helpful for stowing your bow in a case, particularly with the 6” version. There is a “Dovetail Knob” accessory available for the dovetail base that functions the same way but it comes standard on the Wing Truss mounts. If you are weight conscious but want more adjustability than the X-Frame or ML3 offer or need to remove your sight frequently, then the Wing Truss is where you should land. 4” 6” Weight: 3oz Weight: 3.5oz Overall Length: 5.25” Overall Length: 7.25” Mounting Positions: 5 Mounting Positions: 9 3rd Axis Adjustable: Yes 3rd Axis Adjustable: Yes

Or just call us!

Hopefully this article shed some light on the different sight bases and why you may choose one over another. If you are still confused, conflicted, or just paralyzed with indecision, shoot us an email or give us a call and we will get you squared away!

Written by: Pat Kelly