Black Gold Sights for 2016

Pure Gold 75 Picking up the New 2016 Pure Gold 75 sight from Black Gold, the first thing I notice is the solid and refined feel. The finish on the Pure series is VERY nice. It feels solid, not tinny or plastic. All edges are rounded and smooth. Definitely a first class feel. The second thing I notice is the brightness of the pins. Black Gold sights are known for the having very bright pins and this hasn't changed. The pins are clear and bright, and comparing them to my 2015 Pure Gold, quite possibly brighter than last year. The pure series includes just about every adjustability feature and option that Black Gold offers except for the 2” head. These sights have it all. True 1st, 2nd and 3rd axis adjustments. Vertical drive, vertical and horizontal gang adjustments, 45 degree angled sight tape, the photochromatic shell that stops pin halo in bright sunlight and the micro adjust pins. About those micro adjust pins… I did find that they could add a bit of vibration and noise to my shot if I didn't tighten down the screws, and then turn the wheels all the way against the tension. When you get the pin where you want it, you then tighten the pin screw to hold its position. The problem is the wheel that adjusts the pin location is still able to turn. A simple turn of the wheel will remove the play and hence the noise/vibration. The same goes for the vertical and horizontal gang adjustments. Turn the adjustment knob to get the setting correct, and then tighten down the lock screw. Then turn the adjustment knob to remove any play. The Pure Gold 75 has an adjustable vertical drive sometimes called a slider, or dial of death. That means you can quickly change yardage with the turn of a dial. Depending on your setup, this could mean shooting out to 120 yards or setting a pin to exactly 23 yards. Here is how it works:

You setup your single pin sight, or any pin on a multi pin sight, to be your “floater” pin. When the dial is set to 40 yards, your floater pin becomes the 40 yard pin. If the dial is set to 73 yards, your floater pin is now set for 73 yards. On a multi pin setup, the best practice would be to make the bottom pin the floater. Watch Steve’s tutorial on how to properly setup your “slider” here (insert link). Included with all Vertical Drive sights are 54 “tapes”. Tapes are the yardage markers that go on the sight. Different setups require different tapes, based on speed and weight of your arrow.

The Pure Gold Vertical drive is smooth and quiet. They have included 54 tapes to fit your current setup, but you still have to cut them out yourself. They are one sided sticky tapes, and it's not a big deal, but it would be nice if they were pre-cut. The Black Gold Pure series is on the heavy side. Black Gold says it's almost 2 oz lighter than last years PURE sight, but at 11.4 oz it's still on the heavy side, however it is lighter than other sights on the market. That is the price you pay for a strong 7075 billet Aluminum Alloy vertical drive (slider) sight. If you’re concerned about weight, you should take a look at the new Ascent Verdict. It has been given quite a few upgrades of its own, and I really like it. (see below) Shooting the Pure Gold was great. The pins are bright and clear. The new location for the level makes it stand out in your view. It is smaller and yet easier to see. The photochromatic shell works great in bright sunlight dimming the pins so there is no halo effect, and the vertical adjustment knob is just the right tension for making precise changes. I shot better with this sight. I honestly don't know why, could be the extra weight out front, but i can't deny that i saw tighter groups. Comparing the 2016 to the 2015, there are four major changes.

• The sight ring has an integrated level and two screws holding it to the housing. By loosening the screws and turning the sight ring, you can move the level, adjusting your 2nd axis. Very clever! This has been added to every sight in their lineup. Easily my favorite new feature.
• Next the vertical gang adjustment measurement lines have been moved to the front facing side. Not sure why they were on the side to begin with, but I love this improvement. The only change i would still like to see made is a white marker line on the horizontal gang. there is an indentation, but it's very hard to see what your current setting is.
• The slider yardage scale marker has been moved to the inside to protect the needle. I never had a problem with where it was, however I can see it is much more protected at its current location.
  yardage pin moved behind 45 degree tape
• And lastly blue has been added as a sight ring color for the entire line of Black Gold sights for 2016. Mine is on order!

Overall I am impressed with changes for 2016, and how that trickles down to the shooting experience. My personal preference is a multi pin sight for hunting, with the slider for 3d shoots. My recommendation for the Pure series is the Pure Adrenaline. I just didn't make that many changes to justify the micro adjust pins. If you’re looking for a bulletproof high end slider sight, you will not be disappointed with the 2016 Black Gold Pure Series. Ascent Verdict Also New for 2016 is the Ascent Verdict from Black Gold. The Ascent Verdict covers the entire line of Ascent sights. The Ambush name has been removed and now the single pin model is called the Ascent Verdict Single Pin. Here are some of the 2016 changes to the Ascent Verdict.

• Black Gold has added a clever new sight ring with integrated level. Adjusting the bubble for 2nd axis is as easy as loosening the two sight ring screws, turning the sight ring until the level is good, then tightening. The new position also makes it easier to see while being smaller, saving weight.
• A blue sight ring replaces the yellow for all Black Gold Sights.
• All ascents now have the 45 degree sight tape. To protect the indicator needle, it has been moved behind the sight tape.
• The vertical adjustment knob is now longer for clearance. This helps clear the windage adjustment when turning, and the knob has more grip making it noticeably easier to dial in.

Look for an in-depth review on the 2016 Ascent Verdict from Steve after late season archery.