These days, there is a vast variety of target stabilizer options. Moreover, all brands market their stabilizers as the best bow stabilizer available in the market. But a stabilizer that works for your friend may not be ideal for you.
Most people get confused about all the different brands and varieties. Thus, here we are going to clear all your doubts and give you a proper idea of how to choose a bow stabilizer that adds value.
So, here we are bringing you all the factors you should consider while buying a bow stabilizer. Plus, you should also know that these are the suggestions. You should make your decision on the basis of your experience and style. Still, it can be a valuable guide to make an effective decision.
Bow Stabilizer Purpose:
Before buying a bow stabilizer setup, you should know what it offers. Moreover, how it can add value to your hunting experience. So, below are the reasons, why you must have a quality bow stabilizer for a better experience.
Stabilizers can come in handy for several purposes. They can be different in size and configuration, but they are all designed for the same purpose. Yet, each stabilizer is different from others and have pros and cons. So, you shoud know every factor. This way, you can choose a bow stabilizer kit that matches your aiming style.
Aiming:
Stabilizers put extra weight onto the bow. This weight acts in a positive way and increases inertia. It boosts the ability to move your bow more steadily. This way, you will see an instant improvement in your precision targeting.
Yet, more weight does not result in better results. Instead, it can also tire your hands at a quicker pace. Therefore, you should be lifting what you are comfortable with. After spending some time and building some muscles you can upgrade your stabilizer to a heavier version.
Vibration:
These days, manufacturers are making very strong hunting bow stabilizer setups. They propel arrows at a very high force. In fact, modern bows generate 100 times more force than gravity. But, bows do not transfer all the energy to the arrow. Instead, some force remains in the bow and creates vibration. After making a shot each time, you would have to control this much vibration.
In some cases, controlling this much vibration for a long period can also hurt the archer. Repetitive aiming can result in elbow and wrist pain. But, a good stabilizer will minimize the vibration and make your practice sessions easier.
Sound:
Most bows do not put all the power in their arrows. Some of its energy remains in the bow. Yet, after each shot, they get equaled by either generating vibration or sound.
If you are looking for a bow to hunt, then you must be looking for a silent bow stabilizer. Since you can not afford to give your location as a hunter, it should be your top priority. In contrast, if you aim at target bags in your backyard, you should not be much worried about this factor. Plus, as a target archer, you can also ignore this factor for a better deal but as a hunter you can not.
Quick Disconnect:
It is the feature that allows you to attach or detach your bow stabilizer conveniently. Especially, if you are a beginner, attaching and detaching your stabilizer can be a tricky task. Most people get confused in the process.
Therefore, if you are a beginner, a stabilizer with a quick disconnect feature can be a plus point for you. Plus, if you are an archer who aims in wild, then you should have a different stabilizer for different scenarios. In such cases, having a stabilizer with a quick disconnect feature can make the switching of the stabilizer much easier. Since most archers carry one medium-range as a primary and a long-range stabilizer as a secondary, this is a must-have feature for you.
However, if you are only aiming at targets in your backyard from a specific distance, you can compromise on this feature.
What Length’s Bow Stabilizer should you get?
It is a stunning fact that a small piece can make a significant difference in your bow and aim. To select the best bow stabilizer, you should know the distance you will be shooting across. As distance is the main factor in what length bow stabilizer you should get. Other than distance, the environment you shoot.
In stabilizer’s lengths, bow stabilizers under 10 inches are short stabilizers, medium-sized stabilizers can vary between 10 to 15 inches, and longbow stabilizers are longer than 16 inches.
Small Length Stabilizers:
Small stabilizers are less than 10 inches in length. For the most part, rather than functioning as a stabilizer, they act like dampeners. They are mostly made up of rubber. Therefore, they do not have any weights attached at the other end. However, these are also the heaviest bow stabilizers available in the market. In their small frame, they are completely filled with energy.
However, if you are searching for a bow stabilizer to balance your bow, then this might not be the one for you. It performs poorly when it comes to the overall balance of your bow.
Still, if you like to shoot in hunting blind or dense forest, small-length stabilizers can be a wonderful addition to your collection. It will minimalize the bow’s jump in your hand after making a shot. Plus, it can also reduce noise and vibration.
Since they are small in size and focuses on reducing sound and vibration, it is the best tool for you to attach it with your practice.
Read Also: How To Install Bow Stabilizer
Small size stabilizers are highly recommended for beginners. Since you do not like to walk with a long pole hanging from your bow, a small stabilizer also makes your walk easier.
Moreover, they also perform great in windy seasons. With a short stabilizer, you can also aim at targets firmly in heavy wind. In contrast, a longer stabilizer can disturb your aim and result in a miss too.
Concluding, if you are a beginner and looking for your first bow stabilizer, a small length stabilizer is the one to go with.
Medium Length Stabilizer:
Its length is between 10 to 15 inches. Most archers choose a medium-length stabilizer for their hunting bow setup. Plus, if you are looking for adjustability in a bow, then this might be the best choice you can make.
Best Archery stabilizer weight formula varies from person to person. Therefore, having a stabilizer with adjustable weights is a huge plus point. This way, you can customize your bow’s weight and customize according to your feelings instead of sticking with the setting it gets delivered with.
These are also recommended for the typical hunters. Its vibration and sound-controlling features make it the best choice for professional hunters who like to hunt in open and wild fields.
A longer bow can also increase your arrow’s reach. You will not need to get much close to your target. Instead, you can aim it from a longer distance. While hunting, a small distance can give you a huge benefit while aiming or stalking your target.
Plus, medium-length stabilizers are neither too light nor super heavy. Its long length divides its entire weight equally on the entire bow. Therefore, these length stabilizers are best to stabilize your bow’s weight. Plus, they are also effective in limiting your bow’s sound as they will make your bow a silent arrow releaser.
On the other side, it will become weaker against heavy wind. Therefore, if you are hunting in a field with heavy wind or unpredictable weather, this might not be the best choice. Yet, if you have some experience, you should be able to overcome it.
Long Stabilizer:
In length, these stabilizers are sized between 16 to 30 inches. These are only for the highly experienced archery hunters. However, they are commonly used in Olympics Archery competitions.
Its main feature is to balance the weight throughout the bow. It adjusts all the balance in your hunting bow stabilizer setup. Since they are very long in length, they could be very heavy to lift. Therefore, manufacturers use light-weighted materials such as titanium and carbon fiber to make them liftable.
With this length, you would have a variety of diameters to increase and decrease your stabilizer’s weight as per your need.
For instance, tubes with 0.625 inches of diameters are recommended for indoor range and mild weather environments. In contrast, stabilizers with tubes smaller than 0.625 inches are ideal for outdoor aiming. Since it also helps the wind to pass over and under the stabilizer, rather than creating an external force to disturb you while aiming, it becomes an ideal choice for windy conditions. Plus, you will see a significant improvement in your aiming skills. However, if you are looking for vibration reduction, this might not be the size you are looking for. It does not reduce the vibration effectively, but putting the additional weight at the end of the stabilizer can help you reduce the torque and balancing.
By setting the entire bow stabilizer kit perfectly, you can also increase your shooting range by 10 yards.
Concluding, a long-ranged stabilizer is only for professional archers. If you are a hunter, you can also use it as a secondary stabilizer. But, target aimers should start with a short or mid-range stabilizer, and after gaining some experience upgrade to the long-ranged stabilizer because it can be a bit tricky for most people to start with.
Back Bar for Bow Hunting:
A back bar also makes a significant improvement in your aiming as a bowhunter. While making a perfect hunting bow stabilizer kit, you will go through several hunting accessories. While buying all these accessories, you would have noticed that all of its accessories are attached to the same side of the bow setup.
This way, one side gets much heavier than the other side. Yet, some archers have no problems with this instability. However, most archers do not feel comfortable with it. Therefore, they use a back bar bow for additional stability.
Without a back bar, all of the weight will get stacked up, and at a full draw, you would have to control your bow’s leaning towards a particular side. You will also feel this effect while keeping your bow at rest (static), but at a full draw, its effect will be much higher. Plus, since you will also be carrying an unstable bow, handling the extra weight for a long time can also lead to muscle fatigue.
Therefore, having a back bar for a hunting bow stabilizer setup can boost your confidence and makes you aim with a steadier bow. In other words, it is also going to enhance your aim and precision.
So, if you are looking for a stabilizer, you should also look for a back bar because it can add value to your archery experience. However, it is not recommended for everyone. Since archery has a bundle of accessories, your bow can get very heavy, and if you are looking to buy it for a kid or a person with underdeveloped muscles, it can be difficult for him to live.
Plus, managing all these small components can also be tricky to keep them safe and easy to lose. Therefore, if you are a young boy or a beginner, you can skip this component. But, for experienced archers, this is a must have fragment for your setup.
Weighing the Advantages:
Every product comes with several pros and cons. Similarly, a bow stabilizer also has some advantages and disadvantages. As a buyer, you should know each of them.
Pros:
Makes your bow stable.
Helps you to keep your bow level even at a full draw.
Makes your aim steadier
Improves your tune on holding your bow and shooting.
Tight float patterns
Cons:
Walking with a long-range stabilizer is not easy.
Increases the weight of the bow slightly.
You should keep all these factors in mind. However, since every professional archer uses bow stabilizers, it is clear that its advantages are much more than its cons. Therefore, without a second thought, you should get one for yourself too.
Questions Buyer have:
After knowing most of the dominant factors, you should have got an idea of what type of bow stabilizer you want. However, now we are answering the questions most people get confused with.
These elements have the potential to change your decision-making approach for a bow stabilizer.
How would you define a Bow Stabilizer to be Perfect?
It depends on your bow’s performance. Yet, the simplest way to judge a stabilizer’s performance is to compare its stiffness to weight. Higher the difference, the better it would be considered.
Since lifting heavy weights for a long time can start hurting your arms, lighter versions of stabilizers are also supposed to be better than heavier bow stabilizers.
Other than these fundamental factors, their reliability and durability are also crucial. It also includes its built material and mounting hardware.
Last but not least, the appearance of your bow stabilizer might not be the top most priority. But, having a stabilizer that matches your bow’s color or design theme can be a plus point. Plus, while ordering you can also select a customized colored theme.
These are the elements most professionals look for in their bow stabilizer. However, they can vary from person to person, and what works best for you might not be ideal for others.
Does the process of buying a Bow Stabilizer depends on Instincts?
While buying hunting accessories, it is crucial to trust your instincts. But, you can depend on your instincts entirely. For example, these days, most archery hunters prefer to put a rubber damper between the stabilizer rod and weights.
It can help you to reduce the vibration after making a shot. But, it also reduces the actual function of a stiff stabilizer. It makes your bow less stiff and makes it feel less weighted.
However, if you still prefer dampers, you should use the mid stack in the weights instead of using them in the complete weight stack. For instance, if you are attaching three weights on your bow stabilizer, you should only be anchoring the most outboard module and attach the other two weights directly to the stabilizer.
On the flip side, numerous people also expect this stabilizer system to help them with their follow-through after the shot. Since it reduces the vibration after making a shot, many archers use rubber dampers.
Also, keep in mind that as an archer, you need to stand a lot. So, if you are looking for a longbow stabilizer, it should also work as a stand. And if you add a rubber at the end, it can be painful while resting.
How A Bow Stabilizer’s Diameter Makes a Difference in Stiffness?
By adding a lot of weight, you can make your bow stiffer. But, it is not the most effective archery stabilizer weight formula for your bow. Using a bow stabilizer setup with a bigger diameter than 0.625 inches can give you some trouble while targeting open areas in windy conditions.
Since it has a bigger diameter it would get effective by the heavy wind, and it would be harder for you to aim. This way, your bow stabilizer would have a lot of at its end, but it will no be effective for you.
In contrast, using a bow stabilizer with a smaller diameter than 0.625 inches can make a significant difference in your hunting experience. As all the wind goes through it, even in the windy seasons, this stabilizer is made for archers who hunt in open fields. It helps you in keeping your bow stiff without making it vulnerable to the wind.
In short, the best hunting bow stabilizer set up for diameter should come with a small diameter, plus it should also be made with a quality built material. However, bow stabilizers with smaller diameters are also expensive and less tough. But, without a doubt, they are worth the extra money you are going to pay for it.
Is Adjusting Weight a must to have with a Bow Stabilizer?
The adjustable weight feature is the most significant feature you should be looking for. With every practice session or hunting experience, you will be building new muscles and improving yourself. Therefore, you would have to upgrade yourself.
Plus, you will need different weights for different scenarios and positions. In these cases, having a bow stabilizer with fixed weights can cause you trouble. You would have to buy and carry a bundle of bow stabilizers with you for every trip. And no one likes to keep traveling with extra luggage in their bag.
Therefore, if you are also one of those, you can make your life easier by spending a little more on your stabilizer and get one with the adjustable weight feature. This way, you will be able to completely adjust the weight of your bow according to what the situation is demanding, instead of keeping you fixed with the same weight you have brought it with.
Also, logically, buying a single stabilizer with adjustable weights is a better decision than several stabilizers for different case scenarios. Plus, you will also be able to set your hand on a single bow stabilizer and it can be beneficial in the long run.
Conclusion:
As a buyer, you should list what you are expecting from your budget and then look for a bow stabilizer. This way, you would have a clear goal of what you are looking for. Moreover, while buying a bow stabilizer most people rely on their instincts, and this is a good thing. But in some cases, you need to look for more logic and reasoning than relying on what you feel is the best for you. Therefore, while making a decision, you are recommended to test the stabilizer you are going to buy on the factors discussed above.