Overlooked and Misunderstood: Bow Stabilizers

There is always a commotion the starts up when someone walks in with a bow stabilizer on their bow setup. This is because many believe that it takes away from the purity of the sport. Others think that it gives the other shooters an unfair advantage. I would ask these people if they really knew the concept of a bow stabilizer. If they know the standard definition, I would ask them to try one out while I explained the purposes and composition of a bow stabilizer. [caption id="attachment_3857" align="alignright" width="300"] A quality stabilizer will have a weighted front end followed by a dampening device.[/caption] Many shooters think that the only function of bow stabilizers is to eliminate noise and vibration. While this may be true, it only explains part of the story. The main reason that you would get a bow stabilizer is to keep you bow stable, or steady. The steadiness is achieved though the weighted front-end of the device. If the weight is at the front end of the stabilizer then it will counterbalance the movement from the bow. The vibration and noise-cancelling part of the device should be located directly behind the front end. There are various types of materials that are used such as a rubber or a gel compound, but rubber tends to be the most effective at cancelling out the vibration. What length should I choose for my stabilizer? This depends greatly on the activity with which you are using your stabilizer. I can tell you that the longer your stabilizer is, the more steady the shot. It is for this reason that you see many of the competitive archers with these 9 and 10-inch stabilizers. The shorter versions are typically used when you go out hunting. You can still use a longer stabilizer when you go out hunting, but it is not necessarily, what you would need. When you are searching for your stabilizer, make sure to look at what materials are being used and in what order they fall into the stabilizer. Also, make sure that the weight on the front end is manageable for you because the bow stabilizer will add weight to your bow.