Hunting Stabilizer

[Brendan]

does the weight become an issue on longer mountain hikes chasing elk out west?

No issue for me.

 

[NaturalJon]

I have a CT5 and running a tightspot as well. The bow balance really well. I'm only running a shrewd raid 12" with only 1oz out front with the 8degree disconnect. I tried the vbar as well and didnt feel it was worth the extra weight or awkwardness hunting. Maybe a counterslide if needed, but I didnt find side weight absolutely necessary with mine.

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[losthunter]

Shrewd Raid stabilizers have been amazing for me. I use a 9 up front and a 7 for my back bar with added weight.

 

[elkstabber]

Brendan was right (comment #9). Brand doesn't matter. All that matters is what works best for you. Everybody will have different needs from stabilizers. They really should be called "balancers" because that's a more accurate description.

I've tried stabilizers from 6" to 15", slide/sidebars, and backbars. What I found was that for me to shoot most consistently I needed a backbar much more that I needed a front stabilizer. The backbar allowed me to settle my grip (more like a non grip) and balanced out my quiver and sight being on the opposite side. The front bar only settled the pin on the target. For me the backbar was more important because it settled my grip and took away any possible left-right hits. The front bar is nice if I think that I'll be taking a long shot. I've found that the quick disconnects are great for modifying the bow for each day's hunt and for traveling.

The main thing is to experiment and learn what works best for you. I bought used on ebay and then sold what I didn't want to keep.

 

[jakelogsdon]

Just started using the Crossover 1233 telescopic stabilizer. I first saw Corey Jacobsen from Elk101 using it. Very interesting concept, and so far I like it. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased the 821 model as I don't see when I would ever extend to the 33" mark. Quick disconnect is a must.

Have you got to mess with this stabilizer much?

 

[DMooch]

Have you got to mess with this stabilizer much?

Not a whole lot. Only a two or three times. Got it mid-January. So far I like it with only one weight on the front and I shoot best with it around 20" extended.

 

[mlgc20]

I use the Crossover 821 out front and another one as a back bar. I use a quick connect on the back bar. Really like the setup and the flexibility it allows.

 

[jakelogsdon]

Not a whole lot. Only a two or three times. Got it mid-January. So far I like it with only one weight on the front and I shoot best with it around 20" extended.

I use the Crossover 821 out front and another one as a back bar. I use a quick connect on the back bar. Really like the setup and the flexibility it allows.

Kind of curious about running these stabilizers at different lengths having an effect on arrow point of impact. EG.. If I had the 821 stabilizer at 8" for treestand hunting and wanted to run it out to 21" for target shooting or western applications, would it have an effect on my arrow point of impact?

 

[mlgc20]

Kind of curious about running these stabilizers at different lengths having an effect on arrow point of impact. EG.. If I had the 821 stabilizer at 8" for treestand hunting and wanted to run it out to 21" for target shooting or western applications, would it have an effect on my arrow point of impact?

I haven’t noticed any change in POC with the stabilizers fully extended. I can definitely tell a difference in stability. At 70+ yards it makes a significant difference in shot dispersion. Groups are much tighter. But, still around the same POC. There is a moderate improvement in dispersion between 40 to 70 yard’s. Less than 40 and I don’t notice much difference.

 

[chasewild]

Anyone use a TAP (Titanium Archery Prod)?

 

[feanor]

I had a 12” stabilizer I made from acrylic rod and stainless at the end with a buna rubber dampener fitted into it. I fell going down the mountain and snapped it off hunting. So I cut it and re- threaded it to a 10” stabilizer. I can’t really tell much of a difference, except now it’s more maneuverable =)

 

[Outwest]

As someone above said, shoot your bow for a while without stabilizers and see what you think. I have no hard data to back this up, but I believe that some stabilizer setups can act as a crutch to good shooting form for some people. For me, I could tell that a heavy bar out front would cause me to be lazy on the back end and I couldn’t hold groups as well.

I ripped off my stabilizers and learned how to shoot a bow again. Now I shoot minimal weight on a relatively short bar or no front bar at all with a small, offset dampening stabilizer on the rear.

As an added bonus, this cut a lot of weight from my setup. When I’m hunting, I carry my bow a whole lot more than I shoot it.


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[TannerLunzman]

I use an 8 inch bee stinger micro hex with a quick disconnect so its actually about 9 inches. I switched to a shorter one because I was tired of dragging around a long stabilizer through the brush, mud, tight spaces, etc... it is all personal preference in the end though, as you can see people here kill stuff without them at all and some say you need a long one to be accurate. That's why I decided to settle somewhere in between.

 

[gretch6364]

I am personally a proponent of a front and side bar setup. The front bars make for good handles when carrying bow on your shoulder. A tight spot with 4 530g arrows is almost 14 ounces hanging off the side of your bow.

I find the lighter the bar section of the stabilizer the better. You can then concentrate the weight out front and don't have as much weight in the total setup. There are several companies that make quality carbon fiber bars.

If you are looking for high quality and a little lower price point, I have really liked my Rugged Patriot bar set.

I am normally hiking 7 to 10 miles a day at high elevation and run a 10" front bar and 8" back bar, with however much weight I need to naturally balance/level the bow correctly and create a slight up/down pin bias.

If you want to cut some weight, it is best to utilize your bows natural up/down bias instead of trying to fight it and go the reverse direction. If you use a tight spot, you can also tilt it slightly forward or backwards to help with this bias and take some weight off the front stabilizer.

Last point, IMHO, the best stabilizers have adjustability. Having the ability to add or take weight off the end and adjust the angle of your sidebar are key. If you are ok with your sidebar hanging way out, you can generally use less weight, but it is a compromise. I prefer to buy bows that are not top heavy so that I am not fighting a low pin bias with my weight. I then tip my tight spot back and use a back/side bar to balance left and right. This will give you a pin high bias, then I add some front weight to reduce that bias to be slight.

Remember, its get really windy at high elevation out west. Wind doesn't blow my heavy arrow a noticeable amount, but stabilizers make a huge difference (for me personally) when it comes to blowing my bow around when at full draw. My local range is in a very large valley at 8,000ft and I shoot a lot at lunch. I have no chance of shooting well at long distances without a two bar setup.

 

[justin84]

I ripped off my stabilizers and learned how to shoot a bow again. Now I shoot minimal weight on a relatively short bar or no front bar at all with a small, offset dampening stabilizer on the rear.

I've been shooting my newer bow without stabilizers for awhile and haven't taken the time to experiment with them to try to see a difference. I shoot a few arrows almost every day but distance is limited to 20 yards.

I'm curious what you learned about shooting without them, and what the impact of your current setup is compared to with nothing.

 

[e.g.calzado]

Anyone try the Quivalizer from Option Archery?

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

Anyone use a TAP (Titanium Archery Prod)?

I have. It’s a great stabilizer and they have great customer service.


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[Brendan]

Anyone try the Quivalizer from Option Archery?

Many threads here if you search. Some like it, some don't.

 

[mfllood3800]

I am running the Crossover set up for about 5 years. I like it- modular capable of allowing really good holds at distance. I use one on the rear as well as my bow (Evoke 35) likes the weight. Some bows are front heavy and some fall back. You need to set up what works for you.
I run more weight than most, but I also use a hip holster that mounts to my pack belt so carrying is a non issue.
For me and my bows, I find anything under 10" doesn't really do more than add mass weight, which can be helpful in some situations.

I will come to full draw, acquire target, close eyes for 3-5 seconds and then look to see where I drifted. That, for me is what determines my stab set ups. Well that and how well I hold on target.

 

[TRed]

Anyone have a good DIY stabilizer?