Mathews Phase 4 33" Hunting Stabilizer(s)?

[mtn_man]

Got a new Phase 4 33" recently. Haven't shot a bow in almost 30 years, but I've quickly developed my form and I'm shooting it about as well as I can with consistent groups without any stabilizers (using a few different sets of arrows / spines).

I'd like to get some stabilizers on this bow to start dialing it in further. FWIW, I'm planning to do more stalk hunting (75-80% in the PNW sub-alpine) than from blinds / tree stands (20-25% in the Appalachians).

I'm not at all sure which direction to go with stabilizers though. I want something that I could set and forget with minimal concerns for something coming loose (would the new Bridge Lock system have advantages in this regard?). I'm also wondering about the bar length .. for example, is there any rule of thumb for length that is dictated by bow height?

Cheers,

-G

 

[Billy Goat]

A 10 or 12 inch front with an 8 inch rear is probably the most common for a hunting bow. Problem is at that length it takes a lot of weight for them to actually have much of a stabilizing effect.


Most of my hunting bows don't have stabilizers. The added weight I'm carrying around all day degrades my shot more than the little bit of stability I gain from it. A few bows I might add a little weight low on the riser, like 2-4 ounces.


Now my target bows I use long bars. Generally a 28F/12R. 6-8 ounces on the front, 14-18 out back. To get that same amount of balance out of shorter bars it takes a lot more weight.


Try to fine tune your hold with your draw length, without weight. Bars are really just to hold the bow steady at the shot. The less you can get away with, the better off you will be.

 

[mtn_man]

A 10 or 12 inch front with an 8 inch rear is probably the most common for a hunting bow. Problem is at that length it takes a lot of weight for them to actually have much of a stabilizing effect.


Most of my hunting bows don't have stabilizers. The added weight I'm carrying around all day degrades my shot more than the little bit of stability I gain from it. A few bows I might add a little weight low on the riser, like 2-4 ounces.


Now my target bows I use long bars. Generally a 28F/12R. 6-8 ounces on the front, 14-18 out back. To get that same amount of balance out of shorter bars it takes a lot more weight.


Try to fine tune your hold with your draw length, without weight. Bars are really just to hold the bow steady at the shot. The less you can get away with, the better off you will be.

Thanks for the input! Yeah a 10-12F / 8R seems to be what I'm looking for. The biggest problem that I'm noticing is when the wind catches the top section of my quiver and rotates my bow. I don't know if the milled aluminum Mathews stabilizers are going to be more aerodynamic than a traditional carbon fiber stabilizer, but I definitely feel like I need to add weight to it.

I'm thinking that I just need to get something to experiment with and figure out if they're worth the extra weight or not. Not sure if I go as far as dropping $800 and change for the Mathews system or something else (looking at the Bee Stinger and some others that look to be decently made). Tempted to just mill my own stabilizers, I have the machine and material, but little free time lol

 

[mtn_man]

One thing I forgot to add .. does this formula look right?

Length of backbar x weight %
Backbar length = amount of weight on back

 

[Billy Goat]

Priority of stabilizers is stiff and light, then you get into smaller diameter and the price goes up. Money is worth different amounts to different people, so it's upto you how much it's worth spending. You want stiff so your weights can oppose force as fast as possible. If the bars flex, that's counter to their job. You want light to maximize the moment from the weight on the end of the bar. The small diameter is dependent on how much you shoot in the wind. You can also spend the money for tungsten weight to cut down on the profile.

The rough formula is inches times ounces. So with 4 ounces on 12" you have 48 inch/oz. So you want 5 oz on an 8" bar to counter it. It's an approximation and depends on if you have a reflex, deflex, or neutral riser.

 

[TheTone]

I’m shooting a v3x 33, kinda sorta the same bow, with just a 10 inch front bee stinger. I think the bow holds great as is. I wouldn’t invest in a crazy stabilizer set up without going to a shop and letting you actually try stuff out first.

The only part of the bridgelock stabilizer I like the look/ thought of is the weight system

 

[Elk Wallow]

I have a 12” stabilizer from Podium Archer along with their offset bar which moves your stabilizer to the left to offset the weight of your quiver. I have it on a v3x 33. Seems to work pretty good. The stabilizer itself is really nice.

Kevin

 

[mtn_man]

This is pretty awesome (with a caveat). I picked up a new release from my local archery shop. The Tru-Fire that I bought originally didn't fit me well, and I was considering getting either a thumb trigger or a hinge to see what I liked.

After some back and forth with the shop owner, I walked out with a T.R.U. Ball Trident thumb release. He showed me some VERY useful techniques for using it, so it's almost like shooting a hinge with an invisible thumb trigger.

Anyway, once I got a good feel for drawing back with the Trident (after losing the first arrow lol) my groups at 32y tightened up right away!!! I've spent time shooting at 20-60y, and man oh man does this thing make a night and day difference for me!

One of the things that he told me to try and do was let the release surprise me, and that in itself seems to have gone a LONG way. I can still take quick shots on demand, but this sear and release system is light years ahead of what I've been using.

Now the caveat - my POI dropped low and right when I use this Trident! I had to re-zero my optic, but is this a common issue when using a different release or should I look closer at something that I might be doing wrong?

 

[billysmals]

I run a 15inch front and an 8inch back on V3x 33. The longer the stabilizer the less weight you need to create stabilization. Keep that in mind if you choose a shorter bar. I run the titanium archery products 15inch bar. I think it's like $90 or so. Small diameter and stiff and light so I can get the weight at the end. My dad runs it too. I have been very happy with them. I run a bee stinger micro-hex for a back bar, but only because I had it from another bow. I also hunt primarily in the west spot and stalk. The longer bar really helps to balance it for slightly longer shots. I also have hunted in a blind and tree stands a little with this set and it does fine. The blind is more tricky, but can be done.