School me on stabilizers

stan_wa

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
319
Location
Washington
I have been shooting archery for 3 years now and want to try out a front / back bar set up . I currently have 10” bee stinger they came with the Bow.
I have two bows I shoot both bowtechs a
2015 prodigy and a 23 revolt x
I’m wanting th shrink my groups and just increase accuracy. As I’m not 100 % convinced the stabs help that much I want to go for a “very stable set up” so I’m just going thinking about getting a bracket to run a front and back bar. Using the 10 bee stinger back and getting a cross roads archery extendable on or a 15-20” fixed bar up front. I want to test out this set up and see if I get a noticeable difference.
Im also interested in a quivalizer but worried it will be like a wind sail

1. Do y’all like the cross roads extendable front
2. . What bracket do yall like there is 30$ on on Amazon ?
3. In not what’s your ideal set up for accuracy under 2 lb ish
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 9, 2012
Messages
1,068
Location
Yorkville, IL
In my experience, stabilizers made a difference when I got about 15" out front. The crossroads stabilizers are high quality. Here is a mount that I have used from Amazon. There are certainly higher quality mounts, but this will get you in the game.

S F Archery Single Side/Double Sides Adjustable V-Bar Mount Quick Disconnect,Bow Rod Stabilizer,Sidebar Mount Pkg https://a.co/d/5tdrOlo

On my hunting bows, the best combination of weight savings and stability of the bow, the quivalizer wins every time. It's a polarizing product though. Some people absolutely hate the way it looks, but I prefer function over form in this regard.


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Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,388
Location
oregon coast
I have been shooting archery for 3 years now and want to try out a front / back bar set up . I currently have 10” bee stinger they came with the Bow.
I have two bows I shoot both bowtechs a
2015 prodigy and a 23 revolt x
I’m wanting th shrink my groups and just increase accuracy. As I’m not 100 % convinced the stabs help that much I want to go for a “very stable set up” so I’m just going thinking about getting a bracket to run a front and back bar. Using the 10 bee stinger back and getting a cross roads archery extendable on or a 15-20” fixed bar up front. I want to test out this set up and see if I get a noticeable difference.
Im also interested in a quivalizer but worried it will be like a wind sail

1. Do y’all like the cross roads extendable front
2. . What bracket do yall like there is 30$ on on Amazon ?
3. In not what’s your ideal set up for accuracy under 1 lb ish
Stabilizers only help if you set them up correctly, just putting a front bar may make your bow harder to shoot, and most likely need a back bar with more weight than the front

Another lighter and simpler option for a hunting bow is a counter slide, but they have limitations (everything is a compromise to some extent)

I currently have a quivalizer on my bow, and it absolutely slows down my float, and a back bar would help, but I’m not willing to add one.

In the past, I have generally been anti stabilizers, because setting my bow up to be well balanced, it adds a lot of weight and profile, and it just doesn’t make sense for the shots I take in the woods… it’s not a target bow

I like the quivalizer compromise, but I could see going back to an s-coil on the front to reduce vibration, and go back to a titespot and always practice with it on, and 4 arrows in the quiver as I would hunting
 

TX_hunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 6, 2021
Messages
254
15" front and 10" inch back bar is a really stable setup for me, without being too unwieldy. I run 2-3oz on the front and 5-6oz on the bow.

However for hunting I've moved to a quivalizer. Lower profile when packing in, and a full pound lighter than the 15/10 setup plus a full tight spot quiver.
 

Kularrow

WKR
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
375
I use stabilizers because I want to maximize my ability to make the most ethical shot possible. Probably unpopular opinion on here but 30 and in, Treestand, whitetail bowshot I don’t think it makes a difference if you have them or not honestly. I’ve thought about ditching them because it’s less weight to haul in the woods but I doubt I ever will.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2023
Messages
535
Location
Eastern Idaho
I have a 15 front with 2 oz and an 8 back with 6oz. My knocked arrow is longer than the stab until its drawn and I've moved about the woods in Idaho with an arrow knocked alot without issue.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2023
Messages
705
Short bars don't do much for me, things like 10in or less just add weight and don't stabilze for me. You mileage may vary.

In general shorter stabilizers require more weight to achieve the same balance as a long stabilizer with less weight. A longer stabilizer is more affected by weight at a greater proportion than a shorter stabilizer would be with the same weight. So a 15in front bar is going to react more to 3 oz of weight than a 10in bar would with the same 3 oz. This concept applies to both front and back bars. Same thing applies to where the weight is coming from. Bars with a heavy weight in the shaft need more weight at the end to achieve the balance. Light bars need less end weight. So this is where experimentation comes in depending on brand and length. One brands 10in bar may need more or less weight at the end depending on construction and shaft weight when compared to another brand of the same length.

If you are aiming for a total sub 1lb stabilizer + brackets set up, you have very little room to add weight to the stabilizers. A front bracket qd mount is 2oz - 3 oz, a rear bracket is also 3oz minimum, some are more depending on brand. So you are likely 6oz just in brackets alone minimum. That only leaves 10z for stabilizers and weights which is hard to do from what I have seen. If the stabilizers don't slow your float I think they just add weight and make it more difficult to pack around. I would rather shoot without them at that point, or just run a front bar alone and skip the back bar altogether.

With this in mind I am using a 15 front with 2oz and an 8in back bar with 6oz ish. My front bar is a titanium archery products 15in front bar which weights about 3.8oz in the shaft alone (also pretty cheap for bars 15inch is $98). I run an 8in bee stinger micro hex as the back bar. I don't know the weight of the shaft of the bee stinger.

For reference titanium archery products are priced pretty economically and are very light in the shaft. They also have some discounts periodically 10-20% off and offer discounts for bundles. They make qd mounts too.

I have no experience with the cross roads stabilizer. It didn't appeal to me as the diameter of the rod was large to provide the telescoping affect. In the wind I thought that might be difficult to tame. Same reason I didn't want the quivilizer. I know people love them so I get the utility. Just wasn't my thing.
 
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stan_wa

stan_wa

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
319
Location
Washington
Appreciate all The feed back! Those that run a quavalizer do you also run a back bar I have 30” arrow if that informs anything
 

schwaf

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
167
I think you'll see the biggest benefit of stabilizers on long shots with major elevation changes. Stabs shorter than 8" do very little for stability.

I run a quivalizer and 8" back bar on my Mathews Triax. I hated the way the bow shot until I dialed in the balance (very top heavy bow, front stab only made it worse), but it was really the back bar that changed the entire rig for the better. It took a bit of tinkering, but on my left handed bow I have my arrows fanning out at 45* to the left, and an 8" back bar angled down and out to the right. If you look at target bows, most run a super long front bar, and 2 back bars in a V shape. That balances front/back, top/bottom, left/right. My set up essentially mimics that and eliminates the heavy quiver on one side to mess up the balance, all while utilizing the weight of the arrows as a lateral counterweight. My bow sits dead still and perfectly level at full draw regardless of elevation. I'm very confident on a 3d target out to 85 yards.

Something to be aware of, arrows are much more likely to get caught on something and pop out of the quivalizer. It's still worth it to me, as I'll keep arrows with small game or field tips in the slots I'm likely to lose and keep extra arrows in my pack. Having zero pin float and super tight set up while strapped to my pack outweighs occasionally losing an arrow.

I use this mount for the back. I think adjusting the angle for the back bar down and out makes a huge difference.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,388
Location
oregon coast
I think you'll see the biggest benefit of stabilizers on long shots with major elevation changes. Stabs shorter than 8" do very little for stability.

I run a quivalizer and 8" back bar on my Mathews Triax. I hated the way the bow shot until I dialed in the balance (very top heavy bow, front stab only made it worse), but it was really the back bar that changed the entire rig for the better. It took a bit of tinkering, but on my left handed bow I have my arrows fanning out at 45* to the left, and an 8" back bar angled down and out to the right. If you look at target bows, most run a super long front bar, and 2 back bars in a V shape. That balances front/back, top/bottom, left/right. My set up essentially mimics that and eliminates the heavy quiver on one side to mess up the balance, all while utilizing the weight of the arrows as a lateral counterweight. My bow sits dead still and perfectly level at full draw regardless of elevation. I'm very confident on a 3d target out to 85 yards.

Something to be aware of, arrows are much more likely to get caught on something and pop out of the quivalizer. It's still worth it to me, as I'll keep arrows with small game or field tips in the slots I'm likely to lose and keep extra arrows in my pack. Having zero pin float and super tight set up while strapped to my pack outweighs occasionally losing an arrow.

I use this mount for the back. I think adjusting the angle for the back bar down and out makes a huge difference.
The triax has terrible balance. It’s the last bow I had stabilizers on because it needed them. That bow has kept me from getting another Mathews since,
 

schwaf

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 9, 2019
Messages
167
The triax has terrible balance. It’s the last bow I had stabilizers on because it needed them. That bow has kept me from getting another Mathews since,
I agree. I bought it used with accessories, and as it came it was basically unshootable. I took off and sold/trashed everything the bow came with, changed the grip, and reworked the whole rig with the main focus being balance. I nearly had a meltdown thinking I wasted hundreds of dollars for a overhyped bow I couldn't shoot and hated. Hours of tinkering, research, new gear, and several visits to the pro shot later, it's an incredible shooter, especially considering the short ata and brace height. That said, I doubt my next bow will be a Mathews.

I see that you're running a quivalizer too. I do highly recommend a backbar with an adjustable angle mount and tinker with that sweet spot balance. If you think about it, it's no heavier than a bow with a front bar and side mounted quiver; it just distributes the weight in a more useful way. I carry my bow in the woods flipped in my hand so the front bar is braced behind my arm, and the back bar towards the ground, which helps protect my string and bottom cam. It's also useful to brace against my body to nock an arrow. More solid, less movement, less noise. I'm 100% happy and convinced I'll run this on every rig moving forward.
 

sndmn11

"DADDY"
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
10,409
Location
Morrison, Colorado
Appreciate all The feed back! Those that run a quavalizer do you also run a back bar I have 30” arrow if that informs anything
no, I have the XL molded version and it balances out fine with the arrows on the shelf side when in the front/horizontal position. I shoot with it quite a bit more in the side position and it surely changes the balance, but isn't anything that practice can't neutralize.

I'm pretty sure Quivalizer will let you try one out and return it if you don't like it.
 
Joined
Mar 9, 2012
Messages
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Location
Yorkville, IL
no, I have the XL molded version and it balances out fine with the arrows on the shelf side when in the front/horizontal position. I shoot with it quite a bit more in the side position and it surely changes the balance, but isn't anything that practice can't neutralize.

I'm pretty sure Quivalizer will let you try one out and return it if you don't like it.
I believe you're correct. You can try it and return it if you don't like it.

I will add too that Option Archery has a fantastic warranty. I dropped my bow out of a tree two years ago, and it landed directly on the molded hood of the quivalizer. The fall broke the hood and bent the quick disconnect, but the bow and other accessories were fine. I was leaving for a hunt in two days, so I called Option and explained that I needed to order the replacement parts and expedited delivery. They replaced everything I needed for free and even got the parts to me in time.

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stan_wa

stan_wa

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
319
Location
Washington
I got a cross road archery 12-33
A back bar bracket off Amazon some weights and imma play with a set up as see what lenght front bar I like best and what combination of weights.
Any tips on how to set it up so im not try infinite combinations
 

TX_hunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 6, 2021
Messages
254
Appreciate all The feed back! Those that run a quavalizer do you also run a back bar I have 30” arrow if that informs anything

I use a quivalizer with no back bar. I've used arrows ranging from 28" C2C to 31" C2C.
 
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