Stabilizers, what are they really doing, why do we use them?

[Billy Goat]

That said, I was talking to my bow shop guy and asking about to top "tip" that I was dealing with and he suggested moving my side bar HIGHER on the bow, moving it more close to center when I had it in a lower hole on the riser.

For whatever reason, this seemed to help but maybe it's more mental than not.

It wouldn't necessarily make sense to me, as it sounds like you are giving it less leverage, but there's a lot of factors.

I generally don't have a back bar set out very far, most of my target bows I have 1.5 degrees down from a lower rear stabilizer hole, and 1.5 degrees out.


Any idea how much weight you are adding between the mount, bar, and the weights?


Im assuming the top tip was forward?

If it was backwards it would make sense to move it higher, or just reduce weight on a back bar so you aren't fighting it.

 

[Jpsmith1]

It wouldn't necessarily make sense to me, as it sounds like you are giving it less leverage, but there's a lot of factors.

I generally don't have a back bar set out very far, most of my target bows I have 1.5 degrees down from a lower rear stabilizer hole, and 1.5 degrees out.


Any idea how much weight you are adding between the mount, bar, and the weights?


Im assuming the top tip was forward?

If it was backwards it would make sense to move it higher, or just reduce weight on a back bar so you aren't fighting it.

Tip was top left

I have a 6" Beestinger with around 10oz on it. Compared to a lot of bows I see, it feels like my stab sticks out quite a bit from the riser. 15-20 degrees or so with better than a 10 degree down angle We changed from some "generic" through bolt hole mounting system to a Shrewd QD type system that bolted into the front stab hole.

Based on what I'm picking up from this thread, I think I'm switching my stabs front to back, putting the longer bar on the back and moving the weight down on the riser but I won't be doing much until I get my new bow which will have some more mounting options.

 

[Billy Goat]

Tip was top left

I have a 6" Beestinger with around 10oz on it. Compared to a lot of bows I see, it feels like my stab sticks out quite a bit from the riser. 15-20 degrees or so with better than a 10 degree down angle We changed from some "generic" through bolt hole mounting system to a Shrewd QD type system that bolted into the front stab hole.

Based on what I'm picking up from this thread, I think I'm switching my stabs front to back, putting the longer bar on the back and moving the weight down on the riser but I won't be doing much until I get my new bow which will have some more mounting options.

The shrewd should mount to the lower hole too if you want. They are labeled with degrees, or all that im familiar with. The Atlas mount also has a flat to set against the riser to help lock it into position.

6" doesn't give a lot of leverage, but if it's kicked out 15 degrees, thats a lot.

 

[Elkhntr6]

I ran a 15” front and 10” back bar for a few seasons but then when on a 13 day elk hunt in September I just got sick of the bulk and weight. I had a matching 6” bar on my backup bow so in the middle of the hunt I put the 6” in the back and the 10” on the front and have been running that since. Also I have a lot less weight on them: 1 oz in the back and 2 in the front. Way lighter and easier to pack around. It does balance better with the longer bars but not enough to make it worth it. If I wanted to go even lighter I would try just an offset bar on the front but I’m pretty happy with what I have. Also I’m shooting a lift 33 and without the bars it’s pretty top heavy imo.

 

[cscott144]

Front bars are there to slow the natural side to side oscillation that happens when you have tension in the bow during the shot. There is a natural left to right wiggle that happens in an unstabilized setup and the front bar is intended to cancel that out or slow it down.

The side bar is intended to create bias in the bow so that you only have to hold tension in one direction. If your bow is perfectly balanced then its can easilly move left or right during the shot creating dispersion. If the bow is weighted in one direction, usually towards the left for a righty, you only need to apply pressure towards the right to level the bow. This creates stabilization and a predictable reaction of the bow.

Reference George Ryles videos on YouTube for a better breakdown.

 

[switchback270]

I switched over to a quivalizer 8 years ago and have been happy with it. I shoot with the quiver full and it seems to work very well for me.

 

[Blockcaver]

Front bars are there to slow the natural side to side oscillation that happens when you have tension in the bow during the shot. There is a natural left to right wiggle that happens in an unstabilized setup and the front bar is intended to cancel that out or slow it down.

The side bar is intended to create bias in the bow so that you only have to hold tension in one direction. If your bow is perfectly balanced then its can easilly move left or right during the shot creating dispersion. If the bow is weighted in one direction, usually towards the left for a righty, you only need to apply pressure towards the right to level the bow. This creates stabilization and a predictable reaction of the bow.

Reference George Ryles videos on YouTube for a better breakdown.

Wouldn't the bow quiver, sight and arrow rest all create weight bias....toward the right for a right handed shooter?

 

[cscott144]

Wouldn't the bow quiver, sight and arrow rest all create weight bias....toward the right for a right handed shooter?

It does, which is why a sidebar is a great addition to a hunting bow. Most only add enough weight to get to a neutral balance though. Try adding enough to get bias in the opposite direction then hold into it. All of your joints are designed to roll inward, not outward, so having something to hold against will activate the small muscle groups that improve stability.

 

[Jpsmith1]

It does, which is why a sidebar is a great addition to a hunting bow. Most only add enough weight to get to a neutral balance though. Try adding enough to get bias in the opposite direction then hold into it. All of your joints are designed to roll inward, not outward, so having something to hold against will activate the small muscle groups that improve stability.

Iiiiinnteresting. Thank you for the idea

 

[HighUintas]

Jumping in here without having read the whole thread. I just have a question because I don't use a stabilizer at all. I hate them. I do not want to add extra junk to my already awkward to carry around bow.

I shot a Mathews lx from 2004 to 2020. Then sold it and got a vxr 28. Big big mistake. No stabs on either bow. The LX was light years ahead in stability, balance, and accuracy. Not speed or noise level, but that's ok. I feel like the LX didn't need a stabilizer at all. The vxr balance and jump super sucks and needs a stabilizer.

Why don't they just design a bow that doesn't need any stabilizer?

 

[BWSmith]

Take this with a grain of salt from an old,but not nearly done trad dick;

In the world of adjustable M/C shocks, there's a high speed circuit,and low speed. This isn't a reference to the bike's mph,it refers to the speed of the "hit" the shock sees. A hard edged "pothole" is the high speed.... a rolling hill gets into the slow circuit.

Back to bows;
The slow circuit would be how the bow holds before the shot. This is largely what the bow feels like whilst dealing with pin float.

The high speed circuit is vibration cancellation,and consequently noise,as the string hits it's stop.

I have 3 compounds,one very light,a medium weight, and then the longest/heaviest @33 ATA(before stabs). They each have different approaches in their low vs high circuits.

One other thing.... sure is nice having modest front/rear bars for laying my bow down. Sorry for the interruption,back to regular programming.

 

[flyfisher117]

Some day I’ll own a true target bow and I want to experiment with long target bars.

My current hunting bow I have and do shoot it a lot with and without short bars. On my flat home range I don’t see a difference. When out shooting in odd terrain, like TAC, I prefer the bars. I just find the bow easier to hold on odd angles it just seems more natural and less like me trying to control it. I have a 12” front bar and a 6” (I think rear). Just a few ounces on front and slightly more on rear.

Thoughts? Always wondered if it’s a form issue but never been able to track down a shooting coach who could spend time breaking down my form and process.