I have 4 bows set up, two have them and two don't. My whitetail / tree stand rigs don't...for a couple reasons. First I don't keep a quiver attached while in a stand, so I don't need any weight ofset... In typical hunting situations I don't shoot any better with them then with out it. Stabilizers help with noise and vibration...my solution to that is if I need a stabilizer to lessen that...then I don't keep the bow. Now on the bows I use in open county, think wind, think attached quiver....on them I have a stabilizer on as I feel in that situation it's worth the extra weight and bulk.
To be honest I've never don't any experimenting with different stabilizers and without one. I have one on because of looks lol. Dumb I know, but its the only reason I have one that I know of haha
You are not alone. That's why most people buy them. I quit using a stab altogether during turkey season when I am in the blind 100% of the time. It just gets in the way. I may not even put it back on after this years turkey season.
I just got the HTR and decided to do some tests with my stabilizer on and with it off. I always used one on my ballistic but I have decided against using one on the HTR. Feels so much better without it if you ask me. I prefer the bow to be as light as possible though.
I feel that the people that say stabilizers don't help, - have never used one over 8 inches Or - don't shoot much over 40. At longer range a long stabilizer can really help. I don't use a stabilizer for vibration dampening. Bow with heavy arrows is incredibly quiet. I'm shooting a 15 inch stabilizer with 6 ounces of weight. And yes I do hunt with that as well. While it's not necessary I just like how my bow feels with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
People like who? Randy Ulmer? Seems like a little over generalizations. And if 15" is good wouldn't 30" be better? What about a side bar? Back weights ? What I am getting at is where is the point of negative returns? For the guy who is mostly limited to treestands and the avg whitetail woods and ranges... it mostly acts as place to attach their pull up rope...
I just shot a doe with my brothers bow that didn't have a stabilizers Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, while 30 inches would be better it isn't practical. While my statement is very generalized, If you don't shoot your rig much over 40 and you don't shoot target, then a long stabilizer isn't necessary. The other part of my statement was for those who do shoot a little longer but use short stabilizers. They can't tell a difference so they opt out of the extra weight. Only when you get a decent length can you really notice a difference. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That's just it. Most people don't run a stab over 8" for the purpose of hunting. I am certainly not going to run around in the field with something sticking out over a foot. To me that's not practical at all. By all means throw a 3 ft stab on there if you are a tournament shooter. I think everyone would agree it makes a significant difference.
I always said the purpose of a hunting stabilizer was to hold the wrist sling in place. I may help a little with noise, but inside 30 yds there seems to be little benefit. I got a real stabilizer (Doinker Multirod 8 inch) and I noticed that it helped me tighten up my groups out past 30. Other than target shooting I didn't see much benefit.
I use a 12" and would never use one under 8" anymore. Plus I have found a front weight helps my hold and confidence substantially. Imo, they are a huge help with today's lighter bows and gets weight where you need it.
I've got one of those little axion ones on my bow. With that said I would love to try some longer ones with more weight unfortunately most places don't have a try it before you buy it on stabilizers
Forgot to mention confidence is a big part of mine too. I get buck fever (or all deer really) and a long stabilizer with weight helps me hold steady while nervous. And while competing I get nervous too, and it really helps. Not to mention it definitely boosts my confidence. While shooting in the backyard and incredibly calm, there is a difference but only small. But when I'm a high pressure situation my groups almost 1/3 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Man... Now that I think about it. I've never not used a stabilizer in the few years I've been shooting. I shoot a 2006 beat instinct and have always had an 8" stabilize on it. I've recently switched to the bee stinger with 6oz attached instead of the 10. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So from everyone is saying anything under 10 inches isn't worth it? Sorry to hijack the thread but I have been thinking about getting a 6 inch Bee stinger with the weights on it to see how much it helps
I would never ditch my stabilizer. My bow is way to unbalanced without it, especially since I am now shooting with a Hogg father sight, that's big and heavy compared to most of the other bow sights. My bow setup with the 10" fuse carbon blade seems perfect to me. Even a difference from the 7" stab I was using before. Like others said, I wouldn't want a 10" stab hunting out of a tree stand. But if I hunted mainly out of a tree stand for whitetail. I would have a different set up all together.
