Do you own a compound bow? Are you thinking about stabilizing your bow? You might be here for the same reason but aren’t sure how to get started with the compound bow stabilizer setup. Stabilizing a compound bow might seem like a tough task, but it certainly isn’t if you do everything in the right away.
If you are thinking about stabilizing a compound bow, you might be well aware of the benefits of using a stabilizer. If you aren’t, we will also talk about it when you keep going throughout this guide. The thing we will be telling you in this guide is all about compound bow stabilizer setup. By the end of this guide, you will also find out some tips on how to buy the perfect stabilizer.
Some of The Top Bow Stabilizers For You
[amazon table=”43301″]
[amazon box=”B00OPC1WOM”]
What Is A Compound Bow Stabilizer?
Compound bow stabilizer is just a simple equipment consisting of a screw mount, the stabilizer body part, noise dampening material, and a weight. It is mounted to the back of the riser by screwing it into a threaded accessory hole in your bow which lies just under the grip.
The noise dampening material in the stabilizer helps you to reduce the vibrations produced after firing a shot with your compound bow. However, it isn’t the only thing that the stabilizer does. In fact, noise dampening isn’t the most important use of a stabilizer. It also helps in the improvement of the accuracy of your bow.
Why is it used?
As mentioned above, compound bow stabilizer is used for the improvement of the accuracy of shots produced by your bow. Here are some of the major reasons why it is used:
It is able to dampen the level of vibrations produced when you fire a shot with your compound bow with the help of its in-built noise dampening system.
It can resist the torque that can be found when you’ve released your bowstring.
With the help of a stabilizer, you will be able to aim at the target with improved stability.
It also helps you to relax the bow properly.
Stabilizer helps to improve the accuracy of your shots.
[amazon box=”B06XC6NY12″]
Compound Bow Stabilizer Setup
Now that you know about the compound bow stabilizer, you might have already got one as well. So now, you are ready to get started with the setting up process of your compound bow stabilizer. We will be letting you know everything you need to do set up a compound bow stabilizer below.
How To Get Started
The first thing you need to do is to set up your compound bow in the way you normally do before shooting. The sight needs to be on and a quiver needs to be seated on your bow. The arrow rest needs to be in a proper place.
When you are sure about all these things, you need to make sure you have a relaxed bow hand, otherwise, the next steps won’t work for you. You shouldn’t have a death grip on your bow since you will be controlling it and the stabilizers won’t operate.
So..Then What?
Now, you need to pick up your bow and stay in the shooting position without drawing it back. You need to pay attention to every motion of the bow, whether it leans to the side, falls forward or tilts back. These things surely will be the necessary aspects to look for before setting up your stabilizers.
With a 25″ front rod, you might not need so much front weight since it might hold more level from front to back. Also, you may not need a long bar, in this case, depending on how you are shooting. But, when you get another front rod of 32″ inches, the bow might tilt back in your hand and move over 180 degrees when you leave it. In such cases, you need to add up some weight on the front.
How To Attach Bow Stabilizers
When you have set up your bow properly and taken proper actions toward its motion, you are now ready to place the stabilizers on your compound bow. It is highly recommended for you to get around 2 compound bow stabilizers, the first one can be a long front rod and the next one can be a short side bar. You can also get a V-bar setup. With this, you will be able to balance your scope bubble and the energy from your bow can be properly stabilized after firing a shot with your bow.
Side Rod
You can begin with the side rod level using the front rod. Also, you can properly seat your side rod to the bottom of the riser if there’s a mount towards it. Doing this will certainly help you in separating every plane where your rods are operating. This will also pull out more torque from your shots in case anything wrong happens.
Pull off & Put Weight To Adjust
When you have properly connected your stabilizers, you might want to pull off all the weight from the stabilizers. Then, you can again hold your bow in the shooting position to determine its reaction. If you want your compound bow to hold the level front to back and side to side in your hand, you might want to put some more weight. You can start out with the severe angle location.
While we were performing our research, we had left the side rod with no extra weight. We added up some weight on the front at the beginning so that the bow can level in that way. The next thing we did was adding some weight to the side bar. This ensured that the bubble can level side to side. If you do things in this way, your bow might lean back a lot. In such cases, you might want to insert some more weight on the front so that the bow can be stabilized.
The Final Adjustments (Optional)
When you have properly taken actions as mentioned above, you might have successfully setup the stabilizers on your compound bow. With that being done, you can try out throwing a shot with your bow to see how it reacts. You can also try holding your bow at full draw without any forces being put into it. Later on try out some fine tuning processes with all the weight and angles. While doing this, you need to pay attention to the way your bow reacts. In that way, you can perform the necessary adjustments after the arrow gets fired from your bow and reaches the target point.
[amazon box=”B078S46JFT”]
Does Stabilizer Varies Based On Bow Purpose?
Every stabilizer is designed in such a way that they can improve the accuracy of your shots, dampen the noise and resist the torque. Taking this mind, you can use any stabilizers for any purposes. It doesn’t really matter on what stabilizer you use for what purpose such as target shooting, hunting or bowfishing.
But, all these purposes are totally different and type of compound bow you can use for each purpose also differs. This is the reason why several manufacturers have designed different stabilizers for each purpose. For example, getting a bowfishing stabilizer can work the best for attaching with your compound bow suitable for bowfishing. On the other hand, target stabilizers could be your top priority if you are using a compound bow that is mainly designed for target shooting competitions.
[amazon box=”B01BE8ICBK”]
How to Buy a Stabilizer for Compound Bow?
Choosing the best stabilizer for your compound can be difficult. However, it won’t be so much difficult if you are well-known about several features of a compound bow stabilizer. Here are some tips that can help you to choose a stabilizer for buying for a compound bow:
You need to look for a stabilizer suitable with the size of your compound bow.
If you are planning to go for target shooting, there are several target stabilizers which might work best for you. This isn’t just for target shooting, you can get a stabilizer designed for a specific purpose if you are planning to use your bow for that purpose.
Getting a long stabilizer can help you in many cases to result in more accurate shots.
Long stabilizers also consume more energy than the shorter ones.
Should we only choose short stabilizer?
You shouldn’t go for a short stabilizer if they just offer better noise dampening performance, but not an improved accuracy.
It doesn’t matter how long stabilizer you buy. The only thing you need to do is to go for the stabilizer with which you can get a proper feel of where the most weight is located.
If you are going to use your bow in a smaller area, it is better to get a shorter stabilizer.
You shouldn’t go for the stabilizers having a larger area. This can result in an unstable shooting performance during the windy conditions. It is better to go for those with open grooves allowing some air to pass through it.
If you want to record your archery session, there are some stabilizers featuring a camera.
Conclusion
Probably you used to think of setting up a compound bow stabilizer is overwhelming. With the completion of this guide, your thoughts might have changed. Yes, setting up a compound bow stabilizer can be far easier if you know how exactly it can be done properly.
Now that you’ve reached the end of this guide, you have also found out some tips to choose the best stabilizer for a compound bow. So, you might be ready to get one for yourself to get started with the setup process. While looking for the best stabilizer, we highly recommend you to go for the one that offers improved accuracy and can work well in any situation.
The main part of archery is the type of bow you choose. Now, there is a lot of bows out there. They’re commonly grouped as Compound or Recurve. If you’re just a beginner, you might have no idea what each of these mean. So, to make sure you get the proper information, we’ve done the detailed comparative study of Compound Bow vs Recurve Bow for beginners to bring you a complete overview of both the compound and recurve bow.
Compound Bow
A compound bow is a modern type of bow that makes use of what is known as the ‘levering system.’ If you remember your middle school physics, a lever is basically something that reduces effort. It’s actually the same with a pulley/cable playing the vital role in a compound bow. This pulley/cable system makes compound bows to be stiffer than the recursive ones. Since a compound bow is more rigid, it is more energy efficient than other types of bows. This is mainly because less energy is spent in the limb movement.
The main work of the compound bow’s cam system is to make sure that the energy is maximized when the bow is drawn. It also ensures let-off at the end of the cycle. This means, when the bow is drawn back, the force of drawing gets heavier with each draw inch. A small amount of energy is stored in the first half of the draw while more energy is stored at the end where the weight is heavy. The bow works with varied weight profile. It reaches the peak weight while drawing a few inches while the weight decreases when the cams are let-off. This is the reason why compound bows energy storage is greater and it also shoots the arrow faster than a recurve or longbow.
[amazon box=”B077DMK8TR”]
Design
Compound bow’s design allows greater arrow speed. A soft cam will accelerate the arrow slowly than a harder cam. Beginners generally tend to shoot a soft cam while an advanced archer may prefer a harder cam for speed. The compound bow is readily available from harder to softer cams.
Mechanism
When you draw a compound bow, the limbs are pulled in towards each other so, they face one another in a horizontal way. This mechanism mainly reduces the recoil and vibration felt by the archer and this can be perfect for beginners.
Advantages of Compound Bow over a Recurve bow
Compound bow accounts for greater power and precision.
It can shoot a target from a greater distance
Usually, compound bows provide more add-ons and customization options
It requires lesser strength as compared to a recurve bow
A recurve bow is a traditional bow having limbs that curve away from the archer when it’s not strung. This makes it able to have more energy despite if it is a crossbow or a longbow. Recurve bow is especially for you if you want the arrow to be released with greater energy and travel at a higher speed. It is perfect if the precision is your concern.
Features of Recurve Bow
Greater Mass
The recurve bow has greater mass because the limb has multiple layers of fiberglass. Greater mass implies greater stability and this gives a contribution to accuracy. The accuracy is also related to a bow’s draw length and the archer’s skillset too. So, the mass itself isn’t everything.
Ease of Use
As compared to the compound bow, the recurve bow really lacks in terms of power and precision. But one thing that it really nails is the ease of use. The parts can be interchanged easily and the overall usage is pretty straightforward making it perfect for newcomers.
[amazon box=”B010Q3E8U8″]
Advantages of Recurve bow
A recurve bow has less weight (although it has a greater mass) and it’s extremely portable.
Different bows are compatible with different activities and people. Let us now see the compatibility of both kinds of bows.
Hunting
A compound bow is perfect for hunting. The let-off od a compound bow gives you a freedom to hold stationary for a greater time. It also has increased power and precision that makes it really the best bow if you want to hunt.
Intermediate Archer
For an intermediate archer, adjusting different power and precision modes is a necessity. In such a situation, you would want to get a compound bow as it will totally shatter the recurve bow in this department. An intermediate archer should get a compound bow.
Novice Archer
If you’re a newbie, then you don’t need an extravagant type of bow. A beginner needs to develop his own technique and strength. What better way than a recurve mode where you manually have to adjust every setting. So, if you’re trying archery for the first time then, make sure to go for a recurve bow rather than a compound bow. It’s more simple and easier to use for a novice.
Bowfishing
You can use both the recurve or the compound bow for fishing with a bow. It generally requires you to attach a reel to the stabilizer on the bow. Since Bowfishers have to spend time drawing and waiting, a compound bow can work here. At the same time, you can get a quick shot with a recurve bow. So, the choice is kind of ambiguous. There is not really a clear winner here. So, you can probably go with both. It’s a draw here.
Target Practice
You can use any bow to shoot the target for practice. But, if your aim is to shoot at pro competitions then, it might be a different deal altogether. Although, professional competitions exist where both the recurve and compound bows can be used. A few high-class competition only allow only recurve bows. For instance, Olympics only allows a recurve bow. Because of this slight preference to recurve bow, we have to go with a recurve bow on this one.
If you have no idea of what kind of bow you want to choose, then this article about “Compound Bow vs Recurve Bow For Beginners” will help you understand. If you’re lost then, read this part carefully. Here we’re listing some of the most sought-after features and tell you which one is better at what. We’re also going to explain compatibility of these bows with various activities that will help you make an informed decision.
Power
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the cam system of the compound bow makes it a clear winner in this department. A 70-pound draw weight is considered enough and most compound bow performs even better than that. There is no comparison in this regard. Compound over Recurve when power is the question.
Verdict: Compound Bow
Aim/Precision
This depends upon the let-off. A 70-pound compound bow with an 85% let-off requires around 16 pounds of force. For comparison, A 70 pound recurve bow will require a 70-pound force. The clear winner is the compound bow here.
Verdict: Compound Bow
Loudness
The noise of the bow is difficult to judge. Any bow can be made silent by using dampeners but, since a recurve bow has fewer mechanisms, it is relatively faster to install a dampener here. Based on that logic, we give a slight edge to the recurve bow on this one.
Verdict: Recurve Bow
Size
Equally powered compound bow is smaller than a recurve bow. A nearly double-sized recurve bow has the same power as the compound bow of half its size. The winner, hence, is the compound bow.
Verdict: Compound Bow
Weight
The mechanisms in a compound bow is greater than a recurve bow. Although the size of a compound bow is small, the weight is greater because of the complex built with cams and extra strings involved. This one, we must give to the recurve bow as it is much much lighter.
Verdict: Recurve Bow
Portability
Recurve bow needs to be disassembled into 3-4 parts before you can carry them around with you. This is really something annoying. Hence, they’re not super portable. A compound bow, however, stays built and is portable. But, the disassembled recurve bow is much more portable, however, you can’t shoot it so, we give this to the compound bow.
Verdict: Compound Bow
Adjustments
Recurve bows have different types of limbs which you can use to increase or decrease the power of the bow. An assembled bow with one set of limbs will give you a single power range i.e, there are no adjustment options as far as recurve bows are concerned. When it comes to a compound bow, they have their own draw weight and power adjustments. These are adjusted by using a tool that tweaks the cams’ position. The winner is clearly a compound bow here.
Verdict: Compound Bow
Build Quality/Construction
The material used to construct these bows have a wide range. The general materials include aluminium, carbon, wood etc. Both the bows are made with different materials so, there is no clear victory as far as the build is concerned. This one is a draw.
Verdict: Draw
Cost
A mid-range recurve bow costs less than a similar compound bow. This is mainly due to the complex mechanism involved in the compound bow. Although the price can vary from place to place and generally depends on what you get for the money, we have to go with the recurve bow on this one. They’re just generally cheap overall.
Verdict: Recurve Bow
Maintainance
Restringing a recurve bow when the string snaps are relatively easier than a compound bow. Broken limbs are also easy to fix on a recurve bow. The same thing can’t be said for a compound bow. When you mistakenly snap strings or break a compound bow, you need to go to a professional for fixing it. This makes the recurve bow have better maintenance. All the moving parts of the compound bow make it harder to fix. The clear winner is the recurve bow.
Verdict: Recurve Bow
Add-Ons
Both a recurve and a compound bow can be fitted with all types of accessories like stabilizer, silencers, dampeners etc. There is no winner here. It’s a draw.
Verdict: Draw
Design
Only a few compound bows look exceptional. Other than that, they’re not much colorful or stylish. The extra mechanism and the compact look makes a compound bow look bulky. Whereas, a recurve bow is sleek and stylish. Recurve bow also has that vintage look. It beats a compound bow in this department by miles.
Verdict: Recurve Bow
Compound Bow vs Recurve Bow For Beginners
Features
Best Bow For This Feature
Power
Compound
Aim/Precision
Compound
Loudness
Recurve
Size
Compound
Weight
Recurve
Portability
Compound
Adjustment
Compound
Build quality
Draw (Depends on individual bows)
Cost
Recurve
Maintainance
Recurve
Add-ons
Draw
Design
Recurve
Bow Buying Guide For a Beginner
As a beginner, the overwhelming market of bow must be really scary for you. There are a lot of brands to choose from and a lot of bows with a lot of features. In such a market, it’s crucial to know the kind of bow that’ll suit you.
Here are some tips that could be helpful for you:
Get a recurve bow if you’re starting out and just want to do some target practice. No point in buying a compound bow here.
Get a compound bow if hunting is your priority. Although recurve bow is best for a beginner, it is not best for hunting, so get a compound bow and learn. It might be difficult at first but it’ll be worth it.
Don’t go with brands but go with the price to performance ratio. See what you can get for a certain price and buy the appropriate one.
If you can then, shoot the bow for a minute or so before buying it, buy what feels natural to you.
As there are limitless designs, you can go with any color combination you want.
The final thing to remember is to make sure you have all the information about the bow you’re buying beforehand. Read some reviews and decide if it is worth it.
Conclusion
So, the compound bow is actually better than a recurve bow in some cases. But if you look at our comparison chart, you’ll see it’s 50-50. That is mainly because recurve bow also holds it’s position firmly. With a compound bow, you’ll definitely get more power and precision at a shorter size, good portability, and adjustment options but they come at a price. Recurve bows, on the other hand, cost less, they have great design, maintenance, they’re meant for beginners, they make less sound and are much lightweight.
Bow and arrows have been used in this world since the stone age for hunting purposes. It has also been used during battles and wars in the Middle Ages. During this period, the most prevalent bows were the traditional longbows which were invented long before the modern compound bows. Compound bows came into existence many centuries later, but they feature several modernized features in their structure. This may make you think about Compound Bow vs Longbow! Which One To Take?
Both compound bow and longbow have their own uses and their own downsides. You might be in a dilemma to choose the best type of bow for several purposes and you are stuck between these two type of bows. To make your task easier, we are presenting you an explained informative guide regarding the several features of both bows along with a decision-making chart for you to choose the best one.
Compound Bow
[amazon box=”B010ARH1HW”]
A compound bow is one of the most popular types of bow in the modern archery world. It is usually used for hunting purposes and for target practice. This bow features a levering system which consists of cables as well as pulleys to bend the limbs.
The pulley system in a compound bow lets offers you a mechanical advantage, which is why the limbs in this bow are comparatively stiffer than those of a longbow. Due to this stiffness, compound bow becomes a lot more efficient to energy than a longbow due to the less dissipation of energy for the movement of limbs.
This bow is constructed with highly rigid, advanced technology. Due to this, the sensitivity of the bow gets decreased so that there is a change in temperature and humidity. Hence, you can experience an improved accuracy with a compound bow.
Features of Compound Bow
An ideal compound bow is lightweight, adjustable and flexible as well as sturdy.
Its central riser is usually designed with aluminum, carbon fiber or magnesium alloy.
It usually suits the dominance of your eyes as well as the dexterity of your hand which helps in smooth and perfect shots.
Compound Bow features a levering system which is used for the bending of limbs.
Compatibility
Bowfishing: A reel needs to be connected with a stabilizer which is placed on your compound bow for bowfishing. When you’ve speared a fish, you will be using barbed arrows to reel in, and there are several kits available for this purpose. A compound works best for bowfishing since you’ve to wait a lot of time after aiming with a full-draw.
Bowfishing, Courtesy: Wide Open Spaces
[amazon box= “B01NAXOIDV”]
Long Bow
[amazon box=”B00DCWSWLM”]
A longbow is another type of bow which is widely used in hunting and wars. This bow has a larger height, near to the height of the archer. Unlike another traditional bow (i.e. recurve bow), this bow isn’t recurved and features narrow limbs which are generally in a circular or D-shaped in the cross-section.
This bow has been used in the world for a longer time than the compound bow. It has been used in different wars and several hunting purposes. Longbows used for such purposes were designed with the use of yew or elm during the Paleolithic and the Bronze Age. Previously, a longbow used to be just a simple bow featuring a single piece of wood.
With the change of time and with the invention of new technologies, longbows have also become advanced like the compound bows and are designed with modern technologies to increase the usability and durability of the bows.
Features of Longbow
A longbow is usually designed with yew wood, elm, oak, and hazel.
It is typically equal to the height of the archer.
It has narrow limbs and rounded cross-section.
Its strings don’t come in contact with its limbs.
Compatibility
Bow Fishing: For bowfishing, you need to have a reel attached to the stabilizer seated on your longbow. Also, you need to have barbed arrows so that you can reel in once you’ve speared a fish. Once you have got the necessary kits, you can spend some time aiming with a full-draw and waiting for the longbow to offer a quick snapshot. Hence, a longbow is compatible with bowfishing.
Target Shooting: There are several target shooting events for people using both type of bows. The range and size of the targets are also similar in both cases. However, at the Olympics, it really matters on how well you behave. This means discipline matters, and a compound bow doesn’t suit the requirements since it can produce dangerous results. But, a longbow is eligible since you won’t be resulting in harmful consequences.
[amazon box= “B06WPB9DMS”]
Decision-Making Chart: Best Bow for Beginners
Features
Best for Beginners
Power
Compound Bow
Aiming
Compound Bow
Weight
Long Bow
Size
Compound Bow
Maintenance
Long Bow
Portability
Compound Bow
Cost
Long Bow
Adjustability
Compound Bow
Availability
Compound Bow
Customization
Long Bow
Compound Bow vs Longbow for Beginners
If you are a total beginner in archery, hunting, bowfishing or any other purposes where a bow is used and want to find out the best bow for that specific purpose, you can keep following this guide where we will be comparing several features of both the compound bows and longbows.
Power
Around 70 pounds of power is sufficient for taking any sort of actions with any of the bows. Generally, both the bows are available at the draw weight of around 70 pounds for the same reason since manufacturers aren’t likely to prepare bows with larger draw weight.
While comparing the two bows, a compound bow with a 70-pound draw length can display the best performance while using the same arrow size and weight. During the shooting period, the strings in compound bows are far more powerful while flinging the arrows, which easily makes the compound bow the top choice in this case.
Winner: Compound Bow
Aiming
When talking about let-off, a compound bow with a draw weight of 70 pounds and 80% let-off is likely to hold just around 14 pounds force while aiming. On the other hand, a longbow of the same specifications will have to hold 70 pounds of force straining against you, which easily makes the compound bow greater while aiming.
Winner: Compound Bow
Weight
A longbow might be larger than a compound bow, but if you have properly selected the strings and thickness of the riser, you will have a heavier compound bow since it involves a lot more aspects during the construction.
Winner: Longbow
Size
A compound with the draw weight of 70 pounds is likely to measure around 32 inches from the two limb tips, whereas a longbow will have around 72 inches with the same power. Hence, a longbow is twice as larger as a compound bow.
Winner: Compound Bow
Maintenance
A compound bow involves several things in its construction to make it portable. If its string collapses, you won’t be able to repair it at the moment. However, you can easily maintain the string in a long bow with your own hand. It is easier to repair a broken limb in this bow since you can just get a set of limbs and combine them. But, for a compound bow, you will have to take it to a well-trained person for proper assembly and maintenance.
Winner: Longbow
Portability
You can easily remove the limbs and break them into a riser, a top limb, and a bottom limb so that you can transport them elsewhere. The case is opposite for a compound bow. Once it is manufactured, it can’t be broken down like the longbow. Although a longbow will occupy less housing space than the compound bow, you won’t be able to shoot with the bow when it is broken down into pieces. Hence, a compound bow is more portable than a longbow.
Winner: Compound Bow
Cost
A compound bow needs a lot of different materials for its construction. It requires many different parts, their assembly, and transportation which can be tedious and non-cost-effective.
The case is just the opposite in case of a longbow. It requires just a few materials and costs less than half of a good compound bow. Hence, a longbow is a cost-effective solution.
Winner: Longbow
Adjustability
You can find some compound bows allowing you to adjust their draw weight and length. It can be done by changing the position of their cams. There are few bows which let you adjust the power from 5 to 70 pounds. Additionally, you can also adjust the draw length from 10 inches to 32 inches without using a bow press.
For the case of a longbow, you have a lot of different limb options to change its power. When you assemble a long bow with a single set of limbs, you will have one specific range of power only. In this case, you will be able to under-draw the bow to shoot with a lower force. However still, a compound bow will be better in terms of adjustability.
Winner: Compound Bow
Availability
You can find several compound bows and longbows when you do a simple search on Google. In terms of several features, a compound bow is dominant. This is the reason why most archers and hunters prefer compound bows. Due to this reason, manufacturers produce more number of compound bows than the longbows.
Winner: Compound Bow
Customization
A longbow has been around for many centuries. Most people are easily attracted by a longbow since they carry more prestige. Even though compound bows are more advanced and feature new technologies, there are a lot of different styling options available for a longbow. You can’t customize a compound bow in your own way. It is not possible since it is already well-built and making changes might lead to the damage of several parts. Hence, a longbow easily wins in this case.
Winner: Longbow
Conclusion
Now you have found out about the different features of both compound and longbows as well as the comparison factors for both bows. It’s time to decide which bow would be the best for beginners. With the above decision-making chart, it is clearly known that the compound bow is taking the lead with 6-4 with the longbow. This means a compound bow is found to be the best bow for beginners for different purposes such as bowfishing, hunting, archery, target practice, etc.
If you have any issues regarding the information of both type of bows, you may feel free to write down to us in the comments. We’d try to get back to you right away.
Nowadays, stabilizers used in archery are mostly related to the dampening of vibrations. It really depends on the deadly feel offered by the bow for the stabilizing quality you obtain with stabilizers. Despite most people use stabilizers for vibration dampening, it isn’t the only thing they are used for. They might help in decreasing the rate of vibration, but it doesn’t do anything to change the accuracy of the bow. If you are watching an archery video, you’ll easily notice an arrow 10 yards beyond the bow when you hear the vibration produced by the shot. To achieve the perfect shot using stabilizer, the archery stabilizer weight formula will surely help you.
Stabilizers also help you to improve the accuracy in archery, and it isn’t just in a single form, but two different forms. In this guide, we’ll be presenting you with all the major information regarding the bow stabilizer weight formula. By the end of this article, you’ll also find out several things to look for while buying and setting up a stabilizer.
Top Bow Stabilizers For You
[amazon table=”43301″]
How Does Having A Stabilizer Help In Archery?
Archery stabilizers are seated on the back of the riser by screwing them through a threaded hole under the grip. Most of the bows in recent time are designed in such a way that they already possess an accessory hole at the proper place. Now, the thing comes on how having a stabilizer helps in archery. Stabilizers are able to perform a lot of different tasks with your bow.
Damping Vibration
Stabilizers can dampen the level of vibration produced when you create a shot with your bow. They help in the reduction of shock you can feel on your hand at the grip, which results in a more silent bow. Stabilizers can also balance your bow by changing the weight under the grip, which allows the bow to get up for offering a significant level of accuracy while producing shots.
Bow Torque
Stabilizers also combat the bow torque, which means they offer some weight in front of the bow to resist the torque that can be produced in the riser once you have released your bowstring. They also help you in aiming at the proper target before shooting.
Accuracy
You might be wondering how they improve the accuracy of your bow. In fact, stabilizers help you to improve the accuracy in the form of two different improvements. The first one is the mechanical improvement, which allows you to aim at the target with improved stability. Here your groups will be tighter if you are holding your bow tightly, which really helps you to improve the accuracy of your shot. On the other hand, the mental improvement offered by the stabilizers helps you to relax your bow properly. The mental improvement can change the way you aim and shoot at the target.
[amazon box= “B06XC6NY12”]
Archery Stabilizer Weight Formula
The formula to find out the weight of the rear rod is simple. You just need to know the length of your long rod, the weight on its tip and the length of your rear rod. The first thing you need to do is to multiply the length of your long rod with the weight on its tip and finally, you have to divide the result by the length of your rear rod.
With that being done, you will be able to calculate a reliable basis for tuning your stabilizer setup all by yourself. However, you might find out a large increment in the weight, and if you find, you need to increase the extra weight slowly. Increasing the extra weight quickly might result in the damage of your rod.
Fancy An Example?
For example, if you have a 32 inches rod along with a side rod of 12 inches and the tip of the long rod weighs 5 oz. Now, you need to do; 32″ X 5 oz = 160″oz. Then, you can divide it by 12″ to get 13.33oz. You can round it up to 14oz since several rods are available with 1oz increment. In this case, if you think 14oz is very heavy, you might want to use even long rods so that you will be able to reduce the weight. The same formula can be used if you require the same leverage against the torque with a lightweight rod.
Remember! Twice the distance, half the weight.
How To Setup Stabilizer For Archery?
Setting up a stabilizer for archery isn’t too difficult as you might be thinking. However, you need to look for a proper stabilizer for your bow. Here is everything you need to do to set up a stabilizer for archery.
Getting Started
[amazon box=”B06XC6NY12″]
First, you need to set up your bow properly as you used to do before shooting. The sight needs to be on along with a quiver seated on your bow as well as the arrow rest and the other pieces of equipment. Also, you need to make sure that you have a well-relaxed bow hand. You won’t be able to set up the stabilizer when you have a death grip on your bow.
You might be want to hold your bow right in front of you without drawing it back and keep staring at it to know whether it is tilting, falling forward, leaning to any of sides or not. While setting up your stabilizer, you need to make sure about every motion your bow takes in its natural form.
If you have a bow with a 27″ of the front rod, it might hold more level from the front to the back. That means it doesn’t need a lot of front weight. In case of a 30″ inch front rod, the rod might tilt up to 180 degrees. In such cases, you might want to add some weight on the front.
Placing The Stabilizers
[amazon box=”B014X292QI”]
When you are sure about every motion of your bow after its proper setup, you might want to get started with the placing of stabilizers. It is better to have around a couple of stabilizers for your bow for better performance. A long front rod along with a short side rod would work the best. This is because they would help in balancing your scope and stabilizing the energy of your bow after throwing a shot.
Side Rod
It is better to start out with the side rod level with the front rod. If there is a mount at the bottom of the riser, it is good to mount your side rod over the riser so that you will be able to separate the planes where both rods will be working on. Doing this will pull off larger torque from your shots for improved accuracy.
Weight Adjustment
When you have properly attached the stabilizers, you need to look at whether the weight is off of the stabilizers or not. Then, you can hold the bow like you do while shooting to determine its reaction. If you want your bow to be stable from the front to the back and the side to the sad in your hand, you can add some weight as well. You can start adding weight from the location where there is a severe angle.
If you leave your side rod with no weight, add up some front weight to make the bow stable and finally add some weight to the sidebar to stabilize it from the left to right, your bow might lean back. In this case, you can add some weight on the front so that it will be well-balanced.
With that being done, you’ve now properly set up the stabilizers on your bow. When you are done with this, you might also want to fine tune the weights and angles for even better performance. Every time you are using your bow with stabilizers, you need to adjust your body for the stabilizers. By that way, you will be able to feel more comfortable after every shot with your bow due to the weight you’ve added on it.
Precautions While Setting Up Stabilizers For Archery
Here are few safety precautions you need to take while setting up stabilizers for archery:
You should unload your bow before getting started.
Get stabilizers that are compatible with your bow
You shouldn’t try setting up stabilizers without properly setting up the bow first.
Make sure that your bow is well-functioning and not damaged.
You shouldn’t put any valuable items nearby while setting up the stabilizers.
It is better to keep a cellphone with you so that you can call someone if something wrong happens.
You should be aiming in an open area.
How To Buy Stabilizer For Archery?
While buying a stabilizer for archery, you need to know about several things. You also need to be sure about the information you know about your bow’s specifications is totally correct to prevent any issues later on. Here are some tips that will help you to choose a stabilizer for archery.
Length of Stabilizer
The length of the stabilizer isn’t fixed at an exact point and it’s all upon you on what you prefer. Getting a 6″ stabilizer would be the perfect choice if you don’t hunt staying more than 20 yards away from the target. However, 30″ stabilizer would work the best if you usually participate in target shooting competitions with the targets being over 75 meters away.
No matter what length you choose, you need to know that the stabilizer will be able to resist more bow torque if it is longer and vice-versa. Also, to obtain maximum stability, the best place is against the bow at the end for the bulk of the weight.
Side Rods
Side rods help to stabilize your bow by increasing the weight behind the bow’s riser. It isn’t mandatory to add side rods, and it is also all upon you. With side rods existing on the opposite side of the bow from the quiver, you will be able to prevent the weight of bow-mounted quiver.
If you are participating in shooting tournaments, you might want to use a single side rod. However, getting one rod for each side can also help you to make your bow more steady with the use of a V-bar while aiming.
[amazon box= “B00U323SR2”]
Conclusion
Getting a stabilizer for your bow isn’t compulsory. But, if you get one, you might be able to experience increased stability of your bow. Choosing the best stabilizers really depend on the length and side rods. Also, it depends on the location and type of target.
Setting up a stabilizer for archery might be very easy as mentioned above. But still, you need to take some precautions for your own safety. The only thing you need to do if you are planning to get stabilizer is to look for the one that suits your requirements.
When you feel that the accuracy of a recurve bow really affects your aimed spot, you might be thinking about tuning your recurve bow. You might feel the same when your recurve bow is improperly tuned. You might be interested in knowing how to tune a recurve bow because you were experiencing several difficulties while repeating same shots several times and want to pick up a different kind of shot.
By tuning, you can expect highly accurate results from your bow only when you have turned it the correct way. Your attitude, biomechanics of the bow and tuning of the bow are the major aspects which affect the accuracy of your shot from the recurve bow. The first two are natural since they depend on yourself and your bow choice, but for the third aspect, you need to perform the tuning of your bow yourself to ensure maximum accuracy.
We will be presenting you the ultimate guide to tuning a recurve bow when you keep going further throughout this article. Before getting onto the exact step-by-step details, let’s get started with the basics of bow tuning.
What is Bow Tuning?
When you are into the archery field, it really depends on the bow for providing a proper momentum to the arrow. Bow is the most important thing to result in accurate shots at aimed targets. Its design also makes differences in the velocity offered to the arrow to travel the arrow faster or slower. For a better experience in all these things to improve the speed and accuracy of your shots, tuning your bow is highly essential.
Bow tuning refers to the proper method of adjustment of a bow so that your shots can hit the target precisely. Bow tuning needs to be performed in the way you use your bow for shooting so that you’d be able to get the best experience out of your shots. When you have properly tuned a bow, you’d be able to witness a proper arrow flight to provide you a better shooting experience. This is the reason why tuning a bow is really essential along with the consistency in your shooting technique.
[amazon box= “B01FH777JC”]
Why Is Bow Tuning Necessary?
Generally, bow tuning is all about increasing the accuracy of your shots. There are several reasons why it is highly essential in archery which are listed below:
It allows you to experience a better shooting performance.
It helps in increasing the velocity offered to the arrows for the perfect shot.
It helps to improve your shooting technique by maintaining consistency.
It makes it easier for you to throw out some straight shots to the aimed spot.
[amazon box= “B000LOAM0S”]
How To Tune A Recurve Bow?
Now that you’ve found out about the significance of tuning a bow, you might want to find out the exact method to tune your recurve bow. When you keep going through this guide below, you will find out the step-by-step information for tuning a recurve bow.
Getting Started
The first thing you need to do get started is to adjust the height of the string from the riser. Generally, this area is around 7 to 9 inches long from the bow’s grip to the bow’s riser. When you have located the string height, you need to pull off some shots with your bow and arrows for testing purposes.
Remember! The arrows need to be fletched.
You will find out proper insights regarding the functioning of your recurve bow when you witness the way the arrows hit the aimed spot. You will also find out the necessary adjustments to be done which will help in improving the accuracy of your shot.
When you are tuning a recurve bow, the nock height also needs to be well-polished since this helps to improve the accuracy of your shot as well as to increase the effectiveness of arrow release.
Preparing A Brace Height
Brace height refers to the total distance between the central part of your bow string and the bow’s grip. To find out the exact method to establish an ideal brace height, you might want to consult the user manual provided by your manufacturer since it is likely to have such information in the manual.
The Initial Steps
When you are ready to make adjustments in the brace height to make it longer, you need to remove the bowstring along one of the bowstring nocks and pull it off. Now, you need to twist the string so that you can shorten it. When you have twisted the string, the next thing you need to be doing is to replace the bowstring end in your bow’s nock location. Now that you have established a proper brace height, you might want to pull off some shots with an arrow to determine how it feels.
You would be to hear some vibration in the limbs of your bow when it is likely that the brace height is too low. The bowstring might even slap your forearm when you throw the shot towards the target. In this case, your bow might turn out to produce a loud noise since there’s no proper brace height for accuracy.
Final Adjustments
In such conditions, you need to keep making adjustments to the brace height. Once you have twisted the bowstring around 3-5 times for shortening it, you might be able to get a proper brace height. To be sure about a proper brace height, you need to make sure that the above-mentioned issues aren’t witnessed.
[amazon box=”B06W9P8QWK”]
Now that you have completed all the steps properly, you’d be able to experience the sweet spot as named by professional archers. When you have made a proper brace height adjustment, you won’t be able to witness any vibration in the limbs, shocks in your forearm and loud noise. With that being done, you have now tuned the brace height in a proper way.
Setting Up The Bow’s Nock Set
The first thing you need to do here is to hold the bow facing toward the ground. An arrow needs to be fitted in the nock, facing towards the ground. Now, you need to tap the bowstring which should result in the dropping away of the arrow from the bowstring quickly. If this doesn’t happen, you might want to consider using a little sandpaper of 150 or 220 grid and sand the nock so that the connection between the nock and the string becomes loose.
Other Alternatives You Can Try Out
Instead of doing so, you might want to use plastic nocks and place them on the arrow shaft just to put them in boiling water until you reach to the base of the arrow groove. You need to keep doing this for around 15 seconds and remove from the water. Now, you should keep them onto the bowstring and let the tight nock to stay there for around 30 seconds so that the nock gets loose to fit in a suitable way.
To set the nock set and position the arrow, you can also use a T-square. You can do so by pulling off some shots with your bow and arrows to determine the shot and position which offer the best accuracy. You need to use both fletch and unfletch arrow one by one so that you will find out the condition of your bow setup.
The Next Thing You Need To Do
With that being done, you can pull off some practice shots staying around 10 meters from the target. In case you feel like the fletched arrows are higher than the unfletched ones after reaching the target, you need to know that your nock is too high. In this case, you need to adjust the setup around 0.79375millimetersr just to try out some shots again. Until you obtain the required accuracy, you need to keep following these steps repeatedly.
If you are left-handed and you are receiving the unfletched arrows to the left of fletched arrows, you need to know that your arrows are a lot more stiffer. You can lower the nock point and make some adjustments in case your unfletched arrows are located below the fletched ones. If they are in the right, then the arrows must be less stiff.
Adjusting Through Arrow Weight
You can adjust your arrow stiffness by shooting with a varying weight of arrows at the beginning. If you want to weaken the arrow, you can insert a heavier point into it and a lighter point in case of a stiff arrow. You might also want to shorten the arrow by 1.5″ every time so that you will be able to get the fletched arrows in the proper alignment.
If you are new to archery, you can keep doing the steps staying at the distance of around 20 meters and 9 meters if you are well-known about archery. When you keep performing these processes repeatedly, you’d be able to have a finer tuning of your recurve bow. When everything is done correctly, your recurve bow will be properly tuned for an increased accuracy and better arrow flight.
Precautions While Tuning A Bow
Despite being well-known about the method to tune a recurve bow, there are still some things you need to do know. You need to consider several things while tuning a bow. Here are some of the major precautions you need to take while tuning a bow:
You need to keep your arrow aimed towards the earth after nocking.
Before shooting with your bow, you need to check whether there is any damage in bow limbs or not.
You shouldn’t point your recurve bow at anyone, even though it is just for testing purposes without loading an arrow.
You shouldn’t pull and release the string of your bow without loading an arrow in it.
Wearing an arm guard is recommended if you are new to archery since you might hurt your forearm several times.
You need to have your cellphone next to you which might be essential in case any sort of accidents take place.
You need to ensure about un-stringing the bow when you have completed the session.
Conclusion
Now that you have known about the exact method to tune a recurve bow, you are now ready to get started with the tuning process. However, you need to make sure to read the precautions once before tuning a bow to prevent from any sort of damage that might happen.
It might be difficult to tune a bow properly since you have to pull off a few shots, twist and attach your bow string and repeat the same process many times. But, if you try it once and become able to tune your recurve bow, you won’t have any issues later on.
If you have any issues regarding the tuning of your recurve bow, you can feel free to write down to us in the comments. We’d love to get back to you right away.
Balancing a bow might not be a huge deal if all your shots are short but if you are trying to improve tournament shooting or searching for ways to maximize your range while hunting, you might want to control all the variables. A bow is perfect when it doesn’t move, tip or turns during or after the shot has been taken. In this article, we’ll discuss how to balance a bow with stabilizers.
An unbalanced bow may need to be forced into a stationary position and vertical position by inputting force on the handle. In addition, people with a relaxed grip could start to fall to the right soon after releasing the string. The bow should always be balanced in a perfect way for it to not have any “pre-load.” All throughout the launch cycle, the bow should stay at the same position and it shouldn’t be moved during the shot. The should also rest easily in hand and there shouldn’t be any up and down motion to it.
Let us get into the fun part now, but before that, let us first discuss what stabilizers are.
What Is A Stabilizer?
A stabilizer is something you mount to the riser back of the bow by screwing it into a threaded accessory hole which is located just below the grip. Almost every type of bow comes with an accessory hole. Stabilizers have many tasks. They absorb vibration in the bow at the shot. This reduces the shock that it felt on the bow grip. The Stabilizers keep the bow balanced by adding weight to the grip. That weight ensures that the bow stands up straight which is important for consistency. It also helps your vision when you aim at the target. They also work against the bow torque. The release of the bowstring increases the torque but with a stabilizer, the weight in the front of the bow resists the torque.
[amazon box= “B06XC6NY12”]
Why Do You Need A Stabilizer?
Stability is important. It improves accuracy. When your aim is stable, you hit the target. The tighter you hold, the tighter your groups will be. Mentally, a stable aim will boost confidence and hence, your target practice will be more efficient.
The question of whether a stabilizer is needed can have a two-fold answer. Stabilizers are needed to add forward weight to the bow and the bow balances. Some people also say that the bow stabilizer also reduces noise. But this is not a fact though.
The best part about stabilizer is that they add weight to the bow. They’re like barrels for a rifle. More heavy barrel implies better shooting precision. This is why people who’ve left shooting for a while always pick up the full barreled rifles after going back to shoot. Even in the Olympics, archers shoot bows with really heavy and long stabilizers.
Therefore, to increase the overall quickness of your shot and hit the target quite easily, a stabilizer is a very important thing that you can purchase as a hunter.
Now let us see the ways with which we can balance a bow with a stabilizer.
[amazon box= “B00U323SR2”]
How To Balance A Bow With Stabilizers?
There are certain ways to balance a bow with a stabilizer. These are explained below in points:
The weights on a stabilizer are separated from the rod with rubber or some other material which dampens the vibration. This makes it easier to carry the bow. Although, if the rubber in question is too soft then it can result in the movement of the system before the arrow can leave the bow. You are reducing the weight’s effectiveness. So, do not separate the weight from the rod with a flexible mount.
Most of the stabilizers are generally heavy through their entire length. Some have pistons to dampen the vibration, bladders filled with oil etc. These vibration dampeners really make the bow feel sturdy as they cancel vibration out of the bow. However, they don’t increase the forgiveness factor, that is to say, bows today are already heavy before you add anything to them. So, the idea of adding more weight and making it heavier isn’t the best option. Weight alone doesn’t create accuracy, Mass and balance together will be most effective to do that. So, while setting up the stabilizer, keep this in mind too.
There are many hints that you can pick up on while you are trying to find the balance that works for you. You can keep a close handle on the feel of the bow. Also, watch the shape, size, and speed of your sight on the target for valuable hints as well.
The first step to get a perfect stabilization is to take a look at your current setup. Then, you can figure how much weight to add and get rid of.
With that being said, there are many other factors to achieve the perfect balance. An archer’s body position, their capability, and their confidence level play a huge role in determining whether their bow is balanced or not.
Buying Guide for A Bow Stabilizer
There are many things that you should consider before buying a bow stabilizer. Not all bows need stabilizer and if they do there are certain factors that will help you while other factors would be unnecessary.
The things that you should consider before buying a bow stabilizer are given below.
Vibration and Dampening Material
The first thing to consider before buying a bow stabilizer is to consider the material that it’s made up on. Especially it’s dampening material. Most bow stabilizers have a type of rubber, gel or sand that serves as the dampening component. These materials have their own unique properties so, obviously, one material is better than the other.
Hence, Most companies use rubber to decrease the vibration, noise, and shock so, go for a rubber one. In addition, if the dampening material is placed away from the bow end then, it will maximize the effectiveness of your dampener. So, keep that in mind too.
Front End
The front end of the stabilizer must have weight. The weight of the material is the second item on the checklist after the material. Check for the ones having the heaviest rubber. The weight present in the stabilizer’s front acts as a counterbalance and this increases stability. The similar design can be witnessed on target rifles too where the gun’s stock is usually lightweight and the barrel is relatively heavy.
The lightweight body and a heavy front end is almost a universal design choice for stability. If you have a rubber dampener and a heavy front end then, the vibration cancellation that you get is really huge. Older models of stabilizers had the rubber attached to the bow which caused the vibration to move through the bow. This problem is rectified in modern stabilizers.
[amazon box=”B07FB3Q19C”]
Length
Dampener? Check. Front end? Check. Now, the next thing that you should check is the length of the stabilizers. If you’re a target archer, go for a long stabilizer as it will give you greater stability. For you bowhunters out there, you don’t need a long stabilizer but you’ll still get the benefits from a long one. As far as modern bows are concerned, a longer stabilizer isn’t something that you’d need though.
But What is the correct length? You ask. Well, A stabilizer in the 4-10 inch range is what we recommend. If you add a 6-inch stabilizer to a bow will, it results in small arrow groups usually. Some other benefits of these medium-sized stabilizers include decreased noise, lower bow vibration etc.
Customization
Another thing that should be considered when deciding on the type of stabilizer that you should purchase is the customization option that it provides. Not everyone prefers the same design or the same mechanism. Different people have different needs so, if you get something custom depending on your needs then, it is far better than something ready made.
Price
This is the final thing on the checklist. You need a stabilizer that has the best price to performance ratio. You need to find something that fits your budget properly and has all the above-mentioned features or characteristics included. The brand doesn’t matter, what matters is the quality and what you get for what you spend.
[amazon box= “B01BE8IKAS”]
Conclusion
In conclusion, buying a stabilizer is one of the most important decisions that you’ll make in your archery career. And we use the word career as in the duration of while you’re in the sport. Anyway, you should definitely make the most of it. Buying a poorly designed stabilizer that doesn’t fit your needs is equal to buying nothing at all. So, remember to get something that matters. Also, if you’re still in doubt whether you need a stabilizer or not, you can judge it yourself by your performance. If you’re unable to shoot something at a certain distance then, why not give a stabilizer a chance and see if you can improve. All in all, a stabilizer is a great investment for you and we recommend you to get one.
When you have properly attached the stabilizers, you need to look at whether the weight is off of the stabilizers or not. Then, you can hold the bow like you do while shooting to determine its reaction. If you want your bow to be stable from the front to the back and the side to the sad in your hand, you can add some weight as well. You can start adding weight from the location where there is a severe angle.
In such conditions, you need to keep making adjustments to the brace height. Once you have twisted the bowstring around 3-5 times for shortening it, you might be able to get a proper brace height. To be sure about a proper brace height, you need to make sure that the above-mentioned issues aren’t witnessed.
