# Stabilizers



## ArchAnon (Feb 27, 2018)

WARNING: I’m also new to this (a couple months) so take what I say with that in mind.


I started with none. My plan was to get as good as I possibly could without a stabilizer. That way I would know for sure if one helped.

Then I read this (particularly the end):








What Length Stabilizer Should You Get for Your Compound Bow? | Outdoor Troop


Stabilizers are all about balance. Balancing weight, balancing vibrations, balancing torque. When you think about it, it's amazing that the installation of such a simple…




outdoortroop.com






Good stuff here:








Stabilizer length, 3D or Target


How did you choose which length stabilizer to purchase? Was their science and reasoning behind your choice or was it the cheapest one in the classifieds or simply the best length for leaning on when you weren't shooting?




www.archerytalk.com






Here’s the big tip......
Then I set this as my home page:








Sights, scopes, stabilizers and dampeners







www.archerytalk.com







I just watched for deals. I figure my first stabilizers may not be my last, but they should be good quality and inexpensive. On a regular basis you can land a long front (30”) medium rear (12-15”) and a rear mount for under $200 in the classifieds.


I thought I would be shooting without stabilizers longer, but I kept seeing good deals and dove in.

I ended up with Bee Stingers (30 & 12) but I’m in no position to say if they are “right” for me yet, I certainly can’t say they’re right for anyone else. I haven’t even begun to experiment with weights on them yet. Just a few washers on the front stab so far.


What I can say is that they won’t be far off from “just right” based on seeing what other people use.


Something I can add for sure (for me) is that switching to a 10 degree quick disconnect in the front made a BIG difference in how much I liked the setup. If you’re willing to wait for shipping these can be picked up for sub-$10 from China so they are a cheap thing to test to see if you like them.


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## frank4 (Apr 28, 2021)

I just found a 30” and a 12” and went from there. As far as weight is just wanted my back bar to make my bubble sit level and my front bar I just went with what I could hold the best. It just took some trial and error.


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## toxy2020 (Jan 24, 2021)

I got lucky, when I started out even expensive stabilizers were pretty cheap and compounds tended to just use a long rod, after a fairly short time I discovered I wasn't keen on moving the sight (and kept forgetting to) so I swapped to 5 pin which in that society is limited to under 12" so I bought 2 £5 v bar extenders and £30 of weight, it doubled as a hammer.


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## Zkallgren (Oct 13, 2021)

I found buying the carbon fiber tubing and making your own stabilizers is way cheaper and you can make exactly what you want

Sent from my U705AC using Tapatalk


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## Aleatorian (Nov 13, 2017)

roushvert9 said:


> When you were new to target shooting, where did you decide with stabilizers as far as length and weight and how did you determine where you wanted to stop?
> 
> With so many options as far as length and brands and them costing hundreds of dollars how does one decide if they want to start with a certain length?
> 
> Thanks from a new guy to targets


I'm 5'11", my basic thing is, is it comfy when resting it on the floor. I'm a relatively experienced target shooter in that I've been doing this 10 years, so I settled on a 30" for the front. On the side a 15" felt to cumbersome and was too far back for where I end up with my bars positioned, so ended up with a 12".

Like one of the other posters, I ended up with a 10 degree down angle QD for the long rod also, enjoyed that setup much more than straight


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## roushvert9 (Sep 21, 2010)

Aleatorian said:


> I'm 5'11", my basic thing is, is it comfy when resting it on the floor. I'm a relatively experienced target shooter in that I've been doing this 10 years, so I settled on a 30" for the front. On the side a 15" felt to cumbersome and was too far back for where I end up with my bars positioned, so ended up with a 12".
> 
> Like one of the other posters, I ended up with a 10 degree down angle QD for the long rod also, enjoyed that setup much more than straight



Well im 6'6'' so im not sure anything is going to feel good resting on the ground. lol


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## ArchAnon (Feb 27, 2018)

This is a good article :









David Houser on stabilizers for indoor archery


On a 40 cm Vegas target face, the X-ring is the size of a penny. The indoor, compound target archer who most consistently hits that tiny ring from 18 meters away, undoubtedly will win the day.To do that over the course of a 30- or 60-arrow round requires a steady hand. And that’s where bow...




www.lancasterarchery.com







roushvert9 said:


> Well im 6'6'' so im not sure anything is going to feel good resting on the ground. lol


Your distance from the ground to web of you hand is not much different from someone who is 5’10” (assuming your arms are long to go with your height).

Hold your hands naturally at your sides and have someone with a yardstick measure to the web of your thumb.


Subtract the width of your grip, and the length of a stack of weights. That’s your starting front bar length.

When you add the inch or so of the 10* QD you’ll be able to use your bow like a cane between shots.


It might not be the ideal prefect length, but it also won’t suck.


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## roushvert9 (Sep 21, 2010)

ArchAnon said:


> This is a good article :
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If competing in bow Hunter class, do stabilizer extenders count towards the length?


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## missedtx (Jun 6, 2021)

QUOTE="roushvert9, post: 1114104763, member: 196927"]
If competing in bow Hunter class, do stabilizer extenders count towards the length?
[/QUOTE]
Yes it's measured from the bow riser.


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## Butcher BBQ (Dec 31, 2016)

roushvert9 said:


> Well im 6'6'' so im not sure anything is going to feel good resting on the ground. lol


I'm 6'5" with a 32 1/2 inch draw. You'r exactly right. For me I have found that a 27 inch front bar works for me over a 30 inch. As expensive a bars are you still need to try out what fits your shot. What I. mean is it all depends on how you execute your shot with pressures in your bow hand and your release hand pulling back. This all changes with draw weights and the balance of you bars for a pivot point. Rule of thumb is (and a good starting point) is letting your arm rest at your side and your bow should be able to rest on the ground. But your shot is what matters. Thats why your at the range. Make sure not to get caught in doing what all the "cool guys" are doing and make your set up for you.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

I pretty much answered in your other post.
maybe a dumb stabilizer question


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## toxy2020 (Jan 24, 2021)

I've been using a holder (like the Bateman Leather Wide Cup Bow Holder, see Lancaster archery site) for years, the bow sits on my thigh and the lift to draw position is less exaggerated than from the floor. 

On my bowhunter/pin rig, the cam sits in the cup, on the target rig the back bar weight sits in the cup.


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## wlleven (Feb 19, 2005)

Stabilizer Length ?

Well for competition on the long end of stabilizer stuff most folks use 24-30” lengths. Most of the time a 33” stabilizer is more difficult to control and of course has a lot more surface area - (a bad thing for outdoors).

Many use a stabilizer that is easy to hold their bow up while they are waiting to shoot. Not a bad thing, just say’n !

For me, the answer is what stabilizer feels solid on the particular bow you are shooting. I used a 24-27” stabilizer when I was shooting competition back in the day, to me it felt solid. My setup was ~-6-7oz in the front and ~10-14oz in the back depending on the set up.

wll


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## johnsontj981 (7 mo ago)

So I have apparently over thought this stabilizer thing. Just figure out what length to make me a nice rest lol 😆


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## tpham32 (Oct 17, 2018)

IMHO, you have to keep two things in mind. 1) The purpose of the stabilizers and 2) the regulations of your class. The regulations of the class you want to shoot will limit the length and number of stabilizers you can have. The purpose of the stabilizers is to balance your bow at full draw. Stabilizers work on moment = force (weight) * distance. For example, you will get the same moment with 4 ounces of weight on a 12" stabilizer and 12 ounces of weight on a 4" stabilizer. The main difference is that the 12-ounce / 4" setup will be heavier than the first option. You will need to find the right balance for your class and preference. A heavier bow is easier to keep steady but will fatigue your arm faster. You can optimize the weight of your setup by using longer stabilizers and less weight but some classes will limit the length of it. Hope that makes sense.


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## Jon87772 (Mar 24, 2021)

Stablizer length, weight angles are all personal setups


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## wink1999 (8 mo ago)

I personally suggest 30" front and 12" side. Most "common" set up


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