Stabilizer necessary?

[yote]

Hi all. I have a question. I bought a PSE dream season about a year and a half ago. My bow has never had a stabilizer on it and I shoot pretty good as it sits. I'm wondering what to expect if I was to install a stabilizer on it. Would it make much of a difference or should I just keep it simple because I shoot well with it as is?

Thanks.

[Mikey Rafiki]

Interested to hear some answers...

Recently bought a Bowtech Carbon Icon, bare bow 3.2lbs and feels light as a feather. Forgot to put the stabilizer on once (which is definitely on the small side) and didn't even notice it.

Seeing what some 3-D guys, and even some long range hunters use, I'm wondering if I should put something with more heft on there while I'm still trying to gain confidence with my technique and form.

[LupieHunter]

On the two compounds I've owned I've never had one.I've tried one before and shot better without it.

[monasheemountainman]

Where my stablizer pulls it's weight, is when I have to hold full draw for any length of time. Shooting at targets from modest distances I don't need mine, but I was glad I had mine when I had to hold on a bear for 30 seconds at 40 yards waiting for it to stop.

[calvin L]

They help with the balance of the bow . Also if you shoot with a bow mounted quiver an of set stabilizer, or a V set up with help with bow canting as it will sit level in your hand so you do not have to fight the bulb in the level near as much .

[Blockcaver]

I don't like to hunt with a stabilizer as it not only adds weight to carry but sticks out making the bow a bit more awkward to carry. I bet that I am in the minority though and most hunters do use a stabilizer.

Your bow is about the lightest compound out there, so whether or not you can accurately shoot it without a stabilizer depends on your form, how much the wind is blowing, the size and balance of your bow quiver and sight, how far you want to shoot, etc. I'd experiment a bit with and without a stabilizer and decide what works for you. For me the advantage wasn't there to warrant the stabilizer but everyone is different.

[000buck]

most hunting sizes are more for vibration than stabilization. try with a borrowed one if it makes no difference to feel or sound skip it

[yote]

Thank you for the replies. I like the idea of borrowing one and seeing if it makes a difference. I could see that it may make a bit of an impact on vibration and therefor quietness of the bow but it's already super quiet. Hmm going to have to ponder a bit. I like the lightness of the bow now and I think a stabilizer would be more cumbersome in the thick bush I go through. Make sure to post if I missed something.

[bc sportsman]

Saw some testing done with stabilizers and no stabilizers on you tube. Seems they only come into play re accuracy when shooting the longer distances...beyond 40 yds and a stabilizer shorter than 8" is not really that effective for accuracy improvements. Not much difference close up. Other advantage to a stabilizer is reduction of vibration/noise regardless of range but this depends lots on the design of stabilizer.

Not my personal experience as am new...just what I researched when I decided to buy a new bow.

[Shooter]

Yup, Unless you are going to run a longer target length stabilizer (15"-30") you aren't likely to see much difference at all except some added mass weight which sometimes can help people hold a little steadier. Sometimes it's easier to hold a heavier bow still than a super light one. One aspect where a short stab can help on a hunting set-up would be a stabilizer like a Stokerized SS1 side bar that can swing out to balance the bow better in your hand. If you can come to full draw and settle in to anchor wither eyes closed, then open them and look at your level. With a properly set-up side bar you can make it so your bow will sit level naturally at a relaxed anchor without any additional influence/torque influenced by you.

[yote]

I enjoy the simplicity of no stabilizer, less stuff attached to the bow and mine is already extremely quiet.

[Lozzie]

I have always hunted with a stabilizer, but i'm also going to say that it depends on your bow. For the last few years I've hunted with an APA King Cobra with a 70lb draw using the Octane 11"3D hunter and I found the bow balanced well and was very accurate. This year I picked up the King Cobra TF at 60lbs and though there are only a few differences I find the bow more difficult to balance. So I've been playing around with more weight, side stabs and even short vbars. The key to stabilizing your rig is trial and error and what seems to work for you and what works for you bow. That said I have shot a well balanced hunting bow and it is something worth attempting.