The use of stabilization in archery goes back a long time, ever since the advent of competition shooting, archers have sought to add a system of weights and balances to their equipment to make more accurate shots. Traditional archers do not seem to have the need to use stabilizers for their shooting, probably because their shots are limited to such short distances. Compound archers tend to use more stabilization to ensure more accuracy.
A conversation a few years ago with a well know target archer brought some of this to my attention when I asked him why he used such a large stabilizer while hunting. “When shooting a target, I want to be very accurate, so I use a system of stabilizers, when I am hunting and shooting a live animal I need to be even more accurate so I use a similar system to ensure I can make the most accurate shot I can make.”
For me, this opened my eyes to using stabilizers while hunting. Like many bowhunters, I opted for the short and heavy stabilizer on my bow, mostly for looks. A four or six inch eight to ten ounce stabilizer on my hunting bow. While I never really thought of the benefit of the stabilizer at all. After some research, I totally changed my setup and after a season of hunting with it, I learned that I quickly became adjusted to its size and balance.
Stabilizers are used to increase balance of the bow. Their purpose is to help the archer hold the bow steady for longer periods of time before and after the shot. Back bars are designed to offset the weight on one side of the bow. For example, right handed archers have sights, rests and quivers mounted on the right of the bow. This produces a lot of weight on one side of the bow. To offset this unbalance a back bar is added to the lower left of the bow to counter all of the weight that is on the upper right of the bow. This enables the shooter to hold the bow still and straight, all but eliminating canting the bow. Very few hunters use a back bar because of the weight and awkwardness in transporting the bow afield.
BeeStinger stabilizers is trying to help hunters with this situation with their hunters combo introduced in 2015. With a 10” front stabilizer and an 8” back bar it is compact and efficient. Tests with this set up have shown that it is very easy to transport afield, and has increased accuracy for those who choose to use it.
If the back bar is something you just cannot get used to, hunters should at the very least try some of the newer longer hunting versions. Most will be in the ten inch range and hold a good bit of weight on the end of the stabilizer. While it may seem heavy, the reality is that hunters who bow hunt know that 99% of the time the bow is hanging from a limb waiting for an opportunity. The time spend actually holding the bow is small and limited to actually making a shot. If the shot is more accurate because of better stabilization, than the extra weight is worthwhile.
Granted for shots inside of thirty yards, this may not seem as important. But for the times when you need to reach out there, having better stabilization is money well spent.
If you have not tried a ten inch or twelve inch stabilizer on your hunting bow, go to your local archery shop and ask to try them. Shoot a couple dozen arrows and feel the difference it makes in your comfort and accuracy. Because as stated above, being as accurate as possible on a live animal is the most important time to be accurate.
