# Please educate a newb about stabilizers.



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

So I'm an archery noob who is still trying to learn all the ins and outs of the sport and right now I am doing my research on stabilizers. I have to admit that for awhile I was actually pretty clueless about what the stabilizer actually does. I kind of had an idea I guess because the name pretty well describes a function. I got online to do some reading and found the stabilizer does a few different things such as: quiet the shot, dampen vibration, and help the shooter hold the bow steady and keep the pins steady on the target. Out of these things what is the primary function?

I could really use some help with keeping the pins steady on my bow while I shoot! I've really been practicing hard lately and things are falling into place. I finally have found my perfect draw length, have the peep situated just right, and have found anchor points that feel comfortable and natural. I still do struggle a bit with shaky pins, though. I talked to a buddy of mine that has been shooting a bow a lot longer than me and he says he struggles to keep his pins steady as well, but I didn't need to worry about it and holding your pins rock steady isn't really necessary for accurate shooting. I'm thinking he is up in the night as that makes no sense to me whatsoever. How can a steady hold not be essential to accuracy? I'm new to archery, but I have been shooting guns most of my life and I know that when I have a dead rest and can keep the cross hairs of my scope rock solid on the target that I will shoot a fairly decent group and when I'm shooting offhand or when I'm winded or anything else that doesn't help me hold steady my accuracy is going to be terrible!

With all that being said I am noticing a marked improvement in my ability to hold steady on the target with all this practice I'm doing and developing the muscle memory or whatever it is. I'm still not as steady as I would like to be and I wonder if a good stabilizer will help me in this department. I shoot a Diamond Outlaw bow and the stab I have right now is just the little octane one that comes stock with it. I've read that a lot of these short, stubby stabs that come on hunting bows don't really do much, if anything, and that a longer, heavier stab will help you notice a difference. I've seen some of the monstrous stabs these target shooters have on their bows, but I realize these wouldn't be sensible for hunting. What would you consider the longest and heaviest stab you could get that wouldn't be too cumbersome to hunt with? I'm a western muley and elk hunter so my hunting style is fairly mobile in a little more open type of terrain. I've read that a lot of guys like the b-stingers, doinkers, and stabs from fusearchery, but I don't have a clue what would be the best for me and what I would like. I realize that the number one factor in my ability to shoot accurately is me and the amount of practice I put in and that as I continue to practice my ability to stay steady on the target will continue improving as it has already. But will the aid of a good stabilizer make very much of a difference in my abilities? Thank you for taking the time to read this and help a noob out.​


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Since you're in Cedar think about joining the ATS QUEO Archery club, the guys there were great to help me out when I started shooting archery.

Some the guys shoot competitive and are sponsored by Hoyt or Martin and other companies.

These guys were great and more than willing to take their time helping a newbie like me when I needed it.

Contact Jim at Royal Wholesale, 865-6400, he is the president and they used to do an indoor league starting in January, you don't have to compete and can just go to practice, I need to get back into it myself.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Ats queo would be a good club to join, Bowgy, but as of two days before Christmas 2014 I no longer live there. I just moved north of the Payson-Dixon line for more opportunity. I miss my beloved Cedar City and hope to get back there sooner rather than later. It's not all bad up here, though, because I have an archery shop with an indoor range just down the road from me so I can shoot A LOT! They actually let me try out an 8 inch b-stinger stab today and I felt that it really did steady my aim a lot.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

I'm far from being an expert, though I've been a student of archery like yourself ever since I picked up a bow last June.

When I decided to upgrade to a higher end stabilizer I did a ton of looking for answers... there isn't much out there on the WWW to provide any solid answers, and the end result really becomes, "shoot 'em until you find a setup you like"

I personally have a B Stinger with a 10" front and 8" rear... I went with that because the sights I have are pretty heavy, and I'm a lot steadier with some weight on the back.

All that said, I haven't noticed it really helping me keep rock solid on the bull... the bow levels itself nicely, but I think the steadiness comes more down to physical stamina and shooting form. (especially form)... if your core is aligned right, you'll notice a much steadier front anchor.

I hope that helps.

(by the way, my setup may become too cumbersome to hunt with, so I may end up using a shorter stab on it just for noise reduction in the field)


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

manysteps said:


> I'm far from being an expert, though I've been a student of archery like yourself ever since I picked up a bow last June.
> 
> When I decided to upgrade to a higher end stabilizer I did a ton of looking for answers... there isn't much out there on the WWW to provide any solid answers, and the end result really becomes, "shoot 'em until you find a setup you like"
> 
> ...


Manysteps, will you please expound on the underlined and bolded part. What exactly do you mean by if your core is aligned right? I know that you typically want your hip to be pointing at the target, but I'm wondering if there is something else I'm not picking up on.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

I noticed a huge difference going from a cheap-o stabilizer to a decent 8 inch B-stinger, especially at a longer distance. There isn't one solution for everyone though. You will just have to play around with different brands, lengths, and weight until you find YOUR sweet-spot. Looking back now I wish I would have upgraded the stabilizer a little sooner than I did. Let us know what you end up with.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

colorcountrygunner said:


> Ats queo would be a good club to join, Bowgy, but as of two days before Christmas 2014 I no longer live there. I just moved north of the Payson-Dixon line for more opportunity. I miss my beloved Cedar City and hope to get back there sooner rather than later. It's not all bad up here, though, because I have an archery shop with an indoor range just down the road from me so I can shoot A LOT! They actually let me try out an 8 inch b-stinger stab today and I felt that it really did steady my aim a lot.


You could try Utah Bowman's Association, I think that is what is up there, also Alpinebowman on this site would be a good resource for info up that way. I have met him and his wife at a shoot down here, they are great people. You could PM him.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

I have a genetic condition that obstructs my ability to absorb B vitamins. One of the symptoms of the condition is that I shake, tremble, quiver... whatever.

I have found that drifting is a huge help. I aim above the target and let the appropriate pin drift down to target on the horizontal.

The longer I hold on target, the more I wander. By drifting into the target, I eliminate the shakes and limit my time at full draw.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

colorcountrygunner said:


> Manysteps, will you please expound on the underlined and bolded part. What exactly do you mean by if your core is aligned right? I know that you typically want your hip to be pointing at the target, but I'm wondering if there is something else I'm not picking up on.


Form is a whole body thing... Your core is from your hips to your shoulders.

If your feet are placed wrong, your chest slumped, your shoulders too high--or too low (and many other factors)... all of this can dramatically affect your shot.

I know this only academically... I'll defer to wiser minds to explain more because this is one of the many issues I'm still learning myself.


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## elkfromabove (Apr 20, 2008)

manysteps said:


> Form is a whole body thing... Your core is from your hips to your shoulders.
> 
> If your feet are placed wrong, your chest slumped, your shoulders too high--or too low (and many other factors)... all of this can dramatically affect your shot.
> 
> I know this only academically... I'll defer to wiser minds to explain more because this is one of the many issues I'm still learning myself.


 I have to smile a bit when I read these types of threads, because many times they get so serious that they are counter productive.There are hundreds of magazine articles and books written on the subject of archery accuracy, form, practice, etc. and, like golf, or most other physical activities, there is a prescribed ideal way of doing it. However, the problem is that we are all built differently and none of us get to that prescribed ideal way of doing it. What we need to do is get as close as we can to it with fitted equipment and practice and BE CONSISTENT AND HAVE FUN DOING IT! I don't know how many times I've heard hunters (bow and rifle) tell stories of themselves or others who can put their arrows or bullets in a small group at some distance on the range but miss a buck at 20 yards in the field. We seldom get in a position where we can assume the ideal form even if we know it cause the animal is uphill or downhill or the wind is blowing or we have to shoot around a tree or over a rock or we're winded from the climb or our target keeps moving forcing us to change position or we just get too excited and get buck fever and dump adrenalin in our muscles.

RELAX and just go to the range near your home and find the most comfortable stabilizer you can and go with it and don't be too concerned about there being a better one out there 'cause even if you found the better one, in a couple of years or sooner, someone will come up with one even better. We can never keep up with all the latest and greatest but we can get good with the stuff we have.


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

Finnegan said:


> I have a genetic condition that obstructs my ability to absorb B vitamins. One of the symptoms of the condition is that I shake, tremble, quiver... whatever.
> 
> I have found that drifting is a huge help. I aim above the target and let the appropriate pin drift down to target on the horizontal.
> 
> The longer I hold on target, the more I wander. By drifting into the target, I eliminate the shakes and limit my time at full draw.


I have found the exact same thing. Honestly, I realized the more that I think about it, and the more I try to aim and think about different factors, the worse I shoot. I'm finding that muscle memory and on the fly judgment of distance, and less thinking, put me on target more efficiently. Same thing with golf. With that said, I haven't shot my bow in almost a year. Arrows are expensive-- oh so expensive.

Back to the original topic: I have no experience with stabilizers.


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## ARCHER11 (May 26, 2011)

There is some truth to your friends statement regarding pin stability. It's virtually impossible to hold your pin rock solid on the x. In reality you want to let your pin do a little floating. its a difficult concept to explain and even more difficult to understand but really one of the least influential peaces of accuracy is your ability to hold steady. Consistent form and release is far more important. To expand a bit on the concept of "aiming"... When shooting you should be focusing on the target rather than your pins. Stare a hole in that X with both eyes open. Your sight housing and pins will be blurred but you should still be able to make out each individual pin (this is one of the reasons I prefer a single pin sight) as long as your focusing on that x on the target your pins can do a little floating. Just keep your focus on the x and squeeze that shot of using back tension. Don't squeeze with your finger, squeeze with your back and pull through the shot. Just be patient with your progress and like has been mentioned, have fun with it! Don't get so caught up in the minute details that the fund stuff gets tossed to the side. Best thing tou can do is find an experienced shooter to help you along. Good luck!


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Short stabilizers can help with vibration and sound, but do little to help with balance and steadiness. Longer stabilizers do better at that. IMO, 8" to 10" is the longest practical stabilizer for hunting. I shoot the 8" B Stinger and really like it. I tried about 4-5 options before settling on that one. 

The benefits increase as the distance increase. If all of your shots are under 40 yards, a long stabilizer may not be necessary. 

Good luck.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

ARCHER11 said:


> There is some truth to your friends statement regarding pin stability. It's virtually impossible to hold your pin rock solid on the x. In reality you want to let your pin do a little floating. its a difficult concept to explain and even more difficult to understand but really one of the least influential peaces of accuracy is your ability to hold steady. Consistent form and release is far more important. *To expand a bit on the concept of "aiming"... When shooting you should be focusing on the target rather than your pins. Stare a hole in that X with both eyes open. Your sight housing and pins will be blurred but you should still be able to make out each individual pin (this is one of the reasons I prefer a single pin sight) as long as your focusing on that x on the target your pins can do a little floating. *Just keep your focus on the x and squeeze that shot of using back tension. Don't squeeze with your finger, squeeze with your back and pull through the shot. Just be patient with your progress and like has been mentioned, have fun with it! Don't get so caught up in the minute details that the fund stuff gets tossed to the side. Best thing tou can do is find an experienced shooter to help you along. Good luck!


You have just given me the single best piece of archery advice anybody has ever given me. When I first read it it didn't really seem like something that would work for me. I wasn't even sure if I was going to try it. I did try it, however, and WOW!! I shot more accurately and consistently than I ever have before. I shot like I thought only other people were able to shoot. Tight little groups that actually felt quite effortless. I also incorporated some of what Finnegan said about floating the pin into the target, but instead of coming from over the top of the target down I went from beneath the target and came up into it. The whole process felt a lot more fun and less stressful. My mind was pretty at ease whereas before it was saying, "HOLD THAT PIN STEADY DON'T SHAKE GOTTA GET THIS SHOT OFF PERFECTLY GAAAAHHHH!!!!" Shooting with both eyes open also does wonders for helping me watch the arrow in flight and see where it hits which will be very beneficial for hunting as well.


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