An important topic to anyone who uses a bow for hunting is the stabilizers that help reduce vibrations. Our bow experts tell us that the best bow stabilizer does not merely reduce vibrations, it makes the shot quieter. Stabilizers can increase your chances of successful shots.
Our experts are not satisfied reviewing a bow product without asking several novice bow users to also review the product and tell them if they found it easy to use, beneficial, and worthy of mentioning.
The following five stabilizers met all of the criteria from both experts and novices.
Top 5 Best Stabilizer for Bow Reviews
1. Trophy Ridge Static Stabilizer
Trophy ridge static stabilizer has a unique design with openings down the stabilizer. Air can easily pass through the openings and this makes it easier to handle the bow in windy weather conditions.
The unit is made of really lightweight materials. You get the tensile strength of aluminum but the actual weight is 25% lighter than an aluminum stabilizer would be. This material is a Ballistix Polymer that is durable and weather resistant. This polymer is not affected by damp conditions, hot conditions, or exposure to sunlight.
You can get this device in four lengths: 3 inches, 6 inches, 9 inches, and 12 inches.
It comes with 2 one ounce weights that can be customized and a braided wrist sling. With these weights you can determine how much weight you need according to the weather conditions. The weights will increase the amount of stability your device gives you.
2. LimbSaver S-Coil Bow Stabilizer
LimbSaver s-coil bow Stabilizer has a continuous spiral design that makes it unique in appearance and performance. It is the best bow stabilizer for accuracy in the market. It is crafted from NAVCOM materials with the intent of reducing vibrations and dampening unwanted noise.
This stabilizer can be used in any weather condition, but is designed to be most useful in harsh, windy, or wet, conditions. It is very easy to install, and the standard size is 4.5” with a weight of 4.5 ounces. This stabilizer screws into the riser of the bow.
It comes in a wide variety of colors so you can customize the look of your bow.
This stabilizer does give you an advantage and it does improve the accuracy of the shots you make whether you are target shooting or hunting for big game. It stops the bow from tilting or jumping when you make your shot so you have more control and the arrow leaves the bowstring quietly so game is not warned of the impending shot.
3. NAP Apache Stabilizer System
The NAP Apache Stabilizer System can be purchased as a 5” base stabilizer or you can buy the Apache that is an 8” stabilizer that has 3” accessory bar made from carbon fiber that can be added when you need the most stabilization possible. This stabilizer will dampen any vibration created when you shoot the arrow. It will also make the release of any arrow a whisper quiet activity that only the archer will be aware of.
It gives you a slight amount of weight at the front of your bow which helps you to hold the bow at a perfectly balanced angle when you take your shot. It stops the vibration that can cause the arrow to be deflected from the trajectory you have sent it on. It increases your chances of bulls-eye shots.
This stabilizer weighs 7.5 ounces. It can take some of the strain off of your wrist because it creates a weight balance of the bow.
4. Bee Stinger Sport Hunter Xtreme Stabilizer
The Bee Stinger sport hunter xtreme stabilizer assures you that if you only get one shot at your target then shot induced vibrations and noise will not make you miss your mark if you have the Bee Stinger Sport Hunter Extreme stabilizer on you bow.
This stabilizer is designed to minimalize the vibrations that are transferred from your bow riser when you release the arrow. Those vibrations can be enough to send the arrow just far enough off course that what should have been a kill shot may wind up being a missed shot. This stabilizer assures that vibrations do not play a part in your shot at all.
You also get three one ounce end weights that you can use to create the ideal amount of balance and stabilization. You customize the weight of your stabilizer and you can change that customization depending on the wind or elements you are facing.
This is a durable product that will improve your technique.
5. SAS Archery Aluminum Bow Stabilizer
The SAS Archery aluminum bow stabilizer is equipped with full draw counter balance to assure that you have the most control over your bow. It can make you shoot straighter and reduce the incidences of your bow jumping or bucking in your hand when you make the shot.
It is a durable stabilizer that is made from aluminum so it is light, will not have corrosion issues, and will not add unnecessary weight to your bow.
It is weather resistant because of the aluminum material so it will not be influenced by rain, and heat, or any other outdoor element.
It provides the best stabilization so the vibration that happens when you release the arrow will not be a factor in your shot. It also makes the arrow shot quieter and stops noises that distract game animals. Most whitetail deer hunters know that the deer can be alerted by the whizzing sound of the arrow leaving the bowstring. This stabilizer stops that whiz and gives you a better chance at bringing home the trophy.
Stabilizing Versus Silencing
A stabilizer does reduce the noise of a bow because it improves the balance of the bow which results in a quitter execution of the arrow shot. A stabilizer is not designed to make the bow quieter that is simply an effect of the vibration reduction created when the energy that is stored in your bow is released with the arrow.
To silence the bow you are reducing the noise made when it is shot. To stabilize the bow you are adding weights that will cause you to have a better balance on the bow so it does not reverberate when the arrow is shot.
Buying Guide for Top Bow Stabilizers
Before you rush out to buy a stabilizer for your bow you need to consider a few things about the equipment.
Weight
The weight of the stabilizer has a great impact on bow hunters. If the weight of the stabilizer is too great you will not have good balance and it will affect the way you shoot. If the stabilizer does not have enough weight when you are shooting in windy weather the wind may cause the stabilizer to be unable to do what it is designed to do.
When you shop for a stabilizer consider buying a lightweight device that comes with additional weights that you can add. The additional weights allow you to customize the balance on your bow and create the perfect balance to reduce the vibrations in your equipment.
The weights should be in one ounce increments and you should be able to remove them in case different shooting conditions call for more or less weight.
Materials
You want stabilizers that are made from materials that are not affected by moisture or dry conditions. You do not want a stabilizer that can change shape because hot humid conditions have exposed it to extreme moisture content. You also do not want the stabilizer to succumb to dry weather conditions and become dry-rotted.
Your Bow
You have to consider the bow that you have, the style it is, and whether the stabilizer can be mounted on the bow so that it does not interfere with any working mechanisms of the bow. The stabilizer that is perfect of a recurve bow may not be as perfect on a compound bow.
The length of the Stabilizer
To get the perfect stabilizer it must be the right length for the bow you use. Stabilizers can come in 3 inch pieces, 6 inch pieces, 8 inch pieces, and other size combinations. Buy a stabilizer that is a perfect fit to your bow.
Color
The color of the stabilizer only matters to personal preference. Except when you are hunting with the bow and then the color of the stabilizer can alert a big game animal to your presence if it is a solid color. You need to get a print patter if you plant to hunt using the stabilizer.
Design and Configuration
Stabilizers come in corkscrew or spiral patterns, some of them have grooves and notches cut into them, some are solid, some are straight and others are curved. Each of these design styles causes the item to perform better under particular circumstances. Check the configuration and see how it compares with the type of weather and hunting that you do.
How to Make a Bow Stabilizer – DIY
You can make your own bow stabilizer. There are numerous do-it-yourself instructions to show you how to make a simple stabilizer. The following is one of our favorites.
- 5’ copper pipe
- Hex headed bolt, suggested size //4” x 24
- Nuts to fit your bolt
- A connector nut the same dimensions as your bolt
- Something to use as an end weight, we used a fishing weight that weighed one ounce
- Epoxy such as marine epoxy because it is waterproof
- Cut your pipe to the length that you want your stabilizer
- Grind the corners off of the nuts because you want to get them inside the pipe
- Assemble the nuts and bolts and then glue them to the inside of the pipe
- Use sandpaper to roughen up the outside of the pipe so you can paint it
- Paint it the color of your choice, if you are doing this for a hunting bow do not paint the pipe a solid color
- If you want to dampen the noise simply fill the pipe with rubber fishing worms that you have cut into little pieces
- Position the pipe on your bow riser and enjoy
Top Bow Stabilizer Brands
If you are considering buying a bow stabilizer then you may want to familiarize yourself with the top brands of these devices. Knowing which brands are sold the most, and which brands the majority of hunters or archers rely on can help you to make a more educated decision on what brand to buy.
Trophy Ridge
- Hitman, Static stabilizer, Trophy Ridge Blitz,
Bee Stinger
- Microhex, Pro Hunter Maxx, Sport Hunter Extreme, Competitor, Premium Plus V bar,
Limbsaver
- Broadband dampener for solid limb compound bows, Superquad split limb dampener, S-coil, Twistlox limb dampener, Sims Vibration, LS Hunter Lite
Apache
- Black Apache, NAP Apache Predator, NAP Gold Apache EQ
Bowjax
- Bowjax 1036,
Minn Kota
- Minn Kota 1862050
Kingwolfox
- Southland Archery Supply
Bowjax
ISPORT
Cartel
- Cartel Maxion,
CBE
- CBE Torx
Milaem
- .30-06 Outdoors
ZSHJG
- Hoyt Bows
All of these manufacturers make excellent products, but each of the manufacturers uses a specific design so all of these stabilizers are unique. You really have to look at the design of the stabilizer and compare it to your hunting equipment and style in order to find the perfect stabilizer for your bow.
Types of Bow Stabilizers
A stabilizer is an archery accessory designed to reduce the vibrations your bow has when the arrow is released. The main component of a stabilizer is a solid piece of material that is generally tubular.
Aluminum Stabilizers
Aluminum Stabilizers are lightweight and waterproof. You often had to add weight to the end of the aluminum stabilizer to get a perfect balance.
Carbon fiber bow stabilizers
Carbon fiber bow stabilizers are also lightweight and waterproof. Carbon, like aluminum, may require you to add additional weight to create the perfect balance.
Polymers and composite stabilizers
Polymers and composite stabilizers are often as strong as aluminum and many of them are as much as 25% lighter than aluminum.
Spiral Stabilizers
Spiral Stabilizers are designed to minimize wind resistance.
Stabilizers with cut-outs are also designed to allow wind to pass through the bar and not cause any restriction on your shooting.
Custom Units
There are stabilizers that allow you to customize them so they are a perfect fit and weight for your bow and your hunting style. These stabilizers are ideal because you get the exact item you need to perfect your shooting experience.
With the custom stabilizers you can put the unit on your bow and shoot with it, and then determine if you need more weight or less length. These stabilizers allow you to find out exactly what you need and how to use the item properly.
What is a bow stabilizer?
A bow stabilizer is an item that is generally fashioned from metal that is fashioned in a tubular shape. It attaches to the riser of the bow and creates a better balance of the bow.
What does a bow stabilizer do for a bow?
A stabilizer reduces the vibrations that happen when the arrow is released. A stabilizer adds a little more weight to the front of the bow so the bow is completely balanced.
How does a bow stabilizer work?
When you pull the bowstring back to a full draw you create energy in the string and the limbs, a tension. When you release the arrow some of that tensions flies away with the arrow, but most of the tension reverberates down the bow limb. A stabilizer absorbs some of the tension and stops the limb from vibrating.
How to balance a bow with stabilizers
To balance a bow with stabilizers you get a stabilizer that has additional weights. You install the stabilizer and then shoot the bow. If your arrow is not shooting straight you add a weight to the end of the stabilizer to increase the weight. You shoot again, and repeat the process until your arrow shoots straighter, and your bow feels balance and does not tip to one side or the other when you hold it up.
Final Word
Many archers have never considered a stabilizer because they consider these items to be unnecessary. A stabilizer does reduce vibration by absorbing excess energy from the bow limb. They stop your bow from jumping in your hands. They stop your bow from leaning because they create a perfect weight balance of the limb. They also dampen the noise created when an arrow is released because the vibration is stopped.
A stabilizer can make you shoot straighter. They are accessories that enhance your own skill and ability.