PA Bow/Flinter

It's all up to personal preference. Maybe they hunt in open enough areas that a couple more inches doesn't make a difference. Why do some people shoot bows with ATA @ 40+" when they could shoot a shorter ATA like 33"? It's all personal preference.

Also, if you take 2 stabilzers with the same weight, say 10 oz, but one is 5" and the other is 8"...there will be a difference in the balance of the bow. The longer stabilizer will put the balance point more to the front, while the shorter one will be further back. If there is a lot of weight towards the rear of the bow initially, then a longer stabilizer will help to pull the balance point forward quicker with a lighter stabilizer. With a shorter stabilzer, you would need to add more weight, thus making your bow heavier.

Adirondack Hunter

One of my friends has one that is 3 ft long, i think its too big even for target shooting.

Shootstuff4570

ok i have another question about stablizers then. when you see guys target shooting they have a stabalizer that comes off the bow(which is usually like 3 maybe 4 ft), then they have 2 other stabalizers of the same length coming off the first stablizer. what do those other 2 stabalizers do and how to they help???

PSEMuzzy

They really don't, it's nothing but a psychological boost, nothing but BS.

PSEMuzzy

[quote]Maybe they hunt in open enough areas that a couple more inches doesn't make a difference.



I don't care if it's KING KONG hunting Rhino's there is NO REASON for a 2 foot stabilizer on a hunting bow!

PA Bow/Flinter

I guess I've never seen one of those...the largest one I've seen on a hunting bow is about 12". Like I said before though, it's personal preference.

Matt / PA

PSEMuzzy,
Where are you seeing guys shooting 2 ft. stabilizers on a hunting bow? I've been bowhunting for 22yrs and have never personally seen anyone with anything over 12".

Those side stabilizers and long ones do serve a purpose and 99% of the time you will find them on target bows. (Occaisionally you will see someone with a short side or back weight to balance a hunting bow properly that has an odd geometry that is difficult to balance with normal weight choices)
The 'V-bar' stabilizers you see on target bows are important in their ability to counterbalance the weight of extended sight bars and long front rods.
Without the counterbalancing affect most target bows will not balance properly while aiming and will have a tendency to dive hard in the direction of the sight.
It is important to balance any bow properly in the static(at full draw)and dynamic (at the shot) modes.
V'bars and long stabilizers are not BS in any way shape or form.......they don't serve any practical purpose in hunting situations but are vital in many target formats.

GSPsnFORDs

The longer stabilizers on the target bows are more for weight distribution....to help balance the bow forward and aft. The same goes for the other stabilizers thatcome off the first (say at a 30 degree angle rearwards)....these help stabilize the left/right movement when shooting. It's supposed to give a good overall balance to the bow.....learned all this from a girl I used to date when she did a lot of organized target shooting (can't think of the name right now). Hope this helps

GregH

This comment is comming from the totally uninformed and is 100% wrong. Therefore it is the real BS.

Stabilizers do just that, they stabilize. Take a 5' broom handle and hold it out in front of you, holding it at the very end. Try to wiggle it around. Then take a 2' piece and do the same. Which one is harder to move around? The longer one is harder to move, therfore it is more stabile.

The V-bar set up used to be more popular with the IBO 3-d shooters. Besides being stabile, you could add more weight to the side opposite your sight to make up for that weight imbalance as well.

The bow pictured with the "long" stabilizer and sight is a target set-up. The stabilizer is the short model of carbon stix. I have the long model at 30". They are great stabilizers. Carbon can dampen more vibration than aluminium which is why they are used on the faster bow setups.

The length of stabilizers is sometimes dictated by what class you are shooting in competition. The bowhunter class was no longer than 12" from the riser. As far as hunting goes, it is hunters preference that dictates the size of their stabilizer or any equiptment for that matter. What ever gives them the best balance, feel or piece of mind, is what should be used. Anything 12" or less should not be a hinderance out in the field. BTW, PSE's torque tamer stabilizer is a good one also. I've used them for years with good results. By the time I installed it on my folding extension over my wrist sling, it measured about 9-10".

I did see a guy out hunting with a 36" stabilizer one time, it had a chrome ball on the end of it. He was totally camoflaged and when he came past my stand, it looked like someone flashing a mirror all over the place.

PSEMuzzy

Sorry for being uninformed Greg..........I guess all my bows with my 5" stabilizers that I have taken many deer in my 30 years of bowhunting must be nothing but BS. What I'm saying is simply that there is no need for a set up of a stabilizer 10-12 inches on a bow used primarily for hunting. Call is personal preference or whatever you like. I've hunted in some pretty cramped quarters and to be able to maneuver a bow with a short stabilizer is definately a plus and not a hinderance.

P.S. I don't hunt with a broomstick either. Happy Hunting and Good Bloodtrails.