If it hasn’t happened already, at some point a customer is going to come into your store and ask if front and sidebar stabilizers are really needed for hunting, or if they are just for target shooters. It’s a complicated topic, luckily someone has done the research for you.
In this video, YouTuber Garrett Prahl of DIY Sportsman, shares an in-depth study to determine if the advantages of stabilizers are enough to offset the added weight and space on a bow in hunting applications.
Prahl starts by using a product called the Mantis X8, which uses accelerometers to track a bows movement on a very fine scale to test the stability in multiple scenarios including no stabilizers as a control, a sidebar only and a front and sidebar setup. All stabilizer used were from Titanium Archery Products.
After recording several stabilization data points with the Mantis X8, Prahl presents a figure depicting that with every setup he was able to make accurate shots. However, the data concluded that as he got more fatigued, his shots when lacking stabilizers began to widen when compared to using any stabilization.
The setup that showed the lowest amount of variability and tightest cluster of precise data points was when using the sidebar only. The highest cluster of data, meaning the most accurate and precise shooting was seen when using a 11.75-inch front stabilizer with 3-ounce weights and a 10.75-inch sidebar stabilizer with 11.5-ounce weights. It is important to note though that there was more variability shown with that setup especially when fatigued likely due to the added weight.
Prahl goes on to present and explain more figures showing his overall accuracy when shooting outdoors in various conditions. He concluded that any situation when a stabilizer was used, he saw improvement in the accuracy and precision compared to no stabilizer.
After proving that balanced stabilizers do make a difference in shooting performance, Prahl takes his bow to the tree and sits in his hunting saddle to see how the stabilizers affect his mobility. He provides an example of how the front bar can indeed get in the way when swinging a bow near branches but also established that the sidebar never seemed to get in the way except when putting his bow in the case. Having a quick connect bar attachment comes in handy in that situation.
In this YouTuber’s opinion, the correct stabilizer setup on a hunting bow makes sense. The video gives detail on way that is and can provide some great insight to share with your customers. But there is a lot to it. A shooter still needs good form, the right balance and plenty of practice.
