Best Bow Stabilizer for Hunting

What are the Top Compound Bow Stabilizers for Deer Hunting?

Are you ready with your bow to hunt? The wild is full of possibilities; without the right gear, however, you may return unsuccessful. One of the surest ways to enhance your accuracy and eliminate vibrations or noise after shots is to get a stabilizer for your bow.

A stabilizer is attached to the side and works by reducing the wind effect on your shots. The vibrations that happen as well as resulting noise are dampened by stabilizers. There are not so many of them, but the available ones have something great to offer your performance.

It is a good idea to purchase a stabilizer that meets your requirements. If you will be hunting on the ground, then you may not have the need to restrict your length of bar. You can go for medium or long ranges, and enjoy high accuracy and one of the most effective sound dampening.

If you will be hunting on high ground, like from a tree stand, then you may want to check the length and weight of your bar. This is because of the risk of limited space. At 7” to 8”, however, you can still get some pretty high accuracy and great silencing.

A good stabilizer depends on more than just your hunting preference. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the best bow stabilizers for hunting, and factors that you should consider before and when shopping for them.

1. NAP Apache 

The quick facts about NAP Apache are that it measures to lengths of 5” and 8”, and weighs 5.5 oz. and 7.5 oz. A notable feature is that you can easily convert the 5” model to the 8” via an extension tube. To convert the latter to the former, you will simply have to unscrew the tube. 

If you would like some more extension, however, then you may not be able to get one beyond the given tube. The two models, nonetheless, offer similar features that you may love. It has a good look with its camo patterns or black colour. 

This stabilizer silences and takes away vibrations through dampener discs. These disks serve their purposes optimally, and not only help improve accuracy but also hunt in silence. For its performance, you may find this product’s price to be great.

A notable setback with this piece, however, is that it does not provide an excellent fit unless your case is removed. This, nonetheless, depends on the type of bow that you are using. You may find everything else to be good and that this product works excellently for you.

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2. Bee Stinger

A quick overview of this product is that is available in measures of 6”, 8” and 10”. It comes with adjustable weights, which you may come to love; three discs of 1 oz. The Bee Stinger also offers great dampening technology. Is that all? Let us find out more.

You may come to find this product to be pretty simple. Its dampening technology comes as a great feature, which places it among the best. It has a harmonic dampener insert within its shaft (made of carbon fiber) and a rubber dampener on its end, large and efficient. These are the parts that will be working together to eliminate noise and vibrations.

You may come to find the Bee Stinger to be one of the best adjustable stabilizers that you can find for hunting. It has an amazing weight selection, with a combination of light discs. If you are looking for a stabilizer whose weight you can easily manage, then the Bee Stinger may just be it.

You may also find the diameter of its weights to be pretty small. If you are on a tree, then the 8” model may serve you optimally. You may, nonetheless, find the 6” model to work just as well. A notable setback with the product, however, is that you may find it to be costly.

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3. Trophy Ridge

A quick overview of this product is that it is available in measures of 6” and 9”. The weight dispensed by the two models is 7.0 ounces and 9.0 ounces respectively. You may love how the stabilizer looks on your bow, whatever the kind, and also give it a plus for its adjustable weights. Let us find out more.

Stabilizers that come weighted or bulky may help you achieve the desired accuracy, but will always have that one setback—weight. Trophy Ridge presents a stabilizer that, unlike most other models, comes in a simple, lightweight design, with a skeleton-like frame.

The resulting hollow design or shape helps keep the wind out, and thus, improve your aiming. The product also features threaded studs and Ballistix composite material. In the same measure, it is believed to be 25% lighter than aluminium. 

Trophy Ridge, additionally, comes with two weight adjustment discs, which weigh 1 ounce each. Before, the manufacturer offered two mounted dampeners, but a few things have changed, and you should now expect one large dampener that connects to one end, attaching the discs.

A notable setback of this product is with the internal dampers, which were reduced from two to one.

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4. Bee Stinger Pro

A quick overview of this product is that it is available in measures of 8”, 10” and 12”. The respective weights of each model are 14.1 oz., 14.5 oz., and 14.6 oz. You may find Bee Stinger Pro to be easy to customize. This ability to customize it gives you control over its weight. What else does it have to offer?

The product features diameter discs, which hang to one end and help with weight distribution. How does this affect your performance? The discs dampen your shots, eliminating vibrations or noise that might result from it, and ensuring you can make straight shots.

This can be a favourite of tree hunters. If you have a favourite stand on which you depend for making shots, therefore, then the Bee Stinger Pro might serve you just right, especially due to the availability of a small 8” size. Hunters who prefer doing their thing from the ground may prefer something longer than the 8″ model.

You should expect a dampening technology built into this stabilizer and a Sims dampener, which work together to further eliminate any vibrations. The lightest model weighs 14.1 ounces, which you may find to be heavy. Nevertheless, you can always remove or customize the 4-ounce and 2-ounce weights.

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5. Tru-Glo Tru-Tec

A quick overview of this product is that it is available in measures of 6” and 8”. It comes with adjustable weights and you may also love its dampening technology. Tru-Glo Tru-Tec presents a good-looking stabilizer, which besides its position in our list, is worth a consideration. 

This product features a carbon strong rod, which makes it more rigid; it is made of carbon fiber, and works along with the carbon-composite exoskeleton to deliver amazing performance. What is more, is that the composites help with the elimination of both noise and vibrations.

Its rigid coating has been made in a great design and feels soft. A notable setback with this product is that while you can make weight adjustments, you will need a hex key (which can get lost easily) for the front—this can give you a hard time.

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Buying Guide

If you are out hunting with a bow, you may face a few challenges, among them being stability, and noise. Both could affect your performance and lower your chances of a successful hunt. How? If you are unable to keep your bow stable, you may miss shot chances.

Deer or any other hunting requires steadiness for good and on-target shots. Besides that, you may need to be as quiet as possible. Noise from after-shots may not always be ideal; so you may need something to help keep your bow both stable and as silent as possible.

A stabilizer helps achieve both needs. It is attached to the bow and can come in varying lengths, depending on where you will be using it. With a good piece, you should be able to make more silent, accurate and stable shots, increasing your chances of success.

When shopping for bow stabilizers, you will come across a variety of them. We have discussed some of the best in the market; I hope you found the list helpful and that you will be able to settle on a satisfactory product. But how easy is choosing the best? I would not say so much.

There are factors that you will need to keep in mind before and when shopping since they will guide you with making a better choice of product. Among the most important ones, are your desired target for the hunt, and the amount of vibration and weight reduction you will need.

Stabilizing

Choosing the best stabilizer requires a good consideration of length and weight. The longer a stabilizer, the greater the vibration reduction it will offer. You can use long stabilizer bars out in the open or in hunting grounds with plenty of space. There is a catch, however.

Long stabilizers may cause hindrances in dense hunting grounds or surroundings. If you have limited space, then you may find a shorter bar to be more suitable. But do you have to bear the weight? You may find that every stabilizer adds on weight to your bow. Because of the perks they offer, they are worth the weight.

When hunting, you may find the steadiness that these bars offer to be the last piece you perhaps needed to make those target-shots. They also reduce post-shot vibrations and allow you to hold your bow for as long as you can, removing wind interference. 

Bow stabilizers today have been built to serve both silencing and stabilizing purposes. You will find that they ate made of carbon fiber, aluminium, or rubber, among other materials, which help improve the quality of your shots.

Size

Stabilizers come in varied sizes. Some are long, others moderate, and others short. What you are hunting and where will determine which length will work best for you. Along with length, is weight. Different weights will deliver different performances and will serve you best in varied surroundings.

Let us have a look at how length is going to affect your choice. Are you hunting from high ground, say a tree stand? If so, then you may find it difficult to hunt with a long stabilizer. A heavy model may also make it difficult to get any kills or swing your hands effectively. When on a tree stand or high grounds, you may need something simple and sizeable.

Long stabilizers, on the other hand, are great for open hunting grounds and areas. If you are also going to hunt on the ground, then you can work with a bar, as long as you would require. In this case, bearing some added weight for higher accuracy seems to be worth it. 

Remember that on the ground, more factors may affect your accuracy than when you are on a tree or high ground. In the latter case, all parts of your body are supported and focused on making a shot. On foot or on the ground, you may have to worry about positioning yourself properly for better chances of success. 

So, what ranges may work for you? You will come across medium, long, and short ranges. Each range offers values that will serve you best, as we have seen, in different conditions, which often depend on where you will be hunting or what. Your accuracy needs are also a determinant.

Between 3” to 4”, you will be getting a short-range stabilizer. Short ranges take care of dampening and are easier to use for beginners and youth. You may, however, not get much accuracy from them. If you would not mind that, however, then you have a range to work your skills up.

Between 5” to 8”, you will be getting a stabilizer with medium range. You can term this as standard or simply, the best range for any bowhunter. Within the range, you will enjoy high accuracy and noise elimination.

At 5” and 6”, however, you may not get the best accuracy, but rather, silence. This range is ideal for stalking or other tight-quarters hunting. For optimal accuracy, 7” and 8” should serve you excellently. Your chances of success are highest within this range for most environments.

At 9” and 10”, you will be walking away with a long-range stabilizer. How can it serve you? As we have seen, long bars deliver exceptionally good accuracy, especially when that is coupled with some weight. What is more, is that some stabilizers have been built to offer the best at a lightweight.

Customization

You may come to find customization to be one of the most important considerations. Well, here is my reason. If you are a flexible archer, meaning that you shoot the arrow for different reasons; it could be hunting, target practice, or simply stalking, then you will have different weight requirements every time you go out.

At times, you are going to find less weight sufficient, and at other times, you are going to need more weight. This can have a changing effect on your accuracy, which would be fair to match against your requirement every time you go out. Do you need accurate shots when stalking? Will you be going up a tree? Or will you prefer some ground hunting?

Now, some stabilizers come with the ability to customize weights. You can change them whenever you need to so that you meet your weight requirements of that time. This allows you to take more charge or control of how you are going to be hunting, by simply tuning the weight to be more conducive.

Bottom Line

If you have decided to go out on a hunt, then please return successful. Well, there is no rule to it, but it has some inner gratification that may inspire you to go out again, and again. Successful hunts don’t just happen, however. They take long hours and plenty of patience, which as a hunter, you can afford.

Proper preparation is one of the ways that you can secure high chances of success, however. You need a stabilizer for higher accuracy, and of course, to help take down the noise, and up your stealth. A stabilizer is good for a lot more, which we have discussed.

We have also looked at what to go for, and some of the unique things that each product has to offer. From our list of the best bow stabilizers that you can use for hunting, which do you think is the best and will take your day? Well, I have a recommendation for you.

Get the NAP Apache. It measures to lengths of 5” and 8”, and weighs 5.5 oz. and 7.5 oz. A notable feature is that you can easily convert the 5” model to the 8” via an extension tube. To convert the latter to the former, you will simply have to unscrew the tube. 

This stabilizer silences and takes away vibrations through dampener discs. These disks serve their purposes optimally, and not only help improve accuracy but also hunt in silence. For its performance, you may find this product’s price to be great.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t get this product. But NAP Apache today!