a stablalizer is personal preference. depends on what feel you're looking for.i personally like a heavier stabalizer.
what do they do?
they help in steadying your bow arm when you're at full draw, and they make the bow fall forward or straight down after the shot. so in essence they assist you in your follow through. if you are just starting off there are a couple of things you should be aware of when your make the "perfect" shot. a perfect shot is not only very technical but a thing of beauty to watch and a thing of beauty to feel. first off make sure you have a bow sling, reason being is that you don't ever grab your bow in a death grip when you shoot....your bow hand should be very relaxed, DON'T arch your rist so that your grip is in the crotch of your hand between between your thumb and index finger. that will creat inconsistency and exagerate side torque. your bow should sit along the heel of your thumb fingers relaxed and or slightly touching, not grabbing the front of the riser. your drawlength should be short enough that when you are at full draw your bow arm is slightly bent. when you come to full draw you shouldn't feel anything on any part of your body except your shoulderblades. now the shot starts. the perfect shot is a combination of "back tension" and pushing with your slightly bent bow arm and squeezing your shouldblades together. when the shot goes off it should be a total suprise and scare the living sh*t out of you when you first start. the stabalizer will assist you in the follow through and make your bow fall forward. you never grab the bow w/your bowhand during the shot or the follow through....so to answer your question do the above and when you get a stabalizer that gives you the feeling of a "rock" solid bow arm at full draw and a dead drop follow through w/no side torque you know you've found "the one". <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
hunting is a whole different ballgame...you rarely have the opportunity to set up for a "perfect" shot you have to improvise and take whats given to you.