Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Im shooting a Browning Rage and have only been shooting my bow for a couple of months now. When I shoot it feels good, I can shoot good groups, and I dont think its very loud. Im shooting 29" draw and 60 # weight. *I have no stabilizer and no vibration control gadgets*

In magazines and all over the place everyones bow is loaded with stabilizer and all sorts of vibration control gadgets all over the place.

Stabilizers - If it feels fine the way it is...do yall think this would help me shoot better?

Vibration/Noise control - vibration doesnt bother me as is...but should I put some limbsavers or other on to get the bow as quiet as possible?

Whatever equipment you feel is necessary I get what brands and kind do you guys like?

Or do I K.I.S.S. like I have been................Thanks!

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Not always.

Most bowhunters, including myself, refer to the stabilizer as a…..well…. a stabilizer. :)However, in the true sense of a actual stabilizer, the short extensions on a typical hunting bow does very little to stabilize the bow, if at all.

I use a hunting stabilizer that has a shock and noise dampening ability, as most are designed today, and just enough weight to cause the bow to slightly fall forward after I shoot.

If you are shooting well and the hand-shock and noise is minimal, I would not be concerned with adding weight (stabilizer) to the bow or any other device that has a tendency to rob energy from the bow (limb savers).

Anytime you can keep from adding things to a bow, you are ahead of the game.

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

On some single cams a stabilzer is quite beneficial. Quite a few have a significant kick on the shot, coming from the cam. A stabilizer can really dampen this. There is also quite a bit of vibration reduction and most will reduce torque, though probably not a lot.

When it comes to adding Sims products like string leeches, cable dampeners and limb savers, there is no down side that I can see. They will reduce noise and vibration in virtually every instance, which can make a shot feel much better and sound much quieter. The fact that they are not expensive makes them a good investment in my view. I've even heard that they can extend limb and riser life, when removing vibration. I don't know if that has been proven, but it sounds reasonable to me.

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Great info...I think one of the reasons I dont feel the need for these items is because Im so new to the sport. I just dont think this bow doesnt feels stable enough or this bow shocks my hand too much as Im shooting.

The only thing I am unsure of its noise level. I dont think it is very loud (no where near as loud as my friends crossbow), but I also have not shot at a whitetail with my bow yet. I have hunted with a rifle for 2 years so I guess I really dont know what quiet enough is. Maybe it will just be trial and error.

Thanks for the help c903.

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Straightarrow -

I think your right on how the vibration/sound control products can do nothing but help with my shot. c903 brought up a good point about it robbing energy, but with the heavy use of these items I see, I dont think it takes too much speed away. I am on a tight budget so I might toy with some of the cheaper Sims products.

Now comes another question,

Since some stabilizers also reduce noise/vibration, and I am on a tight budget, for the money what would be a good product (whether it be a stabilizer or string/limb attachment) to go with first since I dont have the doe to get them all?

I know you guys get these beginner questions all the time so I appreciate you helping me out.

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Much of a bow's noise comes from the vibrating string after the shot.

For just a few bucks you can install some string silencers (rubber whiskers are probably the cheapest) that will reduce the noise level greatly, IMO.

I am a big fan of the Limb Saver mushroom shaped gadgets, too, but they don't seem to contribute as much to overall noise reduction as do the simple string silencers like rubber whiskers (the Sims string leaches do work well too, but are more difficult to install than whiskers.)

Good luck and have fun!

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

First of all, the only person who has to be satisfied is you. If you want to keep it simple and are shooting well, then have at it.:D

If you know a friend who might let you borrow a stabilizer to try, you could find out if it would make a worthwhile difference. One thing to think about is that if you are planning to hunt with a bow quiver, the stabilizer (even a cheap solid one) will make your bow more resistant to torque which could cause problems with broadhead flight and accuracy.

Now, I've gotta say that the first bow I ever put Limb Savers on was pretty quiet, or at least I thought so. I read on forums like this one about how effective they were, so I tried them. At the first shot, my jaw must have dropped. I could actually hear the click of my release opening!
If you are on a budget, then the $12-15 that solid limb savers cost will be well worth it. They don't slow the arrow to any significant degree, if at all. All of the rest of the Sims products pale in their effectiveness compared to Limb Savers, IMO. Well worth the cost.;)

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

If for no other reason install one to protect the bow and accesories ( sight etc.. ) from damaging vibrations.
BD

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Anyone ever ask his or herself: Why does my bow need components that dampen vibration, shock, noise, protect the bow and components from damage, etc, more than was ever required in the past?

RE: Everyone Uses Them, But Are They Necessary?
 

Elephant hunter, I was in the same situation as you a few years ago. I really did not see the need for all that when I was please with how my set up shot. Then one day I shot six different stablizers on my bow. I narrowed it down to 2 different ones that really seemd to help keep me from moving my pin around so much waiting to release. I came back the next day and shot both stablizers until I picked the one that worked the best for me. Yes I could hit the target before but now my groups are much tighter.

Same thing with the limb savers. These guys gave you some great info on that topic. I put some on and could tell there was a reduction in vibration. Because you have been shooting without, this will make it easier for you to tell the difference when you put some on.

Give both a try, the limb savers are only $15 and most bow shops will let you test shoot stablizers, you don't have to buy one if you don't want to.