8 Best Bow Stabilizers [100 % Accuracy, Efficiency, Durability]

Bow stabilizers are great shooting aids whether you’re hunting, competing in an archery competition, or just getting in some practice in the backyard.

But which one should you put on your bow?

This is a tough decision many of us face, but we wanted to help. So here we have our list of the best bow stabilizers around. There’s something here for everyone, from bowhunters to competitors, so there should be something that works for you.

First we’re going to talk about bow stabilizers (or de-resonators, or harmonic dampeners, or whatever you want to call them) and then we’ll go over some details about different designs and dampening materials from rubber to carbon fiber before we dive into some specific recommendations in our buyer’s guide.

Let’s get into it

What Exactly is a Bow Stabilizer?

Stabilizers are used on compound and recurve bows in the top-level shooting tournaments.

Why?

I want to save space here because you probably already have a good idea about what stabilizers do, but in general, the stabilizer reduces vibration in the bow and helps with aiming. When you draw a bow, especially a heavy draw weight bow, you exert a lot of force moving backward.

A front stabilizer does not precisely counter this force, but balances the bow. The pulling back is the same as adding weight. Think of using a lever to move something. 

This action causes the bow to shift around as you pull back. A front stabilizer also balances the bow in your hand; it won't rise as much when you shoot. That's less fatigue for your arm, which is never a bad thing when you’re shooting.

Which Bow Stabilizer Should I Buy?

Tournament archers may use stabilizers longer than their bow. For those of us who head into the woods with a stick and string, that is just not practical. A pole sticking out the front of our bow is something else to get in the way, especially when we're trying for a tricky shot on a target that is not 100 percent broadside and may be partly hidden by vegetation.

Hunters, meanwhile, typically only need short stabilizers and just front bars. If you are sitting in a tree stand and have a bow with rear stabilizers, that will limit your ability to pivot from side to side.

For this reason, a shorter stabilizer is better than a long stabilizer in the woods. These shorter stabilizers typically have a larger surface area for better vibration reduction than your typical carbon fiber rod stabilizers. The main benefit here is that you are less likely to get the end of the stabilizer caught on something.

In general, the best bow stabilizer for hunting will be pretty short, and a fairly lightweight design with more internal harmonic dampeners. But then, most high-quality stabilizers also have customizable weights so you can tune things the way you want and for your draw weight anyway.

Longer stabilizers with adjustable weights and such are typically more for a competition setting or general target shooting, where the added weight and bulk are worthwhile trade offs because you’re less worried about maneuverability and more concerned with the counterbalance for an accurate shot.

You can also add side bars to many of these that will help offset the weight of quivers, sights, and other accessories.

Finally, you’ll want to consider the dampening technology being used, as the different damper materials have different pros and cons.

I shoot a stabilizer on my compound. Which compound bow stabilizer I shoot depends on where I'm shooting. 

I go longer when doing tournaments and short when in the woods or practicing hunting shots. I shoot with nothing except a ring clamped on the bowstring when out with my recurve.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that holding a hunting recurve at full draw is not something I want to do for more than a second, and a stabilizer could easily slow you down during that. 

Plus, getting back to a more “natural” shooting experience with nothing but a bow, an arrow, the target, and a silencer for some noise reduction is nice. 

Alright, with all that out of the way, let’s look at some recommendations. We’ve included options of different lengths and styles so there should be something here for everyone, from target archers to trophy hunters. 

Here's our look at the best stabilizers today. They’re all solid, and typically in stock on places like Amazon and other retailers so they’re easy to get your hands on.

1. Limbsaver S-Coil Bow Stabilizer

The LimbSaver S-Coil leads our list, which isn’t a surprise to those of you in the know, I’m sure. It’s not the latest and greatest, but instead is more or less the industry standard.

LimbSaver is a world-leader in recoil-reducing technology. Their stabilizer is simply one of the best you can get. The spiral design takes up the bow's vibration into the coils. 

It comes in six different colors and four camo patterns. It's a short 4.5 inches and a light 4.5. ounces. You do not need something heavy as a stabilizer, especially when it can absorb the recoil like the LimbSaver.

2. LimbSaver Mini Bow Stabilizer

A shorter version of the LimbSaver S-Coil, the LimbSaver Mini does the same thing as its big brother, just not as efficiently. This is a good stabilizer for a light bow or a bowfishing bow. The short length means less to get tangled in a line. 

It has the same six colors as the bigger one, but one less camo pattern. It is 2.5 inches long and 2.5 ounces.

The front end is also drilled and tapped so you can stack this one for increased weight and vibration dampening. It ranks below its big brother, because when you start sticking things together, that's just more parts that can separate at the most inconvenient moment.

3. Bee Stinger SportHunter Xtreme Stabilizer

The Bee Stinger Sport Hunter Extreme comes in 6, 8 and 10-inch lengths and 8 color schemes. I suggest if you are hunting animals with good color vision, like turkey, stick to straight camo. 

Turkey hunters should also stay away from the blue and pink. Turkeys can have these colors and red naturally. Avoid these colors because other turkey hunters may be looking for those spots of bright color in the woods.

The various deer species are more likely to spook on movement than a spot or two of color, so any of the colors are all right for deer hunting.

The 6" weights 2.7 ounces. The 8" weighs 8.6 ounces and the 10" 6.4 ounces. When you get into the tournament lengths, the weight jumps to 1.4 pounds.

The Stinger comes with three one-ounce weights so you can do some tuning to fit it to your shooting needs. Weights for the Pro Hunter Maxx, another Bee Stinger stabilizer, are four and two ounces. The diameter is the same size so you can order extra weight if needed.

It comes with "harmonic" (vibration) dampeners inside the stabilizer.

4. NAP Apache Bow Stabilizer

The New Archery Products Apache stabilizer looks like it should be some sort of grinder or crusher. The rubber bracers are hooked and set up to be facing each other. Unlike the mouth of a tiger shark, if you stick your fingers into this maw, you won't be hurt. The rubber dampeners are held in place on three rods running from the cap to the base.

The Apache comes in two 5-inch models at 5.5 ounces and two 8-inch models at 7.7 ounces. The other difference is color. You can pick black or camo in either size.

5. TRUGLO Tru-Tec Carbon Pro

Truglo is best known for its luminous sights. The TruGLO Tru-Tec Carbon Pro bow stabilizer won't glow, but it will help your shooting. 

It comes with three one-ounce weights so you can adjust the feel. It is six or eight inches long. The 8" version is a shadowy .65 ounces without the weights.

6. Trophy Ridge Static Stabilizer

The Trophy Ridge Static Series's polymer construction comes in 25 percent lighter than an aluminum counterpart but delivers the same strength. The goofy looking holes let wind pass through, reducing resistance if you are shooting with a crosswind. 

Why would you shoot with a strong wind? Sometimes that's the only way you can hunt.

The stabilizer is 3, 6, 9 and 12-inches long. Weights are .8, 9, 10 and 11 ounces, respectively. The stabilizer comes with a set of 2 one-ounce weights, which will probably tip the scale at a hair under an ounce each.

7. SAS Archery Aluminum Bow Stabilizer

The SAS Archery Aluminum Bow Stabilizer really looks like a custom handguard for an AR15 or a zombified midget baseball bat with its unique design. The holes reduce wind resistance (and weight) and makes it a good option for windy conditions. It comes in black or camo.

The 5" is 5.3 ounces. The 6.5" is 8 ounces and 10" comes in at 11 ounces. It is made from aluminum. It does not come with weights, but given the holes, an enterprising archer could figure a way to add an ounce or two.

It’s also aluminum, which means it’ll stand up to all kinds of weather conditions without corroding

8. Trophy Ridge Hitman

The Trophy Ridge Hitman comes in black, but lets you pick from five colored rings to customize the look just a little bit. Since you get three sets of rings and the stabilizer has three places for the rings, your color combinations are more math than I can do. 

It has two 1-ounce weights already installed, but you can remove them.

The 6, 8 and 10-inch bars weight 6.5 ounces. The one-foot model weighs 7 ounces. Putting a 12-inch stabilizer on a bow for hunting is about the maximum length for me. I would have to be hunting in pretty clear terrain to use one that long.

This bow has a proprietary mount system that connects to your bow in the normal way. Then, the stabilizer goes on and off in a hurry. It also has a wrist strap.

Final Thoughts

Bow stabilizers are great shooting aids, for hunters and target shooters alike...but they won’t make you a master archer.

That said, a bow stabilizer will increase your accuracy once you learn to use it. Can you shoot farther? Maybe. As your ability to hit the 10-ring improves, certainly put the target farther and farther back until you are not making reliable kill shots. Then, close the distance.

Remember this - bow hunting is not the same thing as shooting on the range. When you are drawing on a bullseye or a 3-D, it will not jump the string, suddenly take a step as you release or do something else unexpected. 

Oh, and keep in mind, the stabilizer handles bow vibrations on the shot. If you have a case of buck fever and the resulting shakes, a stabilizer will not help you at all.

What do you think of these bow stabilizers? Is there one you like more than others? Let us know in the comments below! And if you want more bow-related content, check out our list of the best crossbow scopes and the best bow sights.