SETTLING ON A STABILIZER SETUP By P. J. Reilly "They make my bow too heavy." "I don't like how they stick out and get in the way." "They don't do anything for me." These are some of the statements you'll hear from bowhunters who shun stabilizers. But, used correctly, a stabilizer is among the most beneficial accessories placed on a bow. Those who feel differently might not understand how stabilizers are supposed to work, or they might not have the right rods for their bows. H O L Studies have shown that most deer killed with a bow in the eastern United States are taken with shots under 20 yards. That's a shot that can be made effectively, often easily, with a compound bow without a stabilizer. But stabilizers can help you hold even steadier on deer at those ranges. That can be critical if your adrenaline is pumping and your nerves have you shaking. And when you start taking shots beyond that 20-yard mark, then stabilizers really earn their weight. D I N G STEADY MARCH 2018 57