Stabilizers and Counterweights on a Budget

I'm cheap with my counterweights. My stabilizer setup uses an AAE Gripper, which is AAE's mount for the back stabilizer. This page covers what a stabilizer actually does, what tests found and how to set one up. Sources are at the end.

What a stabilizer does

• Resists movement. Bowhunter says stabilization increases rotational inertia, so the bow is harder to twist or torque, and the pin settles faster in a smaller pattern. It adds that a quality stabilizer comes with some kind of dampener to cut shot vibration and noise.
• Front vs back. Mathews says front bars give resistance to movement at full draw, while back bars handle left and right balance and help keep the bow from leaning.

Do you need one?

Outdoor Life shot 1,200 arrows from three bows with three stabilizers and with none, from 20 to 60 yards. It found no statistically significant accuracy difference inside 40 yards. From 40 to 60 yards, stabilized bows shot 10 percent more accurately. In stiff wind, the tester always shot better with a stabilizer. Its conclusion: from a treestand or blind, where weight isn't a big deal, use one. For very mobile hunts, a stabilizer is optional.

How long

• 8 inches minimum on most bows, per Outdoor Life, because a bar does nothing for stabilization until it reaches past the limb pockets. Its rule is 2 inches longer than the gap from the riser to the outside edge of the limb pockets.
• 10 to 12 inches is Bowhunter's preference. A longer bar needs less weight for the same stability.
• Shorter in tight spots. Mathews says a shorter front bar helps in a ground blind, or in a treestand with limbs in the way.

Back bars and counterweights

• Tipping forward. Outdoor Life says a longer front bar makes the bow tip forward, and a side rod adds weight behind the bow to counter it.
• Tuning the hold. If your pin dips at full draw, Bowhunter says to reduce front weight or add back bar weight. If it pushes up, add front weight or reduce back weight.
• How much weight. On a hunting bow, Mathews says you don't need to go crazy with weight, and a longer bar needs less.

Budget vs premium

Specs from Amazon listings, prices approximate as of Oct 10, 2026:

Outdoor Life lists the 8-inch Redline RL-1 among its best stabilizers, with three 1-ounce weights and most of the weight at the end. We didn't find a second independent review for either bar, so neither is called the best pick here.

Dampeners

I might add a dampener to my stabilizer, but that's a varsity refinement that only matters if you're highly practiced.

Other good options

• Counter-slide bars. Field & Stream describes a single bar that slides through a mount, so you can set the front and back length and add weight to either end.
• No stabilizer for mobile hunts inside 40 yards, per Outdoor Life's test.

Questions hunters ask

Is a cheap stabilizer OK? Outdoor Life put the budget Redline RL-1 on its best list and stresses length and end weight. Its test found the accuracy gains past 40 yards.

What length for treestand hunting? 8 inches is the working minimum on most bows, per Outdoor Life. Go shorter only if branches get in the way, per Mathews.

Do I need a back bar? Add one if a longer or heavier front bar makes the bow tip forward or lean, per Outdoor Life and Mathews.

Sources

• Outdoor Life, "Do You Need a Bow Stabilizer on Your Hunting Bow?": https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/hunting/do-you-really-need-stabilizer-your-hunting-bow/
• Outdoor Life, "The Best Bow Stabilizers": https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-bow-stabilizers/
• Bowhunter, "The Best Stabilizer Setups for Bowhunting": https://www.bowhunter.com/editorial/best-stabilizer-setups-bowhunting/372051
• Mathews, "The Ultimate Guide to Bow Stabilizers": https://mathewsinc.com/blogs/experience/the-ultimate-guide-to-bow-stabilizers
• Field & Stream, "Best Bow Stabilizers": https://fieldandstream.com/outdoor-gear/hunting-gear/bow-hunting/compound-bows/best-bow-stabilizer