Introduction: PVC and Velcro Long Bow Stabilizer

About: I'm an applied mathematician and an enthusiast for green power, the developing world and solutions to complex problems. There's nothing more fun than finding a cheap and effective solution!

Hunger Games = love Archery!

So you've just watched the Hunger Games, or Rambo or been to the Renaissance festival and are pumped about Archery!  That's great because Archery happens to be one of the most enjoyable sports around!

You've got your long bow and you've been shooting but it's occured to you that your friends with their compound bows seem to be shooting so much more consistently than you.  It's because of the stabilizers (the long rod that protrudes from the front of their bows).

Bows with scopes?  

Compound bows have some great advantages... like being able to keep the bow drawn with very little effort.  Along with that decreased effort comes increased stability.

But... come on... a scope on a bow?  That seems to defeat the fun of it all doesn't it? 

Long Bows get no love from stabilizer manufacturers

Anyways, I looked around and couldn't find any stabilizers for long bows.  Looks like I was going to have to make one.

The key features of a bow stabilizer is that it should be 4-12", light, easy to remove and mount, and ideally be low cost and relatively low weight.  


How does a bow stabilizer work?
The stabilizer works by increasing the amount of twisting torque applied at the handle needed to twist the bow.  Without a stabilizer your fine motors have nothing to resist their tiny little twitches and your shots will be slightly scattered upon release.  With a stabilizer those small weak movements are dampened and controlled.  And thus a near instantaneous improvement in your shot consistency will be acheived.

On to the build

There's really only 3 steps (okay maybe 6) and 4 items needed for a simple and effective stabilizer.

-12" length of 1/2" or 3/4" PVC pipe.
-some sand
-1/4" x 3" bolt
-3 strips of velcro

Oh and some duct tape.

1.) First drill a bolt hole about 1" from the base of the PVC pipe.  This will serve as an attachement point for the velcro and the bow.

2.)  Then duct tape off the base.

3.)  Fill the pipe with sand and duct tape off the cap.  (You can get fancy and use an actual PVC pipe cap or plug here too).

4.)  Take two pieces of velcro and attach one to each side of the pipe on the bolt.

5.)  String your bow, and wrap the 3rd piece of velcro a bit down on the bow arm as tight as you can.  Slide it up a 1/2" or so.  

6.)  Finally mount the stabilizer by lining up the bolt parallel with the bow, and wraping the velcros tightly to the arm.  The bottom velcro should be resting on the 3rd piece of velcro previously applied.

Now go out and play!

Go out and shoot and see just how much more consistent your shots are!

Adjust the length of the stabilizer as required!