Shooting with a bow requires skill, technique, and decent equipment. With these, you can achieve precision and accuracy. The bows come in a variety of designs and can be complex. One of the common problems that you might come across with archery is bow vibration. All bows tend to vibrate when you take a shot, and it is relatively impossible to eradicate bow vibration. However, there are specific things you can do to reduce it.
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How To Reduce Bow Vibration?
Reducing bow or string vibration is easy if you add some accessories to the equipment. Using a stabilizer is one option that many archers choose. However, some people select a combination of dampeners and stabilizers, while a few others go with dampeners alone. They have the potential to reduce the vibration before, during, and after the shot with your bow extensively.
Reasons For Bow Vibration
As an archer, you need to understand the reasons for the vibration. The vibration that occurs before you start taking the shot is due to the muscles in your body. All tremors that arise during and after taking the shot are the outcome of the tension released by the shot.
Either vibrations or shocks can be bad for you as an archer. Physical exercises that generally strengthen the upper body can help vibrations caused by your body. The vibration after the shots can be lessened using accessories available on the market.
The bow consists of different parts that are held together by screws. Any loose screws can cause the bow to vibrate more than usual. Therefore, before going on to the accessories part, you can tighten up all the screws to see if that fixes the vibration issue.
Accessories That Help Reduce Bow Vibration
There are accessories that you can think about using to reduce bow vibration. You will also find separate accessories that help curtail string vibration and noise. The following are accessories you can choose to use to get a hold and decrease vibration.
- Stabilizers
- Dampeners
Stabilizers
There are different types of stabilizers available on the present market. They are as follows:
- Long Stabilizers
- Reverse Stabilizers
- Upper Stabilizers
- Lower Stabilizers
Even though there are four different types of stabilizers available on the market, most archers these days choose to ignore the upper and lower stabilizers. The long and reverse stabilizer combinations usually help reduce bow vibration without upper and lower stabilizers.
1. Long Stabilizers
The long stabilizer is also now known as the main stabilizer. Sometimes it is used in combination with the reverse stabilizer. If this long stabilizer does not help reduce vibration, you can try the upper and lower stabilizers to see if they can be a great help.
You can have the long or central stabilizer screwed in front of the bow. It would help to control the vibration in most cases. It is possible to lessen the vibration before, during, or after you took the shot. It would also provide you with better accuracy.
An ideal length for a stabilizer can be upwards of 8 inches. It is a personal choice which stabilizer you should choose. Find one that has a good length and weight that you are comfortable with. If a stabilizer is heavier, it provides less vibration from the bow. Thus, you have to consider plenty of features before acquiring the suitable one.
2. Reverse Stabilizer
Reverse stabilizers are known as “v-bar brackets” or “rear bars.” As the name suggests, it is in the rear part of the bow. It provides the same stability that you get from a long stabilizer. Adding a reverse stabilizer can reduce small vibrations too.
The vibrations that are not taken care of by the long stabilizer are left to the reverse stabilizer. You will find many archers using the combination of central and reverse stabilizers. It is because that helps to minimize vibrations that disturb them before, during, and after the shot.
Dampeners
It is another accessory that you can choose to install on your bow, and you can screw it to the bow in any of the holes available in modern bows. Dampeners are usually made of heavy rubber and help absorb vibrations before, during, and after the shot is made.
Using a heavy dampener is often the choice that archers make. It helps them a great deal with better consistency and accuracy. It also reduces the chances of your muscles straining due to the vibrations caused by the bow.
Some bows come with built-in dampeners, and these bows tend to vibrate a lot less compared to the cheaper variants. Therefore, it may be a good option for you to consider purchasing a complex bow from a reputed manufacturer.
Drawbacks Of Bow Vibration
As an archer, there are many disadvantages when the bow vibrates erratically. When your bow vibrates, we look at some of the cons that would affect your archery skills. It would help you understand the importance of reducing the vibration as much as possible.
1. Losing Accuracy
Accuracy is one of the most important things you will lose with a vibrating bow. In other words, it also means that hitting the targets every single time with accurate shots will be lost.
2. Losing Confidence
An archer needs to have confidence every time they take a shot. When you lose your accuracy due to a vibrating bow, your confidence levels tend to drop as well. So, you have to take care of bow vibration, which is relatively vital.
3. Physical Strain
You will begin to put a lot of strain on your body when your bow begins to vibrate. Some archers refer to the vibration as bad as being bitten by a dog. So, the burden can be enormous if it is not addressed at the right moment.
Finding The Root Cause
Any problem with a bow has a root cause that needs addressing. If you are using a cheap bow, it would not have the essential dynamics in order to handle hundreds of shots. Moreover, they may also not have proper weight distribution.
These things can cause a lot of vibration when a shot is in progress or afterward. While it is not possible to eliminate the vibration, you can reduce it with accessory options. However, understanding the root cause of vibration is crucial.
Sophisticated bows that are priced higher usually tend to have lower vibrations. It is due to the weight of the bow, the design, and the physics used to manufacture it. Some also have inbuilt dampeners that help reduce the vibration a great deal.
Trying different combinations of the accessories listed can be a good option. You can find which combination has the limited vibration and stick with it for your bow. It can help you become a better archer over time.
Bottom Line
Irrespective of how good the design is, you will experience vibration. Adding accessories like stabilizers and dampeners may be a good choice.
Always select accessories from manufacturers who are reputed. Although you might have to pay a little extra for these accessories, they would be worth the penny you spend on them. Talk with experienced archers and get their opinions on the best combination of accessories.