Cheating or Not? Whether to Use an Archery Stabilizer
Chuck Holloway

Throughout the timeless ages of mankind, one question has puzzled sportsmen around the globe: is it, or is it not, cheating to use an archery stabilizer when bow hunting?

All right, perhaps the question isn't as pervasive or divisive as all that, but it has sparked many a heated debate in our local archery club. Archery stabilizer, which help keep the bow steady and reduce noise, can be a sportsman's best friend, but there are still some who consider it unsporting to use them.

I wouldn't consider myself one of the latter group. I can certainly see the benefit in them, and in fact often end up using them in competitions and tournaments where the rules permit them. They lend a steadiness and an accuracy to my aim that I can't hope to match on my own. But the fact is, the archery stabilizer won't do it all for you. True, it does help, and it does improve your aim and accuracy. But you still have to learn to aim and actually hit the target.

Most archery organizations will allow some form of stabilizer on recurve bows in competitions, although not on longbows, and the question is really one that the archer must decide for himself or herself. It may be that the archery stabilizer is your best friend, and you wouldn't dream of trying to shoot an arrow without it. If so, well and good! But remember that others may prefer to shoot without it. If you belong to the latter category, remember that everyone has different aims--pardon the pun--in archery, and that just because you wouldn't be caught dead using a stabilizer doesn't mean that other people can't use them and benefit from them.

It's worth bearing in mind, however, that it does take a better archer to be able to hit their target consistently without a stabilizer. Don't think for a moment that your skill is higher just because you hit the target better with the archery stabilizer.

Chuck Holloway is and avid archery fanatic with 18 years of hunting experience. He is a lifetime member of the North American Hunting Club and an active member of the NRA. Chuck has a strong passion for the outdoors and enjoys capturing the details of the hunt in his journals.