Top Gear For Quieting Your Bow

January 04, 2011

Here's a look at some of the top stabilizers and silencers in the marketplace today.

By Brian Fortenbaugh

Apex Gear's Attitude Stabilizer ($27) weighs 4 oz. and measures 4.8" in length. Made of molded rubber with a soft coating, it combines a "wave" design with an "echo" chamber that work together to dampen vibration and noise (Apex Gear, 1-888-8-TRUGLO, www.truglo.com).

Bowjax's Magnum Rizrjax Dampeners ($24.99) attach on either side of a bow's riser, top and bottom. Their six arms vary in length to react at different frequencies, thus shortening the duration of vibration. Molded-rubber balls at the end of each arm "rebound" to further quiet your bow (Bowjax, Inc., 208/762-3692, www.bowjax.com).

Doinker's Chubby Hunter Series Stabilizers employ the Doinker Supreme dampener, made of the company's ITP (Interrupted Transfer Polymer) material built directly into the stabilizer's end cap. The 3.25" CS3 ($26) weighs 5.2 oz.; the 4.75" CS5 ($41), 6.3 oz.; and the 6.625" CS7 ($51), 6.3 oz (Leven Industries, 818/700-2899, www.doinker.com).

Fuse's Carbon Blade Hunter 8.5 Stabilizer ($109.99), constructed of lightweight carbon fiber, has an aerodynamic shape that reportedly creates up to 70% less wind drag than ordinary stabilizers. Add Fuse's vibration-damping technologies and you have a stabilizer that will help you shoot more quietly -- and accurately in harsh weather (Fuse Archery, 801/363-2990, www.fusearchery.com).

Mathews' Monkey Tails ($2), standard on the company's Z7, will work on any bow to eliminate string and cable noise. Four of these little dampers in place will reduce arrow speed by a miniscule 1-2 fps (Mathews Solocam, 608/269-2728, www.mathewsinc.com).

NAP's Blackjack Stabilizer ($29.99) is 5" long and weighs 9 oz. Its ribbed outer sleeve cuts bow noise and recoil by 75%, resulting in tighter groups and fewer animals jumping the string (New Archery Products, 1-800-323-1279, www.newarchery.com).

Norway's StringTamer GII deadens string noise, reduces hand shock, and eliminates the need for string-mounted silencers. The front-mounted model ($64.95) adjusts from 6"-11"; the rear-mounted version ($54.95) works with brace heights from 4½" to 81„8" (Norway Industries, 1-800-778-4755, www.norwayindustries.com).

Octane's 7" Stabilizer ($59.99) has diamond-shaped cutouts on the outside that dissipate any vibration not absorbed by the inner dampening material. A rubber bellows on the end acts like a piston to further squelch vibration and direct movement toward your target (Octane, 541/284-4711, www.fuelthehunt.com).

PSE's Pete Shepley Signature Series Deuce Stabilizer ($58.99), at 8" and 9 oz., reduces vibration and noise courtesy of two internal damping rods suspended in a rubber compound (PSE, Inc., 520/884-9065, www.pse-archery.com).

Trophy Ridge's ShockStop Lite Stabilizer ($19.99), at 5" and 6.3 oz., minimizes vibration and noise while balancing your bow perfectly for steadier aiming. It's constructed of black, shock-absorbing rubber and comes with a braided wrist sling (Trophy Ridge, 1-800-694-9494, www.trophyridge.com).

T.R.U. Ball's Spyder Speed Silencers ($19.99) attach to your bowstring via the company's TBAL speed enhancers. With these affixed, Speed Silencers reduce string noise and can reportedly increase arrow speed 1-15 fps, depending on use and your bow's cam style (T.R.U. Ball, Inc., 434/929-2800, www.truball.com).

Browning Pro Scout Max with AI Technology

Gear

Browning Pro Scout Max with AI Technology

Curt Wells of Bowhunter TV stops by the Browning Trail Cameras booth to discuss the new AI technology on the popular Pro Scout Max with Chief Design Officer John Traywick. What this essentially means is that users can now control which pictures they'll see and which pictures they won't by telling each cameras what images it should transmit. Gone are the days of having to sort through every picture that features a squirrel, raccoon, crow or any other critter that you don't wish to view. They also take a look at some new accessories — a solar panel with a built-in lithium cell, as well as a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack.

Gear

QAD Archery: Integrate Mounting System Updates

Gear

QAD Archery: Integrate Mounting System Updates

Bowhunter TV's Curt Wells stops by the QAD booth at the 2025 Archery Trade Show for his annual visit with Kevin Fry. By now, most bowhunters know all about the integrate mounting systems that nearly every bow manufacturer has incorporated into their flagship rigs. QAD has a pair of rests to fit those molds — the Ultrarest Integrate MX2 with micro-adjudt capabilities, as well as the Ultrarest Integrate R2. For archers that still wish to shoot an Ultrarest on an older bow that doesn't feature the integrate mounting system, fear not — QAD still offers a full lineup of Berger Button mounted models, including the Ultrarest HDX among others.

Gear

Bowtech's 2025 Bow Lineup

Gear

Bowtech's 2025 Bow Lineup

North American Whitetail's Blake Garlock stops for a chat with Bowtech's Bryan Hodakievic at the 2025 ATA Show in Indianapolis. The brand launched the Virtue on the first day of the show, which features the AeroMag magnesium riser — resulting in a mass wright of just 3.7 ounces. DeadLock Technology also returns, allowing for cam adjustments without the need for a bow press. This bow will hit the market with a price tag of $1,999. Additionally, the pair also discuss the other new Bowtech models for 2025 — the Proven 34 and the Solution LS.

Gear

The Technology Behind BLOCK & GlenDel Targets

Gear

The Technology Behind BLOCK & GlenDel Targets

Curt Wells of Bowhunter TV visits with Chris James of FeraDyne Outdoors at the 2025 Archery Trade Show in Indianapolis, where they discuss the innovative technologies behind two of the most well-known target brands on the market — BLOCK and GlenDel. BLOCK, of course, features layered foam technology, essentially stopping arrows with friction instead of force. Not only is that easier on your arrows, but also results in easier arrow removal. What's not as known by archers is that the same layered technology is also used in the GlenDel 3-D targets under an added overmold.

Gear

New Easton FMJ Max & 5.0 Arrows

Gear

New Easton FMJ Max & 5.0 Arrows

Gary Cornum, Marketing Director for Easton Archery, shows Bowhunter TV's Curt Wells some exciting new offerings for the new year at the annual Archery Trade Show in Indianapolis. It all starts with the latest version of the popular Full Metal Jacket arrow — the FMJ Max. Built on a lighter-weight platform than regular FMJ's, you can now get the heavy-hitting benefits of the FMJ while going a bit lighter in the form of the FMJ Max. Additionally, the new Easton 5.0 is an all-carbon arrow built on the lightest-weight platform the company has every produced.

Gear

Ripcord Arrow Rest Options for 2025

Gear

Ripcord Arrow Rest Options for 2025

Ripcord's Jeff Baker talks through their latest arrow rest lineup for 2025 with North American Whitetail's Black Garlock at the 2025 Archery Trade Association show in Indianapolis. There are three options to choose from this year, inlcuding the RAK — a cable-driven rest with standard adjustment — as well as the Ratchet line, which comes in either a cable-driven or limb-driven design. This line comes available in standard or micro-adjustable options, and the limb-driven Ratchet also feature the whale tail launcher.

Gear

Prime Form Hunting Bow

Gear

Prime Form Hunting Bow

One of the most innovative products at the 2025 ATA Show came from the G5 Outdoors booth. In this video, Bowhunter Editor Chirsitan Berg gets the lowdown on the 2025 Prime Archery Form from Brand Manager Brian Anderson. The Form is the world's first hybrid carbon/aluminum bow, essentially aiming to place the right materials in the right places. In other words, Prime created a lighter, stiffer rig by placing both carbon rods and aluminum exactly where it needs to be. This method increased overall stiffness by 47.5 percent, while decreasing weight to just 4.1 ounces — the lightest bow Prime has ever taken to market.

Gear

Saddle Hunting Era Set to Begin at Hunter Safety System

Gear

Saddle Hunting Era Set to Begin at Hunter Safety System

Hunter Safety System, long known for their top-notch safety harnesses and lifelines for traditional treestand hunters, has made a big leap into the saddle hunting world for 2025. Here, Bowhunter Editor Christian Berg talks to Michael Wydner of HSS about that transition at the Archery Trade Show in Indianapolis. He also gives us and in-depth demonstration of the new individual products, such as the Defender Saddle, Legend Platform, and the SlapStrap system.

Gear

Kenetrek Elevated Extreme Saddle Hunting Boots

Gear

Kenetrek Elevated Extreme Saddle Hunting Boots

Bowhunter Editor Christian Berg visits with Joe Jacks of Kenetrek Boots at the 2025 ATA Show in Indianapolis. For the new year, Kenetrek has launched the new Elevated Extreme boots, specifically with the saddle hunter in mind. With a 7mm full-length midsole, these boots are built to neutralize platform soreness so that you can stay comfortable all day long. Additionally, Kenetrek's Grapon outsoles give you exactly what you need for the hike out, without the worry of getting your feet caught up on your platform when in the saddle.

Gear

Rage Hypo 2 Broadhead

Gear

Rage Hypo 2 Broadhead

Chris James of FeraDyne Outdoors gives Bowhunter TV host Curt Wells an introduction to the new Hypo 2 broadhead at the 2025 ATA Show in Indianapolis. The Hypo 2 follows a long, successful tenure from the original Hypodermic. Rage fanatics will immediately notice a couple of things. First, the Hypo 2's will come in a 4-pack instead of the standard three, as well as a re-designed Shock Collar system that now allows for each collar to be shot three different times. It didn't take long to garner some attention on the show floor either, as the Hypo 2 took the hardware as the "2025 ATA Best New Broadhead."

Gear

New Traditional Bow Additions from Bear Archery

Gear

New Traditional Bow Additions from Bear Archery

Nobody takes as much pride in their traditional offerings as Bear Archery, and that's as true this year as its ever been. Here, Bear's Neil Byce visits with OSG's Lynn Burkhead at the 2025 ATA Show to discuss the what's new in their traditional world. It starts with the new Hammer Grip on the Fred Bear Take Down — the most popular traditional bow in the world. The new grip option provides a low-profile alternative for a more relaxed, comfortable hold, and is available in both A- and B-length risers. The other addition discussed is a new 64-inch option on the beloved Super Kodiak bow, which will greatly benefit taller bowhunters.

Gear

Trophy Ridge New-for-2025 Accessories

Gear

Trophy Ridge New-for-2025 Accessories

OSG's Lynn Burkhead checks out the latest and greatest from Trophy Ridge at the 2025 ATA Show in Indianapolis. Design Engineer Andrew Hughes shows off a number of impressive bow sights, including the Digital React — available in both single-pin and three-pin models — and the SWFT Duo, a pair of models that will surely solidify Trophy Ridge's place in the industry for yet another year.