Olympic Archery Stabilisers
Inspired to innovate in the field of competitive archery, where bow limb technology has advanced considerably in recent years to unleash their power faster and with more energy than ever before, a new generation of stabilising rods was required to better manage the huge impulse forces generated when a modern recurve bow shot is released.
Current Technology
Here we see one of the market leading stabiliser rods which, like all others, is essentially just a heavy weight on the end of a long rod, which in most cases is optimised for low weight and good looks rather than rigidity.
The intention is to extend mass forward and backward of the bow's centre of mass to increase the overall inertia and reduce the effect that small motions have to twist and tilt the bow, increasing the stability when aiming. The same principle used by tight rope walkers.
Unfortunately, while this style of rod does increase stability while aiming in good conditions, they're terrible in gusty winds and they do little to reduce the effect of the wild energies active when a shot is released.
Impulse Power
The test bow is in the upper end of the power range for Olympic Archery, with a draw weight of 68 lbs or 30.9 kg @ 31.5" or 800mm Draw Length. This gives a shot velocity of around 280 ft/sec or 85.35 m/sec, therefore an impulse duration of just 0.0094 seconds while accelerating the arrow. This huge release of energy causes the bow to twist and leap in the hand, and this can have a wild effect on the accuracy of the shot.
A Better Way
Here we have an ultra-rigid high-modulus carbon fibre tube, 25mm diameter, with multiple internal semi-fluid damper cartridge inserts to eliminate vibration very quickly. The rod is at least 8x more rigid than the current market leader's most costly offering over a comparable length, translating to a very significant reduction in the torque driven twisting and deflection generated during the shot. The bow becomes far more forgiving of errors and inconsistencies in technique.
Greater Configurability
The internal damping system allows the archer a far greater range of configuration options, adding and positioning cartridges along the length of the internal rod to adjust the balance point and response to suit their individual preference and equipment. Mass positioned towards the free end of the rod will increase aiming stability, while mass positioned towards the bow will increase the shot stability.
The Results Speak For Themselves
Here we have 12 consecutive shots from 40 yards in open field conditions, shot by an archer with around 12 months experience and testing the new stabilisers.
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All component parts shown were designed and manufactured entirely by myself and are the intellectual property of Steve Carr Engineering Design Ltd.
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Thank you to the Scarborough Archers for your support & the use of facilities.