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Bow Accessories

If you purchase a used bow it will most probably come with everything ready to hunt.  But with older bows particularly you may want to replace some of the accessories to increase functionality.  The bow sights are probably the most important to upgrade.  A good fiber optic sight is almost a necessity for deer hunting since you are most likely to see deer at dawn or dusk.  Fiber optic sites gather light over a length of special plastic cord and transfer the absorbed light it to a point on the end of a plastic rod.  This point of light, your front sight, will show up much better at dusk than simple pin sights.  The longer the fiber optic plastic, the more light gathering capability it will have.

The rear sight is usually a peep sight.  There are two basic types of peep sights.

One type is inserted into the string with the hole parallel to the string.  This type allows you to  see through the hole  only when the bow is drawn.  The second type fits into the string with the hole pointing toward the front of the bow. Since the
 peep may rotate when the bow is drawn a rubber tube is attached between the peep and one of the cables to keep the peep hole aligned for sighting.  If you use this type of peep it is a good idea to change the rubber regularly or carry an extra rubber so if it breaks your session is not shut down.

The next important accessory is the arrow rest.  You should have one that lets the arrow pass over or through it without touching the arrow's fletching (feathers or plastic vanes).
 There are many types of arrow rests that fulfill this  requirement.  The simplest is the arrow rest with two prongs that hold the arrow in such a manner that the "cock feather" passes between the prongs.  This use to be a very popular rest, but it was troublesome because the arrow could easily fall off the tines.  Most modern sights now enclose the arrow in a manner that keeps it on the rest.  The

Whisker Biscuit, a very popular rest, was discussed on the Bow Setup page. Another very popular type of arrow rest is the drop away rest.  This type of rest supports the arrow guides the arrow through part of its travel through the bow, but drops away before the fletching reaches the rest allowing the fletching to pass without being touched. 
 
The next accessory is the stabilizer.  It dampens vibration set up in the bow when the string is released.  Shooting a bow is not much different from plucking a guitar or violin string, except that the displacement of the string is much greater.  Therefore the shock upon release is much greater.  The stabilizer helps to dissipate that shock.  This helps to silence the bow and makes it more comfortable to shoot.  It also puts weight in front of the bow
to help balance the bow in your hand.
The last common major accessory is a quiver for carrying arrows.  Most bow packages come with a quiver that attaches to the bow for carrying.  It usually mounts on a plastic or metal block that attaches to the rear of the bow sight, although some bow manufacturers have different arrangements.

In addition to the accessories listed there are a host of other accessories which quiet the bow by dampening vibration.  These include string and limb silencers and vibration dampeners.

A couple of accessories that should be mentioned are those that help strength challenged individuals continue to enjoy archery and hunt.  If you are having trouble drawing your bow or just want to shoot a more powerful bow than you are able to draw, you can purchase a drawkeep (also called a draw lock, but that is a  registered trademark).  This is a device that turns your bow into a "vertical crossbow" with safety and trigger release which can be drawn with both hands and feet.  This allows a person to draw a much stronger bow than they could in the traditional manner.  Many persons having trouble drawing a 40# bow can easily draw and shoot a 70# bow with a drawkeep.  Since a number of states have opened their bow seasons to crossbows, this is an alternative worth considering.  The drawkeep is discussed in more detail on the Disabled Archery page.

The second accessory that deserves consideration by those of lesser strength is the bow rest.  If you have seen your accuracy decline because it is difficult to hold a bow steady out at the end of your arm, there is help.  A shooting stick will restore your accuracy for target shooting.  For bowhunting  from an elevated platform The Compound Bow Rest and Holder does the same.  It acts like a shooting rail does for shooting with a rifle.  It takes the weight of your bow and arm as well as steadying the bow while aiming and shooting.


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