The compound bow is the epitome of modern archery equipment, comprised of an advanced levering system that uses pulleys, cams, and cables. It’s excellent for both hunting and target practicing. Its rigidity gives it a greater draw weight and the pulleys provide a mechanical advantage to the users. So, all the arrows are shot at greater lengths with the same amount of effort.
In the US, it’s the most popular bow. But crossbows and recurve bows are not far behind either and they still see some uses. Compound bows and arrows make great starter archery equipment for beginners. But the problem with compound bows or any other modern archery equipment is, they come with so many different types of bowhunting accessories that a beginner archer would get lost among these options. What are these accessories and why do you need them? Can you use a compound bow without them? Let’s try to answer these questions as we proceed to talk about the compound bow accessories.
The Vices of Compound Bows
Despite their modern touch and ease of use, compound bows come with their fair share of problems. The biggest problem with compound bows is their assembly. With so many different parts of the bow, one could easily get overwhelmed with which part will go where. Maintaining these parts and replacing them will cost you bucks. So, when you buy a compound bow, you have to consider your budget first. Above that, compound bows often require bow press for making cable or string adjustments.
Although rare, sometimes you might find yourself torquing the bow the moment you release it, which may lead to shooting error and incorrect arrow release. As long as you take your stance properly and hold the grip correctly, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Compound Bow Accessories
To ensure minimal problems regarding your use of compound bow and to make your archery experience easy, convenient and accurate, you’re definitely going to need those compound bow accessories. Without further ado, let’s go through them one by one.
Arrow Rests
Arrow rests come in various configurations and shapes, and for a compound bow, they’re 
absolutely essential. The arrow is shot after being placed on the arrow rest. The type of arrow rest you use depends on your compound bow model and your needs. Let’s say if you’re target practicing, you would only think of accuracy; but for hunting you would have to consider other factors too. The most popular type of arrow rest is the launcher style rest. Some have prongs while others have a single blade. Both versions support the arrow until the arrow is released. They’re easy to set up and have minimal contact with the arrow so that when it’s released, it occurs efficiently and consistently. There are some other arrow rest styles as well, such as containment style, drop-away style, and cable-driven rests.
Bow Sights
When you draw your bow, you need to focus on the sight to be able to shoot accurately. These compound bow accessories are the most useful for that purpose. The multi-pin bow sights are ideal for a simple setup. You could keep up to seven pins, keeping in mind that you should sight in 10 yards per pin and then prepare to shoot. The bow sight will help you tell where the arrow is expected to point and go. With extra bow hunting accessories like kisser buttons and peep sights, even a beginner archer can shoot accurately – thanks to the bow sight. Without it, shooting accurately with sheer instinct is extremely difficult, especially in longer distances.
Compound Bow Release Aids
All compound bows are designed to hold release aids which accommodate arrows and help them release in a precise manner. They’re attached to the string just below the nocking point or in the D loop, allowing the shooter to release arrow through the use of a trigger. There are several advantages of using release aids. The most important benefit is that the chances of dry firing a bow are drastically reduced, so you’re sure to shoot an arrow with a release aid without damaging it. It also makes group arrows easier as you get to shoot arrows with consistent accuracy.
Some release aids work as wrist straps, allowing users to pull draw weight with arm muscles, not with the tension on fingers. Compound bows are designed with rigid limbs and planes of motion and without a release aid, the bowstring may jump off the cams.
Bow Quiver
An archer is simply incomplete without a quiver. They’re more useful as bowhunting accessories. Quivers not only just hold arrows, they can be used for more functions if they’re tightly attached to the riser of the bow. For example, an attached quiver helps the bow stay balanced even at a full draw length. You could adjust the position of the quiver accordingly. You could also keep the quiver attached to yourself. The good quality quivers can hold your arrows securely when you’re doing target practicing or hunting around.
Silencers
A major bowhunting equipment is a silencer. The reason is, when you’re hunting in the quietness of the forest, you don’t want to frighten the nearby animals or alert your prey. Even the sound of your arrow flying towards your target shouldn’t be much. Thus, a silencer or dampener is of utmost importance in hunting. The bigger the silencer, the more noise will be dampened. This also helps prolong the life of your bowstring. With a dampener, the vibrations are reduced; so the bowstring gets less damaged. Silencers also come in a variety of materials, such as wool or brush buttons.
Stabilizers
Many users question whether a stabilizer is needed. Well, it’s all about one’s personal choice. A bow can shoot arrows just fine without a stabilizer. However, most professional archers love to use them. In fact, Olympic recurve bows also make use of them. The length of the stabilizer is also a personal choice. It’s mounted at the back of the bow riser, meant to absorb vibrations after every arrow shot so the shock felt by the user is less. Overall, this makes the bow much quieter and allows it to stay balanced. This means you also get to set your sight well while aiming towards your target. Aside from these, stabilizers play an important rule in reducing torque.
Wrapping it Up
Compound bows and arrows are more popular than other traditional bows, but what makes them so cool are the accessories that come along with them. These six accessories are the basic ones you’ll need to make your life as an archer a lot easier. However, these accessories come at a cost, and any damage to these accessories means a trip to the pro archery shop or extra maintenance work – both of which are nothing but full of hassles.
So, you could avoid these problems altogether and just stick with the basic compound bow and arrow that come pre-packed. You can become a master archer without using these fancy compound bow accessories. However, even the master archer makes good use of these accessories every once in a while. But if you want, you could try to do archery without these accessories at all. In doing so, you’ll find it easier to use the other more traditional bows as well, giving you the feeling of being a true archer. But if you’re a beginner just looking to explore options with your new compound bow, you could try more accessories. Yes, there’s so much more you can add to your compound bow to make it your ultimate hunting companion. With trial and error, you’ll understand which accessories are best suited to your needs.
