Finally, a lightweight bow stabilizer that offsets the weight of your quiver! In this Bee Stinger Counter Slide review I’ll take a look at a totally new design that allows for weight to be distributed to the side and the back of the bow.
Until recently, bowhunters had two choices: use a standard front stabilizer alone or combine it with an additional rear facing stabilizer (or “back bar”). Neither work well… front stabilizers don’t balance a bow fully and back bar setups are heavy, expensive, and get in the way when you carry them around. So is this the perfect solution for the western elk hunter? Here’s the full Bee Stinger Counter Slide review:
Overview and specs
Whoever works in marketing at Bee Stinger is clearly focused on confusing everyone that’s interested in buying this thing. Jokes aside, the full name of the stabilizer I’m reviewing is the “Bee Stinger MicroHex Counter Slide Dovetail 15 inch”. Phew. There are actually nine (!) different versions of the same thing:
- MicroHex Counter Slide
- With dovetail quick release
- 10”
- 12”
- 15” (this review)
- Bolt attachment
- 10”
- 12”
- 15”
- With dovetail quick release
- Sport Hunter Counter Slide
- Bolt attachment
- 10”
- 12”
- 15”
- Bolt attachment
I already think the 15” bar is borderline short (more later), so I definitely wouldn’t recommend going shorter, which eliminates all but three options. The dovetail quick release is also mandatory if you use a bow case and it’s adjustability is well worth the very slight price increase. That really leaves one option, which is what I’m using. Make sure you’re buying the right version!
To make things even more difficult, Bee Stinger doesn’t list the full specs on the product page and only puts them in the pdf catalog. Here they are so you don’t have to dig around:
- Bee Stinger MicroHex Counter Slide Dovetail 15”
- MicroHex bar (Countervail technology)
- Colors: Matte Black, Brown, Tan, Green, Gray
- Weight w/o dovetail QR: 5.77 oz
- Weight w/ dovetail QR: 7.79 oz
- Length w/ 3 weights: 15.50”
- Includes 5 weights (1 oz each)
- MSRP: $159-179 (street price around $150)
So what is that MicroHex thing? It’s Bee Stinger’s name for a vibration damping technology that’s integrated into the carbon bar itself. They licensed the technology from a company called Countervail which has a great overview on their website that’s worth checking out. The bar is also much smaller diameter than usual which in theory reduces wind drag.
All told, the real question is whether the Counter Slide is worth the 2x price increase over a standard front bar setup. With that in mind, on to the the full Bee Stinger Counter Slide review.
My thoughts (Pros and Cons)
Pro: Wide range of adjustability
Bows setup for western hunting almost always have a quiver attached. Add the weight of heavy arrows, a slider sight, plus a quality rest and you can have a somewhat unbalanced bow. The hand torque you need to stop it from tipping over is what leads to inconsistent shots at long ranges and during breathless runs up high altitude slopes.
It’s hard to overrate the ability to perfectly balance your bow with the Bee Stinger Counter Slide. You can move the dovetail side to side or add more weight to the front and back of the bar to offset all that weight hanging off the other side. Essentially it allows you to make weight adjustments on all three axis of the bow, something that was previously not possible without a heavy back bar setup.
Is that necessary? No, people have been killing elk for years with front stabilizers or even no stabilizers. Does it help? Absolutely. The increase in consistency and the extra range it gives you is a game changer in my opinion (especially on ultralight bows like the one I’m using).
Pro: Very lightweight for what it does
For comparison purposes, Bee Stinger’s version of the industry standard 8” front bar is 4.18oz. The Counter Slide is only 1.59 oz heavier at 5.77 oz, which given the extra functionality is a steal. Compared to a back bar you’re going to be saving between 1/2 to 2 pounds depending on your setup. That’s critical for elk hunting since you carry your bow around in your hands all day long.
Pro: Relatively low profile
The real problem with most back bar setups is that they get in the way, especially when you’re wading through thick cover. The Counter Slide is much more manageable and doesn’t interfere with handling the bow. It’s also great for propping your bow off the ground when you set it down, which is a nice perk and not something you’d think of in the shop.
Pro: Integrated dovetail quick release
There’s a lot of value in the included dovetail quick release since most aftermarket setups cost $20-30 (and add weight). It’s easy to adjust just how far the stabilizer sticks out the side of the bow which makes it possible to adjust the balance without having to change weights. That’s especially important if you also hunt other species (i.e. treestand deer) without a quiver. You can simply slide the dovetail in closer when you take off the quiver to retain that perfect balance.
Pro: MicroHex vibration damping
Bee Stinger markets the heck out of the MicroHex/Countervail technology but I find it to be the least important “pro” of the stabilizer. Don’t get me wrong, the MicroHex vibration damping definitely works well, but it’s not going to fundamentally change the feel of your bow. Also, that ultra skinny bar might cut the wind a little better but you’re not going to notice it much compared to the giant bow it’s attached to. Both differences would be far more pronounced on a 30” target stabilizer but on a 15” bar like this they’re just nice to have.
Con: Somewhat sloppy tolerances
This is a recurring theme for Gold Tip/Bee Stinger and the only thing I truly dislike about the Counter Slide. The bar attachment to the dovetail was sloppy with the bar barely fitting in the groove and the screws bottoming out before all the movement was gone. I was eventually able to rotate the bar and get a firmer fit but it took some work.
Most importantly the quick release knob takes a HARD twist to take all of the movement out of the stabilizer. It can still come loose but after a few grunt inducing tweaks it eventually locks into place. Both of those are avoidable issues with slightly better manufacturing tolerances. I also have one of the first bars made, so maybe it’s just an early issue. Regardless, they’re annoying even if the benefits far outweigh them.
Con: Short overall length
We’ve already gone through all the marketing mayhem for the Counter Slide but I also find the choice of bar lengths… interesting. A standard back bar setup includes a 10” and 8” bar. Add the diameter of the riser and you’re looking at a 20”+ length for a standard setup.
The longest Counter slide is 15” which in my opinion is barely long enough to give you the benefit of the front and back weights. Those 10” and 12” options are barely longer than a front stabilizer which really doesn’t do much for you. While I understand it might be harder to market, I’d much rather see 15”, 18”, and 20” options since they’d add very little weight. Definitely go with the 15″ for now if you decide to buy.
Tips and tricks
This might be a Bee Stinger Counter Slide review but this goes for all stabilizers with quick releases: always make sure to tighten down that mounting bolt since you won’t have the right size hex to adjust it in the field. If you’ve got it, put a dab of blue loctite 242 on the threads to be extra sure.
The 5 (1 oz) weights included with the stabilizer probably won’t be enough to offset most 10 oz+ quivers so but you an easily order more if you need. It’s well worth experimenting with where and how many weights go on the Counter Slide. It’s totally unique to your bow and finding the perfect balance on mine (5 front 3 back) made a big difference on my setup.
Alternatives
The only alternatives I know of are the Stokerized M1 and SL Hunter side bars. It’s a smaller company that makes everything in the USA (better tolerances!) but the prices are really what kill you: it’s $260-270 for the side bar and another $60 for the quick release adapter. The weight, length, and design are essentially the same so it’s up to you if you want to support their mission and pay for the better quality. If you do go that route, take a look at the 19” Stasis bar, it’s the only one that’s a bit longer and it has a cool mid bar adjustment.
The real alternative is no stabilizer or just a front stabilizer. I’ll go deeper in another post, but either option is fine depending on how far you’re shooting and the weight of your bow. Many bare bows these days weigh over 4.5 pounds so you won’t want to add much if you plan on taking it elk hiking (I mean hunting). That’s why I love a lightweight bow: I can add a lot of weight to a stabilizer if I want and it’s more effective at providing accuracy.
I find the Counter Slide adds 10-20 yards to my range which is well worth it to me. That said, I’ve killed elk with a front stabilizer and my wife currently doesn’t use one! The only way to know is to test your unique setup since they’re all different.
Summary
The Bee Stinger MicroHex Counter Slide Stabilizer Dovetail 15” (what a mouthful) is my pick for the best stabilizer for bowhunting elk. It’s unique design gives you the ability to balance your bow side to side and front to back in a lightweight package. It dulls vibration well, cuts the wind (for whatever that’s worth), and is extremely adjustable with the dovetail quick release. That said, it’s not perfect: the tolerances aren’t great, it’s a bit short (get the 15″ version!), and the marketing is really confusing. While there are more expensive alternatives, it can’t be beat for the value it provides.
Would I buy it? Yes, it’s the stabilizer I chose for my personal bow. If you spend most of your hunting time hiking and/or want the best possible ratio of stability to weight, this is the stabilizer for you.