Best Survival Bows

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Are you an enthusiast for fun outdoor activities, say, hunting? Or are you a prepper who wants the best survival gear in his docket? Survival bows are just the thing for you.

These bows are perfect, if you are looking to have fun or to protect yourself. The bows are made of hardwood, such as maples. It is designed to shoot targets like wild animals.

If you are a prepper, a survival bow is an essential addition to your collection of survival gear. The bows and arrows are portable, lightweight, and versatile enough to fit in a compartment for you to carry around. Our top 5 reviews will look at the best bows in the market today, using different criteria.

In a Rush? The Winner after 19 hours of testing is:

Editors Choice icon

Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow

98/100our score
Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow
Why is it better?
  • A wide range of draw weights
  • Both left and right-hand orientation
  • Durable limbs made of fiberglass and natural wood
  • Light enough for a wide range of users
  • Pleasing to the eye
  • It has room for accessories
  • It has room for accessories
Our Top Rated
  1. Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow
  2. Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow
  3. Southwest Archery Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow
  4. SAS Tactical Survival Bow
  5. Spectre II Compact Take-Down Survival Bow
Table Of Contents

Quick Comparison

RANK
Survival Bows
Features
Rating
#1

Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow

Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow

  • A wide range of draw weights
  • Both left and right-hand orientation
  • Durable limbs made of fiberglass and natural wood
  • Light enough for a wide range of users
  • Pleasing to the eye
  • It has room for accessories
  • It has room for accessories

Materials: 97
Ease of use: 99
Portability: 97
Durability: 99
Maintenance: 98
Our Rating: 98

#2

Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • Wide range of draw weights
  • Value is higher than the price
  • Customizable

Materials: 98
Ease of use: 93
Portability: 94
Durability: 94
Maintenance: 96
Our Rating: 95

#3

Southwest Archery Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

Southwest Archery Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

  • High-quality materials
  • Soft to the touch
  • Riser has a clear coating that shuns humidity
  • The draw weight can take down a big animal

Materials: 90
Ease of use: 88
Portability: 92
Durability: 91
Maintenance: 89
Our Rating: 90

#4

SAS Tactical Survival Bow

SAS Tactical Survival Bow

  • Highly portable
  • Silent
  • Easy to re-assemble from storage mode to useable mode
  • Ambidextrous
  • High utility camo bag

Materials: 85
Ease of use: 86
Portability: 90
Durability: 89
Maintenance: 86
Our Rating: 88

#5

Spectre II Compact Take-Down Survival Bow

Spectre II Compact Take-Down Survival Bow

  • Compact
  • Portable
  • Easy to assemble
  • Suitable for beginners
  • The raiser is made of metal making the bow durable

Materials: 81
Ease of use: 85
Portability: 80
Durability: 79
Maintenance: 84
Our Rating: 84

Our Reviews

1 Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow

Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow

Materials 97%
Ease of use 99%
Portability 97%
Durability 99%
Maintenance 98%
Our Rating 98%

The Spyder Takedown Bow is a top-notch compact bow with limbs made of an outer covering of matte black fiberglass, and hard maple on the inside, rendering it durable. It proudly stands at 62 inches and 64 inches long with a draw length of 28 inches. The Spyder has a combination of four types of wood, which gives it a sophisticated, beautiful look. Its bow is 2.3 pounds heavy, making it one of the lightest there are.

Beautiful Riser

The riser on the Southwest Archery Spyder is slim, appealing, and light. When not in use, the owner can display it in their home as an ornament. The wooden material makes it an all-weather bow as it does not absorb or lose heat, which makes it possible to grip in all temperatures. It is both right-hand and left-hand oriented, with a weight that makes it usable by people of all ages.

A Wide Range of Draw Weights

Draw weight is an essential factor to consider in a bow. The Spyder brags of draw weights that range from 20 pounds to 60 pounds, making it perfect for a wide range of users. It is the perfect bow for a beginner archer. It is also excellent for experienced ones.

Cost and Value

The Southwest Archery Spyder has a medium price range. It is an all-weather bow that is suitable for a wide range of people, left and right-handed alike. They are beautiful enough to be used as displays when not being used to shoot arrows.

Pros
  • A wide range of draw weights
  • Both left and right-hand orientation
  • Durable limbs made of fiberglass and natural wood
  • Light enough for a wide range of users
  • Pleasing to the eye
  • It has room for accessories
  • It has room for accessories
Cons
  • Lacks pre-installed nocks
  • Not silent enough for some users

2 Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

Materials 98%
Ease of use 93%
Portability 94%
Durability 94%
Maintenance 96%
Our Rating 95%

The Samick Sage is popular with both rookies and veterans for its ease and efficiency of use. It is 62 inches tall with a weight of 3.4 pounds. Its limbs are made of maple and coated with black fiberglass. It comes with a quiver and a stabilizer, with a draw weight that ranges from 25 inches to 60 inches.

Accessories

The Sage is designed to allow the user to fit the bow with accessories that they are most comfortable with. It comes with fitments for a stabilizer, quiver, plunger, and even has fitment for a bow fishing reel. The user has the liberty to decide what they want to add on to the bow.

Ease of Assembling

The limbs of the Sage are secured with ergonomic knobs that are finger tightening, making assembling and disassembling easy and quick. Assembling is so easy that tools are not required. This quality comes in handy in a survival situation.

Cost and Value

This bow has a medium price range, which is very affordable. For its price, it is easy to maintain a bow, which is highly effective.

Pros
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • Wide range of draw weights
  • Value is higher than the price
  • Customizable
Cons
  • The bow is too tall
  • Loud in a tight place

3 Southwest Archery Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

Southwest Archery Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

Materials 90%
Ease of use 88%
Portability 92%
Durability 91%
Maintenance 89%
Our Rating 90%

The Southwest Archery Samick Sage is made up of a 62-inch bow, an arrow rest that is a stick-on, a stringer tool, and a B-50 bowstring. Its features make it perfect for preppers and outdoorsmen who are bound to face challenges in the wild.

It has a maximum draw length of 29 inches, which is adjustable by adding a Southwest Spyder XL if a longer draw is needed. Its brace height lies between 7.5 inches and 8.5 inches.

Design

The Southwest Archery Samick is one of the best-designed bows there are. This bow’s limbs are made of inner hard maple and outer fiberglass. The weight of the bow can be adjusted by buying limbs of preferred weight separately. It has a Limb pocket design and a single tapered knob.

Accessories

Despite not being as versatile with accessories as the Samick Sage Takedown, this bow has room for accessories that the user fancies. It has pre-installed Brass Bushings for Brass Plungers and fitments for sight and quiver.

Cost and Value

It has a medium price range. Still, the Southwest Archery Samick Sage is very affordable for its utility.

Pros
  • High-quality materials
  • Soft to the touch
  • Riser has a clear coating that shuns humidity
  • The draw weight can take down a big animal
Cons
  • The stringer tool does not come with the bow
  • The bow is slightly bulky

4 SAS Tactical Survival Bow

SAS Tactical Survival Bow

Materials 85%
Ease of use 86%
Portability 90%
Durability 89%
Maintenance 86%
Our Rating 88%

The SAS is a collapsible bow- a quality that makes it highly portable. In its storage mode, it collapses to a manageable 21 inches. It is a lightweight bow that weighs a meager 2.2 pounds, making it one of the most compact bows today.

This bow fits easily in most bug-out bags, and what’s more, arrows can fit in it when in storage mode. How convenient! It does not require tools to reassemble it from storage mode to user mode. It is a package that one can take anywhere with hardly any inconvenience.

It is a powerful shooter and silent while at it.

Portability

The SAS is the most compact bow there is out there. It is collapsible so that it can fold into a 21-inch package. This makes it very portable as it can fit bug-out bags that one can carry around. Its arrows are also made to fit in the bow when folded.

Camo Bag

The bow comes with a cam case that neatly fits the bow when folded. The case has an extra carrier in the flap that can fit other accessories such as spare strings and wrist guards. It is suitable for moving from one place to another and doubles up as a quiver when in use. It can be worn like a sling bag, college back, or like a rucksack.

Cost and Value

Its price range is on the high side. The quality of the bow is worth its price. It is super-efficient and meets the needs of the consumer.

Pros
  • Highly portable
  • Silent
  • Easy to re-assemble from storage mode to useable mode
  • Ambidextrous
  • High utility camo bag
Cons
  • Does not include arrows
  • Grip ergonomics are limited

5 Spectre II Compact Take-Down Survival Bow

Spectre II Compact Take-Down Survival Bow

Materials 81%
Ease of use 85%
Portability 80%
Durability 79%
Maintenance 84%
Our Rating 84%

This bow has features that an outdoorsman can really do with. It is 48 inches long, measuring only 17 inches when in storage mode. It is a silent shooter, a feature that is necessary during hunting. The bow has two limbs that are made of fiberglass-resin. Unlike the other four bows, the Spectre’s raiser is made out of metal, which makes it a winner when it comes to durability.

The draw weights of this bow range from 35 pounds to 55 pounds. Its draw length is between 24 and 27 inches and has a weight of 2.3 pounds. Its assembly process is so simple that one does not require tools to do it. The bow comes with a case made of nylon that has a shoulder strap. This case perfectly fits the bow when disassembled, as well as the arrows and strings.

Compactness

The Spectre II Compact can be broken down into a 17 inches tool that can easily fit in a carry case and an everyday bag. This makes it very easy to carry around, bearing no inconvenience to the user. The arrows and the strings can also fit in the flap of the case. Also, the compactness is not a burden for when one wants to use the bow because the assembling process is pretty simple.

Durability

This bow has three limbs that are made of resin and fiberglass. Its raiser is made of metal, which runs zero risks of breaking. As for the limbs, upon breakage, one can always get replacements straight from the manufacturer. It is advisable to insert the limbs in the same orientation so that they are bending the same way during shooting. This prolongs their life.

Cost and Value

The Spectre II Compact has a low price range. It is compact and easy to maintain. It has a high consumer utility.

Pros
  • Compact
  • Portable
  • Easy to assemble
  • Suitable for beginners
  • The raiser is made of metal making the bow durable
Cons
  • Has only one draw weight

Buying Guide

Material

Most survival bows are constructed from durable, hardwood material. Maple and yew are the most preferred hardwood material because of their outstanding quality. Other hardwood materials used in making bows are Birch, aspen, and Osage Orange. The cheaper bows are made from brittle oak. Hardwood is preferred because it does not break easily. It ensures the durability of the bow.

Ease of Use

If you are a beginner, you will want a bow that will make learning fun and easy. In every learning experience, one has to begin with the basics. A bow, therefore, has to make it easy for a beginner to grasp the basics before moving on to the more complicated things. Even for an experienced archer, an easy to use bow is better than a complex one. It all comes down to personal preference, though.

Bows with harder draws are harder to aim and shoot because they demand more energy. For a bow that is easier to use, go for bows with a softer draw.

Portability

The best survival bow must be light and compact enough for you to carry around. A bow that is heavy and big will slow you down and exhaust you. Also, it will require a longer response time in a survival situation compared to a light, compact one. An excellent portable bow should fit neatly in a bug-out bag or a camo bag.

Durability

The best bows should have a long lifespan. It should be resistant to breaking and wear and tear. That is why most bows are made of maple and other hardwood material. The last thing anyone would want is for their bow to break while defending themselves from a bear- a frail bow could cost you your life. The limbs and the bow raiser often determine how sturdy a bow is. Raisers made of harder material like metal are bound to last longer.

Maintenance

Every tool needs to be maintained from time to time. When in a survival situation, the ideal bow is the one that does not require many resources or time to repair. It should be fast and easy. Having a bow that requires tools to say, assemble, will put you at a disadvantage with your prey or attacker. When looking to get a bow, always check ease of maintenance.

Expert Tip

Types of bows

There are four different types of bows. The first is the longbow, which is one of the more iconic bows. It is known for its power and speed and is made of a longbow with a string attached to both its sides. The longbow is the most popular in fantasy films. The second type is the recurve bow. They have less speed and power compared to the longbows. They are named “recurve” because their limbs are curved away from the user. Most of them are takedowns, which makes them portable and perfect for survival situations.

The third type is the compound bow. It has a futuristic cam and pulley design where drawing the bowstring back makes it go through the cam system. They are not portable, and neither are they easily fixable, not recommended for survival situations. The last type is the crossbow. It has the characteristics of both a bow and a gun where the archer bolts a trigger to shoot. The recommendable survival bows are the recurve bows because of their portability.

Other Factors to Consider

 

Versatility

A versatile bow is fantastic because it allows you to make the adjustments you need to be a comfortable archer. It enables one to customize the bow to more accuracy, more powerful stopping power, and a reasonable shooting distance. A versatile survival bow can also be maneuvered around easily.

Brand

The brand that constructs a bow is an essential factor to consider when buying a bow. American companies have made a good percentage of the best bows. This is to say that bows that are Made in the USA have better quality than most other brands.

Distance

A good bow should be able to aim and shoot even at long distances. Getting too close to your target will either scare them off or put you at the risk of getting hurt. The perfect bow is one that has the capacity to aim and shoot accurately at a safe distance.

Stopping Power

The best bow should have adequate power to take down sizable targets. Unless you are interested in hunting small animals, a bow with a low stopping power will cost you more time and energy if you have a target amount of game meat in mind. Taking down a big animal will provide you with enough food to last you longer in the wilderness. Furthermore, low stopping power will not do much to protect you from an attacker. You require a bow with high stopping power to be totally safe.

Accuracy

The point of a survival bow is its accuracy. Without skill, you are as good as any other person that does not own a bow. The accuracy of a bow is dependent on the draw strength and the durability of a bow. On top of that, the shooter has to be on top of their game where aiming and shooting are concerned. Missing a target during a survival moment is crucial and may cost one their life. For that reason, ensure that both you and the bow can shoot accurately before going into the wilderness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I take care of the string to my bow?

A: Ensure that your string is not twisted as you brace your bow. Beware of threading on the string. Use special string lubricant such as beeswax as often as possible and, especially when threading occurs.

Q: How do I choose the best arrow? How long will it last?

A: When buying an arrow, you should consider the draw weight of the bow and your draw length. Do not shoot hard targets, including wood. Ensure the arrow does not have cracks and is not bent. When used properly, a wooden arrow will last just as long as any other arrow.

Q: Can I hunt using a survival bow?

A: Yes, you can hunt using a survival bow. It provides a clean shot for small, medium and big-sized games.

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Jim Parson
Jim Parson
Let me introduce myself briefly, I am Jim Parson – the founder of Savvy Survivor. I am 29 years old and have always had a strong passion for all things outdoors. These activities include climbing, hiking, and camping.

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