Best Bow For Survival: Rely On Yourself To Catch Anything
Adding to your survival capabilities is always a smart move.
And increasing your effective food gathering and safety range is key.
But using a firearm may not always be the best option.
Survival situations often strike when you least expect them. You might not have a firearm available.
Or, it may not fit your survival philosophy.
Perhaps you lean towards something more sustainable, more suited for long term survival.
Something quieter and less intrusive.
Less expensive.
Doesn’t require licenses.
Lighter and more portable.
That’s where a survival bow fits the bill.
I’m not going to bore you with some long speech about the history of archery.
You’re here to find the best bow for survival. Right?
So let’s do that.
But first, just to make sure we’re on the same page.
We’re going to look at bows that are best suited to help you survive in the wilderness.
And a survival bow has different criteria than a regular bow.
A survival bow needs to do very specific things for you. It needs to be:
- accurate and powerful so you can be successful during a hunt
- quiet and non-reflective so it doesn’t give you away
- light and portable so you can easily carry it in a small survival pack or bug out bag
- quick and simple to set up so you’re ready when you need to be.
So which bows fit that criteria the best? Let’s take a look.
Best Bow For Survival: Catch Anything That Gets Even Remotely Close
SAS Atmos Compact Modern Longbow – Top Pick For Best Survival Bow
One bad-ass takedown bow.
After Survival Archery Systems had success with its Recon Folding Survival Bow, they received requests from customers for a similar bow but with attachment points for sights and other accessories.
They also wanted a bow that was center-shot so it would be easier to aim.
The problem was the Recon had a riser made from square aluminum tubing.
Since it wasn’t structurally feasible to alter the Recon in that way, SAS went back to the drawing board and designed a whole new riser.
This new design would cater to the broader archery market, not just the survival market where SAS products had become highly regarded.
It would offer archers a bow option that would be easy to carry, fit in a daypack, but still have that familiar shape and feel of a recurve bow.
And that was how the Atmos Compact Modern Longbow was born.
A lightweight takedown longbow that’s easy to assemble and disassemble.
On top of that, it fits in a standard 22 inch daypack.
SAS chose to machine the riser from 6061 T6 aluminum. They used the same highly effective, composite fiber limbs as the Recon Survival Bow. The attachment hardware is made from 316 stainless steel, MIL-SPEC and high tensile strength steel.
Attachment points are standard so you can use a variety of accessory options, including specialized arrow rests, sights, stabilizers and quivers.
And the string is B50 Dacron.
They incorporated a cut past center like customers had requested. The cut past center is 0.53″, allowing for a straight center shot.
This bow does require an allen wrench to assemble so SAS has included it with the bow.
So you’re probably thinking – but wait, this isn’t a “survival bow”.
And you’d be right.
It’s not, …technically.
It isn’t specifically designed for survival and isn’t called a “survival bow”.
So why is this being considered the best bow for survival?
The answer is simple.
It is your best option for saving your ass in a bad situation.
Consider the main purposes of a survival bow:
- Be available when you need it (light, easy to carry, quick to assemble)
- Procure food (quiet, well balanced and accurate instrument)
- Keep you safe (provide enough stopping power and ‘thump’)
When you combine these factors, the Atmos delivers better than the rest.
In addition, the riser has the familiar fit and feel found on most recurve bows. But machined out of a solid block of aluminum, it’s also built to last.
It produces an overall pleasing shooting experience.
You won’t experience any hand shock or vibrations.
And it’s quiet.
Even without any string silencers. That’s key in a survival situation if you’re in close range and need to stay silent.
SAS has done a great job designing this bow to virtually eliminate stacking.
You can also get limbs as heavy as 55 lbs. Those are heavy enough to hunt any game in North America.
The Atmos is not ambidextrous however. So you need to choose a right or left handed model.
Considering its fast assembly, high quality and good balance, the Atmos is a perfect addition to your bug out bag, survival kit, or backpacking set up.
The SAS Atmos is the best takedown bow for survival. So it gets the well deserved top pick.
Assembled length: 60 inches
Takedown length: 22 inches
Max. recommended draw: 31 inches
Draw weight: 30 to 55 lbs, in 5 lb increments
Bow weight: 2.6 lbs
SAS Tactical Survival Bow – Best Compact Survival Bow
Here is what to like about the SAS Tactical Survival Bow.
You get a lot of power for an affordable price.
With 50 and 55 pound draw options, you get enough penetration power to take down larger game.
That makes it a good survival option because you just don’t know what opportunities may present themselves in the wilderness.
It’s ambidextrous so you don’t have to order a specific right or left handed version.
So, you can spend an afternoon having fun with target practice and hand it off to someone without worrying about what side they shoot from.
A non-reflective surface will help keep you stealthy when you need it most.
This bow folds up into a very small 21″ long package that fits into a regular sized day pack.
So you can easily transport it and keep it tucked away out of sight, if you need to.
Adding to the ease of carry, it only weighs 2.2 lbs.
That makes the SAS Tactical Survival Bow a great option for bug out bags and survival kits (see our ultimate survival gear list). You add 20 to 30 yards of effective kill radius for game in a survival situation, … for very little effort.
The riser is made from 6061 T6 aluminum rectangular tubing. Composite fiber is used for the limbs. The attachment hardware is made from 316 stainless steel, MIL-SPEC and high tensile strength steel.
It comes with a 16 strand B50 Dacron 60″ string and a Bear All Weather arrow rest.
Also, the riser can store up to 3 takedown arrows so you can keep everything together during transport.
SAS’s Tactical Survival Bow lives up to its name with a tactical look and feel. It doesn’t have the polished, graceful looks of a modern recurve bow.
It doesn’t come with arrows so you have to buy your own. Or, you can learn how to make your own arrows.
The riser is not set up as a center-shot.
And the riser is a rectangular shape.
Some folks claim the grip will become uncomfortable if you use it for long periods of time. Honestly, those claims are a bit overblown.
Like many tactical bows, you won’t find a place to attach a sight.
But once you get used to shooting instinctively, you quickly realize this bow is awesome.
So, what do you get? You get a highly regarded, high-powered hunting bow, …that weighs very little, …and folds away into a day pack.
See our full SAS Tactical Survival Bow Review for more detail.
So you can easily add this to your survival kit, or tuck it under your vehicle’s seat.
Simply put, having this bow in a survival situation substantially alters your chances of acquiring food.
It’s a ‘force multiplier’.
Assembled length: 60 inches
Takedown length: 21 inches
Max. recommended draw: 31 inches
Draw weight: 50/55 lbs
Bow weight: 2.2 lbs
Arrow speed: 200 ft/s for 50 lb version, 210 ft/s for 55 lb version
Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow – Best Budget Choice
This list wouldn’t be complete without a recurve bow.
Enter the Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow. It’s one the best recurves for the value.
This beautiful bow comes in left and right handed models. You can get draw weights anywhere from 20 lbs to 60 lbs, in 5 lb increments.
If you’ve read any other roundup lists of takedown survival bows, you’ll typically find the Samick Sage listed.
Well, this bow was designed by the engineers of the original Samick Sage bow.
We feel this model gives you an upgrade from the Sage.
Also, with the Spyder, you get a U.S. based warranty.
The riser is handcrafted from oak, padauk and dymond wood.
Maple with a fiberglass wrapping and reinforced tips make up the limbs.
The bow’s shelf is cut-past center. So the string can fire the arrow in as straight a line as possible.
Choosing the appropriate draw weight, you’ll be ready for small and big game hunting.
The Spyder comes with bushings so you can attach different accessories like a sight, rest/plunger, quiver and stabilizer. You can also attach a bow fishing reel.
A stick-on adhesive arrow rest is provided with the bow.
The reinforced tips make this bow compatible with Fast Flight and Flemish strings.
You’ll need a stringer tool. But it is included as an option in the package when ordered.
In order to take down and reassemble this bow, you’ll need to carry an allen wrench.
If you want the best recurve bow for your survival kit or bug out bag, then the Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow fits the bill.
This polished and well crafted bow will fit inside a longer style backpack and provide you with an accurate and reliable hunting and protection tool.
Assembled length: 62 inches
Max. recommended draw: 29 inches
Draw weight:20 lbs to 60 lbs, in 5 lb increments
Bow weight: 2.3 lbs
Xpectre Spectre II Survival Bow
What the Spectre brings to the table – a very affordable tactical takedown bow.
Priced at about 1/2 that of the SAS Tactical Survival Bow, you get an effective and dependable bow that you can take into the wilderness.
The Spectre II provides 3 options for draw weights, 35, 45 and 55 lbs.
You can choose the one that’s right for you, depending on your experience level and the type of game you plan on hunting.
A lower draw weight can help you better control the bow if you are a beginner.
The bow’s design lets you assemble it very quickly. And without any tools or screws. The 3 pieces simply slot together and then you string it.
You get a simple (maybe a little too basic) carrying case but it is functional.
Now, this bow disassembles to about 23 inches long. That’s getting a little long for many regular sized day packs.
You need to make sure it will fit in your pack or get one that will accommodate this bow. Or you can carry it in its own case on your shoulder.
The Spectre II has an aluminum riser with fiberglass and resin composite limbs.
No need to worry about left or right models, the Spectre II is ambidextrous.
You can get this bow as a package with 3 arrows. But those arrows are not take-down.
Assembled length: 50 inches @ 35 lbs, 48 inches @ 45 lbs, 46 inches @ 55 lbs
Takedown length: 23 inches
Max. recommended draw: 27 inches
Draw weight: 35, 45 and 55 lbs
Bow weight: 2.3 lbs
Primal Gear Unlimited Compact Folding Takedown Bow
One of the easiest bows to set up.
You just fold out the limbs, tighten a couple of locking bolts, and then string it.
Even if you’re a novice, it will only take you a minute.
And you don’t need any tools to do it.
That’s its main advantage over say, the SAS Tactical Survival Bow.
The limbs of the Primal Gear bow simply fold out in the correct configuration and you simply string it.
(Whereas the SAS Tactical Survival Bow requires you to detach one limb, turn it around and reattach. So the feature that allows the SAS to be a little more compact, has the drawback of requiring more assembly.)
For the Primal Gear bow, the only time you need tools is converting it from right handed to left handed shooting. And all you need is a common Phillips screwdriver to reverse the limbs.
Like the SAS Tactical and Spectre II bows, you won’t find an attachment point for a sight.
At 23″ long folded up, you may find it hard to fit this bow into a regular day pack.
But, you can fit it into a longer bug out bag along with the takedown arrows.
You can shoot any kind of arrows with this bow – wood, fiberglass and carbon fiber.
A very quick set up that fits into a bug out bag and weighs only 2.25 lbs, you will find the Primal Gear Survival Bow an appealing option.
Assembled length: 59 inches
Takedown length: 23 inches
Max. recommended draw:
Draw weight:
Bow weight: 2.25 lbs
Arrow speed: 181 ft/s
SAS Recon Folding Survival Bow
The folks at Survival Archery Systems got smart about competing with the Primal Gear Unlimited Survival Bow.
The main advantage of the Primal Gear bow is the limbs fold out in the proper orientation to be strung immediately without any more set up.
As opposed to the shorter SAS Tactical Survival bow which requires re-orienting one limb before stringing.
So SAS created the Tactical Survival Bow’s big brother.
The Recon.
And like the Primal Gear model, the limbs fold out in the proper orientation for immediate stringing.
So you get SAS’s durable design.
With very quick set up.
If you don’t mind (or even prefer) it being bigger than their Tactical Survival Bow model, then the Recon is your option.
The SAS design allows you to store takedown arrows in the riser. Ideal for emergency preparedness.
At 24.3 inches folded, this bow won’t fit into many standard hunting backpacks.
But, the longer length makes for great performance and you get SAS’s high quality and rugged construction.
The larger size also adds a bit of weight.
This bow weighs 2.4 lbs, a bit more than the Tactical Survival Bow.
You can deploy the bow faster since you don’t have to fiddle with reversing a limb.
With draw weights up to 55 lbs, this bow is made for serious hunting.
If you are less experienced, you can get lower draw weight options at 45 and 50 lbs.
Even though it is a bit bigger than other folding models, this model is still portable. You just have to find the right pack to fit it in.
Or you can carry it in its carrying case.
The rectangular riser is made from aerospace grade T6 aluminum that will stand up to years of rough use.
It also comes with SAS’s non-reflective coating that keeps you stealthy and won’t give you away when hunting.
Like the SAS Tactical Survival Bow, the Recon bow does not come with arrows.
Assembled length: 63 inches
Takedown length: 24.3 inches
Max. recommended draw:
Draw weight: 45, 50 & 55 lbs
Bow weight: 2.4 lbs
Arrow speed: 200 ft/s for 50 lb version, 210 ft/s for 55 lb version
Xpectre Rapture Survival Bow
Another model from Expectre makes this list.
The Rapture provides something no other model does – 2 different draw weights in one bow.
And it’s ultralight.
It has been designed with a skeletonized aluminum riser to reduce weight.
The way the arrow rest is configured, it can be used both left and right handed.
The riser also allows you to string the bow on one side of the riser for one draw weight (let’s say 40 lbs).
But if you string it on the other side of the riser, the limbs contact the riser in a different place (slightly further up the limb), essentially shortening the limbs.
That creates higher draw weight (50 lbs).
Same limbs, same riser, 2 different draw weights.
If that’s not enough, the skeletonized design reduces the weight of the whole package (bow, arrows and carrying case) to under 2 lbs.
That’s considerably lighter than any other bow on this list.
The arrow rest lies on the bow’s centerline with the string. Just spin the bow around for right hand, left hand operation.
The Rapture’s skeletonized riser helps provide an clear line of sight to the target.
One complaint, the arrow rest is not our favorite.
It could be more robust given that there is room to sacrifice a bit of weight.
A flat black anodized finish creates a non-reflective surface so your position will not be given away by reflections.
The limb material is Supersil poly resin fiberglass, the same as the Spectre II model.
You get a heavy duty nylon carry pouch and three 30″ carbon arrows.
Assembled length: 48 inches
Takedown length: 23 inches
Max. recommended draw: 30 inches
Draw weight: 40 & 50 lbs (in the same bow)
Bow weight: under 2 lbs
Recap: Our Top Choices
1. Best Overall: SAS Atmos Compact Modern Longbow
2. Best Runner up: SAS Tactical Survival Bow
3. Best Budget Pick: Southwest Archery Spyder Takedown Recurve Bow
To learn all about the different types of bowstrings available and the differences they make, see All About Bowstrings from Archery 360.
See also how to make your own primitive wooden arrows.
