I’ve been on the lookout for the best survival bow after breaking the limb of my recurve bow during my 180 day survival expedition: a compact, simple, and reliable bow that can be used to hunt small and big game in a long term wilderness survival scenario and that I could easily carry in a backpack or INCH bag.

I’ve narrowed it down to the 5 best survival bows in the market. And I compare them in this article according to their portability, weight, power, durability, simplicity, and ergonomics.

All of these bows have a draw weight of 40 to 50 lbs.  Fifty pounds is the minimum required to hunt moose, elk and brown bear in many states, but 40 lbs is enough for other big game like deer, black bear and wolf as long as you have an appropriate broad head point.

I’m not considering crossbows or compound bows because they are not as compact or lightweight and their design is not as reliable as traditional bows.

1 Primal Gear Survival Bow

2 SAS Tactical Survival Bow

3 Spectre Survival Bow II

4 Samick Sage Takedown Recurve Bow

5 Xpectre Rapture

Portability and Weight: Best Survival Bow

	Folded Length	Assembled Length	Weight
Primal Gear	23 in	59 in	2.25 lbs
SAS Tactical	21 in	60 in	2.2 lbs
Spectre II	23 in	50″ (35 lbs), 48″ (45 lbs), 46″ (55 lbs)	2.3 lbs
Samick Sage	22 in	62 in	2.5 lbs
Xpectre Rapture	24 in	46 in	2.2 lbs

Power, Durability, and Simplicity: Best Survival Bow

	Draw weight	Materials	Easy to String	Assembly
Primal Gear	40, 50, 55 lbs	Riser: Aircraft grade Aluminum (T6 – 6061) Limbs: Fiberglass	Yes	No tools needed; very durable, reliable and simple system.
SAS Tactical	40, 50, 55 lbs	Riser: Aircraft grade Aluminium (T6 with anodized coating) Limbs: Composite	Yes	No tools required but the limb securing bolts are easy to lose
Spectre II	45, 55 lbs	Riser: Aluminum Limbs: Resin and fiberglass	Yes	No tools required, the limbs are very simple to attach to the riser. It’s a reliable system.
Samick Sage	40, 45, 50, 55 lbs	Riser: Laminated Olive Dymondwood and Hard Maple Limbs: Hard Maple laminated with fiberglass	You need a stringer	No tools required, the limbs are very easy to screw to the riser. The bolts are not that easy to lose, but it could happen.
Xpectre Rapture	40/50lbs Limbs are reversed to change the weight	Riser: Aluminum Limbs: Resin and fiberglass	Yes	No tools required, the limbs are very simple to attach to the riser. It’s a very similar system to the Spectre II.

Ergonomics and Arrow Rest

Grip	Ambidextrous	Arrow Rest
Primal Gear Second best grip after the Samick Sage. I would add padding to improve the grip.	Ambidextrous, change the limbs with a screwdriver.	The arrow rest is off the shelf. It is a very reliable rest. It is recommended to shoot feathered arrows
SAS Tactical Not very ergonomic	Ambidextrous, change the arrow rest.	The arrow rest could break easily
Spectre II Not ergonomic, not even slightly.	Not Ambidextrous, there are left or right hand models available	The arrow rest is very flimsy and it is definitely its Achilles tendon
Samick Sage The most comfortable grip.	Not Ambidextrous, there are left or right hand models available	The arrow rest is off the shelf. It is a very reliable rest. It is recommended to shoot feathered arrows
Xpectre Rapture Terrible grip	Ambidextrous, no tools needed	This arrow rest is flimsy as the Spectre II but at least it’s protected by being inside the riser.

Best Survival Bow for Long Term Hunting [Top 5]

Overall I believe the Primal Gear Survival Bow is the best survival bow out there because it is simple, reliable, and has good ergonomics. The SAS Tactical Survival Bow is another excellent option but the exposed arrow rest makes it slightly less durable. The Samick Sage is a great bow, but not for long term survival. The Primal Gear Bow is such a good design that there are a few imitations.

Important note: It seems that Primal Gear has not being fulfilling customer orders for a long time, see here for examples.