BOW CASES

Protecting your investment in archery equipment is critical.  A bow case provides substantial protection for your bow, even while in storage.  A good bow case really shows its value when you have to travel with your archery equipment.  I have used two different cases – one a low end model and the other a high end model.  Both worked well in my estimation but differed in price as did my expectation of the level of protection each bow case would provide. 

The first bow case was made byPlanoand it was basic black plastic with egg crate padding on the inside, straps to hold my arrows and bow in place and 4 latches to close it.  You could also lock it with a padlock if needed.  I used this bow case for several years with very little trouble except that the straps to hold the bow pulled free from the shell of the case and had to be screwed back down.  I didn’t need a great deal of protection from this bow case as my archery equipment was mid grade stuff and I didn’t travel much beyond the range and the treestand.

My second bow case came after the purchase of my new bow.  A high end piece of archery equipment, I needed a case that would provide me some piece of mind.  I ended up with a double bow case made by SKB.  The cost was more than double that of my first, but it provided a lot of room and was one of the few that I found that could hold a parallel limb bow.  The bow case is airline approved and comes with 4 lockable latches and a set of keys.  The padding on the inside could be better, and I may have to put some of the egg carton type padding into the lid at some point-the added room available with the double bow model makes this possible and still leaves room for accessories beyond just arrows.  The straps that hold your bow in place are attached to velcro brackets that attach as you need to either the lid or the base of the bow case giving you a great deal of flexibility to arrange items inside the case.  They appear to stay fastened even with moderately rough handling. The case is also very heavy to lug around, but it feels bulletproof to me and is a quality bow case.

You can find a variety of bag style cases as well which provide some level of protection but really serve more as a way to carry your bow, arrows, accessories and miscellaneous archery equipment around town.  They are reasonably priced though.

The key elements to look for when selecting a bow case is good fasteners inside the case to hold your bow firmly in place.  Many times these velcro loops or other fasteners will become detached from the case and leave your bow bouncing around inside.  Another item to pay attention to is the ability to lock the case.  Many have holes in their handle area that allow you to purchase a small padlock for security.  other bow cases will have locking latches and will come with a pair of keys.  The final factor to consider is the size of the bow case and how much room you need to fit all of your equipment inside it.  If you intend on keeping your quiver attached to your bow you might need to go with a double bow case.  If you intend on storing extra arrows in your case along with your bow you will need more room, so plan accordingly.

You can see, that with most things in archery equipment, bow cases are necessary, but you can spend as much or as little as you need to get the level of performance you need.