Summary
What can we say, the Spyder pretty much does what it’s being touted to do. It’s similar to the Samick Sage, but with improved manufacturing quality. It’s lighter, has a better finish, and a wider range of draw weights. The limbs are interchangeable with the Samick Sage and Samick Journey. It just has to be a top pick for any level of traditional archer or hunter.
Table of Contents
Intro
So, the new Southwest Archery Spyder…. Hoyt produce a Spyder bow but that’s a compound bow, Spyder are also a company that produce a range of Ski clothing, so it’s possible if you’re into traditional Ski archery you could outfit yourself with a bow and clothing of the same name.
But I’m guessing you’re not interested in that and are here to find out about Southwest Archery and their ‘Samick Sage killer’ named the Spyder which is being touted online as the ‘Sage v2’, engineered by the same people that build the popular Sage bow… but improved.
Is it really better? Let’s take a detailed look.
Ratings, Pros and Cons
What we liked:
- Light
- Takedown
- High quality finish
- Limbs should be interchangeable with Sage/Journey and Spyder XL
- Wide range of draw weights
- 62″ and 64″ AMO lengths available
What we didn’t:
- Not tool free takedown
Features / Specifications
| Draw weights (lbs): | 20,25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 |
| Brace height (inches): | 7.5-8.25 |
| Weight (lbs): | 2.3 |
| AMO Length (inches): | 62 (Spyder), 64 (Spyder XL) |
| Max Draw (inches): | 29 (Spyder), 32″ (Spyder XL estimated) |
| Riser: | Wood, 2 color lamination, red stripe |
| Shelf: | Cut Past Center |
| Limbs: | Laminated hard maple with matte black fiberglass |
| Warranty: | 1 year manufacturers warranty when registered online with 30 days |
| Price Range: | Low |
| Handedness: | Left and right hand models available |
Package Deal
You can pickup the Spyder (62″ AMO) or the Spyder XL (64″ AMO) as part of a ready to shoot package which comes with everything you need to start shooting out of the box.
This includes an arrow rest, stringer tool, and airline approved lockable hard carry case, arm guard and 3 carbon arrows.
Videos
In-Depth Review
Riser
This has dual wood laminated construction giving a 2 tone semi-gloss finish. You’d be hard pressed to find a better looking bow riser made from wood and this one certainly looks excellent. The grip has no material additions and is pure polished wood, but it is ergonomic and comfy to hold, and wood has good thermal properties so when it comes to cold climates the bow won’t feel cold to grip in comparison to a metal riser.
This riser allows for shooting directly off the shelf out of the box or you could fit a material stick on arrow rest and further still there is the option for a screw in rest as fitments are provided for that. The shelf is a cut-past center allowing for the string to power the arrow in a straight line with little deflection.
Both left and right handed variations of the bow are available, and you need to make sure you get the right one. For clarity, normally the bow you draw the string with is the handedness of bow you’ll want, i.e. if you pull with your right hand you want a right handed bow and vice versa.
Spyder vs Sage Bow Riser
The riser on this bow is made of 2 tone of laminated wood and very similar to the Samick Sage in design and construction, however there are slight but noticeable differences, the color of the wood is different, there is a subtle red stripe above the arrow rest and compared to a Sage some of this risers edges have been rounded giving it an overall more polished feel. This riser has also been designed to make this bow lighter than the Samick Sage.
Limbs
The limbs on this bow are 2 piece laminated hard maple surrounded with matte black fiberglass with reinforced plastic bow tips for durability when using upgraded bow strings. The limbs feature a spider design with SouthWest Archery printed alongside the limb length and draw weight.
The lims are available in draw weights from 20lbs up to 60lbs and as they’re easy to change this makes it an ideal bow for the beginner who wants to start on a low draw weight and progress up the scale, although we didn’t have any to hand when writing this review we believe it would be possible to interchange the limbs in this bow with the limbs from the Samick Sage or the Samick Journey giving you even more options if you already own either of those bows.
Shooting
An excellent draw and a good almost vibration free shot is what you should experience from this bow, the addition of string silencers can make it very quiet, quiet enough for hunters. It is hard to differentiate the quality of the shots from this bow from the Samick Sage.
Styling
The wooden 2 tone riser and matte black limbs with this addition of some subtle enhancements to the styling over the Samick Sage make this bow ever better looking than the Sage. The only thing perhaps not to like is the addition of the SWA archery spider logo on the limbs, especially if you’re not a fan of spiders as so many people aren’t, but you could cover it easily enough with stickers.
Assembly
In the basic package box you’ll receive the limbs, the riser, the string and an allen key at a minimum, however this bow is also available in a package containing a stringer and even a ready to shoot package with everything you’d need to get started such as a glove, arrow rest and arrows!
The limbs are attached to the riser by firstly sliding them into a pocket, locating the screw hole and securing the limb onto the riser using a supplied bolt with an allen key. The bolt hole cover is slightly raised from the limb to allow the screw to be completely recessed when fully tight. This means the screw head is protected, but the limb does have a raised area when the screw is located, it is not totally hidden.
This isn’t super simple and does involve the use of tools so wouldn’t be possible anywhere unless you carry a multitool or had made sure you’d remembered your allen key. Not as good as a snap on limb, but still, a relatively painless assembly, but maybe not one you’d want to be performing every day.
Spyder vs Sage Assembly
Basically these bows go together in the same way but the Spyder favours an allen key and recessed limb screws over the slightly more raised finger screws on the Sage.
Accessories
The Spyder comes with pre-installed fitments for an arrow-rest, stabilizer and sight and it is possible to fit a bowfishing reel, but we must add but none of these are normally supplied in the basic package unless you’ve ordered them specifically.
String
Comes supplied with decent quality string however this can easily be upgraded to something with higher performance be improved by upgrading to something higher performance due to the protective plastic on the ends of the limbs.
Stringer
In the most basic package form this bow doesn’t come with a stringer, however you can either opt for the upgraded package, purchase one separately or it’s always possible to make your own. Attempting to string the bow without a string WILL void your warranty, you have been warned.
Always, always, always use a stringer
Don’t string your bow by bending the limbs over your knee, this is one of the major causes of broken limbs as you’ll be likely to put twisting stress on the limb which is isn’t designed to handle, not to mention invalidating any warranty you’ve been supplied with your bow.
“How does it compare?”
Spyder vs Samick Sage
The Sage is shorter than this bow at only 62″ AMO but the Journey (which is the same as the Sage) can match it at 64″ AMO. The Spyder is lighter, has a higher quality finish, a bigger range of draw weights, there is only really 1 area where the Spyder fails to outmatch the Sage, it requires tools to assemble, however we’re pretty confident that you could (if you have one) switch the bolts from a Samick Sage with the bolts from the Spyder and you’d get the benefits of tool free assembly. Checkout the full review here.
Spyder vs PSE Razorback
From the largest US archery manufacturer comes a great beginner bow available for juniors (PSE Jr Razorback) but only up-to 35 lbs draw for adults, that draw weight should be fine whilst you are learning, but if you want to go higher you’ll be stuck with the Razorback. Another downside to this bow (for some) may be the white limbs with the PSE logo making it look like a target shooters bow. The Spyder has the advantage here as it has a far greater range of draw weights. More in our full review.
Spyder vs Martin Jaguar Elite
The Jaguar is only available for right handed shooters, the supplied arrow rest is also a little on the flimsy side and the assembly and disassembly is slightly more fiddly than the Spyder however the Jaguar does have a metal riser, comes in black or camo and can be accept ILF limbs should you wish to upgrade it to that level. In-depth on the Jaguar here.
Spyder vs SAS Courage
A decent quality traditional wooden takedown barebow. The Courage comes in a range of draw weights, is light, nice to look at and is supplied with a 3 year limited manufacturer warranty and a furry ‘rug’ style stick on arrow rest. All the necessary fitment points for quiver/sight, stabilizer and arrow rest are pre-installed on the latest iteration of this bow. As a beginner though, you may want to look at something with a longer AMO length for an easier experience as this one only comes in at 60” as opposed to the 62″ Spyder. Our lowdown on the courage is here.
Our Comparison Tables
We’ve compiled all our reviews and scores into some handy comparison tables along with a buying guide. Take a look at all the data here and make an informed decision.
About the Manufacturer
Southwest Archery have been in the archery industry for over 20 years supporting Olympians and professional hunters throughout that period. They’re a company committed to producing high quality products at affordable prices whilst maintaining excellent customer service standards.
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As much as I love the look of the Spyder and Tigershark Riser, it’s a shame that it only comes in a 62″ or 64″ in the XL.
I need to shoot at least a 66″ TD recurve which has ruled these two bows out for me.
Thanks for the information. I’ve narrowed down my choices between the Samick Sage and new Spyder from SW Archery. The Samick feels great in the hand, but it’s been a challenge finding reviews of the Spyder that were objective and didn’t sound like more marketing. I’m leaning towards the Spyder from everything I’ve been able to dig up so far. Again, thanks for taking time to create the site and post your reviews!
You’re welcome! Come back and let me know how you get on and what you think of the bow.
Great info. Im 65 and interested in hunting with a recurve.
Great article.
I’m not sure if I’ll receive a response but I’ll give it a shot, I just bought a samick sage in the 62″ length. Nice bow, and the deal was to good to pass up on. I’m averagely tall, 6’1″ and my draw length is 29″. Are there any 66″ – 70″ limbs out there that will fit on the sage riser?