Published August 25, 2010 by

Product Review: SKB ATA Parallel Limb Bow Case

When you put something in a safety deposit box, you want to be sure it is safe and secure, insured and that you can be sure of what’s inside every time you open it. As a bow hunter, I want the same thing for my gear, especially my bow. SKB Cases makes the safety deposit box of bow cases and I was fortunate enough to field test the SKB ATA Parallel Limb Bow Case.

Before I get into the guts of the review, here is the description from their website:

To accommodate most parallel limb bows complete with quiver, sight and stabilizer, SKB design engineers have developed the new 2SKB-4119 Parallel Limb Bow Case. This case is ATA specification 300, category 1 rated (a minimum of 100 trips by air) with molded-in bumper protected TSA recognized and accepted unbreakable fiberglass reinforced nylon trigger release latches, and a cushioned rubber over-molded carrying handle for added comfort. The 2SKB-4119 Parallel Limb Bow Case is the perfect solution for transporting nearly any model of parallel limb bow and all required gear. The 2SKB-4119 Parallel Limb Bow Case has the SKB dual protection with an Unconditional Lifetime Warranty and the $1500 product protection coverage if your gear is damaged by an airline when traveling.

The case interior dimensions are 37″ x 17.75″ x 7″ and it was just right to fit my PSE Vengeance or my PSE X-Force.  SKB says that the case will accommodate most parallel limb bows complete with quiver, sight and stabilizer. I wanted to see if either of mine would fit that way. I did remove the arrows from the quiver and seated them in the arrow holders in the case. If you look at photo #3, it looks as if the case will fold right down over the quiver, thus locking the bow into place. Unfortunately, you do have to make some minor adjustments to each bow to get it to fit over the quiver. I had to loosen the hex bolt in my quiver and rotate it 90 degrees in order for the case to close properly. I really wanted to avoid making ANY adjustments to my bow, bit that was one I could live with. (At least I didn’t have to totally remove the quiver like I had to on my last trip). Once I adjusted the quiver, I was able to close and lock the case. 

The foam on the inside is what holds the bow in place. There are no straps inside the case to hold the bow at all, which I found odd at first, but the foam does an excellent job of pressing together to keep the bow from sliding around. I verified this by dropping the case on end a few times (as if a baggage handler would) to see if anything shifted. Nothing moved.

The arrow holders in the case are velcro and work well. If you shoot anything longer than a 29″ arrow I would suggest taking them out of the case before putting your arrows in. Especially if you are using a lighted nock. I tried putting the arrows into the arrow holders while they were velcroed inside the case and my arrows kept hitting the foam fairly hard. Next time I will know better. I also left my field points on for this test. If I am traveling I take off any field point or broadhead. Risking a cut bow string is not something I look forward to.


Some if the minor features I liked were the easy-to-grip handle and the size of the case. The handle made carrying much more comfortable than some of the other cases I have tried.

I have been using Cabela’s Trekker case for a couple years now and it doesn’t hold a candle to this one. The case I have been using has straps to hold the bow in and it can move around a little. The rugged build of the SKB is great compared to the Trekker, too. The Trekker gets dinged up and dented a bit more because it’s metal on the outside where the SKB is durable plastic. The plastic latches and locks are slick, quiet and lockable and fit within the TSA regulations. The Trekker has locks, too, but the latches make a bit more noise in the field. The overall best feature is that SKB covers up to $1500 if an airline damages your gear that’s inside the case during travel. Huge plus in my book. When I travel, I am constantly worried that I will arrive at my destination and my gear won’t be able to function properly because of baggage handler damage. If it happened, I would be bummed, but I would have peace of mind knowing SKB had my back.

Overall, this is an excellent protective bow case. If you do any traveling – driving a truck with your bow in the back or on an airline, you need to have your bow protected. The SKB ATA Parallel Limb Bow Case is a wise investment for any bow hunter. Knowing that I’ll be hunting out of state this year makes me realize I now need to get one. I really want to use the double bow case! Traveling back to NY will force me to bring two bows (in case one malfunctions) and having that double bow case from SKB would make me feel much more comfortable on the plane ride.
Al Quackenbush

Al Quackenbush

Al Quackenbush has hunted and fished for the better part of 40 years. He shares his knowledge to better the sport of archery, hunting and to help educate others.

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  1. Phillip said:

    I've got this case, and it is a good one. It's taken a couple of dings on the last flight to NC, including a busted handle. I called SKB and they had a new handle and hardware on my front porch in two days.

    Did they send you one of these to field test, or did you pick it up on your own dime?

    August 27, 2010
    Reply
  2. Albert Quackenbush said:

    Hi Phillip, this is one of the DIY Staffers bow case. He lets me use it for a while. I am looking to get a new case and so far this one if looking good. I am looking for a double bow case though. I am liking the SKB double bow case, but we'll see what happens.

    August 30, 2010
    Reply

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