How does my Exalibur Phoenix compare to a Horton Max 175 HD

[pynewilly]

I know this is primarily an Excalibur posting board... but I am a little frustrated in my recent purchase of my Phoenix. I noticed that most dealers have Horton parts readily available and Excalibur arrows and parts have to be special orderred. One last, thought is the Phoenix being a recurve bow more bulky in a treestand compared to a compound horton. Finally if I keep my Excalibur where on god's green earth can I buy a case for my crossbow? Thanks for your thoughts. Steve

[Farmer]

For ease of use and dependability the horton does not compare. on an excalibur I can do all the maintainence myself . Short of changing a string or tightening a bolt once in a while ; there is not much else to do.

[awshucks]

Recurves are alot wider than compounds. Most of us use double rifle cases available at Mal-Wart for $20 or so. Just take two allen bolts out and reassemble at journeys end w/ no change in poi. Your Phoenix will never need to go to a bow shop for string/cable changes. You can do it all yourself. Don't know where you are located, but it seems all Excal dealers are as good as the bows, my personal favorite is Danny Miller. Takes less than a week to get orders from him, and my needs are very few. Excal has dominated the 3-D matches for years, so while you may buy accurate compounds, I seriously doubt you can improve on that record w/ any brand. Two things you won't get w/ a new Excal is a serial # or a warranty card. Neither are needed as if you have a problem w/ an Excal, they take care of it and you. Good luck this season w/ what ever you're shooting!!

[navaman]

Dan Miller
Horizontal Archery
37342 5th ave.
Sardis Oh. 43946

740-483-2312

danny will take good care of you and you'll be a little less frustrated. i promise. he's a good man and takes good care of excalibur owners.

[Grizzly Adam]

Welcome!

Horton makes a good crossbow.

Excalibur makes a better one, I think, as many others do.

You won't be needing parts, most likely.

An arrow is an arrow, exclusive of brand.

You can't get a case to fit. Build one!

[Horizontal Hunter]

Dan Miller
Horizontal Archery
37342 5th ave.
Sardis Oh. 43946

740-483-2312

danny will take good care of you and you'll be a little less frustrated. i promise. he's a good man and takes good care of excalibur owners.

Couldn't have said it better myself. as far as the case goes I use the soft padded case that Excal makes. If I needed more protection I would use the double gun case that Dan suggested. I really like the fact that I do not need to bring it to a shop to change or re-serve the string.

Bob

[kev]

being close in Ky. if you order from Dan you should have your order in 2-3 days. Also he's a book of knowledge on Excals.

Theres a reason dealers keep all those Horton parts in stock

I've been the Horton route years ago on my first crossbow. Stick with your Phoenix and trim a few more braches and brush from your shooting spots that'll take care of the width.

[BOB7255KHZ]

My dad had a Horton Super Max 175 , it was trouble out of the box. He sent it to Horton 7 times , they replaced limbs, strings , even the multi scope.....they even shot it, darn thing just would not shoot correctly. Mind you , he spent close to $900 bux with the ez winder, so when all said and done , it was a costly mistake indeed. He was ready to take it to the" band saw".....if you get my drift......
Last weekend he traded it off for a new Exocet 200 and lumi scope, and now he is grin'n big time.....no comparison.
I too have the Exocet 200.....love it.
Keep your Phoenix.....you will not find a more enjoyable bow to shoot.
BOB in PA

[wabi]

I tried a lot of crossbows (Horton, Barnett, and a couple other commonly marketed cheaper brands at the time) and had given up on the crossbow as a hunting weapon. They were just too inaccurate and cumbersome to be practical.
Then I saw a hunting show featuring Bill & Cath shooting their Excaliburs. Did a search and found the Excalibur site. Did another search and found a dealer right in my home town. Went and took a look at a Vixen. He let me shoot it. It took three shots to get me to dig the hard-earned cash out of my wallet so I could own that bow!
That was many years ago, and Excalibur is all I've owned and hunted with since. I still own my traditional bows, but 99% of all my deer hunting is done with my Excalibur (now a Phoenix). Over the years I've had a few small problems (mostly my own fault, such as stripping the threads on a screw). Usually 2 or 3 days to get replacement parts and no hassle about warranty service for the replacement parts.
Bill & Cath are hunters, too. They know you bought their product to hunt with and you want to keep it working. They will do their absolute best to keep the Excalibur working, and keep you happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan Miller is the US rep for them, and he will treat your problems as if they are HIS problems. All my dealings with Dan have left me 100% satisfied.

[tuskntine]

Only advise I have is concerning the case . I bought a padded case from Bass Pro Shop. My Phoenix with the Vari-Zone scope and quiver fit nicely .
Size is just something you will learn to live with. This is my first xbow so I can't compare it to any other . All I DO know is that it is deadly accurate .

[Broadhead]

Pynewilly,
Trust me... you made the right decision. I thought long & hard on the
issue of recurve limbs vs compound limbs. After lengthly discussions with my dealer & research i decided on the Phoenix. It is a little wider with the recurve limbs but everything else is a Engineering Marvel...Lol To be able to "Service" the x bow myself is a huge plus. Strings,Adjustments,Fine Tuning etc... You can order supplies & install them yourself with the X Cal.
Try doing that with the wheeled limb designs. Plus, the accuracy is just great!
I have not had any issues with mine. From what i have read the warrenty & service is second to none.
After shooting yours a while, i think you will agree.
Great Product
Great Company
Great Confidence
Great Results

[Sopchoppy]

You will not regret buying the Excalibur. I went through a lenghty process trying to decide. I could have had a Horton for several hundred $$ less, but I figured there was a good reason. And all those wheels and strings are looking for a place to cause problems. I wanted quality, ease of use, accuracy, etc. It was hard to find any negative comments about Excalibur Xbows. You shouldn't have any buyer's remorse with the Excalibur, can't say the same with the Horton.