Help with excalibur Crossbow questions from experienced user

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fratri
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Post by fratri »

rjgothrup wrote:Ok, so the 225 lbs. bow will wear out the serving faster. I assume this can be replaced? Any idea how much this cost?
the serving is part of the string...the center part of the string...the part of the string that is held by the trigger....When the serving part of the string starts to go the string needs to be replaced....An original string goes for around $20 or so....I have the phoenix 175 lb and the string lasts a long time 100's of shots before it needs to be replaced....I would imagine you would get at least 100 shots before the string needs to be replaced with the 225lb bows....Someone will correct me if I am wrong...hope this helps....
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Post by dick195252 »

Welcome to the family :D I shoot the Exomax and just love it!! This is a personal decision on your part. I do use the crankaroo though as it is a Bear to cock with a Bum shoulder, It allso makes it much more enjoyable when i practice with it!! Good Luck on your decision! But as lomg as it is an Excalibur you can not go WRONG. They are Second to NONE!!!
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Post by Pydpiper »

The only benifit I can think of for a 225# bow is that it will give you a flatter trajectory, meaning you can be a little off with your range estimation.
All Excalibur bows will slide an arrow clean through any animal, the speed that happens at is irrelivant.
I shoot a 200# bow and like you did a whole lot of reading before I decided on it. If you only plan to use the bow to hunt with the 225# bows will suit you fine, but if you have any intention of shooting for fun as well as hunting then you may want to look at lighter poundage bows.
Faster absolutly does not mean deader.
Here is a serving, well used and in fine condition. The serving is the brown wrap around the string, it protects the string from direct contact with the claws while the bow is drawn, it is under a tremendous amount of pressure behind the claws.
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Post by vixenmaster »

i have owned or shot most Excal models. yes the 225 lb models are faster & have less arrow trajectory. they have much more claw pressure & stress on all parts of CB. The string can be reserved many times. either learn or know someone close to you that will do it. those big models will eat them fer breakfast from 50 to 150 shots avg. on serving. plan on getting severals strings from jump street. the mid to smaller lb models have less wear on servings. the scopes are very good & i have owned both. i prefer the vari as its lighter & smaller. ppl make a big deal over the big lb models because they're fast fps on arrows. i am on the other end of models with 150 vixen that in my personal opinion is the best model Excal makes. reasons less stress on all parts servings last over 400 shots avg. on my Boo strings. its lighter & that really shows up after an all day hunt. less tiring to cock & shoot & mine will shoot with-in 60 fps of the biggest model. speed sells CB's but a person who knows how to shoot & hunt can do it with the smaller models. i can't remember the last 3-D shoot that i lost due to using miss vixen against E'max or equinox. talk about making them believers! :lol:
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Post by VixChix »

smokepolehall wrote: i can't remember the last 3-D shoot that i lost due to using miss vixen against E'max or equinox. talk about making them believers! :lol:
Smokepolehall is absolutely correct!

It's very possible to do well with a Vixen at 3D against faster bows! There's much more to archery than speed. :lol: No reason to look down on a Vixen!

Vixens are easier to cock repeatedly, easier on servings, a bit quieter, more forgiving in the event of a dryfire, a tiny bit lighter to carry... and the name is kinda cool too! :D
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Post by sumner4991 »

I enjoy my Exomax. Even though I now have a Vixen, and enjoy it too, I always grab the Exomax when I go hunting.

I have shot the crap out of the Exomax and it's still as good as new. The serving wear is no big deal. I get well over 300 shots per serving. Learning how to reserve a string is easy and there are plenty of guys willing to show you how it's done. I would not let the wear and tear issues keep me from getting the bow I wanted.

However, I would pay careful attention to how each model feels when holding it freehand. Spend a lot of time holding the models you like the best. Then buy the one that feels the most balanced and comfortable to you.

Depending on your size, some models will not feel as good. Trust what your body tells you.

All of the Excalibur models are extremely accurate. All are powerful enough to take any game. Not all will "fit" you.
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Post by ComfyBear »

When it comes to driving, it is said that "Speed Kills". Well the same is true when it comes to crossbows. Just like greater speed accounts for more wear and tear and bigger and deadlier car wrecks; greater speed in crossbows accounts for a lot more wear and tear, not only on the serving, but on ALL parts of the crossbow.

Aside from cosmetics, all the parts that make up Excalibur crossbows are virtually the same. The only difference between the models is the length of the mainframe (i.e. rail). The greater the length of the rail, the greater the speed. However, that speed comes with a cost, and it's not only monetary. Acquiring that speed places increased demands on the crossbow.

Granted, with proper care, Excalibur crossbows are built to last a lifetime. However, similar to human life, the quality and the length of the Excalibur's lifetime varies greatly and depends on how it's used and if it's abused.

So which Excalibur model should you choose? The answer depends on your expections. If you expect and can afford to pursue African game animals, and give your crossbow to your guide when your done, then the Exomax/Equinox is for you.

On the other hand, if you're after a dependable crossbow that you can use for your lifetime and then pass it on to generations to come, then any of the "lesser" Excalibur models will fit the bill.
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Post by Vormax »

Just put on my 1st serving on a #1994 string a couple of weeks ago and it's still good. Using Boo's great 'how to' on huntingnet it was easy and actually fun to do. Didn"t want to buy string after string any more. It's amazing, but this serving is still as good as new even after approx. 200 shots with the Emax. Lasts way longer than the original one. All you have to do is make it tight and it's no big deal.

Other than that, Excal's are the best, no doubt, and it really doesn't matter what Excal model you shoot as long as you can handle the bow.

After a certain time you'll probably get a desire to own another Excal. Good opportunity to upgrade or downgrade, depending on what model you bought first and how you want to argue :wink:

Money: Put some on the side for bolts and targets and all the fancy stuff that all of a sudden is needed desperately :wink:
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Post by Tom »

rjgothrup wrote:Ok, so the 225 lbs. bow will wear out the serving faster. I assume this can be replaced? Any idea how much this cost? Is this a reason to not buy the 350 fps fast bow? There must be some advantage to the higher speed, can't you take longer shots and have more energy? Is the 200 lbs. 330 fps bow really fast enouph and can it really shoot far enouph?

I have not bought the bow yet and I want to shortly. I am tossed on the 200lb vs 225lb bow.

Thanks for all your comments!
Smokepolehall answered most of your questions but I will add a little to it.

First of all, remember that with a crossbow, ........ it only stores the energy (when cocked) that is you must personally load the energy into the bow. So for the 150lb model your strength loads X Energy into the bow. The 175lb model would load XY Energy and the 200lb model would load XYZ Energy. I think that you are getting the idea by now, ...... the more poundage in your bow means you have to physically load more energy into the bow for each shot then the lighter ones.

Pros ...... shoots flatter, less chance of error in range estimate
...... you can brag that your bow shoots faster then most
...... You can shoot heavier shafts (arrows) and still keep a reasonable fast speed (for higher KE)

Cons ..... Requires more energy to shoot (becomes more like work then fun)
..... They tend to be harder on equipment (string wear is more prominent and dry-fire is more apt to cause damage) - Excaliburs are good for dry-fires but if there will be damage, it would probually be the higher poundage bows

Now for the scopes, some think that they are not TOP QUALITY ($ as compared to $1000 scopes). Well news for you, they are not as good as the $1000 scope :lol: . But for the range of a crossbow, they are more then enough quality for your bow(your not going to be shooting 100 yards). As for the Lumi or Varizone scopes, that would be just prefenrence on your part. The lumizone is a little heavier and larger. It will also be a little better in light gathering, it also has the lighted rethical. Unless your going to be shooting at dark targets like MOOSE, BEAR where the normal crosshairs can disapear in low light, I do not think that you will need the lighted crosshairs. IF you think that you hunt those dark hide animals, then think seriously about the lumizone.

Hope this helps you some.

OHHHHHH ..... by the way ..... a few years back the record archery moose was taken by the 150lb model. Every year, many moose are taken with the smaller weighted bows.
Tom
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Post by saxman »

rjgothrup wrote:Hey saxman, What do you mean heavier shaft? I am learning here...
Sorry my friend
I mean a heavier arrow.
Just like any other bow vert or cross the lighter the arrow the harder it is on your gear.
On the equinox with all that power I am not as interested in advertised speed as I am Kinetic Energy and not hurting my bow.

A heavier shaft is better for the bow than the shafts used to obtaine advertised speeds.

As in all archery everything has a price or trade off.
I am looking for the perfect middle ground.
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Post by Canabow »

Welcome to the forum. Any choice you make will take game at a resonable distance. I too bought the equinox and love it. I bought it from a local dealer my primary reason for this model over others was the thumbhole stock just felt better to me. At the time this was the only model of Excalibur that my dealer carried that had it. Find a bow that fits well feels comfortable and that you can draw. At the end of the day a few more feet per sec won't be that big of a difference. Shooting accurately will.
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Re: Help with excalibur Crossbow questions from experienced

Post by rjgothrup »

Does anyone know IF and Where I can get Excal stickers AND window decals? I can't find anything on there site OR on the internet anywhere....... Thanks!
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Re: Help with excalibur Crossbow questions from experienced

Post by rjgothrup »

Thanks for the reply... Really like the one on the right side of the truck. Is Dan Miller a company, sales for Excal, I don't recognize the name. Thanks!
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Re: Help with excalibur Crossbow questions from experienced

Post by Kelley »

Dan Miller is the "Go To" man in the USA. Does not have a web site. Don't have his Ph # handy but someone will post it for you.
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Re: Help with excalibur Crossbow questions from experienced

Post by wabi »

Might as well throw in my 2¢. :lol:
You might start by looking at the arrow performance charts on this site.
http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/conten ... ballistics
You can see there isn't a HUGE difference between 300 & 350 fps, and even the Vixen can come close to 300fps with a minimum weight arrow.

All Excaliburs are similar in accuracy, so it's really a personal choice.
The heaviest draw weight Excalibur I've personally shot was the old 200# Exomag.
One range session and a few shots convinced me it was too much for my personal comfort. Hard to draw and a bit heavier to hold.

At that time I was shooting (and hunting with) a Vixen. I read so much of the "faster is better" talk that I decided I'd "upgrade" to an Exocet (the old 175# model). I soon found I practiced much less because it was more difficult to cock, and my home made dacron strings required re-serving much more frequently. As far as accuracy, it was close to the Vixen, but I believe the Vixen had a slight edge. Not saying the accuracy potential wasn't there, but the Vixen fit me better and velocity can magnify small arrow tuning problems.

One thing that is seldom mentioned is accuracy with broadheads! There the slower arrow has the advantage. It may be that you can find a broadhead that is accurate on a 350fps arrow, but the faster the arrow travels the more it will magnify any problems in the aerodynamics of the arrow/broadhead combination.
I did find a couple (NOT ALL) of the broadheads I shot from the Vixen at around 260fps were noticeably less accurate at 300fps. (Especially fixed blade heads)
Perhaps I could have done some "tuning" to the arrow/broadhead and fixed the accuracy, but I didn't bother as I had other heads that were still very accurate. I don't believe it was any fault of the bow, but rather that my arrow/broadhead combination had a slight "imbalance" that the velocity magnified.

I finally sold the Exocet and bought a Phoenix when they were offered and have been very happy with it. Shorter cocking stroke (very similar to the old model Vixens) and the speed/power of the old model Exocet. Best of both worlds to my way of thinking. :lol:

For me I think the lighter bows (Vixen & Phoenix) have all the power to shoot through any critter I'll ever hunt (even if I get an opportunity for bear, elk, or moose after I win the lottery). The trajectory is a minor issue with today's scopes available if you use a rangefinder.

A lot of advantages of the lighter/slower bows have been mentioned in other posts, and I happen to agree. I have never been in a hunting situation yet (in around 10 years of using Excaliburs) where I had to pass on a shot because I had a lighter model Excalibur. Perhaps with some game in some locations a few yards would make a huge difference, but where I hunt it's usually as easy to set-up to get a 20 yard shot as it would be to get a 40 yards shot. I've killed more deer with shots under 10 yards than I have with shots over 20 yards. :wink:

Bottom line as far as I'm concerned -
Any hunting model Excalibur has enough energy for any North American game animal.

The #1/most important component in archery hunting is the BROADHEAD!
It is designed to kill by causing bleeding! It MUST be sharp, and it MUST be placed where it inflicts a FATAL WOUND!
Whether it's traveling 250fps or 350fps makes little to no difference in it's lethality with a well placed shot and a very sharp broadhead.

The advantage of flatter trajectory MIGHT be somewhat offset by accuracy depending on the arrow/broadhead combination you choose. (again, not saying all broadheads are less accurate from faster bows, just saying it's a possibility to be considered.)
wabi
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