Excalibur crossbows

[Chief Broom]

I like the idea of recurve simplicity and the Excalibur range seems to be the most respected and now it comes down to which one. Having arthritis creaping up on me and a bad back I wont be opting for a 400 fps model so am looking at the 330-350. Top of the range is the assassin with a built in crank and 360fps but expensive and will that crank be problematic years down the road.....hmm think i'll go for a matrix bulldog 330 or maybe a micro 350. Still a heavy draw weight but will probably manage and can have a removable crank as well if my back isnt having it and vertebrae deciding on a lateral leap..****.that hurts. Ive read that anything over 300fps is sufficient for any large game in the uk so either of these models should do. Anyone have long term experience of Excalibur crossbows?

[Talon]

You don’t need over 300 FPS for uk game . At the rages a crossbow is used which for me would be 30 yards at absolute maximum you can get away with less speed . I used to have a Vixen 2 and it was a superb bow . I also experimented with home made wooden bolts for it and it was perfectly fine . Now I don’t recommend them for compound or higher poundage recurved,but the vixen with its 150 lb limbs handled them absolutely fine .
It was also relatively light , had a very light crisp trigger and was rifle accurate at the 25 yard range I shot it , wish I still had it .
You can also check the chace wind crossbow made by Jando . It’s much cheaper than Excalibur but a very well put together bow at the fraction of the price .
You can’t hunt with crossbows or bows in the uk so my best advice is join an archery club .
If you want a tool for hunting then I recommend you get a shotgun licence ,and a good quality spring air rifle . Those would be vastly more useful .

A crossbow has its place , but it’s way down the list and these days it would be the last thing I’d use . A 12 gauge and a quality .177 air rifle will get you any sized game and protect you and your family .Its also not a tool I’d recommend for anyone with back issues.
Personally I think you should be able to span it by hand and even a 150lb limb takes effort.
Excalibur’s are excellent though so if you’re set on an Excalibur I’d recomend a Vixen.

[Chief Broom]

Hi Talon thanks for the info, I do have a shopping list for developing an arsenal which includes a Weihrauch HW80 and a shotgun. Ive seen the Jando but have heard reports of limbs breaking [also heard of Excalibur limbs breaking but not so many and Excalibur warrenty is good]. Not having any experience of any of the manufacturers im going with 'you get what you pay for' and am set on getting an Excalibur. Good to hear that high fps isn't necessary I guess at relatively close range it wont be critical.

[Mortblanc]

It is your money but I have to agree with Talon on this in every respect.

Your Excalibur is about 3X the price of other comparable units with no advantage over them.

And the crossbow is not the first game getting tool you should be considering. Get that shotgun license and add a good double or three shot pump to the tool box, as well as the airgun, before moving into the world of exotics, especial exotics as expensive as the Excalibur series.

If you spend that 700-1500 pounds on a good air gun and shotgun you will have twice the game in the pot for the same money and hunting effort.

[Chief Broom]

Thanks Montblanc point taken- I will be getting a shotgun and maybe even a hunting rifle but it wont hurt to have a crossbow stashed. I think I would quite like target shooting with it so at least it would keep me amused! I would say the Excalibur series has a better reliability toughness / reputation over cheaper bows. I wont be skimping on outlay when it comes to collecting an arsenal [within reason].Im quite envious of those in the US who haven't got to jump through flaming hoops like here in the UK to buy a firearm-need a licence for an airgun in the Highlands now.

[Talon]

Well since you're determined to go the Excalibur route I won't suggest the benefits of lower cost bows .
The Weihrauch 80 is a superb choice , it's heavy when scoped but I find that helps.The only things I'd suggest is get the HW80k in .22 with open sights and a good quality one piece mount for your scope . A moderator on a spring gun doesn't offset the benefits of having backup iron sights in my opinion , they're much more effective on pre charged rifles,and weihrauch open sights are superb . I'd also suggest for shooting irons get the HW77 rear sight . It'll give you a longer sight radius . As I'm sure you're aware the 80 is still the benchmark for higher power tuning in spring rifles. Some can go higher like a Diana 52 but I prefer break barrel simplicity.

There's a wealth of information on tuning the 80 . I would also purchase an export rated spring to keep tucked away in the drawer( I'm not suggesting you fit it as its a 5 year sentence if you don't have it on ticket) . It's pretty sluggish when restricted to our 12ftlb limit as its really a 20ftlb + rifle. It would be my desert island air rifle of choice.
And get a Mossberg 2+1 .

[Chief Broom]

Cheers Talon for the very good info, must admit ive had to look up some of the terms you used ie moderator/irons etc I haven't used a rifle since I was a kid and never a Weihrauch. I do like owning well made gear whether a rifle or a fishing rod-gives a good feeling every time its used as well as confidence. Right im off to go find out what a Mossberg is...…!

[Mortblanc]

[Chief Broom]

Thanks Montblanc/talon very good info and advice- ive learnt a lot already. I did wonder about 22 versus 177 and Montblanc's description ",22 pellet dumps all of its energy inside the game animal" is one I can understand better than any high tech explanation. So .22 it is then. I do recall the Mossburg name now as I was browsing shotguns some months ago and remember it was around £500 for a 2+1- that'll do nicely.

[Pete Grey]

I have an old Barnet Wildcat crossbow, not used it for years, it’s been relagated as a wall hanger in the loft “den”, it’s been replaced by an Anglo Arms Hornet only 120 lbs, but i do want to put my back out with a high power bow like some prepper (MB knows who). And there’s not much big game to take down around here. I’m thinking of treating the OH to an Armex Blackhawk 99 lbs, also fires 8mm bb’s, useful.

As for air rifles due to the pathetic 12 f/lbs limit here over penetration is not really a problem, with pigeons 22 pellets can bounce off the feathers, while 177s get through, as for fitting more powerful springs whose to say was the gun upto the 12 f/lbs in the first place ?.