Excalibur Crossbow Lineup, Bolts and Parts

What Excalibur makes for crossbow hunters

Excalibur is a crossbow brand first and an accessory brand second. On this site its listings cover the crossbows themselves and nearly everything that bolts onto them or flies out of them: carbon crossbow bolts, broadheads, standard and lighted nocks, scopes and scope mounts, rope and crank cocking aids, quivers, replacement strings and cases.

The grid above shows what's on Amazon right now, filtered by type. It changes from week to week, so I'll write about the lines and what separates them, not about how many of each are listed today.

The maker's about page names five crossbow lines: Hybrid, RevX, DualFire, Micro and Mag. A 2014 Twin Cities Business report described the company as a maker of hunting recurve crossbows, and most of the current lineup still is one. The exception is the Hybrid X, which the maker calls a hybrid recurve-compound system.

Recurve or hybrid: the first split in the lineup

A recurve crossbow uses long limbs and a string, the way a recurve bow does. A compound crossbow adds cams and cables. goHUNT's comparison puts the recurve's case plainly: fewer moving parts, no cams to break and no cables to change, and usually a lighter bow. The compound side is shorter limbs and a more complex build. The recurve crossbow page and the compound crossbow page cover both types across brands.

Excalibur's Hybrid X sits between the two. The maker describes "Hybrid HO" limbs made of continuous fiber, paired with what it calls InnerDrive cams, set behind a caged riser. The maker also lists it as a reverse-draw design. On paper it's the fastest and the shortest bow in the lineup.

Uncle Walt read "reverse draw" and asked if that was how he gets out of the recliner. (It isn't. He gets out of the recliner with a grunt and a hand on the woodstove rail.)

Excalibur crossbow lines, model by model

Mag: the light recurve entry point

The Mag AIR is the lightest bow in the maker's current pages: 305 fps, 31 inches long, and 4.9 lb bare (6.7 lb with everything it ships with). It's a plain recurve with a rope cocking aid, a fixed power scope, 1-inch rings, a 4-arrow quiver and three Quill bolts.

The Mag MAX steps up to 350 fps at 32 inches and 6 lb bare. The maker lists "Micro HO" limbs, its CeaseFire anti-dry-fire system and R.E.D.S. suppressors, which it says reduce shock, vibration and noise. It also ships with a rope aid, a Dead Zone scope and Quill bolts.

Suppressor Extreme and RevX: the 400 fps recurves

Both are listed at 400 fps, and both are crank-cocked. The difference is where the crank lives.

• Suppressor Extreme: 31.4 inches, 6.4 lb bare, with the external Charger EXT crank. The maker says it pairs R.E.D.S. suppressors with a Sound Deadening System.
• RevX: 33 inches, 7 lb bare, with the ChargerX crank built into the stock. It ships with an illuminated Overwatch scope and the same noise parts.

Both ship with ProFlight bolts at 16.5 inches.

TwinStrike: two shots from one crossbow

The TwinStrike TAC2 is the odd one out. The maker calls it DualFire: two rails stacked over and under, four limbs, two strings and two independent triggers. The front trigger fires the top rail and the back trigger fires the bottom. It's listed at 340 fps, 32.125 inches and 7.5 lb bare, with the Charger EXT crank and a decocking aid for the DualFire setup.

An older TwinStrike and a Matrix GRZ 2 are also in the grid. The maker's current pages don't list them, so their values come from the Amazon listings.

Hybrid X: the fast, short one

The Hybrid X is listed at 435 fps, 29.6 inches long and 8.3 lb bare (10.3 lb with accessories). It uses the integrated ChargerX crank, an Overwatch illuminated scope and V-Flight Pro bolts at 18 inches, and it ships with both 100 and 150-grain field points. Shortest and fastest, and also the heaviest bow in the lineup. Physics sends a bill somewhere.

How to choose within the Excalibur lineup

Pick the cocking method first

My one opinion on this page: decide how you'll cock the bow before you look at speed. The reason is in the maker's own spec column called "draw effort." On the rope-aid bows it's a three-digit number: 136 lb on the Mag AIR and 175 lb on the Mag MAX. On the crank bows it's two digits: 12 to 18 lb across the TwinStrike TAC2, RevX, Hybrid X and Suppressor Extreme.

As a physical therapist, I'd rather your shoulders met the two-digit number, especially in a stand, in the cold, on the third cocking of the morning. If a rope aid fits you, it's simpler and lighter. If it doesn't, no speed number will make up for it.

The maker says the Charger EXT, its external crank, can cock and also de-cock the bow without firing a bolt. The ChargerX on the RevX and Hybrid X is built in. Rope aids, the Charger EXT and a replacement crank handle are all in the grid.

Then speed, length and carry weight

Across the maker's pages, speeds run from the low 300s to the mid 400s, lengths from just under 30 inches to 33, and bare weights from under 5 lb to over 8 lb. A shorter bow is easier to swing in a blind. A lighter bow is easier to carry to the stand. The fastest bow in the lineup is both the shortest and the heaviest, so pick which of those two you care about more.

The crossbow scope page covers speed-matched reticles, and the compact crossbow page has shorter bows across brands.

Then the package contents

Every Excalibur bow on the maker's pages ships as a package: a scope with rings, a quiver, bolts and field points. The scope rings matter later. The Mag bows come with 1-inch rings; the TAC2 and Suppressor Extreme come with 30mm rings. The grid has Weaver-style ring mounts in both tube sizes, plus a dovetail mount and the Dead Zone scope. Match the ring size to the scope tube before you swap anything.

Excalibur crossbow bolts

All three bolt lines on the maker's site are 250-grain carbon with Rhino flat-back nocks. What separates them is length, straightness and the bows they're built for.

• Quill: 16.5 inches, ±.003 inch straightness, 2-inch vanes; designed for TwinStrike and Micro series bows
• ProFlight: 16.5, 18 or 20 inches, ±.001 inch straightness, weight held within ±1 grain, white cresting
• FireBolt: 20 inches, ±.003, 4-inch vanes; designed for the EXO-Traditional series

The ProFlight Illuminated is the same idea with a lighted nock already in it. The Diablo bolts in the grid are 18 inches on the maker's store, with other values from the listing, and bulk packs of several lines show up too.

Here's the thing with bolts: the crossbow decides, not the bolt brand. Wisconsin DNR's safety advice is to use only the bolts the manufacturer recommends. Excalibur's bolt pages point to its compatibility chart, and the Hybrid X warranty excludes damage from bolts below the bow's minimum weight. Read the manual, then the chart, then shop. The crossbow bolts page covers lengths and nock types across brands, and best crossbow bolts has a ranked list.

The "crossbow bolts Excalibur" nock question

The maker says its CeaseFire system won't let the bow fire unless a bolt is loaded, the safety is off and the trigger is pulled, and that it works with the Rhino nock to give an audible click when the bolt is seated. So the nock is part of the safety system, not decoration. The Rhino CeaseFire replacement nock and the Beacon lighted nock are in the grid. More on fit is on the nocks page, and lit options are on the lighted nocks page.

Broadheads, quivers, strings and cases

Excalibur's broadheads in the grid come from their Amazon listings: the Boltcutter and Boltcutter B.A.T. fixed heads, and the X-Act and Trailblazer mechanicals, in weights from 100 to 150 grain. The Hybrid X ships with field points in both of those weights, which is a tidy hint: practice with the weight you'll hunt with.

Bowhunter's opening-day checklist is the one I'd copy: weigh each head on a grain scale, spin-test it on the bolt, and shoot broadheads, not just field points, before the season. The crossbow broadheads page compares types across brands.

The rest of the accessory side, briefly:

• Quivers: a 4-arrow polymer hood quiver, the Rebolt 4-arrow quiver and a standard bracket
• Strings: replacement strings for Matrix and for Micro and DualFire bows
• Cases: the Explore take-down case, the Tomb case and a case made for the Hybrid X
• Scope add-ons: the Insight scope level and the EX-Over scope cover

Each string in the grid names the bow lines it's made for. Buy the one with your model's name on it. The maker's customer service page has string-change videos for the RevX and the Hybrid X. More is on the bow string page and the bow case page.

Safety with any Excalibur crossbow

Never dry-fire a crossbow. Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until you're ready to shoot, carry broadheads in a covered quiver, and wear a harness in any stand. Raise and lower the crossbow unloaded, on a haul line.

Crossbow seasons and broadhead rules vary by state, so check your state wildlife agency.

Warranty basics and who's behind Excalibur

The maker's warranty page says its crossbows carry a lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects for the original owner, and that the bow has to be registered before you file a claim. Any alteration or substitution of components voids it. Worn strings, lost or broken arrows, shot broadheads and worn cocking aids aren't covered. Charger EXT and Charger Lite cranks carry five years, with the crank rope excluded as a wear item.

The Hybrid X has its own terms: a non-transferable limited lifetime warranty, six years on limbs, cocking device and scope from purchase, and registration within 60 days. Dry-fire damage and too-light bolts are excluded.

The about page says Excalibur began in 1983 and lists an address in Kitchener, Ontario. I couldn't verify who owns the company today or where the bows are built, so I've left both out.

Cocking method, then length and weight, then the bolt the maker matches to that bow. Write the bolt length and nock type on the inside of the case lid. Uncle Walt does it for his truck's tire pressure, and he still checks the sticker every time.