The Excalibur crank cocking device

Excalibur builds recurve crossbows, and a recurve has no cam system to multiply your effort for you. That makes the cocking aid a more central part of owning one than it is on a compound, and it is why Excalibur's own crank publishes the lowest absolute draw-effort figure of any bolt-on crank we list: 12 lb at the handle, against Barnett's 13 lb.

The second thing that is different about the Excalibur approach is that the crank is designed to come off. A compound bow with a bolted-on crank carries the gearbox for the rest of its life. The Charger EXT quick-detaches, which means you cock in the stand and then put the crank in your pack - and the weight is not on the bow for the walk out. For anyone who hunts a long way in, that is a genuine advantage over the integrated systems that dominate the compound market.

What Excalibur publishes

In detail

The crank, its spare handle, and the rope aid

01A crank you can take off and carry in a pocket

$249.89/Amazon

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Excalibur Charger EXT

Excalibur

8.4/ 10

12 pounds of draw effort, and a quick-detach system that lets you pull the whole crank off in seconds and put it in a pack. That is the difference that matters: most cranks live on the bow and add weight for the whole walk. Excalibur bows only — TwinStrike, Micro and Bulldog series.

Published spec	Value
Draw effort	12 lb
Type	Crank, quick-detach
Handed	Ambidextrous, detachable handle
Fits	Excalibur TwinStrike, Micro and Bulldog series
Material	High-strength aluminum alloy
Carry	Removes in seconds for pack or pocket
De-cocks	Not published

What it does well

• 12 lb of effort, among the lowest published figures here
• Quick-detach, so the weight is only on the bow when you need it
• Aluminum alloy rather than a polymer body
• Ambidextrous and the handle itself detaches

Where it falls short

• Excalibur bows only
• One of the most expensive cocking aids on the site
• Some older Excalibur models need a retrofit

Our rubric

Effort reduction

9.4

Fit range

6.8

Noise

7.6

Pack size

9.2

Value

7.0

02Keeping a Charger EXT in service

$39.99/Amazon

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Excalibur Charger Replacement Crank Handle

Excalibur

7.4/ 10

The replacement handle for Excalibur's Charger EXT and Assassin integrated crank. A crank with a stripped or lost handle is a bow you cannot cock, and this is a fraction of the cost of replacing the whole unit.

Published spec	Value
Type	Replacement crank handle
Fits	Excalibur Charger EXT, Assassin integrated crank
Handed	Ambidextrous, detachable
Effort reduction	Not published
De-cocks	Not published

What it does well

• Keeps an expensive crank in service for the price of a target
• Ambidextrous and detachable

Where it falls short

• Only useful if you already own the crank
• Excalibur only

Our rubric

Effort reduction

8.0

Fit range

5.0

Noise

8.0

Pack size

9.4

Value

8.6

03Excalibur recurves, loading and unloading

$27.98/Amazon

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Excalibur Rope Cocking Aid

Excalibur

8.0/ 10

50 percent felt draw reduction with double T-handles, and the listing is explicit that it loads and unloads an Excalibur. On a recurve that matters: a recurve has no retention latch helping you, so a cocking aid that also controls the let-down is a safety item, not a convenience.

Published spec	Value
Felt draw reduction	50%
Type	Rope cocker, double T-handle
Handles	T-handles
Fits	Any Excalibur crossbow
Use	Load and unload
Supplied	Assembled or unassembled for customizing
Alignment	Provides string alignment for accuracy

What it does well

• Explicitly rated for unloading as well as loading
• T-handles are easier on cold hands than a knurled grip
• Ships assembled or unassembled so you can set rope length

Where it falls short

• Excalibur bows only
• 50 percent is still a real pull on a heavy recurve
• Costs more than a universal rope cocker

Our rubric

Effort reduction

6.8

Fit range

6.4

Noise

8.0

Pack size

9.6

Value

8.4

Why the crank matters more on a recurve

A compound crossbow uses cams over a short power stroke, so a lot of the stored energy is bought with mechanical advantage rather than with your back. A recurve stores its energy in the limbs over a longer, simpler stroke, and the hand-cocking effort reflects that. The design trade is set out in full on compound vs recurve crossbow, but the practical consequence here is simple: if you own an Excalibur and the lift is a problem, the cocking aid is the purchase, not a different bow.

The flip side is that the same simplicity makes the aid easier to live with. There is no gearbox buried in the stock to go wrong, no synchronization to lose, and the string you are drawing is one string rather than a cable system. That is the same argument that keeps people on recurves generally - see Excalibur crossbows review.

Check the fit before you order

Excalibur lists the Charger EXT for the TwinStrike, Micro and Bulldog series. Those are current families, and Excalibur has a long back catalogue - Matrix, Vortex, Exocet, Phoenix and others - so an older bow is not automatically covered by that statement. The rope cocking aid is listed as fitting any Excalibur crossbow, which makes it the safe purchase if your bow is not on the crank's list.

The general method for checking crank fit across any brand, including what to measure and which figures to compare, is on universal crank compatibility. The short version: compare the listing's own fit text against your exact model name, not the family name, and be skeptical of universal claims.

The rope aid does something the crank does not

Excalibur's Rope Cocking Aid publishes a 50% felt draw reduction from a double T-handle design, fits any Excalibur crossbow, provides string alignment for accuracy, and - importantly - Excalibur lists it for both loading and unloading. That last point is the one worth paying attention to.

Unloading a crossbow without firing a bolt is the problem that ends most sits, and the standard answer on a compound is either an integrated de-cocking system or a discharge bolt into the ground. On an Excalibur, the rope aid is a legitimate method, and it is a cheap one. The full set of methods, including the one you must never attempt, is on how to decock a crossbow.

Crank or rope, on an Excalibur

• Take the crank if the lift is the reason you are here. 12 lb at the handle against roughly half the bow's draw weight with a rope is not a close comparison.
• Take the rope if the lift is manageable. It weighs nothing, costs a fraction as much, fits any Excalibur, aligns the string, and unloads the bow.
• Take both if you hunt long sits and walk a long way. The crank for cocking, the rope aid as a backup that lives in the pack and cannot fail mechanically.
• Take neither if you are buying a bow with the crank built in. Excalibur's Assassin has an integrated crank, in which case the only part on this page you might want is the replacement handle.

Our view

The Charger EXT is the right purchase for an Excalibur owner whose shoulder, age or seated shooting position makes hand-cocking the limiting factor - and the 12 lb published figure, plus the fact that it detaches for the carry out, makes it the most thoughtfully designed bolt-on crank we list. Confirm your model is on Excalibur's fit list first; if it is not, the rope aid fits any Excalibur and solves half the problem for a tenth of the price.

If you are still choosing between brands, the cocking question is worth settling before the bow question. Several compound makers now publish integrated figures as low as 5 lb, which is lower than any bolt-on crank including this one - that comparison is on crossbow cocking effort explained, and the bows themselves are on best crossbow for a shoulder injury.