Excalibur crossbow accessories: a recurve takes different parts

A recurve crossbow is a simpler machine than a compound and that changes the whole accessory conversation. There are no cams and no cables, so a string change does not need a bow press. The string sits differently against the rail, so the nock is flat rather than half-moon. And because the limbs are wide, nothing on a compact-bow accessory list applies.

The six picks below are the parts whose listings name Excalibur models explicitly. That matters more here than on any other brand on this site, because an Excalibur will happily accept a part that then rubs, misaligns the string, or does not clear the limbs.

In detail

Six Excalibur-fit accessories

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

02A chevron reticle instead of stacked dots

$119.99/Amazon

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Excalibur Dead Zone

Excalibur

8.0/ 10

An adjustable speed dial from 300 to 410 fps driving Excalibur's chevron reticle from 20 to 60 yards. A chevron has a point rather than a center, which some shooters find faster to place on a deer's chest than a dot that covers the spot you are aiming at. The 60-yard ceiling is honest about crossbow range.

Published spec	Value
Speed range	300-410 fps
Tube	1 in
Objective	32 mm
Reticle range	20-60 yd
Reticle	Excalibur chevron
Glass	Multi-coated
Rings	1-inch rings

What it does well

• The chevron point does not obscure the aiming spot the way a dot does
• A 20-60 yard reticle matches real crossbow shot distances
• Adjustable speed dial at a mid-budget price

Where it falls short

• 300-410 fps misses both the slowest and fastest bows here
• No calibrated holds past 60 yards
• Fixed power

Our rubric

Speed matching

7.6

Glass

7.8

Reticle

8.4

Low light

7.6

Value

8.6

03Excalibur Matrix series bows

$61.94/Amazon

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Excalibur Diablo 18-inch

Excalibur

8.0/ 10

18 inches, 250 grains, .003 straightness, with a flatback insert for reliable string contact and a heavier front insert for front-of-center weight. 250 grains is light, and that is the Excalibur recurve design brief: these are built for the bows they are built for, and they fit the flat-nock CeaseFire pattern.

Published spec	Value
Length	18 in
Weight	250 gr
Straightness	0.003 in
Nock	Rhino, flat; CeaseFire compatible
Vanes	2 in Blazer, 3-degree offset
Insert	Flatback, with a heavier front insert for front-of-center
Fits	All Excalibur Matrix series

What it does well

• .003 straightness with a flatback insert for consistent string contact
• Blazer vanes with a 3-degree offset stabilize quickly
• Designed for CeaseFire bows and flat-nock patterns

Where it falls short

• 250 grains is light for anything bigger than deer
• 18 inches and flat nocks limit it to Excalibur-pattern bows
• Expensive per arrow

Our rubric

Flight

8.4

Penetration

7.2

Consistency

8.4

Durability

8.2

Value

7.4

04The most storage, in 1000D Cordura

$129.99/Amazon

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Excalibur Tomb Case

Excalibur

8.6/ 10

1000D Cordura nylon, 25.2 by 35.43 by 7.87 inches externally, with two internal sleeves, three internal pockets and shoulder straps that turn it into a backpack. 1000D is the heaviest fabric spec on this page — it is the material used for military gear because it does not abrade through.

Published spec	Value
Material	1000D Cordura nylon
External dimensions	25.2 x 35.43 x 7.87 in
Storage	Two internal sleeves, three internal pockets, one exterior pocket
Carry	Shoulder straps, converts to a backpack
Closure	Heavy zippers with pull cords
Padding	Padded throughout
Fit	Not published

What it does well

• 1000D Cordura is the toughest fabric spec here
• Full external and pocket dimensions published
• Converts to a backpack
• Enough storage for the bow plus the rest of the kit

Where it falls short

• No named bow fit list; go by the dimensions
• Bulky at nearly 8 inches deep

Our rubric

Fit certainty

7.6

Protection

9.0

Carry

8.6

Storage

9.4

Value

8.2

05Excalibur 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

06Keeping 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

How we picked

Published Excalibur fit, then our standard rubric. Four of these are Excalibur's own parts, one is Excalibur's own scope, and one is a spare for a part that gets lost. See our methodology.

The fit table

The crank is the upgrade

Charger EXT: 12 pounds, and it comes off

Excalibur recurves draw hard — that is the trade for the simplicity — and the Charger EXT publishes 12 lb of draw effort at the handle through a high-strength aluminum alloy mechanism. What distinguishes it from every stock-mounted crank on this site is that it removes in seconds and goes in a pocket. You cock, you detach, and you carry a bow with no gearbox hanging off the stock. On a treestand sit where weight and snag points matter that is a real advantage, and it is covered in more depth on best crank cocking devices.

The handle is the part that goes missing

The Charger's crank handle is ambidextrous and detachable, which makes it both the useful part and the losable part. The replacement handle also fits the Assassin's integrated crank. It costs a fraction of the crank and keeps the whole system in service.

The rope cocker, which loads and unloads

Excalibur's own rope aid publishes 50 percent felt draw reduction, uses double T-handles, fits any Excalibur crossbow, and is rated for unloading as well as loading. That second part is unusual and it is why this is the rope cocker to own on this platform: on a recurve, de-cocking with a rope is a documented procedure rather than an improvisation. Our how to decock a crossbow page covers the method step by step.

Bolts: 18 inches, flat nock, Matrix fit

Diablo shafts are 18 in and 250 gr with 0.003 in straightness, a flat Rhino nock, and a flatback insert with extra front weight for front-of-center. The listing names the Matrix series. Two details matter. First, 18 in is shorter than the 20 in standard most of the market sells, so a generic bolt is the wrong length. Second, the nock is flat, not half-moon — a half-moon nock on a bow that wants flat is a string-contact problem, not a preference. The Rhino nock is also CeaseFire compatible, which is Excalibur's anti-dry-fire system. More on nock types in crossbow bolt vs arrow.

The scope and the case

The Dead Zone is Excalibur's own scope and the only one on this site with a chevron reticle instead of stacked dots: you put the point of the chevron where you want the hit and the wider part of the V frames the animal, which some shooters find faster in poor light. It publishes a 300-410 fps speed range and 20-60 yd of calibrated reticle, with 1-inch rings included. The limitation is that 60 yd ceiling; if you want holds to 100 yards, the scopes roundup has them.

The Tomb case is 1000D Cordura with two internal sleeves, three internal pockets, an exterior pocket, and shoulder straps that convert to a backpack. It is the most storage of any case on the site, which suits a bow whose limbs are wide and whose owner is carrying a stringing aid and a detachable crank as well as bolts.

Our pick

The Charger EXT. 12 lb of draw effort on a recurve that would otherwise be a serious pull, and it detaches so the bow carries clean. Add the rope cocker as a backup and an unloading tool, and Diablo bolts if your bow is a Matrix. For the bows, see the Excalibur range review.