Excalibur range review

Excalibur crossbows: the recurve case

No cams, no cables, and a string you can replace without a press. Excalibur's architecture is the quiet argument against every compound bow on this site.

By Mike M.Updated October 6, 2026

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Ranked

Quick picks

#	Product	Design	Score	Price
Rank 1	Excalibur Micro 360 Pro TD A take-down recurve from the recurve specialist	Recurve, take-down	7.4	$1,399.00Amazon
Rank 2	Excalibur TwinStrike Two bolts, two triggers	Recurve, dual-limb double shot	7.2	$979.99Amazon
Rank 3	Excalibur Charger EXT A crank you can take off and carry in a pocket	Not published	8.4	$249.98Amazon
Rank 4	Excalibur Rope Cocking Aid Excalibur recurves, loading and unloading	Not published	8.0	$27.99Amazon
Rank 5	Excalibur Diablo 18-inch Excalibur Matrix series bows	Not published	8.0	$61.99Amazon

#ad Prices come from Amazon and change. How this site is funded. Scores are our published rubric — how we evaluate.

The short answer

Excalibur builds recurve crossbows, not compounds. There are no cams, no cables and no cable serving, which removes the maintenance items that take a compound crossbow out of service. The string can be replaced in the field with a stringing aid rather than a bow press.

Every other brand on this site builds compound crossbows, where cams and cables multiply the limbs' force. Excalibur builds the other thing: a simple recurve limb assembly, bolted to a rail. It is slower for a given draw weight and wider when cocked, and in exchange almost nothing on it can fail in a way you cannot fix yourself.

In detail

Excalibur bows and accessories

01A take-down recurve from the recurve specialist

Excalibur Micro 360 Pro TD from Excalibur

$1,399.00Amazon

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Excalibur Micro 360 Pro TD

Excalibur

7.4/ 10

Excalibur builds recurve crossbows almost exclusively, and the Micro series is the compact end of that line. TD means take-down: the limb assembly comes off without tools, which is why it travels well. The Amazon listing publishes no specifications, so the figures below stay empty rather than guessed.

Published spec	Value
Design	Recurve, take-down
Speed	Not published
Draw weight	Not published
Cocked width	Not published
Weight	Not published
Cocking aid	Not published

What it does well

A take-down limb assembly packs smaller than any compound here
Recurve architecture means no cams or cables to serve
String replacement is a field job rather than a press job

Where it falls short

The listing publishes no specifications at all
Recurves are wide cocked compared with a bullpup compound
Premium price for a bow we cannot describe numerically

Our rubric

Cocking effort: 6.4
Speed: 8.0
Noise: 7.4
Blind fit: 6.0
Carry weight: 8.0
Value: 6.6

02Two bolts, two triggers

$979.99Amazon

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Excalibur TwinStrike

Excalibur

7.2/ 10

The TwinStrike is Excalibur's double-bolt platform: two limb sets, two strings, two triggers, so a follow-up shot does not require re-cocking. It is a genuinely unusual answer to the crossbow's biggest weakness. The listing publishes no performance figures, so none appear below.

Published spec	Value
Design	Recurve, dual-limb double shot
Follow-up shot	Second bolt without re-cocking
Speed	Not published
Draw weight	Not published
Cocked width	Not published
Weight	Not published

What it does well

A second shot with no re-cocking, which no other bow here offers
Recurve limbs, so no cam service
Compatible with Excalibur's Charger EXT crank

Where it falls short

No specifications published on the listing
Heavier and wider than a single-limb bow by design
Two strings to wax and two triggers to learn

Our rubric

Cocking effort: 6.0
Speed: 8.0
Noise: 7.2
Blind fit: 5.8
Carry weight: 6.4
Value: 7.2

03A crank you can take off and carry in a pocket

$249.98Amazon

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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

04Excalibur recurves, loading and unloading

Excalibur Rope Cocking Aid from Excalibur

$27.99Amazon

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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

05Excalibur Matrix series bows

$61.99Amazon

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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

What the recurve architecture actually buys you

No cam service. A compound crossbow's cams, cables and cable serving wear, and a worn cable needs a press and a shop. A recurve has none of them.
Field-replaceable strings. With a stringing aid, you can change an Excalibur string in the field. A compound crossbow string is a bow-press job.
Fewer failure modes. Fewer moving parts under load means fewer things that can go wrong on day three of a trip.
Take-down models. The Micro TD's limb assembly comes off without tools, so the bow packs smaller than any compound here.

What you give up:

Cocked width. Recurve limbs sweep further than compound cams. Excalibur does not publish width on these listings, but recurves are the widest class of crossbow.
Speed per pound of draw. A compound gets more velocity from the same stored energy.
Published figures. The two Excalibur bows here publish almost no specifications on their Amazon listings, which is our main criticism of the range as presented.

The TwinStrike, which is genuinely unusual

Two limb sets, two strings, two triggers: a second shot without re-cocking. The crossbow's single biggest weakness against a compound bow is reload time, and the TwinStrike is the only serious attempt on the market to fix it. If a follow-up shot matters to you — a second animal, or a bad first hit — nothing else here offers it.

It is also heavier, wider and more complex than a single-limb bow, with two strings to wax and two triggers to learn. And its listing publishes no performance figures, so we cannot tell you what it shoots.

The Charger EXT, which is the best thing in the range

Excalibur's crank publishes 12 lb of draw effort — among the lowest aftermarket figures on this site — and a quick-detach system that removes the whole crank in seconds so you can carry it in a pack rather than on the bow. Most cranks live on the stock and add weight for the entire walk in. This one does not.

It fits the TwinStrike, Micro and Bulldog series, and some earlier models can be retrofitted. The replacement handle is sold separately, which is worth knowing: a stripped handle is a bow you cannot cock, and the part costs a fraction of the crank.

The rope cocker that unloads the bow

Excalibur's rope cocking aid publishes 50 percent felt draw reduction with double T-handles, and the listing is explicit that it loads and unloads the bow. On a recurve that is a safety item rather than a convenience: a recurve has no retention latch helping you control the let-down.

Who should buy an Excalibur

Someone who values reliability and field-serviceability over geometry and raw numbers, and who hunts from a stand or open ground rather than a tight blind. Someone who wants a second shot without re-cocking. Someone who already owns an Excalibur and needs the Charger EXT, which is the best reason on this page to engage with the brand.

Not someone shopping on published specifications, because these listings do not provide them. Compare against TenPoint if you want the compound case.

Frequently asked questions

Are recurve crossbows better than compound crossbows?

Different, not better. A recurve has no cams, cables or cable serving, so there is less to maintain and a string can be changed in the field. A compound is narrower when cocked and faster for the same draw weight. Pick on whether field-serviceability or geometry matters more to you.

Why are Excalibur crossbows wider?

Recurve limbs sweep further through the draw cycle than compound cams do, and that sweep sets cocked width. It is inherent to the architecture rather than a design oversight. If a tight ground blind is your constraint, a compound or a Ravin is the better answer.

Can you change an Excalibur crossbow string yourself?

Yes, with a stringing aid, which is one of the main arguments for the architecture. A compound crossbow string generally needs a bow press and a shop visit. On a multi-day trip that difference can be the whole hunt.

What is the Excalibur TwinStrike?

A dual-limb recurve with two strings and two triggers, so you get a second shot without re-cocking. It is the only bow on this site that addresses reload time, which is the crossbow's biggest weakness against a compound bow. Its listing publishes no performance figures.

Is the Excalibur Charger EXT worth it?

If you own a compatible Excalibur and cocking is hard, yes. It publishes 12 pounds of draw effort — among the lowest aftermarket figures here — and quick-detaches so it is not adding weight to the bow on the walk in. It fits TwinStrike, Micro and Bulldog series bows.

Sources

Crossbows

Excalibur crossbows: the recurve case

Quick picks