Is The Excalibur Assassin 420 TD Best For 2023? Our Review
Crossbow is a serious speed demon. With lightning-fast arrow speeds, ninja-quiet cocking, and a dead silent release, this bow is a formidable weapon. It is strong enough to take the big game and quiet enough that they won’t know what hit them.
Let’s take a closer look at everything the Excalibur Assassin 420 TD offers.
Excalibur Assassin 420 TD – Crossbow
Specifications:
- Velocity: 420 fps
- Draw Weight: 290.0 lbs
- Length: 33-36″
- Crossbow Weight: 8 lbs
- Power Stroke: 18.88
If you need speed and power to take down a big game, the Excalibur Assassin 420 TD is the perfect gear for your next hunt.
Quick Summary
What’s Included In Package
- Excalibur Assassin 420 TD – Crossbow
- TACT-100 Illuminated Scope
- Pro-Shot Trigger
- 4 Arrow Quiver
- 4 PROFLIGHT premium arrows
- 4 100gr Field points
- 30mm scope rings
- Anti-Dry Fire System
- Fair safe strap
- R.E.D.S. Suppressors
- ACCURATE & EFFECTIVE - The Assasin 420 TD hunting archery bow features a new Pro-Shot two-stage trigger system; Its...
- ADJUSTABLE & SILENT - The fully-adjustable Tru-Fit Stock of this archery bow allows every archer to achieve the perfect...
- TACT-100 SCOPE - This crossbow scope has a multiplex crosshair system and adjusts in precise 10-yard increments to 100...
Excalibur Assassin 420 TD Detailed Review
Power
Speed and power are where the Assassin 420 TD leaves the competition in the dust. Bolts leave the rail at a blistering 420 fps. With speed like that, you get flat-as-a-pancake trajectories and accuracy so repeatable you can use your crossbow to drive tacks in those 60-yard targets.
The Excalibur Assassin 420 TD also delivers 137 foot-pounds of kinetic energy while using only 14 pounds of force. That’s plenty of energy to drive 100-grain broadheads deep enough to pierce the vitals of the world’s largest game. That might seem like magic, but it’s real science, and Excalibur knows how to use it to its advantage.
Durability
The Excalibur Assassin is one durable crossbow, and its strength lies primarily in its simplicity. The crossbow is made of two virtually bombproof limbs and a string. With no cams, cables, or pins, there are fewer parts to break or malfunction in the field.
You can also easily change the string yourself, so you’ll never be stuck in the woods with a damaged crossbow worth about as much as a paperweight. It’s also worth mentioning that Excalibur backs the Assassin with a lifetime warranty.
Quality of Optics
The package comes with a Tact-100 Illuminated Crossbow Scope. It features an illuminated FAST POINT Multi-Plex reticle that allows accurate adjustments to 100 yards.
The scope has an excellent field of view, multi-coated lenses, and a 32mm objective. It’s easy to use in the field and offers better-than-average low-light performance.
Noise Suppression
The Excalibur Assassin 420 TD features a dead silent integrated cranking system. When we say dead silent, we mean it. You won’t hear any clicks, squeaks, or grinding when you cock this crossbow. It makes you feel like a ninja in the woods.
By keeping the design simple, Excalibur also manages to keep this crossbow super quiet on the release. Recurves are inherently quieter than their compound cousins.
Add in Excalibur’s 10-point sound-dampening system, and you shave even more decibels off the sound of your release. The system will cost you a few fps, but you can handle the loss when you’re starting with 420.
User Comfort
With a fully adjustable Tru-Fit stock, you can easily adjust the length of the pull from 12 inches to 15 inches no tools required. The Excalibur Assassin 420 TD also features an adjustable cheekpiece to customize the height for that just-right cheek weld.
We also love that the Assassin is a take-down crossbow, especially since this one is pretty bulky when fully assembled. With the push of a button and Excalibur’s Quick-Loc technology, you can disassemble this crossbow, stuff it into your backpack, and go. When you get to your hunting location, you snap the pieces back together, and you’re ready to go.
We must mention that when the Excalibur Assassin is assembled, it weighs a good 8 pounds and measures 30 inches across when uncocked (23.5 inches when cocked). The size makes the Assassin 420 TD a pain to maneuver in the tight confines of a ground blind or treestand. This one can also take some serious effort to cock. Be prepared to break a sweat.
Safety
While the Excalibur Assassin’s 420 TD take down feature is super convenient, it does pose a safety hazard. The bow will still shoot, even if the barrel isn’t fully locked, which can cause the pieces to fly apart.
The Excalibur Assassin does feature an anti-dry fire system, which provides some safety measures but doesn’t address the problem with the take-down feature.
- Produces an arrow speed of 420 fps
- Dead silent cranking system
- Simple recurve design is rugged and reliable
- Match grade trigger
- Fully adjustable stock
- Size makes it hard to maneuver in tight spaces.
- Big game hunters will want to upgrade their arrows.
Assembling The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Crossbow Step-By-Step Guide
Add Ons
A review would only be complete by mentioning Excalibur’s match grade trigger. While it isn’t exactly an “add-on,“ it is an upgrade and makes a difference in shooting consistency. On top of the Assassin’s mind-blowing arrow speed, this trigger will keep your shot groups tighter than a tick.
Excalibur includes four 18-inch Proflight Premium crossbow bolts with the standard Assassin package. These arrows weigh in at 355 grains. While that is definitely on the lighter side, Excalibur needed to eke out those impressive arrow speeds. We highly recommend upgrading to a heavier bolt if you want to bring down big game (think elk and moose). It will cost you some speed, but you’ll gain some kinetic energy and penetration.
- MATCH-GRADE PERFORMANCE - At the top of the list of factors that go into making an accurate crossbow is a clean,...
- ADJUSTABILITY & SMOOTH FUNCTION - The Pro-Shot ACP hunting archery crossbow 3lb trigger is adjustable from one to...
- VERSATILE & CONVENIENT - The Pro-Shot ACP crossbow trigger fits most Excalibur Crossbows; It features Frictionless...
- DUAL SPINE WEIGHT FORWARD - 2 spines in 1 arrow to manage energy better and make crossbow bolts recover faster, spin 20%...
- BUFFTUFF - Precision design with carbon weave for superior strength and accuracy
- REAL STRAIGHTNESS - Laser checked for straightness to a remarkable 1/10,000 of an inch; Straightness of +/-...
Wrap Up
Excalibur packs some serious power and speed into the Assassin 420’s simple recurve design. While this crossbow excels in the areas of speed, strength, durability, and quiet shooting, it can be difficult to cock, even with the integrated ultra-quiet crank.
We also have concerns about the bow’s ability to fire when it isn’t fully assembled. Shooters must be super careful to ensure the bow is fully locked onto the barrel before pulling that excellent match-grade trigger.