Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 – A Recurve Crossbow Review
The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 was the first crossbow to incorporate the compact recurve design. Before this ingenious invention, it would have been unheard of to use recurve technology for hunting in general. This crossbow is the ultimate combination of power and stability, and we highly recommend it.
Here are some of the unique features this innovative model offers to avid hunters:
Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 – Crossbow
Specifications:
- Velocity: 405 fps
- Draw Weight: 290 lbs
- Length: 36.3″
- Crossbow Weight: 6.2 lbs
- Power Stroke: 13.9″
If you’re not worried about the budget and want the ultimate hunting machine, this is the bow for you.
Quick Summary
What’s Included In Package
- Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Crossbow
- Twilight DLX scope
- Four Diablo arrows
- 4-arrow quiver
- Four 150-grain field points
- Cheekpiece
- Rope cocking device
- Assembly tools
- Instruction manual and DVD
- Warranty card
- REDS suppressors
- 290lb draw weight
- 405 feet per second
- Lite Stuff package
Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Detailed Review:
Power
The Matrix Mega 405 is a highly popular choice for experienced hunters. It is an extremely powerful crossbow that fires with enough energy to take out almost anything that moves.
It shoots arrows at an amazing velocity of 405 fps, delivering approximately 127 lbs of energy backed by a 290 lb. This power level improves your odds of taking the prey down with a single accurate shot.
User Comfort
The packaging of the Matix Mega 405 comes with a twilight scope, four Diablo arrows and their quiver, a rope cocking device, and a digital manual. It comes prestrung from the manufacturer, and all you need to do is attach the stirrup, the quiver and the scope, which shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes.
The crossbow is designed with a mossy camouflage finish that helps you to blend in with nature and avoid getting spotted by prey. This makes it perfect for hunters who love to take their shots from a strategic ground blind. The design pays great attention to detail and provides a sleek and stylish finish for the discerning hunter with a taste for fine things.
It works perfectly for right-handed and left-handed hunters thanks to the Ergo Grip stock features that include an adjustable cheekpiece suitable to your preference. The Diablo arrows are specifically designed for the kind of speed and power that comes with the crossbow. They have 150-grain field points, and they are spun and have a heavier front, features that ensure unmatched accuracy. Additionally, their inserts are flatback, which means that contact with the string is highly reliable.
Their 18” length and overall weight of 350 grams is the minimum recommended for use with the crossbow. You should also note that the arrows don’t make use of nocks. Instead, their inserts are threaded to best suit their T-shaped arrow puller.
With the great strength of the Matrix Mega 405 comes, the biggest drawback is the draw weight. It features around 290 pounds of draw weight that you would need to pull across 14” of its power stroke, which is extremely difficult to do by hand.
Even though it comes with a rope cocking device included in the package, this recurve crossbow would best utilize a crank-cocking device because you still need quite a bit of stamina for the exercise.
The other tool that would have made a perfect addition to the ensemble is a bow stringer. Although the manufacturer claims that there is no reason to destring if you were to store the crossbow for an extended period during the hot season, the limbs might become warped or snap.
Noise Suppression
When you go out hunting for prey that gets easily startled, the last thing you need is the slightest sound that could get them scampering off to safety. The crossbow is one of the quietest in the market thanks to its silencers and integrated Recoil Energy Dissipation System (R.E.D.S) dampeners.
These dampeners do quite a fantastic job at giving you a silent performance, considering the energy and power involved in firing arrows from this crossbow. They silence your shots and absorb vibration and shock to allow for steadiness and higher accuracy.
Quality of Optics
The package comes complete with a top-of-the-range Twilight DLX scope. It comes from the manufacturer sighted and only takes a few moments to get it into the perfect condition to hold zero indefinitely.
The light-gathering capabilities on this scope are impressive. Even in the poorest lighting conditions, they utilize every ray available to produce an exceptionally bright image. Considering that the best time for hunting is before sunrise and just after sunset, this scope ensures a clear view to enable you to place an accurate shot.
The scope features a multiplex crosshair system that enables precise trajectory compensation and has the choices of red and green illuminated reticles for improved accuracy in low light conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust this scope for group shots. Additionally, the scope is equipped with an anti-fog mechanism that allows you to have the clearest image, even on the mistiest of days.
Safety
The Matrix Mega 405 comes equipped with an automatic anti-dry fire feature that kicks in every time you cock the device. It is built into the scope mount, and by its name, the Guardian system catches the string any time there is an attempt to fire without appropriately placing an arrow.
This system offers yet another unique advantage: when you’re done with shooting, you don’t have to fire your arrow because there is an inbuilt release system to un-cock easily.
Durability
The Matrix Mega 405 uses lightweight material to ensure it does not become a drag during hunting by causing arm fatigue. At the same time, its build is sturdy, with strong enough limbs to support its significantly heavy draw. It is extremely rare to find such an impressive combination of easy-to-handle features and stability all in one piece.
Like any other recurve, this model has no moving parts. Its limbs, made of fibreglass in a composite mould, are connected tip to tip by string. They are about 15 inches long and have a pronounced enhancement from their previous counterparts.
This crossbow model features a riser that holds the limbs at several points to prevent unnecessary movement for stability purposes. The limbs are much shorter than those featured on other models, which accounts for a significant improvement in their strength and stability.
The construction design on this hunting marvel is done to last a lifetime; little wonder it features a lifetime warranty for its first owner.
- High precision and accuracy
- Extreme fps and penetration
- Unexpectedly silent
- Very good scope
- High draw weight
- Inconveniently long pull
- No crank-cocking device or bow stinger
- 290lb draw weight
- 405 feet per second
- Lite Stuff package
Assembling The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Crossbow Step-By-Step Guide
Add-ons
The perfect crossbow requires an ideal case for storage and transportation. Getting the right case is a great aid to ensure the durability of your prized bow.
As our other reviews for Excalibur state, we recommend the Excalibur Diable Carbon Arrows. They are custom-made for Matrix type of bows, and you’ll find it hard to find other bolts on the market that can work as well as they can with these bows.
- DESIGNED FOR MATRIX SERIES CROSSBOWS: Excalibur's Diablo Carbon Arrows are designed specifically for the Excalibur's...
- MAXIMUM RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE: The 18" carbon arrows specifically made for superior performance; they feature a...
- SPECIFICATIONS: The Excalibur's Diablo Carbon Arrows have the following specifications: length - 18 inches, 250 grain...
- Fist most standard crossbows
- Fitted shape allows you to transport your bow without the case taking up too much room
- Includes an adjustable, removable sling
Conclusion
Considering the amount of destructive power packed into this great recurve crossbow, it is one of the best for the outdoor thrill but wouldn’t be the best choice for a target game or tournament competition.
Even though the considerably high draw length and weight pose a substantial limitation to users, it is still possible to overcome these challenges if you are keen on the speed, accuracy and reliability of the Excalibur Matrix Mega 405.