Micro 335 VS Matrix 355

[xcaliber]

I stopped at Cabela's again today to shoot the Matrix 355, I did not shoot it the last time I was there. Long story short, two of the three guys at Cabela's love the Micro 335 so I shot it again, they both shot excellent. I like the size of the Micro but I like the way the 355 draws easier and smoother. I much prefer the Tact-Zone scope on the 355 to the one on the Micro. I hunt West Virginia and Ohio Whitetails from hang on treestands and portable ground blinds. This is my first crossbow purchase so I would appreciate some input from you guys about some pros and cons on both crossbows. You all have a wealth of great information.

Thanks and God Bless,
Kevin

Kevin, get the stringing aide, and watch all of the instructional videos to the left here. Ask questions here, and get to know all the in's & out's of the bow before you start shooting it, and you'll have a much better experience with it. If you have someone already knowledgeable with the Excalibur bows, even better. Get a dozen arrows so you can get all setup before hunting season gets here as well as a spare string. If you decide to get custom arrows, and strings, get a dozen arrows, and two matched strings, shoot the snot out of one until it is settled in, pop it off, put it in your pack, and shoot the other one up to, and into the hunting season, if something happens to it, you have one that is ready for action.

[Big Woods]

The 355 is the best one in the lineup in my opinion. Never shot the micro but I did handle one. Harder to cock, less performance and too many problems for me.

[strum]

The 355 is the best one in the lineup in my opinion. Never shot the micro but I did handle one. Harder to cock, less performance and too many problems for me.

I dont understand you statement here. Too many problems? Less performance?
every one has their favorite but to say any Excalibur has too many problems is just way way off base and the Micro is turning out to be one of if not THE most reliable xbow they ever produced.

[canoe13]

I own both and it is a hard choice some days. But my Micro (get the black, a nicer finish) is my primary hunting bow and the 355 is my target shooter and back-up if need be. I was lucky enough to find laminated wood stocks for my bows(don't care for plastic). A flemish string and Excal. Brake Pads (not Air Brakes) really took the noise down on both bows. For scopes I use a Nikon Bolt and an older Horton Hawke. Make sure to maintain a proper brace height and keep your fingers safe when shooting. With either bow you can't go wrong ; have a lot of fun.

[XcaliburFX]

I have both and you can not go wrong with either one. True I have my Nightmare up for sale, but not for any reason other than I am always buying selling or trading something. That and being of a wide stature I seem to prefer the feel of the M355 better, just like a hunting rifle, I have several, however, when it comes to my go to weapon I go to the one that feels the best.

Heck, I may very well keep my Nightmare 335, as I have the utmost confidence in it and Excalibur. And I am not sure where someone came up with the Micro 335 has more problems, but that is plain not true at all IMHO.

So, I say to you ... get what feels and fits you the best and you will never be sorry once you start hunting with it.

[Tom]

At BooFest this weekend I did some shooting of both bows. I men tioned to Peter (MarketingDude) that I had never shot the micro (335) yet. He quickly took the 335 off the display, handed me some stock arrows and told me to go experiance shooting it.

I had loved the feel of it whenever I had handled it in the past. I heard many people complain about cocking the 335 but I did not find it as bad as I expected. But I did try to had cock it and could not . My brother talked me into shooting in the shootout with his 355 and I did pretty good.

Both bows are more bow then most people will ever need. If I was to purchase a new bow, it would be the mirco 335 as for me it was the best feel. I could hold the bow at ready for extended time (just like you might need to while waiting for a shot at an animal). For a hunting tool, for me, this feature is an important feature.

Now for you, the 355 would be slightly easier to cock, meaning if you plan to do a lot of shooting, that difference might add up and make shooting the 335 over & over might make it more work then fun. My suggestion to you is to go back and test both bows again (if you can), but not to shoot but to test the fit of the bow. Hold a bow at ready for extended time (even minutes). Then choose which bow you feel most comfortable with.

Tom

[Tim50]

Had a 355 and liked it. Traded it in towards a 335 and LOVE IT! And the 335 is shooting the same speed that the 355 was

Storm....shooting the same weight arrow? What tweeks did you do to accomplish this?

[Big Woods]

The 355 is the best one in the lineup in my opinion. Never shot the micro but I did handle one. Harder to cock, less performance and too many problems for me.

I dont understand you statement here. Too many problems? Less performance?
every one has their favorite but to say any Excalibur has too many problems is just way way off base and the Micro is turning out to be one of if not THE most reliable xbow they ever produced.

I didn't mean to offend anyone. The 355 has a faster speed rating, hence my comment on performance. I'm also reading of multiple limb failures with micros on several different blogs. I have never heard of that with a 355 although maybe it has happened. It seems like a real issue with the 335 despite the reported failure rate.

[Tom]

The 355 is the best one in the lineup in my opinion. Never shot the micro but I did handle one. Harder to cock, less performance and too many problems for me.

I dont understand you statement here. Too many problems? Less performance?
every one has their favorite but to say any Excalibur has too many problems is just way way off base and the Micro is turning out to be one of if not THE most reliable xbow they ever produced.

I didn't mean to offend anyone. The 355 has a faster speed rating, hence my comment on performance. I'm also reading of multiple limb failures with micros on several different blogs. I have never heard of that with a 355 although maybe it has happened. It seems like a real issue with the 335 despite the reported failure rate.

Yes there have been some problems with the 335, but the are some problems with all bows. That is all bows, not just Excalibur bows, but with other manufacture's bows as well.

It has been stated many times on this forum in the ladt few days, weeks, that the mirco 335 has the leaste failures the any bow at less then 1%. Even if you want to continue to ignore the facts, these facts show that the 335 has the leaste problems.

And less preformace, really? Speed is not the only factor of preformace. The 335 is smaller, little lighter so it will preform better in tighter situations. For me, it is better balanced and easier to hold on target for longer periods of time.

Tom

[XcaliburFX]

I didn't mean to offend anyone. The 355 has a faster speed rating, hence my comment on performance. I'm also reading of multiple limb failures with micros on several different blogs. I have never heard of that with a 355 although maybe it has happened. It seems like a real issue with the 335 despite the reported failure rate.

No worries, no offense taken. Just stating my honest opinion.

Now, if you think about it crossbows are more or less like everything else with manufacturer specific brands etc. IE: Crossbows, compounds, hunting rifles, ford vs chevy etc etc ... someone somewhere is going to have an issue with something and go off the deep end of what a problem this particular whatever is because it's a whatever brand or product of. Then, the next thing you see is a buddy jumps in or just a someone who had a similar issue or just a plain bandwagon lover and well the bandwagon starts a "Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Rawhide!" {sorry couldn't help myself}, but at any rate there it is in a nut shell how a lot of rumors and half truths get flowing. Of course I am probably not telling you or anyone else who reads this anything new. It has become human nature to jump on bandwagons, especially if negative ones. Heck to be honest, I have been on my fair share as well.

But whatever crossbow the OP decides upon, should feel comfortable to them and they should try several, and yes go back several times and try them just to make sure. These things are not exactly cheap you know.

Performance wise, your going to be pleased with whichever Excalibur you choose. IMHO