Simple works.

[Dale]

Using a long limb Exomax, Easton 2219 aluminum arrows, 150 grain bolt cutters, stock bow string, even stock varizone scope. This thing truly does what is needed. Even my wife says that with this performance, there is no way that I need a Matrix or Micro. Crap. Oh well, I always kind of was old school. I was told this cross bow would last me my life time (since I am in my 50's hope I got a ways to go).
With cross bows, yes , small is sexy, but this thing bloody well performs great without custom arrows, strings, scopes or broadheads.
And the best part, It was made in Canada, about 7 miles from my house.

[L. E. Carroll]

There is much good to be said of the long limbers... I have an Axiom and a Matrix and love both of them... May we both live long enough to wear one out !!!!

Gene

[gerald strine]

I have an Equinox as big as they come limb and rail wise and for sure it is not the most graceful bow to carry to stand but once I sit down in my tree stand or ground blind no tents for me I do not like them the smaller bows biggest advantages are minimized.
I have complete faith in my Equinox that it is not going to have limb issues unless I do something stupid on my part, has the power and speed I need and I am sure it is a bit more forgiving as far as bolt and Broadhead selection goes with the longer power stroke.
I have been contemplating the new smaller bows but for the money I would have to put out just to have a little nicer handling bow has not been compelling enough yet that $1000 looks pretty good in the bank which is a low number by the time you get all the odd and ends you end up with for a new bow.
And to be honest since the selling of Excalibur to the new owners and the newly developed limb issues that have arrived at the same time , coincidence ? History repeating itself with these owners ? poor design / Materials ,Quality control , some thing is going on draw your own conclusions, is really putting a damper on my desire to change over.
Thought about selling the Equinox and putting the money towards the smaller bows but my faith is lacking in the new shorter limbs so my Equinox has a permanent home and the shorter bows are going to be orphans at the store.
I am hoping these issues are resolved soon as some day I will be wanting to down size as I age and loose physical strength shorter and lighter bows will be more important to me, but for now I think I own the best bow Excalibur has to offer.

[slider]

I must say that after picking up a Micro I almost drained the bank and bought one for size reasons.

Then I thought why bother, I bought my Phoenix in 2008 and took my 21st Whitetail on Oct 2nd this year with my simple little bow....all with the Phoenix.

SIMPLE is great and the reliability and quality is top notch.

Also the Phoenix is a pleasure to shoot and cock. I like my deer close and this little bow does it's job if I do mine.

[VixChix]

I've shot the smaller and faster xbows but I've found that I'm so used to my older bow that I don't really notice that its "big". Its geometry is so familiar that its size is a non-issue. Being content with my reliable old xbow saves me a pile of cash too.

[SEW]

I'm relatively new to the Excalibur fold(2 1/2 years). Both my M380 and M405 are fully optimized (XB75 and Optimizer/2-8Duralyt), super arrows, Boo/Vixenmaster strings, TT,Dr Stirrup,Air Brakes, 380-Aging stock, and more. Yes, they are accurate and reach way out there, the 405 in virtually dark conditions.

Now to the story..... A friend of mine, with an Equinox - stock as can be except using Red Hot Arrows/Boltcutters - wanted to get an Optimizer/great scope and a M405. He didn't have money for all of that so I recommended he just get the Optimizer and 2-7 VXR for this year and put it on the Equinox. Then conider the M405 next year. So, he got the sope setup. . Using a benchrest setup, both my Matrix xbows will keep just over an inch 3-shot groups at 80 yds and an inch and a half at 100 yds using Big John Zombies/Blazers/FOCs and the same with identically constructed Southshore arrows.
His Equinox out shot both my Matrix(shorter limbed, as we know) crossbows. His is only sighted in to 80 yards but the Red Hot arrows/Boltcutters consistently stayed jut slightly below 1" 3-shot groups at 80 yards. We shot my spine indexed, all out Zombies out of his Equinox and couldn't beat his cheaper, store bought, Parker arrows. His Red Hots won't shoot decently at all out of my Matrix xbows (spind deficiency).
Duing the same shooting session, I had a friend's Micro with stock Quills/Optimizer/Zeiss Terra 2-7 . Best I could get was 2" @ 60 yards.
My Equonox owner friend asked my opinion on getting a M405. Incidentally, he is 51, extremely strong and hand cocks the 405 like its a M310. The weight and size of the Equinox is no factor to him. Answer and result, he has no plans on any other xbow. Don't fix what's not broken!
Likely my third Excalibur will be a Vortex.

[Waif]

I'm slowly learning that what ever makes the owner happy makes for the best model.....at least temporarily.

Both my longhorns suit me fine. Tough too, lucky for me.

[retrieverman]

I started out with a used Exomax 5 years ago and killed a lot of stuff with it, but I "upgraded" to a Matrix 380 last year and killed a bunch of stuff with it. My best crossbow purchase yet has been my Micro, and I can't see myself ever going back to a long limbed bow.

[wabi]

Some folks have an urge to buy a new car every year. I was that way at one time, then I realized the money I was spending just to keep up appearance. Now I buy a new one and aim to get a minimum of 10 years and 100,000 miles from it. I take care of them, change fluids & filters as needed, and keep on driving even if it looks like the Beverly Hillbillies are coming down the road.

Same for my crossbow. The old Phoenix is right at that 10 year minimum age for a trade consideration, but it still performs like new and I can't see spending a small fortune just for appearance sake. Seems like every time I aim at a deer and squeeze the trigger I have meat for the table, and the deer wouldn't be any deader (if there is such a word) if the arrow was launched from a brand new bow at 30% more velocity.

I can see advantages to narrower & faster, but I just don't need those advantages for my style of hunting.

[j.krug]

Simple is good for sure. I'm still driving my tried and true Vortex and have a Phoenix too that my girls enjoy shooting. I just ordered some dB killers and bumpers for my Vortex and a Trigger Tech trigger to show it some love. I'm very confident with my Vortex and it is DEADLY accurate so I'm more than happy with it for now. I can see myself picking up a smaller bow sometime in the future but I'm in no hurry.

[flightattendant100]

The newer Matrix and Micro bows are great bows and Colton and I enjoy ours. But.... The older Exo series bows ,with their wide limbs, are a joy to shoot and cock and are the bows that Excalibur's great reputation is built on. They look like they would be more awkward in the woods than they are, and are nearly bullet proof. In fact with an Excel string and string stops they may be bullet proof. At Boofest this year, with all the newest and latest Excalibur bows there, the shoot was won by an older Exo series bow.
I told Anthony this in another post, but after having shot my Matrix and Colton's Micro all summer, I shot my Exocet the other day. As I started to cock it I nearly pulled the string back through the trigger. Man, those are easy to cock after shooting the newer bows!
I couldn't wait to get a Matrix, then a Micro, but my older Exo series bows still have some shine left on them.