Can i buy a Excalibur Matrix 405 Mega without problems?

[Heyu]

Best non argumentative warranty in the business. And fastest. If it wasn't for that........

[Excalibur Marketing Dude]

The Matrix 405 has certainly got it's 15 minutes of fame in social media. Here's the deal, we sold a lot of the Matrix 405's and many of them had no issues.

However, due to the high demand we were pushing our suppliers to get parts completed faster so, they decided increasing the heat would speed up the cure time during the coating process, which it does. But, as we discovered it also can affect the limb integrity. This did not happen to all batches (that's why many have had no issues at all) but the real problem was we didn't know exactly which limbs were affected so it was like the old preverbal "needle in a hay stack".

This situation made us change how we do things and now we have a better way to track limb batches and can control the coating process better. So, although we never like having any warranty issues, the limb problems we did have taught us a few things. I'm really excited about the future of the Excalibur crossbow line up and I think our limbs are the best made in the industry! (ok I'm a little biased )

I'm also very proud of our customer service team. Dealing with upset hunters is no easy task. Try dealing with a guy who took 2 weeks off for a dream hunt to only have his limb break at the start of the hunt with no shops for a hundred miles! Wrestling a Grizzly bear would probably be more fun. But our team came through this season well and we kept most of our customers happy. Customer service has always been the driving force of our company which started with Bill T's passion to never let a hunter lose a day hunting and we still follow that motto.

The 405 is really an awesome crossbow and the model has a great following. Even for owners that had a limb problem most still expressed their love for this beast of a crossbow.

But for 2016 we thought there are few things we can do to make the crossbow even better. The riser on the new Bulldog has a 6 degree backwards sweep to change the angle on the limbs and allowing it to bend more naturally and remove some stress. The problem was now that we needed a slightly longer power stroke to develop the same performance, therefore we designed a new bull-pup stock. The new stock allowed us to have the grip further forward making the crossbow balance nicely and decrease the forward weight issue some crossbows have. The design also allowed us to make the over all length less (35.75" compared to 36.25") with a slightly longer power stroke and the same outstanding 400 fps performance.

So, although we had to say good-bye to the beloved 405, the Bulldog 400 is an awesome replacement and I think those who loved the 405 will warm up to the new Bulldog with no problem.

Peter

[Xbowkiller]

Very Nice! That installs some confidence into some of the doubts that I had creeping into my mind here and there. Thank you for the explanation.

[Carnivorous]

Good info Peter.

My only complaint is can you stop coming out with new and improved bows every year?
Just when I have my current bow all setup you top the existing how's. This temps me to upgrade and empty my wallet.... LOL

[Excalibur Marketing Dude]

My only complaint is can you stop coming out with new and improved bows every year?
Just when I have my current bow all setup you top the existing how's. This temps me to upgrade and empty my wallet.... LOL

It looks like our master plan is working! If we don't make stuff you guys want to upgrade to we are not doing our job very well.

[Scarecrow]

The Matrix 405 has certainly got it's 15 minutes of fame in social media. Here's the deal, we sold a lot of the Matrix 405's and many of them had no issues.

However, due to the high demand we were pushing our suppliers to get parts completed faster so, they decided increasing the heat would speed up the cure time during the coating process, which it does. But, as we discovered it also can affect the limb integrity. This did not happen to all batches (that's why many have had no issues at all) but the real problem was we didn't know exactly which limbs were affected so it was like the old preverbal "needle in a hay stack".

This situation made us change how we do things and now we have a better way to track limb batches and can control the coating process better. So, although we never like having any warranty issues, the limb problems we did have taught us a few things. I'm really excited about the future of the Excalibur crossbow line up and I think our limbs are the best made in the industry! (ok I'm a little biased )

I'm also very proud of our customer service team. Dealing with upset hunters is no easy task. Try dealing with a guy who took 2 weeks off for a dream hunt to only have his limb break at the start of the hunt with no shops for a hundred miles! Wrestling a Grizzly bear would probably be more fun. But our team came through this season well and we kept most of our customers happy. Customer service has always been the driving force of our company which started with Bill T's passion to never let a hunter lose a day hunting and we still follow that motto.

The 405 is really an awesome crossbow and the model has a great following. Even for owners that had a limb problem most still expressed their love for this beast of a crossbow.

But for 2016 we thought there are few things we can do to make the crossbow even better. The riser on the new Bulldog has a 6 degree backwards sweep to change the angle on the limbs and allowing it to bend more naturally and remove some stress. The problem was now that we needed a slightly longer power stroke to develop the same performance, therefore we designed a new bull-pup stock. The new stock allowed us to have the grip further forward making the crossbow balance nicely and decrease the forward weight issue some crossbows have. The design also allowed us to make the over all length less (35.75" compared to 36.25") with a slightly longer power stroke and the same outstanding 400 fps performance.

So, although we had to say good-bye to the beloved 405, the Bulldog 400 is an awesome replacement and I think those who loved the 405 will warm up to the new Bulldog with no problem.

Peter

So, does the Bulldog 400 still use the same limbs as all the other Matrix models (- Micros)?

[Squirrel]

Buy a 355 or 380. They are a proven design with less issues than the 405, which is discontinued.

[newbie]

Yes all Matrix use same limbs including the new Bulldog . Micros are different.

[Carnivorous]

My only complaint is can you stop coming out with new and improved bows every year?
Just when I have my current bow all setup you top the existing how's. This temps me to upgrade and empty my wallet.... LOL

It looks like our master plan is working! If we don't make stuff you guys want to upgrade to we are not doing our job very well.

Very true. I am very happy with my current Micro 335. However that extra 20fps would be the ticket....

[Boo]

Jeff, face it, you need a 355 and you deserve it. Honest

[Carnivorous]

Jeff, face it, you need a 355 and you deserve it. Honest

LOL

Need vs want....

[Boo]

Jeff, face it, you need a 355 and you deserve it. Honest

LOL

Need vs want....

Ok Jeff. You need, want and deserve a 355. I have one you can play with

[newbie]

Jeff you NEED a 315 as well might as well have the whole Micro lineup!

[paulaboutform]

It seems that even after Peter's explanation some people are still missing the point. I have a 405 and I love it. It's actually taken over as my regular shooter with all the customizing I've done. If I didn't already have one, but found a good deal on one, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it....even if I lived overseas. If something happens to the limbs because they oven was too hot I'd know the new limbs were problem free. As I already mentioned, I have extra limbs for both my matrix series bows and exo series bows. ....and I just live on the other side of the country. I don't believe for one second that the 405 is a problem child. The limbs are the same on most of the matrix line. Just my opinion, I don't think the sky is falling. Of course new models and small changes are needed because Excalibur is still a business that needs to show high sales and profit. Shareholders demand it. I am loyal to the brand because I believe they have a quality product and great customer service. If either of those things went away I'd be gone. My opinion is that if you have your heart set on a 405, get it. Just understand that as already stated, this is definitely a race car that you need to know how to handle and maintain. Jmtb..

Paul

[Heyu]

I'm oh so tempted also on buying one of the new models. But do I actually need? Want yes. Still trying to find the Need factor. At least one that I can use to tell the wife.