Vintage Excalibur model ID

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birdinator
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Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by birdinator »

Hi folks.

This is my 1st post here, the subject of which is sort of what prompted me to register.

I've been hunting with a crossbow for around 30 years and got my 1st Excalibur, a Vixen, probably 20+ years ago. Until now it has been my only bow having traded the Barnett I owned before it towards the purchase of the Vixen. I have mostly used my crossbow to hunt after rifle season if I still had a tag in my pocket but deer have been scarce in my neck of the woods the last several years and I've been thinking I should get out more often before rifle season. So I decided I should have a 2nd bow for backup.

I bought a bow at auction simply identified as 'Early Model Excalibur Crossbow'. It has a wood stock with a sparsely applied camo pattern and a profile like some of the Relayers I have found pics of on the web. It also says 'relayer' on the trigger assembly (you might be able to see that in the 2nd photo). But it has a 2 piece limb system and I thought that 1st appeared on the Wolverine. The limbs appear to be identical in size to those on my Vixen though I did not take accurate measurements; just eyeballed them sided by side. I should also mention something I did not notice until after it arrived in the mail; it's set up for lefties with a small monte carlo cheek piece, quiver bracket placement, and safety (though this is reversible);

So what have I got here? Relayer, Wolverine, transitional model, or custom job?

Some photos from the auction site:

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Image

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gerald strine
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by gerald strine »

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new classic bow purchase,I would of had a hard time passing that bow up myself.
I am not familiar with that model but I beleave it is a Relayer if it is marked as such on the trigger.
Excalibur brought out a 25th anniversary model Relayer that was a laminated wood stock this leads me to think you have one of the very earliest models. I would bet the camo job was factory done as I have seen similar patterns on early Excaliburs.
You have a carved tip model and I would recommend getting a couple new strings for it as the age on the one that is on it could be substantial.
I know Danny Miller the U.S. service rep can sell you one ask for Carved Tip String to get proper
loop size 740 483 2312 ,or if you are in Canada call Excalibur direct , I would inquire on a proper brace height for that classic bow with danny also , My guess is it is pretty close but looking at the picture may be better with a few twist in the string.
I would recommend a 2117 aluminum shaft and at least 125 grain head that was very common in the early bow kits and a flat rear nock you can use a threaded front nock for the rear also.
I really like you purchase :mrgreen: you done good it is in great shape .
Let us know how she preforms.
Hunt eat sleep repeat.
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Doe Master
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by Doe Master »

It is a Relayer . Use a Dacron string on those carved tip limbs .
Prone est ut nos es plurimus periculosus
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birdinator
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by birdinator »

gerald strine wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 6:16 pm
I am not familiar with that model but I beleave it is a Relayer if it is marked as such on the trigger.
Doe Master wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:24 pm
It is a Relayer .
Thanks for the input. Most of what I have read so far says that the Relayer had a one piece Astro Daco limb and the Wolverine was the 1st model that used the split limb system. But I came across one post on this forum that mentioned '2 gens of Relayers' so mine would have to be the 2nd gen?
gerald strine wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 6:16 pm
I would inquire on a proper brace height for that classic bow with danny also , My guess is it is pretty close but looking at the picture may be better with a few twist in the string.
I would recommend a 2117 aluminum shaft and at least 125 grain head that was very common in the early bow kits and a flat rear nock you can use a threaded front nock for the rear also.
Doe Master wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:24 pm
Use a Dacron string on those carved tip limbs .
Thanks for the tips guys. The string that's on it look in great shape but is likely stretched some, and I will get a spare. The brace height is a shade less than an inch. I compared that to my my vixen which is a shade over an inch. I have changed the string on my vixen after nicking a few strands on one side with a broadhead blade but I don't remember how long ago that was. I do have the manual for it somewhere... Is it safe to assume the brace height should be the same on both if they have the same limbs? If not, I will have to inquire as to the correct height. If so I will twist the string a bit to get it back to spec if needs be once I find the manual for the vixen.
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Boo
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by Boo »

Doe Master wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:24 pm
It is a Relayer . Use a Dacron string on those carved tip limbs .
Isn't it a Relayerine?
Some people just like stepping on rakes
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Doe Master
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by Doe Master »

Actually after looking at the picture . This is a first generation Relayer because of the manual safety inside the trigger area . But has been upgraded with a cast aluminum riser and carved tip limbs .
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birdinator
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by birdinator »

gerald strine wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 6:16 pm
...You have a carved tip model and I would recommend getting a couple new strings for it as the age on the one that is on it could be substantial. I know Danny Miller the U.S. service rep can sell you one ask for Carved Tip String to get proper loop size 740 483 2312 ,or if you are in Canada call Excalibur direct , I would inquire on a proper brace height for that classic bow with danny also , My guess is it is pretty close but looking at the picture may be better with a few twist in the string.
All the information I needed was right here on this site. The link is at the bottom of the post in plain text because the board doesn't allow me to put clickable links in my posts. Apparently the correct brace height for all of the carved tip models is 0.5-1" so it was within specs. But I already gave it a few twists to match my vixen and now they are both a shade over. No problem though, I picked up a spare string today and along with it a stringing aid, which I think should be a little easier to use than the piece of thin rope with loops at either end that I came up with by trial and error.

Got some Ex-wax too. Will that be good for the deck as well as the string and serving?

www.excaliburcrossbow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Excalibur_Crossbow_String_Guide.pdf
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birdinator
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by birdinator »

Boo wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 11:10 am
Doe Master wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2019 7:24 pm
It is a Relayer . Use a Dacron string on those carved tip limbs .
Isn't it a Relayerine?
How about 'Wolverayer'. :lol:
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birdinator
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by birdinator »

Doe Master wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 7:15 pm
Actually after looking at the picture . This is a first generation Relayer because of the manual safety inside the trigger area . But has been upgraded with a cast aluminum riser and carved tip limbs .
So prolly a custom or repair job? That's fine with me. From what I can gather from reading other posts on this board, though highly regarded by some, these fine older bows don't seem to have much of a broad collector appeal. So if this one's not even factory original it will make the decision easier if I decide to strip the camo off it and refinish with tung oil and tru-oil.
mr meat
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by mr meat »

Got some Ex-wax too. Will that be good for the deck as well as the string and serving?
I just put a little wax on my serving. To me wax on the deck just makes a mess
You can also buy a set of blemished mag tip limbs and then use the same string as your vixen and pick up a few extra fps
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Boo
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Re: Vintage Excalibur model ID

Post by Boo »

What probably happened is that the limbs splintered and became unusable and being that they weren't available, borrowing from Wolverine was the logical choice. What was normally used on the deck was straight bee's wax to create a barrier between the string and the wood of the flight deck.
Some people just like stepping on rakes
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