Mission Dagger Review – a Crossbow by Mathews

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
Mission Dagger Check price on Amazon.com	150 lbs.	10"	340 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	22"	31" / 6.3 lbs.

Pros: - Easy to cock and decock - No stirrup - Very quiet - PCC (Positive Cocking Control) - Included soft case Cons: - Must use mechanical broadheads - Safety is awkward - Too much trigger travel	Small Game Hunting?
	Deer, Elk Hunting?
	Moose, Bear Hunting?
	Target Shooting?
	Also Recommended:	Best Mission Archery Crossbows

Mission MXB Dagger Package Contents

The Mission MXB Dagger comes preassembled in a soft nylon pouch that is sturdy and big enough to hold all the necessary accessories for a comfortable hunting adventure. There are four packages offered by Mission, the Beginner, the Basic, the Hunter and the Pro. All come with a nylon case, a scope, 3 custom weighted bolts, and a quiver. The differences in the packages revolve around the quiver (a Bohning Lynx quiver on the Beginner and a Mission MX3 quiver in matching finish to the crossbow for the other three package levels) and the quality of the optics supplied. The optics will be discussed in the below Optics section of the review…it suffices to say, that the better the package, the better the optic!

Power and Accuracy

Mission claims the MXB Dagger to be capable of speeds up to 340fps. In actual testing, we found the speeds to be closer to 325 FPS with a 400 grain projectile. This translates to about 94 ft. lbs. of energy when the projectile leaves the crossbow, certainly plenty for most North American game situations. The accuracy was actually quite impressive, with excellent groupings at 30 yards achieved with only minimal time on the crossbow. I would feel comfortable taking a shot out to 45 – 50 yards with a little practice.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Mission Dagger

Your actual results will vary slightly depending on weather, and significantly with arrow weight change. See our Crossbow Ballistics Guides section for a complete understanding of how we conducted our tests and why this data matters.

Hunting with the MXB Dagger

One of the most important aspects of choosing a crossbow is how it will perform when in the field in real-life hunting situations. This crossbow is great in this situation. Its light weight means you will not be tired of holding it when that perfect opportunity presents itself. The compact length as well as width means you will not be bumping it around whether in a blind or a treestand. One thing to note…due to its lack of a stirrup, you really might think towards using a 20” bolt rather than a 22” as the broadhead will be protruding from the front of the crossbow, and without the stirrup there, the farther it protrudes, the more likely you might be to hang that broadhead up on something when moving the bow into shooting position. This is a small price to pay for the agility this crossbow offers in tight areas. I was not a fan of having the included quiver mounted on the bow during hunting…it really ‘bulked up’ the crossbow and removed a lot of the sleek feel of the bow. I did, however, really like how the quiver keeps the broadheads safely covered allowing me to store it in my pack.

How Quiet is the MXB Dagger

The MXB Dagger is certainly not the quietest crossbow we have tested right ‘out of the box’, but also not the loudest. Utilizing a good silencer kit should bring the stealth rating to a point where you will enjoy successful hunting trips.

Cocking the MXB Dagger

The MXB Dagger was not difficult to cock, but make sure you get a spare cocking rope (or two)! I tried and tried (and I am not a ‘little guy’) and found I was unable to cock the MXB Dagger without the aid of the cocking rope. I found the crossbow to be easiest to cock from a standing position, but cocking from a sitting position posed no great difficulty. One thing I really like is having the “RS Tread” aluminum foot hold for cocking off to one side, which keeps your toes out of the way should you ever decock and forget to remove the arrow first (although Mission does not recommend decocking).

Quality of the Optics

Each of the four packages offered by Mission (Beginner, Basic, Hunter, Pro) includes a scope. The Beginner model comes with a Hawke 4×32 wire reticle, non-illuminated scope. The Basic includes a Hawke 3×32 MAP wire reticle, non-illuminated scope with the Pro coming with a Hawke XB 1.5 – 5 SR, Etched reticle variable speed 2 color illuminated scope and match grade rings. Our test model, the Hunter came with a Hawke 1×32 SR, Etched reticle illuminated scope. The scope was easy to use and easy to mount. I wish the optics had been a little clearer on the edges of the scope, but overall the scope was very capable.

See our detailed guide on how to sight-in your crossbow

What Projectiles to use with the MXB Dagger

Mission recommends 20” – 22” bolts for use with the Dagger, but as state above, given the lack of a stirrup, I would be more comfortable with the 20”. It is imperative that your arrows utilize an aluminum half-moon nock. The power exerted on the arrow by the bow will destroy plastic nocks! In our testing, we used the included aluminum (22”) arrows with excellent results.

You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendations

Design, Safety and Comfort

The trigger on the MXB is a very heavy, averaging between 8 and 9 lbs. of pull. We found this to be a bit much and were disappointed that it is not adjustable. That being said, we were still able to get good grouping on all of our shooting. The safety is not our favorite as you are unable to release it with your shooting had while in the shooting position. This means that you have to release the safety prior to shouldering the crossbow…so be careful! The over feel is solid and the MXB is very comfortable to keep shouldered due to the light weight and forward location of the pistol grip. Adjusting the stock is a simple as removing the 2 screws on each side of the stock and pulling out to the desired length, then replacing the screws.

Mission Warranty and Customer Service

Mission offers one of the best warranties in the industry. The original purchaser gets a lifetime warranty on the crossbow (requires an online registration) not including wear parts. This also does not include cosmetics chips or dings, but those just add a bit of character anyway!

What Crossbow Case Fits the Mission Dagger Crossbow?

The Mission Dagger is on the compact side of crossbows so a good match for it is the Carbon Express Deluxe Case. This soft case is reasonably priced at $66. An even economically priced soft case is the Allen Company case at mere $30.

Overall Last Thoughts

This is a great crossbow for someone just starting out or even someone that is an old hand at bow hunting. The MXB Dagger is very comfortable, and with the pistol grip being just a bit further forward than many crossbows, it really is very comfortable to shoulder. I really like how compact the bow is, and would recommend not mounting the quiver to keep it compact. I am not a big fan of the safety as you are not able to release the safety using your firing hand, but I do like the automatic aspect that prevents dry firing. Overall this crossbow is a good bow for most game in North America, is very comfortable and accurate, and has a lot of aesthetic appeal as well. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.