Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Review – Recurve Crossbow

Model	Draw Weight	Stroke	Velocity	Suggested Arrow Length	Crossbow Length / Weight
Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 Check price on Amazon.com	290 lbs.	13.9"	405 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning	18"	36.2" / 6.2 lbs.

What Comes With It?

Welcome to our review of the Excalibur Matrix Mega 405. Each package delivered by Excalibur includes the following items:

• The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 crossbow
• Twilight DLX scope
• Assembly hardware and tools
• 4-arrow quiver
• 4 Diablo arrows
• 4 150-grain field points
• Rope cocking device
• Owner’s manual and instructional DVD
• Warranty card

Assembly of the Crossbow

The Matrix Mega 405 comes prestrung, but you do have to attach the riser to the stock as part of the assembly. This is very easy, and the included instruction manual and DVD make the job even easier. Next, you will attach the foot stirrup to the crossbow and install the 4-arrow quiver. Finally, you will install the Twilight DLX scope and you’ll be ready to shoot. It took me less than 20 minutes to have the crossbow ready for the archery range.

How Does it Shoot?

The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 hurls arrows downrange at 405 fps, with an amazing 127 ft. lbs. of kinetic energy. I’ve never fired a recurve crossbow so powerful, so I forgot to prop my target block against a tree stump before I started shooting. As a result, my first shot into the target block sent the block tumbling end over end for about 10 feet, and I had to set it back up again.

The scope comes almost sighted in out of the box, requiring just a few minor adjustments to turn this powerful crossbow into a powerful tack driver. From 20 yards, I could maintain 1/4″ groupings, and walking back to 50 yards only resulted in my groupings growing to 1” in diameter. This crossbow is insanely powerful and accurate, and I couldn’t wait to get this baby out in the bush for some serious hunting.

Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.

Ballistic Data For The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405

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.

What Will Hunters Think of the Excalibur Matrix Mega 405

Hunters should love the Matrix Mega 405, if they have the power to draw the string. The crossbow is extremely powerful and capable of taking down even the largest legal game in North America. A little known fact is that crossbow hunting is legal in South Africa, assuming you are using a recurve crossbow, and I had the opportunity to take the Mega 405 on a hunt in South Africa recently. While on that hunt, I was able to use the Mega 405 to bring down an impala and a warthog, both shots dispatching the animals with ease.

One thing I immediately noticed when hunting with this crossbow was how much quieter it is than other crossbows. The integrated R.E.D.S. string dampeners and silencers do an amazing job, and the crossbow is almost silent.

I’ve also had the 405 out in the field once for deer season here in the States, and was able to harvest a 12-point buck with a shot that passed through both of the buck’s lungs and brought him down within inches of where I shot him. To say I am impressed with the Mega 405’s capabilities as a hunting crossbow would be an understatement.

Cocking The Crossbow

This x-bow is a true monster, in every sense of the word, and that includes cocking it. To get the 405 fps out of this recurve crossbow, Excalibur had to develop a crossbow with 290# worth of draw weight across a nearly 14” power stroke. That means cocking this crossbow, even with the included rope cocking device, will take some strength, stamina, and supreme focus. This is not a crossbow to even attempt pulling by hand, and it would probably benefit tremendously from a crank cocking device. The Guardian anti-dry fire system is housed in the scope mount, and works flawlessly for each and every shot.

The Crossbow Scope

The true star of this package is the included Twilight DLX crossbow scope. This scope sights in easily, holds zero almost indefinitely, and is illuminated with red or green reticles. The reticles are marked for distances from 10 yards to 50 yards, and the lenses are multi-coated for maximum clarity and brightness. The light gathering capabilities of this scope rival many of the expensive third-party scopes, and the targets are crisp and clear without any problem of fogginess in cold or damp weather.

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

Bolts

Excalibur ships this crossbow with 4 Diablo arrows, which are some of the best I’ve seen in the industry. These arrows are carbon and come with 150-grain field tips. They fly straight and true and are highly durable. If you decide to buy extra arrows, be advised that Excalibur crossbows do not use nocks; instead, they have threaded inserts for use with Excalibur’s T-handle arrow puller. The arrows need to be 18” long and at least 350 grain.

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

Safety and Design

The Matrix Mega 405 is very well made, and has some amazing safety features. It includes the Guardian anti-dry fire mechanism, which functions flawlessly each time the crossbow is cocked. There is the integrated R.E.D.S. (Recoil Energy Dissipation System) string suppressors do a fantastic job of reducing the vibration, shock, and noise of the crossbow for almost silent, comfortable shooting.

The crossbow does not include a bow stringer, which will be essential if you want or need to destring your crossbow for any reason. Excalibur says there is no need to destring the bow for storage in regular weather conditions, but exposure to extreme heat can cause the limbs to warp or even snap.

Warranty

All Excalibur crossbows include a limited lifetime warranty applicable for the lifetime of the original owner. Excalibur’s customer service staff are second to none, providing excellent support to your questions and problems that you might encounter with your crossbow, in the unlikely event that something is wrong with your crossbow.

What Crossbow Case Fits the Excalibur Matrix Mega 405?

The Carbon Express Deluxe Case is a $66 soft travel-case choice; however, it may be too snug, if you have a large scope. To accommodate a Matrix Mega with a larger scope, check out the $53, soft Barnett Case (Model 17083).

Crossbow Review – Summary

Thanks for reading our crossbow review. The Excalibur Matrix Mega 405 is an awesome crossbow, packed with power and features that put other crossbows to shame. The only real drawback to the crossbow is the draw weight and length, which take some serious effort to overcome. Take a look at today's amazon.com price on this crossbow and check out our top 10 crossbows rankings for more.