| Model | Draw Weight | Stroke | Velocity | Suggested Arrow Length | Crossbow Length / Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Excalibur Micro Suppressor Check price on Amazon.com | 200 lbs. | 10.2" | 343 FPS Crossbow Academy: ballistics, sighting, tuning | tuning 16.5" | 31" / 5.4 lbs. |
| Pros: - Lightweight and compact - Fast and powerful - One of the quietest crossbows on the market Cons: - Very strong draw weight - Uses non-traditional arrow lengths that are hard to come by except from Excalibur - Expensive investment | Small Game Hunting? |  |
| Deer, Elk Hunting? | |
|
| Moose, Bear Hunting? | |
|
| Target Shooting? | |
Welcome to this review of the Excalibur Micro Suppressor crossbow, a new recurve model that is compact, lightweight, and powerful. Excalibur makes some great x-bows, but is the Micro Suppressor one of them? It’s got the price tag to suggest it’s supposed to be among the best, so let’s find out if it’s worth the sizable investment.
What’s Included With the Micro Suppressor?
When you open the box, you’ll find these items inside:
- The Excalibur Micro Suppressor itself, including riser and stock
- Premium sound-deadening system (preinstalled)
- Assembly hardware and tools
- Excalibur Tact-Zone illuminated scope with rings
- Rope-cocking aid
- Three-arrow quiver with bracket
- Three Quill arrows with 150-grain field points
- Owner’s manual
- Warranty card
How Difficult Is It to Assemble Your New Crossbow?
Assembly of this recurve x-bow is easy, but takes longer than most other models. You attach the riser (limb assembly) to the stock (mainframe assembly), then align the Pic-Rail bracket. Then you can attach everything together using the riser bolt. Next, attach the quiver bracket to the Pic-Rail, followed by the quiver itself. With that done, you can install the Ex-Shox as instructed. The Ex-Shox reduces noise, vibration, and recoil while shooting. The trouble is after you install the Ex-Shox, you have to wait 24 hours before use, to allow the adhesive to properly cure and set.
Is the Included Scope Easy to Sight In?
Excalibur’s Tact-Zone Illuminated scope is one of the best in the industry. It’s adjustable for speeds between 275 and 410 FPS, so you’ll need to dial in your x-bow’s velocity (343 FPS) before you sight in. Once that’s done, you should be able to get your scope zeroed perfectly within half a dozen shots. The glass should hold zero for as long as it’s mounted on your Micro Suppressor.
How Powerful and Accurate Is the Micro Suppressor?
For such a tiny x-bow, the Micro Suppressor packs a good punch. It flings arrows downrange at 343 FPS, and they hit with 91 foot-pounds of kinetic energy. That’s more than enough power to take down the largest, toughest legal game in North America.
This model has the accuracy you need, too. With the included scope, I was able to maintain one-inch groupings from 25 yards, and two-inch patterns from 50 yards back.
Use our arrow ballistics calculator for more valuable information.Ballistic Data For The Excalibur Micro Suppressor
- Speed Reduction
- Kinetic Energy
- Hunting Requirements
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.
Will Hunters Enjoy the Excalibur Micro Suppressor?
Probably, but it depends on how well you can handle the draw weight. The main benefit of the Micro Suppressor, other than its power and accuracy, is how quiet and compact it is. For noise, the included sound-deadening system and Ex-Shox dampeners make this one of the quietest x-bows I’ve ever used.
The Micro Suppressor measures just 31 inches long and is incredibly narrow. It’s great for maneuvering in tight spaces like ground blinds or tree stands. Unfortunately, it’s such a beefy recurve that it takes 280 pounds of draw weight to pull it back. More on that in the next section.
How Difficult Is the Crossbow to Cock?
This is where compound crossbows shine, being able to offer lightning fast velocities and great KE readings without requiring superhuman strength to draw the string. The Micro Suppressor is a recurve, like all of Excalibur’s x-bows, and has a draw weight of 280 pounds. You get a rope-cocking device, which cuts the draw weight by half. That still means pulling back 140 pounds worth of rope. This compact beast isn’t for the faint of heart or body.
With that said, the string pulls back as smooth as butter. Once you get used to the draw weight and build up your upper body strength, the Micro Suppressor is surprisingly easy to cock.
What’s the Included Scope Like?
As previously noted, the included Tact-Zone illuminated scope is one of the best on the market. It offers red or green rheostat-controlled illumination, and the brightness settings are great no matter what the lighting conditions are like. It offers dots for 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 yards, and it offers the accuracy to use all those ranges.
See our detailed guide on how to sight-in your crossbowWhat Kind of Arrows Do I Need?
Excalibur ships the Micro Suppressor with three Quill arrows. With the x-bow’s short 10.2-inch power stroke and overall design, the maximum arrow length you can use is 16.5 inches. The Quill is a carbon arrow manufactured by Easton specifically for the Micro series of x-bows. They’re quite solid and well-matched with the Micro Suppressor.
If you want different arrows, you’ll have to order them custom cut. Make sure they are 16.5 inches long with two-inch offset vanes, and ensure the weight of your arrow and field tip or broadhead comes in at 350-grain.
You can also learn more about crossbow arrows and take a look at our broadhead recommendationsHow’s the Safety and Design?
The stock of the Micro Suppressor has rubber grip inserts for great control and feel. You don’t have to worry about your fingers getting in the path of the string, because the foregrip is overmolded to protect you from that. The anti dry-fire system works well, and the safety is nearly flawless.
What Kind of Warranty Backs This Crossbow?
All of Excalibur’s crossbows come with a limited lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects, for the lifetime of the original owner.
Excalibur Micro Suppressor Crossbow Review – Summary
Thanks for reading my review of the Excalibur Micro Suppressor crossbow. This compact and lightweight model masks incredible power, but you need to be pretty strong to harness it. The 280-pound draw weight will be too much for many, and the inability to find third-party arrows easily might be a deal breaker. With that said, it’s deadly accurate and has all the stopping power you need to take down a grizzly or buffalo.
Make sure to check today’s Amazon.com price on the Excalibur Micro Suppressor if you’re interested.
Does this crossbow have a crank to draw other than a pull rope
Yes but you have to buy it separately.