Excalibur Assassin is a series of compound crossbows that follow the structure of a recurve crossbow. Making it the best of both worlds. Why should you choose this over any other compact compound crossbows? It must have something going for it right? Other than the cool name. Can you blame me for liking the name? How many crossbows call them the “Assassin”? Has a nice ring to it.
Enough fanboying about assassins, let’s get back to the topic.
Excalibur Assassin 400 TD: Outlooks
Specifications | Speed: 400 FPS; Kinetic Energy: 100 ft.lbs; Power Stroke: 15 Inches; Draw Weight: 325 LBS; Axle To Axle: 20.5 / 25 Inches; Length: 30 – 33 Inches; Weight: 7.9 LBS.
Build Quality And Design
If you have read some of my reviews in the past, you know I am a connoisseur when it comes to the designs of crossbows. Okay, that was a lie. Anyway, the dark green camo finish on this crossbow looks stunning! Mesmerizing even.
I am in love with how good the Assassin 400 TD looks! But looks won’t hunt the prey for you. A good crossbow will. A crossbow can’t be good if it’s made like paper.
Don’t worry, Excalibur didn’t disappoint us in this regard. The Assassin 400 TD is made out of Featherlite durable and lightweight material. It’s a mixture of different types of PCs. Not aluminum. The reason behind it being so lightweight.
Without the accessories, the weight of the Assassin 400 TD is nearly 8 lbs. I know that won’t be lightweight after adding all the accessories and the arrows. But hey, at least it won’t be 15 lbs or something.
Power
Earlier I mentioned this is not a traditional recurve crossbow. We are used to seeing some of the best recurve crossbows from Excalibur. But this time they tried something different. Have to give it to Excalibur. They nailed the experiment.
Like the Assassin 360 TD, the Assassin 400 TD is also capable of generating 100 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. That’s enough to compete in any competition and big-game hunting.
Speed
We already know the speed from the name. That’s right, it’s 40 FPS faster than the Assassin 360 TD. Making it one of the few Excalibur crossbows that can reach the 400 FPS mark. 400 FPS is nothing to joke about. Not many crossbows can reach this incredible feat.
Coupled with the 100 ft-lbs of kinetic energy, you have a killing machine on your hand.
Draw Weight
When it comes to the draw weight, the reputation of Excalibur crossbows isn’t great. If you read the review of the Excalibur Assassin 360 TD, then you know the Assassin series uses a cranking aid made for Excalibur crossbows.
Thanks to that, the absurd 385 lbs of draw weight doesn’t seem much anymore. I honestly don’t know the point of this heavy draw weight. But you don’t need to worry about that. This cranking aid will also assist you in safely decock the crossbow.
Noise And Vibration
Like all other Excalibur crossbows, Air breaks and noise suppressors are included inside the packaging. There wasn’t any vibration in the crossbow. The small kickback you get from the recoil isn’t anything major. You can easily counter that with your strength.
Pros
- Good build quality.
- Excellent design.
- 100 ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
- 400 FPS.
- Deadly accurate.
- Silent.
- The package is filled with accessories.
Cons
- The draw weight is too much.
- Can be a bit heavy after adding all the accessories.
Summary
To sum up the Excalibur Assassin 400 TD review, it’s not suited for everybody. The draw weight is quite scary and high. I know the cranking aid is there. But it’s not as fast or effective as an ACUdraw pro silent cranking device.
But one thing that has an advantage over ACUdraw is the guaranteed safe decoking. That’s right, it doesn’t have any clicks. That’s why it’s almost impossible to misfire with this crossbow.
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
