Whenever we talk about Banshee, the TV series from Cinemax comes up. Even though I would love to talk about Banshee some days, that’s not why we are here. Excalibur made a crossbow called Short Banshee. What an unusual name. Was there a deeper meaning to the name? Is this crossbow any good at all? You will find that out in a moment.
Excalibur 308 Short Banshee: Outlooks
Specifications | Speed: 308 FPS; Kinetic Energy: -; Power Stroke: 8.5 Inches; Draw Weight: 254 LBS; Axle To Axle: 21 / 25 Inches; Length: 30 Inches; Weight: 5.4 – 7 LBS.
Build Quality And Design
When you first hear the name of the crossbow, you might be thinking it’s a mini crossbow. Or it might be a small and compact crossbow. Both of which are wrong. This crossbow is 30″ tall without the foot stirrup. Which is almost the same size as a regular crossbow.
The cocked width of the crossbow is, however, lower than most recurve crossbows. That’s good. Compact crossbows are always welcome. The weight of the crossbow is also light. It’s one of the lightest crossbows you will ever hold. Without accessories, the weight of the Short Banshee is only 5.4lbs.
It’s amazing how they managed to make a durable yet so light crossbow.
Power
There is no clear information about just how much kinetic energy this crossbow is capable of pulling. After seeing tons of tests and reviews, it’s safe to assume Short Banshee is capable of generating around 70-80 ft-lbs of kinetic energy.
Which is not that much. But it’s enough for hunting and some target practice.
Speed
This is not the fastest crossbow by any means. It barely touches the 300 FPS mark. I won’t say it’s good. It’s okay. But not good. I was hoping for at least 310-320 FPS.
But The Excalibur 308 Short Banshee is capable of reaching 308 FPS max. But the average speed is not 308 FPS. Double disappointment in my book.
Draw Weight
Even though it’s not that powerful neither it has a good amount of speed. But the draw weight is there. The draw weight of the 308 Short Banshee is 254 lbs. Which is on the higher end of the scale. It’s not light by any means.
But I won’t bash it much for that. Excalibur includes a rope cocker inside the package. By using that rope cocker, you can cut down the draw weight of the Banshee by half. That will make this crossbow more appealing to a lot of buyers.
Noise
Virtually there is no noise present on this crossbow. It features both air brakes and an R.E.D.S noise suppressor. When you combine these two, they make an incredible pair. It’s enough to suppress any noise coming from the crossbow. That includes the string ping and the limb noise.
As there is noise present in the crossbow, the vibration gets lower as well. Due to the lack of power, the crossbow doesn’t vibrate that much, to begin with. For hunting, the Excalibur 308 Short Banshee is a viable option.
Pros
- Good build quality.
- Lightweight and fairly compact.
- Good for bird hunting.
- Tons of accessories included.
Cons
- The crossbow can be too short for tall shooters.
Excalibur 308 Short Banshee Review Summary
Banshee isn’t full of cons only. If you look past the shortcomings of this crossbow, it can serve you quite nicely. It’s good for bird hunting and hunting from the trees. The lightweight makes it easier to carry around and is perfect for hunting from a height. The speed and the energy is enough to hunt small animals. But don’t get our hopes up to land big-game shots.
Like the crossbow, the review was also short. If you find any lacking and want to know something specific about the crossbow, make sure to let me know in the comments. Until we meet again.
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!
