Excalibur Twinstrike shooting and testing
Excalibur Twinstrike shooting and testing
Excalibur TwinStrike Tac2 – double impact
Thanks to František Cerman from www.kuse.cz we have managed to get some really interesting crossbows from this manufacturer and we will gradually introduce and test them all. After the basic, starter model MagAir SMU and a very balanced set in the middle price category Micro 360 SMU BUC, we got our hands on a crossbow from the higher class of Excalibur, the TwinStrike Tac2.
The Twin Strike is not the most powerful, fastest, nor does it have the highest cocking power in the Excalibur crossbow portfolio. But it has what no production crossbow on the market has. The ability to fire two shots in rapid succession without having to reload.
What is this unique crossbow concept, what is it good for, what are its uses, is it as accurate and durable as other Excalibur crossbows?
These are the questions you will find the answers to in the test below.
The idea of a crossbow with multiple arms is a very old one, and like the repeating crossbow, we would look for its origins in China. Multi-armed crossbows were used in the Tang and Song dynasties (960 - 1279) as heavy machines to protect the walls. Xiao He Chan Nu version with two bows:
Or the San Gong Nu with three bows, which you can see below:
More bows here helped to increase the power or even the length of the pull while keeping the dimensions reasonable and the weight low. However, multi-barrel crossbows always fired only one shot. Similarly, two pairs of coupled, superimposed parallel light alloy crossbows connected by pulleys were used by the South African Crisbow Quadro 2000 in the mid-1990s. Technically very strange and novel, but in its time modern crossbow by doubling the crossbows significantly increased the performance compared to the reflex versions with a single bow. As with medieval Chinese multi-bow crossbows, it was only capable of firing one shot per charge.
The ability to fire two shots in succession without having to reload is an appealing idea. Moreover, with minimal increase in weight or dimensions of the crossbow itself.
As a kid, I had a crossbow like this stuck in my head from a nice 1980s fantasy movie called Lady Hawk, starring Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. The main character, Etienne of Navarre, has a double-edged crossbow just like that.
The first rumors about Excalibur's revolutionary crossbow started to leak out to the public already in the autumn of 2020 before the ATA 2021 exhibition. Enthusiasts were racing with ideas about what would be so revolutionary, whether a new type of reflex arms, or combined reflex arms and pulleys like in Oneida bows,... All guesses and predictions were wrong.
Excalibur introduced the TwinStrike, a crossbow with two bows on top of each other, the first production crossbow capable of firing two shots in succession without the need for reloading.
This was a shock to most shooters, many of whom condemned or made fun of the crossbow, with images of the crossbow having three, four or more bows :). It was discussed what good it was, where such development would go, where it would stop, and that both the manufacturer and the users of such perversion would go to hell.
Realistically, all this speculation only fueled interest in the new product, and the manufacturer came up with a version of the TwinStrike Tac2 in 2022, along with MagAir, that has a 0.5" shorter recoil length compared to the original TwinStrike concept, less recoil, 20 fps less velocity (now 340 fps), is slightly shorter, lighter, has a simpler stock, and is cheaper. And it is this black version of the Tac2 that we put to our test.
Build
The crossbow was assembled directly at František Cerman's shop and at my request it was fitted with custom bowstrings made by him. Assembling the TwinStrike is similarly easy as we are used to with most Excalibur models. With the TwinStrike, it's a matter of tightening the four screws on the front of the crossbow that connect the head to the rails. Then you mount the scope, find its ideal position and tighten it on the R.I.S. rail. That's it, you're ready to shoot. For simplicity, speed and nicely thought out detail of the dismounting +1
Depending on your skill, unpacking and assembling the crossbow will take no more than 15-20 minutes of your time.
It was just as easy and quick to shoot the optics, which took no more than 15 minutes.
Didn't assemble the arrow holder only and didn't use the EXT Charger crank cocking device, which are included in the kit, but I don't use them.
Appearance
The Excalibur look is also the brand's trademark.
And even on TwinStrike, you can tell it's Excalibur through and through.
Despite the fact that the manufacturer managed to cram twice as much into such a small package (two pairs of shoulders, two pairs of bowstring dampers, two rails underneath, two trigger mechanisms), the crossbow still gives a light and elegant impression, it's not bloated or boxy. From some angles, where the shoulders and bowstring overlap, you could easily mistake it for a classic Micro.
This is due, for example, to the TwinStrike's own type of arms, which are lower and have the same high profile throughout their length. Or the boom, which is only slightly taller than a standard Micro (Matrix/Bulldog) and cleverly uses the otherwise "dead" boom space for the "barrel" of the lower arrow guide. Or a lightweight skeleton-type TwinStrike stock with a pronounced lightening in the rear and a nice black-and-gray color combination. The dimensions are unchanged from the small Micro series, and most interesting is the minimal increase in the weight of the crossbow itself. The bare crossbow without accessories weighs less than 3.5 kg! Thumbs up for a great combination of rather contradictory requirements and maintaining the traditional simple look, great ergonomics and low weight!
TwinStrike is a unique design in terms of head, rails, stock, but technologically and visually it fits perfectly into the Excalibur portfolio. The head in this case is a slightly more complex, duralumin, CNC milled element. As mentioned above, on the TwinStrike, it is connected by 4 screws to the duralumin double rails. These are two square profiles on top of each other, forming a rectangular section that follows the rectangular profile of the downstream rails. The two flat reinforcements above resemble the inverted delta wings of modern fighter aircraft. In each profile there is a three-pointed star-shaped cutout with an angle of 120 degrees, into which you insert individual arrows as into the forearm. The insertion is so precise and the correct arrow placement is heard by the tiny click of the Rhino nock tip on the bail.
The head is fitted with a standard footplate, here without any softening or damping. So the first thing you can do is to improve the caliper so that it doesn't rub or slip and the winding is quieter. 0 Like all the new Micro versions with a center-bolt front head, the TwinStrike doesn't have AirBrakes shoulder dampers. There are no other additional vibration and noise dampeners on the arms either. Another way to make the crossbow quieter or increase its durability. The range of dampening elements, whether from Excalibur or aftermarkets like Bowjax, Sims and others is plentiful. The head carries two pairs of bowstring stop dampers, these are dimensional and dampen very well. It's a good idea to rotate their rubber pads from time to time so the bowstring doesn't bump into the same spot. This will greatly increase their life +1 If I were using the crossbow for hunting, I would welcome the addition of RIS rails on the bottom of the rails for mounting accessories.
The rear part of the stock is adapted for mounting the Excalibur EXT Charger external crank cocking system. I didn't use it and cocking with a cable cocking system.
So, the stock is handsome in the end, fits well in the hand, feels nice to the touch, solid, durable, nothing rattles, nothing creaks, nothing loose.
And, like all Excalibur, the TwinStrike fits everyone's hand the first time. Those who want to modify the crossbow could design a taller neo adjustable cheek piece or modify the stock boot with a more pronounced shoulder recess. But neither of these things were missing or limited me in any way when shooting the TwinStrike.
And a little pearl. There is an integrated level in the rear of the trigger mechanism above the cocking groove. Thumbs up for that detail. +1.
The trigger mechanism is double, it is two catch mechanisms on top of each other. As with all Excalibur crossbows with a top-loading bowstring catch, now legendary, it is largely responsible for the accuracy of Excalibur crossbows.
On the TwinStrike, the front trigger controls the upper bow and the rear trigger controls the lower bow.
The travel is short, fast, accurate, with no dips or dips. The resistance of the triggers is different, with the front trigger having a slightly higher resistance of 6.5 lb or 2948 grams, while the rear goes slightly lighter with a resistance of 4.5 lb or 2041 grams. Both values were measured repeatedly and were very consistent.
Twinstrike is equipped with an integrated ADF (Ani Dry Fire) system against empty shot without an arrow, which is directly integrated in the Ceasefire trigger mechanism. Rhino nock tips are then developed for it to work with.
When the arrow is properly inserted and has reached the arrow, a slight click is heard, announcing the correct seating of the arrow and deactivation of the ADF. Only then, together with the subsequent release of the mechanical safety, can the arrow be fired. For me, a definite thumbs up for such a nicely designed system and a further increase in user safety.
Otherwise, the optics mounting rail itself is solid, robust and one of the other strengths that make the Excalibur accurate and reliable.
If I may recommend, coat its screws with threadlocker glue from, say, Loctite, and mark their heads with scribbles. You'll be sure that nothing will come loose, even when mounting a large and heavy optic, or when shooting frequently. +1
Excalibur TACT 100 is the better factory optic used on the kit. This is a higher grade Excalibur crosshair with a ten point multi-axis (nine dots at 100 yards, the 10 dot represents the bottom of the crosshair at about 110 yards) allowing you to shoot out to the 100 meter (110 yard) limit. The 1.5-5x magnification setting is calibrated in fps from 300 to 450 fps instead of a multiple of the magnification. So if the Twin Strike TAC2 has a velocity of around 340 fps, I set the scope ring to 340-345 fps. I'll set the main crosshairs at 20 yards (yards) and the other pins will sit at 30, 40, 50 to 100 yards (yards). At this speed, the zoom corresponds to about 3 times.
Even with this magnification it can be comfortably shot at 50 meters. Only smaller targets at maximum distances are harder to read and more tiring to the eye. Moreover, on the black center of the air rifle target, the tiny rings of individual pins were very hard to read and disappeared. The option was to use the backlighting of the optics. But even then the legibility was not perfect. I decided to draw 10 mm red dots on the white fields of the targets and aiming was easy, accurate and not tedious. After all, this is a hunting optic and not designed for target shooting. The small magnification is an advantage for novice shooters, the image is more stable, the brain is not overloaded with tremors, and shooting is calmer and more confident.
As with other Excalibur crosshairs, the image is surprisingly clear across the entire field of view, with no flaws, fogging or edges. In addition, it has surprisingly good luminosity. The advantage is the short eye relief and its large range, so the shooter can easily take the right position behind the scope. Likewise, parallax correction is not necessary over the entire range of distances as with large scopes. The TACT 100 is equipped with hinged caps for both lenses. This optic in the set gets a thumbs up from me. +1
Once in a while check the tightening of the screws of the optic itself.
As I mentioned above, both strings I used were custom made directly by František Cerman from www.kuse.cz . They are one of the best you can get and there was not the slightest problem during shooting. In the new year we are planning a big long term test of bowstrings from each manufacturer. You will be able to compare price, durability and overall value for money. I would argue that such an investment is always worthwhile. +1
And the last plus of the set is a quartet of high quality Black Eagle Excalibur Quill carbon arrows in 16.5" length, total weight of 360 grs, aluminum inserter and 100 grs target tip, 2" Blazer shafts and a flat aluminum Excalibur Rhino tip.
Shooting
I would recommend the TwinStrike primarily to men, especially if they are going to be cocking a cable cocking device. The 270lb recoil force stated by the manufacturer will be a bit higher in real life, I assume around 300-320lb.
The lower arm feels easier to pull than the upper. But none of my friends who have shot with crossbows have had a problem cocking the crossbow.
For others, there is the Excalibur EXT Charger external crank cocking device.
You then load with only 12 lbs of force. It should be noted that the cocking time is significantly longer, doubly so on two bows. Especially good for hunting when you draw and wait. Not really for hobby shooting or practice.
I have done prone shooting at 25 and 50 yards, from a Caldwell Matrix shooting bench. Total of 2 sets of 3 shots for the upper arm and 2 sets of 3 shots for the lower arm at 25 yards. Then 3 series of 3 shots for the lower bow and 3 series of 3 shots for the upper bow at 50 meters.
Due to the possibility of destruction, I ended up testing with my competition Black Eagle Excalibur Proflight arrows, the highest grade of arrows supplied for the Excalibur. Arrows selected for the series, although already used, with slightly battered squibs, but walking excellent, which was reflected in the results of the focus.
For the upper bow I used an arrow marked "1", for the lower one marked "2". After three and three shots, I measured the dispersion of the arrows, in this case the largest pitch of the circle traced. Measured with a caliper in mm.
I recorded the best result (8 mm at 25 yards! and 25 mm at 50 yards!) and the worst result (13 mm at 25 yards! and 36 mm at 50 yards) and the subsequent average of all concentric shots (10.5 mm at 25 yards, 29 mm at 50 yards). These are top figures (at 25 meters the smallest concentricity among the crossbows tested so far) and the crossbow is capable of shooting as accurately as any other Excalibur.
Best series of three shots at 25 metres, series of three shots at 50 metres for the top bowman
At 25 meters, the arrows go about 0.5" (12.7 mm) below each other...
As with all Excalibur, the handgun is instinctive, pleasant and accurate.
The vast majority of shooters can easily master it quickly. Shooting is fun and with the ambidextrous concept you can come up with all sorts of interesting shooting scenarios. Two shots at the same target, two shots, each at a different target, each at a differently spaced target, shooting for speed,... When shooting at the same target, with a little practice you can have both arrows firing in half a second.
When shooting at 20 yards offhand, all hobby test shooters easily hit the 8 cm target with both shots. Some of the hits were even awesome, the shooting was fun and we had a lot of good fun.
Wife Adéla with TwinStrike Tac 2
and her hits 20 yards out of hand
Friend Dan 20 yards out of hand
and his hits:
Measurements
I used Caldwell Ballistic Precision gates to measure velocity.
According to measurements with other gates, we have the experience that Caldwell measure about 5 fps more. Therefore the measured value - 5 fps in brackets.
The arrows used for measurement were my competition BE Excalibur Proflight 16.5" 357.0 gr, BE Excalibur Proflight 16.5" 382.0 gr.
I measured the noise with a Steinberg Systems SBS-SM-130C noise meter.
The average of all measurements was 81 dBa for the upper bow and 83 dBa for the lower bow. So very good values halfway between the weaker MagAir and the stronger Micro 360.
Temperature 24°C, humidity 60%, wind greater than 14 km/h. 1 meter next to the crossbow at shoulder level, with the microphone pointing towards the crossbow. Again, 5 attempts for each bow. Record the highest and lowest scores and the average of all measurements.
I measured the trigger resistance with the Trigger Pull Scale, again 5 attempts for each of the bows, recorded the highest and lowest result, the average of all measurements (6.5 lb for the upper bow and 4.5 lb for the lower bow).
Conclusion
Despite the initial mistrust and doubts of customers, TwinStrike has created its own unique category of double-edged crossbow, which is unparalleled in the world.
The TAC2 version is even its next evolution.
The Twin Strike does what any other Excalibur does - it is simple, reliable, long lasting, easy and inexpensive to service, and incredibly accurate. And that's whether you're shooting with the upper or lower bow. Add in the best Excalibur warranty service and you have a very interesting crossbow.
An interesting crossbow for a fun afternoon out with friends, an interesting crossbow for practicing your own shooting skills. An ideal crossbow for hunting, prepping or home defense. Two is more than one and there are situations where this can make all the difference. Whether you hunt or walk away empty handed, whether you write off the entire hunt after damaging the crossbow arm or can continue on, situations where the first shot misses and your life is on the line and the second shot can save it. Only then will you fully appreciate such a concept.
Same number of shots fired, half the wear and tear on the shoulders and bowstring.
Same wear and tear, but twice the number of shots.
One user gives ten reasons why a double-barreled crossbow is useless,
just as I can give you ten reasons why it's desirable.
It comes down to point of view and prioritizing what the weapon will be used for.
While I don't have a use for such a crossbow myself at the moment, I can imagine it at home. Once in a while to shoot some interesting competition with friends in the garden, now and then to practice my shooting skills. Like a shotgun deuce or a buck shotgun, it can serve very well for home defense. The look alone is really impressive.
So yes, the TwinStrike has really won me over in a few weeks of testing. I recommend everyone to try it out!
The tested TwinStrike TAC2 was also at an unbeatable price on the Czech market and for a very interesting 33 500,- CZK incl. This is a price comparable to the USA and Canada and miles away from other sellers.
For more info click here: www.kuse.cz
+ simple composition
+ simplicity
+ great workmanship
+ appearance
+ light weight
+ stability and balance
+ trigger mechanism
+ good optics
+ excellent accuracy
+ ease of service and repair
+ price of spare parts
+ Excalibur complaint service and customer care
+ ability to fire two shots in quick succession
+ ability to keep shooting with one damaged bow, shoulder, bowstring
+ Half the wear and tear on components
+ double the fun :)
- slightly higher cocking force
- slightly higher price level
Overall rating 90/100
Thanks to Frantisek Cerman of www.kuse.cz for his helpfulness in loaning the crossbow, communication and information, and Vladimir Lazarev and www.vybaven.cz for publishing and assistance
Photo sources
https://excaliburcrossbow.com
https://thehorizontalzone.net/excalibur-assassin-400-td-review/
https://www.ezflipmags.com/Publications/ArrowTrade_Magazine/64/#p=71
http://www.crossbowmen.com/index.htm.excalibur.html
author's archive
Daniel Mrázek