The Excalibur Ibex SMF crossbow is truly a joy to use. The crossbow is closer to perfection than most other crossbows and even its disadvantages are minuscule in comparison. The Ibex SMF is yet another masterpiece in Excalibur’s list of excellent crossbows. Due to the manufacturer’s reputation of making high-quality crossbows, you set your expectations quite high when you are about to use an Ibex SMF. Predictably, this crossbow never disappoints. The company has produced some of the top crossbows in the market and bows like the Ibex SMF confirm why the company deserves to be at the top. Let’s delve into some of the things that make the Excalibur Ibex SMF Crossbow what it is.
Delivery and assembly
This crossbow comes in parts and you have to assemble it yourself. Among the items included in the package include the crossbow, its string, the multi-reticle scope, a 4-arrow quiver, lubricant, 4 20-inch bolds with field points, rope cocking aid, assembly tools, an assembly and care manual, and a warranty card.
The assembly process is very easy and it can be done by any person who has never used a crossbow before in about 10 minutes. The instructions are very detailed and the assembly manual comes complete with images. In a nutshell, what you have to do is to screw the quiver to the stock’s bottom, join the stirrup to the front part of the prod and then the prod to the stock, and finally mount the scope and confirm that all screws are tight. That’s all you have to do to get the crossbow ready to go in a matter of minutes.
Shooting power and accuracy
The Excalibur Ibex SMF Crossbow Kit with SMF Scope is remarkably accurate just like the other crossbows by Excalibur. The scope is sighted right out of the box and very few adjustments (if any) need to be made. Virtually any person without prior experience with crossbows can be shooting very tight groups from distances as far as 50 yards just an hour after assembling the weapon. The only caveat here is to avoid shooting from the same spot if the target is less than 40 yards away to avoid splitting your arrows, the Ibex SMF is that accurate.
Cocking the crossbow
This crossbow has a 175-pound draw weight and it is best cocked using a cocking aid. Stronger people can cock it without using the cocking aid but eventually, it will become too tiresome. The cocking aid is provided with the retail package. You should make sure that the string is stretched evenly on both sides to make extremely accurate shots.
The scope
This article comes with a four-reticle scope. The top reticle comes sighted for 20 yards and the other ones are set for 30, 40, and 50 yards. You can use the scope as it is right out of the box and if you need to make any adjustments, they are probably for elevation. You require very little tuning over time as the scope holds zero for quite a long time. Although the scope does not have the best optics on a crossbow, it provides a clean view of the target in medium-lit conditions.
The arrows
Just like with other Excalibur crossbows, you will get four FireBolt arrows with field points from the package. These arrows have strong and straight shafts and they are very accurate. Remember to move after every shot to avoid splitting your arrows. When buying the bow, you should include some extra arrows to act as backups or to reduce the trips to and from the target after shooting all your arrows.
Design and build quality
The crossbow has a 175-pound draw weight and a 14.5-inch power stroke. It shoots arrows at 305 feet per second when you use the appropriate bolts. The crossbow’s trigger has a 3.1-pound pull weight and an above average travel distance which will take some time to get used to. You should be used to the trigger after 20-30 shots and will notice that the trigger does a very good job.
The shoulder plate rests very comfortably against the body and the foregrip also fits hands very well. If you are used to shooting rifles, you will notice that this crossbow holds much like a rifle. The Excalibur Ibex SMF Crossbow weighs just 5.9 pounds and you can easily carry it indefinitely during your hunting expeditions.
Warranty
This crossbow comes with a lifetime limited warranty that covers most common problems. The only exceptions are when you alter the crossbow’s construction and when you dry-fire the crossbow.
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