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Sometimes I fail to put
things in the correct perspective: I tend to
assume that a crossbow is something that is set
up and should stay set up as assembled by the
manufacturer … right ?
Well… NO!
Your machine is the result of lots of
thinking by the R&D but then prior to
manufacturing, or assembly in this instance,
every single screw undergoes a careful
evaluation between function-cost- and margin,
therefore every single crossbow in the market,
even the most expensive,
is a compromise between these factors.
Sometimes replacing components or simply
carefully selecting them allows you to get rid
of the compromise and bring your machine to new
heights.
We already had a chance to test Excalibur’s
crossbows: the Equinox and the Vixen as you saw
they all come equipped with a standard (Excel)
string, we also saw that simply swapping the
standard string with the optional Flemish string
allows you to gain some free arrow speed. What
we are testing here is the product of a well
known (in this business) string maker: Don
Katsumi.
Don is not a professional, in the sense that
string making is not his primary business, but
his products are much more than professional
from any perspective. I am happy by the fact
that Don does not run this a primary business as
his products are not subject to any kind of
compromise.
So why should you chose to have a custom string
on your crossbow? Simply because he is committed
to offer nothing but the best:
the materials are carefully chosen in
order to offer a shock free shot and complete
absence of creep:
currently Boo strings are made of 1/3
Vectran and 2/3 Dyneema. The serving is HALO.
The materials are the results of his own testing
and experience.
Absence of creep is a factor of primary
importance in archery as any change in string
length will screw up your careful set up.
The workmanship is simply out of this world,
please take a look at how tightly the serving
is, or try to see where the serving knot is (it
is almost invisible) , also he delivered the
string already impregnated and ready to use …
Another thing that sets these strings apart is
that they are tailored to your own crossbow: at
the time of order you have to specify every
detail including the brace height you intend to
use , if you are using an STS or not etc
Another good reason for you to have a custom Boo
string is that you can chose string colors,
though this will not give you a performance edge
it will boost your ego: if you chose them wisely
your crossbow will stand out from the rest!
We chose a red-brown combo to really
stand out and a brown-grey setup that fits well
with the camo on the Equinox.
You can also decide to have Cat’s Whiskers
installed: these will cut some arrow speed but
will also dampen sound pressure: your crossbow
will shoot with less noise but also the sound
will be lower in frequency (some sort of “Swoomp”
)
We tested the strings using the Excalibur Vixen
and two arrow set ups:
1) Factory setup with Excalibur carbon
arrow + 100 grains point (total 384 grains)
2) Heavy setup Carbon Express CX
Crossbolt+125 grains point (total 467 grains)
We used the Excalibur Vixen as a test
bed and the results are the following:
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|
Total weight |
Standard excel string |
DB |
Boo String 1 |
DB |
Boo String 2 with Wiskers |
Db |
|
Factory +100 |
384 |
267 |
90 |
276 |
85 |
269 |
72 |
|
Crossbolt+125 |
467 |
253 |
89 |
259 |
84 |
253 |
71 |
As you can see these string provide a boost in
performance over the standard string and in the
version equipped with Wiskers the crossbow
becomes quieter at the price of some FPS loss.
As a side note the shot noise itself becomes
lower in pitch therefore you get the impression
of an even quieter release.
Conclusions
Boo strings are possibly the best strings you
may find for your crossbow. Custom built to your
specs from the best materials are made to last.
Boo strings will improve the performance of your
setup and provide a note of color as well.
PS: Performance table to be soon expanded
with Equinox data! check back soon!
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