My Excalibur Matrix Grizzly Crossbow is a bare bones model for just under $500. It shoots arrow/bolts at 300 fps measured and very accurate. But it is louder (a high pitch like bang sound), measured with my sound meter at 102 Dba (a loud shout) at the bow.
In the woods, I believed it is truly a foreign noise and will surely spook game (not like a tree limb cracking for sure).
Accordingly, I contacted Excalibur and purchased their Sound Deadening System which consists of string stars, RAVS rubber limb dampeners, overmolded rubber stirrup and air brake limb dissipator to decrease the sound and get rid of the high frequency bang sound. Cost $130. I was also concerned that I would lose arrow speed but didn’t.
Before adding these devices I measured arrow speed at 300 fps and 102 Dba at the bow.
After adding these devices I measured arrow speed still at 300 fps and 98 Dba at the bow. Still loud but the high frequency bang noise was softened significantly.
I would have liked the sound level to be lower still, however, it is what it is.
Adding these devices shifted my point of impact by 4 inches to the left at 20 yards and made scope adjustments to compensate. The installation, reading the detailed instructions, disassembling the bow limbs to add the air brakes, adding the string and limb dampeners took me a few hours.
Was it worth that effort?
Not really significant. Getting rid of that high frequency (almost metalic) bang sound was the best part.
The truth is that game, particularly whitetail deer will hear sound levels to spook at perhaps 70 Dba (the sound of a vacuum cleaner) or even much lower. My recurve bow at 45 lbs makes a sound level of 89 Dba without string silencers. The recurve Dba cut the noise in half from the crossbow but still loud enough for deer to hear and maybe spook (jump the string). Was it worth the $130 dollars and reduced sound and time to assemble?
I believe It wont change the mind of a deer.
So the answer is no, but I likely knew that going into this review.
The valuable part for me is that arrow speed was maintained.
Even though my 45 pound recurve is quieter, its much slower arrow speed will allow a spooked deer more milliseconds to spook and drop to avoid the arrow, where my 300 fps crossbow at 20 yards will only be off by a quarter of an inch. On a 40 yard deer with 300 fps arrow, it will drop 5 inches. With a 256 fps bow the arrow will be off by 10 or more inches at 40 yards. Avoid these longer shots!
For further reading you can read my recent article on “Jumping the String” and the great work done by Dr. Grant Woods and his www.growingdeer.com team.
The bottom line is that arrow speed is vital and sound is less important given that many deer will react to drop at the sound of a recurve, compound or crossbow. Assume the deer will drop and aim at the lower 1/3 of the deer thus still making a double lung hit. Here’s hoping we make better shot evaluations.
Good Hunting!