PSE TAC 15 crossbow - first range outing

[Len Backus]

I'll be publishing a review article on the PSE TAC 15/15i crossbow next month. It is so amazing that I am now a dealer. gun)

Free - 6 arrows with the purchase of a TAC series crossbow at the LRH Gear Shop

As some of you know, "brown" delivered my PSE TAC 15i crossbow yesterday.

First I did a little paper tuning with my PSE TAC 15i in my basement late last night using my bag target and decided that all is well in that department. I may take another look at it later on in my group testing process.

This morning the weather was not nice all around Oshkosh. But I was able to slip in a brief session at the range before the winds picked up and it started to sprinkle again.

Having never owned a crossbow I started pretty close to the target as I began to zero the bow. It came with a pretty decent scope with dots located at 1 mil spacing in both directions.

The sign at the county archery range says to use their targets so I shot into the densely packed excelsior bale at 10 yards. BIG MISTAKE and the first arrow just totally crushed in the knock and vane area under the 400 fps impact. So I immediately switched to my own "bag" target. The 3rd shot into the bag target at 10 yards was a near pass-through and I couldn't pull it out (through the back) and had to break it off. So now I am down two $15 arrows due to the blazing speed and being too close to the targets. I have since switched to a Morrell Bone Collector 400 FPS target and have no problems at all.

I moved out to 25 yards and then to 40 yards with no arrow problems, shooting off a bench with a front bag. My 2 shots at 40 yards went into 7/8th inch.

But after the 2nd shot it started to sprinkle again and the wind picked up so I headed for home. I'll be back later today if the weather improves.

 

[Broz]

Len,

Great shootin! That thing looks like something out of a Batman movie..

You my friend are a "Huntin fool" It is obvious you live to hunt and shoot. No matter what the quary or the firearm. Thats cool!!

Jeff

 

[J E Custom]

Len.

Mine should be hear in a week or so and had I not read your thread I was going to start
close in also.

"but" I think I will start at 20 yards to save the arrows.

Thanks,

J E CUSTOM

 

[Buffalobob]

Arrows are expensive.

 

[Len Backus]

UPDATE - I got back at the range this afternoon as the weather improved. There was still some crosswind but not much. Mostly a headwind as to direction.

I shot groups at 40, 50 and 60 yards. From a bench with front bag, rear unsupported. Notice that only one of the groups had any significant vertical. That one shot at 60 yards was a shocker. Imagine being shocked by an extra, measly ONE INCH of vertical with an arrow at 60 yards.

After I get my drops worked out and get into practice mode, I will have to shoot at separate dots for ranges under 70 yards so I don't waste arrows by hitting them in a tight group. Can you even imagine that kind of a problem in archery practice at those distances?

The PSE TAC 15 crossbow is everything that I hoped for in accuracy potential. I will install an anti-cant scope level and an ACI (for uphill/downhill) before I go out again. Since I used various aiming points nothing can be told about drop by viewing these photos. I'll summarize the drop from 20 out to 100 yards at some future point in my testing.

I'll be consulting with Bryan Litz, the Berger Bullets' ballistician, about how to go about estimating a BC from my drops and from chronographed velocity changes. Then I can play around with drop tables generated by a ballistics program in order to correct for altitude and temperature out in the mountains this fall.

I know it sounds crazy to be talking about ballistics programs when shooting an arrow but this PSE TAC 15 is unbelievable. I hope to try for a deer out to 100 yards if the drops and accuracy testing continues to go well as I stretch the target distances.

 

[Chas1]

Outstanding groups, interesting read. Any chance that with groups that tight that one arrowhead might hit another upon impact and damage them?

 

[zuba]

Thats some awesome grouping! Your going to have to get a block style target and see if the broadheads are as accurate. What kind of broadheads do you plan to use? I wonder if they will fly any different at those speeds...

 

[Len Backus]

Matt

I bought the Grim Reaper, the one that uses "springs" I am told instead of o-rings to hold the blades. The o-rings deploy under the high g-force of 400 fps flight so I can't use the normal Rage.

Dean said they fly just like field points. I know that may be true for "ordinary" distances but we at LRH know that the BC of any expandable is not going to be the same as a pointed field tip and I expect to have to adjust for that.

 

[Len Backus]

Chas

I will have to shoot at separate dots for ranges under 70 yards so I don't waste arrows by hitting them in a tight group....QUOTE]

 

[J E Custom]

Chas

[ I will have to shoot at separate dots for ranges under 70 yards so I don't waste arrows by hitting them in a tight group./QUOTE]

That's a terrible problem to have!!!!

I cant wait to try mine.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Len Backus]

I had a long chat with Bobby Vargus of PSE today. Among other things he told me they that they sometimes shoot groups using the same arrow repeatedly. They do that when testing to take arrow inconsistencies out of the "crossbow" equation.

When using the same arrow, they achieve 1.5" to 2" groups at 110 yards from a bench. gun)gun)gun)

 

[Broz]

when using the same arrow, they achieve 1.5" to 2" groups at 110 yards from a bench. Gun)gun)gun)

Holy Cow!!!!!!!



.

 

[Len Backus]

Back to the range this evening. Wind was very switchable at 2 to 5 mph.

Started at 60 yards again. Same good groups. One of the two I shot was 2.75 inches. One of the shots had some vertical.

EDIT: I just remembered the errant arrow had lost one vane in flight, so of course it landed low.

I got an email from another PSE tech guy late today. He said if you sort the arrows after shooting and try rotating the errant ones over by 180 degrees you get better groups. This is a little like sorting brass or bullets by ogive dimension so I will try that some time.

My second 60 yard group was 2 inches but had only 1/4 inch of vertical!! Unbelievable. I wonder if I happened to rotate that errant arrow without trying to.

Then on to 70 yards and another boring 2.25 inch group.

I shot just one group at 80 yards and that one was 2.125 inches. It's fun to watch the hits through the scope. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Then home for the night as it was getting dim.

I think I am quickly going to become a dealer. gun)gun)gun)

 

[J E Custom]

Back to the range this evening. Wind was very switchable at 2 to 5 mph.

Started at 60 yards again. Same good groups. One of the two I shot was 2.75 inches. One of the shots had some vertical.

I got an email from another PSE tech guy late today. He said if you sort the arrows after shooting and try rotating the errant ones over by 180 degrees you get better groups. This is a little like sorting brass or bullets by ogive dimension so I will try that some time.

My second 60 yard group was 2 inches but had only 1/4 inch of vertical!! Unbelievable. I wonder if I happened to rotate that errant arrow without trying to.

Then on to 70 yards and another boring 2.25 inch group.

I shot just one group at 80 yards and that one was 2.125 inches. It's fun to watch the hits through the scope. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Then home for the night as it was getting dim.

I think I am quickly going to become a dealer. gun)gun)gun)

LEN.

I have something for you to try.

I used to number all of my arrows with the cock vane or the two cock vanes (4 Fletch) up
1 through 12 or what ever the number of that particular arrows I had because shooting
as much weight as I was, the slightest difference in spine or weight would change the POI.

After you shoot each arrow/bolt "AT Different targets", make note of where each hit the target.

You can then sort them by POI. and the errant arrows can be turned over to see if it makes a
difference. If it does remove the number and place it on the upper side.

I found that this made a huge difference when shooting broad heads and I saved the best ones
for hunting and used the other for warm up shots.

I used a Sharpie permanent marker and after sorting I re numbered in order of preference and
identified the practice arrows.

I hope this helps to get the most from your Tac 15.

J E CUSTOM