10 important things to know before you fire your TAC 15/15i the first time.

[Len Backus]

1. Failure to adjust scope parallax degrades TAC 15/15i crossbow group size by 3 to 4 inches
2. If you change the power on your mil-dot scope, the point of impact will change. This is a major issue if you rely on the mil-dots (or horizontal line) for yardages. It is a smaller but still significant issue if you use the above scope with an HHA Speed Dial Optimizer Crossbow Mount.
   
3. You will need to "sort" broadhead arrows for best accuracy, just as we have always needed to do with high speed compound bows. Broadhead arrow #1 may hit the target the same each time you shoot it but arrow #2 may hit a few inches away from arrow #1. So shoot a bunch of them and select for hunting, those that hit close together.
   
4. Read the PSE instructions and watch the DVD carefully. Customers have called me to say they broke a part because they did something wrong.
   
5. Never cock the bow without first loading an arrow. Always connect the nocking loop to the hook on the cocking block that is closest to the shooter.
   
6. Do not use "practice broadheads" for sighting in. Only sight in with the exact broadhead arrows that you will hunt with. (Numbers 1, 3 and 7 for example). Sharpen them before you go hunting.
   
7. Never dry fire. It will wreck your bow and is dangerous.
   
8. Make sure your limbs are clear of objects like trees when you fire or you may break a limb and wreck your cables and string.
   
9. You need a high velocity target to stop your arrows without the vanes being buried and ruined. One for fieldtips and one for broadheads. The only ones I recommend are the Morell Bone Collector 400 FPS for fieldtips and the Block Crossbow for broadheads.
   
10. To cock the bow silently, simply depress the cocking release lever found on the left. While doing this be extremely careful to have a firm grip on the crank handle and that the crank handle is seated firmly.
11. Cock the bow only to the point that the 2 silver pins drop into the grooves on the body of the bow. Over-cocking can cause damage and introduce inaccuracy.
12. When deploying the cocking block pull it out just far enough to hook the knocking loop. The cocking string is meant to wind around the spool in a certain direction. If you pull it out too far you could cause the string to wrap in the wrong direction, causing it to pile up onto one side of the spool and then drop off, causing a loud popping sound and possibly having the arrow pop off during the cocking procedure. (For more info see the "Trouble Shooting" section at the end of the PSE written instructions)
13. Only attach bipod to the cantilevered picatinny rail with the hand guard on it. Do not attach bipod up at the front of the bow below the arrow rest.

More topics to come --