If you haven’t noticed recently that ARs are taking over the shooting industry, then you must have been in a coma for five years. Black rifles are great, everyone can shoot them and they’re oh so much fun. Now they’re threatening to take over the archery world. PSE’s new TAC-15, an AR-15 upper that’s home to a crossbow, is leading the way.
This thing is awesome. It attaches the same as any AR upper: Detach the pins, put the TAC-15 on your AR lower, line the holes up and push the pins back through the receiver. It fits perfect and there’s no gunsmithing involved.
The TAC-15 does, however, slightly alter the AR’s balance. The model I tested is 43 inches long. Being a little front heavy has some advantages, such as being able to hold it steadily for longer shots.
I installed the TAC-15 on two different lowers to determine if the crossbow upper changed the standard trigger pull. However, after putting the digital trigger pull scale through its paces, I concluded there was no change at all. The better trigger you have for your AR, the better it will be for the TAC-15.
This crossbow is fast, accurate and quiet. It shoots an average 371.4 fps with a 490-grain, 26-inch arrow (and they are arrows on the TAC-15). If you’re not into archery, that’s pretty fast. At 20 yards, the arrows buried 23.5 inches every time into two block targets. At 40 yards, I shot a 2.3-inch group, which rivals any crossbow on the market. What’s more, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a crossbow this quiet before. It sounded like a standard compound—not much vibration or noise.
If I was a ninja, I might consider the TAC-15 a great tool for assassinations and home defense. OK, not really, but there are some countries where the crossbow is a hitman’s preferred weapon.
The best thing about the TAC-15 is there’s a ton of places to mount accessories. Perhaps I went a little overboard, but you never know when you might have to shoot from the hip. From the Crimson Trace MVF-515 vertical grip to the made-in-USA Versa-Pod tactical bipod, I loaded it from head to toe with awesomeness. If I remember the quote right, “Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.” If something’s going down, I’m nocking back an arrow and getting the job done silently—no need to wake your neighbors when you’re “taking out the trash”.
Lowers are sold separately and the TAC-15 runs about $1,300. It’s really not applicable for self-defense, but PSE’s innovative approach emphasizes the versatility of AR rifles. Slap on the crossbow and you’re ready for early archery season. Put the .223 Rem. upper back on once you get home, and you’re ready for anything. Do the same thing at the range and you’re bound to draw a crowd.
—Tyler Kreis
