I've been into PCP airguns for about 3 years now. Over that time I have owned several very good to excellent airguns, including: Vet 22 Shorty, Leshiy, Bantam Sniper XR, etc. I've also owned a few stinkers and not so good airguns.
So right now you're saying to yourself, yeah this is the guy who just sold a brand new Sniper XR - what gives, isn't that an excellent gun? Well, yes it is an excellent gun. But as excellent as it was it kinda left me wanting for a little bit more.
I won't say the search began because, let's be real, does the search ever stop? I've been back and forth over a Daystate but I want to pay for quality and precision, not electronics and programming code costs. Not a big FX fan, but no need to go down that path. All overly complicated pieces of equipment - I want something "great" that exudes simple and quality at the same time. Just like's Ed's valve engineer said in the Leshiy valve video - "It's easy to design something complicated, to make it simple and reliable is the real challenge."
This road led me to American AirArms and a rifle announced late last year - the EVOL .22 Mini. Buy once cry once, right. Nah, the SWFA scope is nice, but lets top this beauty with something it deserves.
Yes, I can still afford a few tins of pellets. Yes, selling the Sniper XR helped offset the cost. Yes, I have better scope rings on order.
Yes, I'll be paying the rest of this one off for a while.
BUT, this is a "great" gun. Simple, solid, accurate, precise - this rifle exudes "great".
And, let's not forget that one thing we all do with really expensive airguns - it was in pieces tuning it within 2 hours of receipt. I dropped the reg from 150 to 130 bar and tuned it for the 18.1 gr JSB @ 800fps. This is giving me 3 - 11 rnd magazines from 4000 psi down to ~2300. I could probably pop off most of a 4th and still be on reg.
A few changes include: more comfortable grip, Magpul UBR stock, Law Tactical folding stock adapter on backorder, and some DonnyFL goodness on the front because this sucker is loud.
edit 7/10 - update thread title.
So right now you're saying to yourself, yeah this is the guy who just sold a brand new Sniper XR - what gives, isn't that an excellent gun? Well, yes it is an excellent gun. But as excellent as it was it kinda left me wanting for a little bit more.
I won't say the search began because, let's be real, does the search ever stop? I've been back and forth over a Daystate but I want to pay for quality and precision, not electronics and programming code costs. Not a big FX fan, but no need to go down that path. All overly complicated pieces of equipment - I want something "great" that exudes simple and quality at the same time. Just like's Ed's valve engineer said in the Leshiy valve video - "It's easy to design something complicated, to make it simple and reliable is the real challenge."
This road led me to American AirArms and a rifle announced late last year - the EVOL .22 Mini. Buy once cry once, right. Nah, the SWFA scope is nice, but lets top this beauty with something it deserves.
Yes, I can still afford a few tins of pellets. Yes, selling the Sniper XR helped offset the cost. Yes, I have better scope rings on order.
Yes, I'll be paying the rest of this one off for a while. BUT, this is a "great" gun. Simple, solid, accurate, precise - this rifle exudes "great".
And, let's not forget that one thing we all do with really expensive airguns - it was in pieces tuning it within 2 hours of receipt. I dropped the reg from 150 to 130 bar and tuned it for the 18.1 gr JSB @ 800fps. This is giving me 3 - 11 rnd magazines from 4000 psi down to ~2300. I could probably pop off most of a 4th and still be on reg.
A few changes include: more comfortable grip, Magpul UBR stock, Law Tactical folding stock adapter on backorder, and some DonnyFL goodness on the front because this sucker is loud.
edit 7/10 - update thread title.
