Steyr Hunting 5A Scout Long Term Review

I just love mine. Just wish it came in a .25 for better long range.

I've owned my Hunter Scout Auto 5 since first of the year. This is a great thread! I like your review. 

I bought a longer barrel and a longer air tube for mine, just to have it. The longer barrel was externally threaded for an LDC which I like. I removed the shorter scout barrel and installed the longer one (left the short air cylinder on). I didn't notice any FPS difference between the two barrels. I had not changed the hammer spring.

When I reinstalled the original short Scout barrel, again without touching the hammer spring screw, I noticed a puff of air coming from the magazine area (the side where you push the magazine in) and my FPS had dropped 30-50. The gun had never done this before. The Steyr folks thought I needed to index the magazine. I did that (the Steyr video isn't very good at explaining this for me by the way). Still the puff. I considered this turn of events a disaster!

So I turned the hammer spring, first up. The puff didn't disappear and I was left with a nasty ping sound I did not like. The FPS increased. The auto function was not impacted. Because of the ping, I turned the spring down. Got rid of the ping and the puff. Now I'm just a bit, 1/4 turn maybe tighter than the factory setting. I'm doing most of my shooting with .22, 21 grain HN Predator. I may go back to 16 or 18 grains.

I thought maybe there had been an o-ring between the barrel and the action and I didn't notice and lost it while switching barrels. But, in the Steyr videos it doesn't show any o-rings. 

I love the rifle but want it to be perfect (the way it was before I tried swapping barrels). I have a Gary Cane stock on the rifle now and I will put a March 1-8x24 scope on it next week when it comes in. The picture below is SWFA SS 10x42, nice but more than I want for off-hand shooting in squirrel woods. Obviously, I'm committed to this air rifle!

great review I have not had a chance to shoot this model , I have used styer scout and they make great powder burners precision and well built , by looking they put alot of thought into this rifle

There must be a O-ring on the Barrel!!

I am enjoying your review. I recently bought my first Steyr air rifle, a Challenge Hunting, in .22. Not sure why it is designated "Hunting", since it is a single shot, no safety, and a 2-8 oz trigger. But, I didn't buy it for hunting, so, no matter. It is a great shooter. I went to the range yesterday with it and my RAW HM1000, also in .22. I set the target at about 30 yards, and shot 3, 5-shot groups with each rifle. The average for both was under .150", one small hole. The Steyr trigger is better, in fact, one of the best I have ever used. And, its design makes it a bit more versatile for position shooting. Being a repeater, the RAW is the obvious better hunting rifle. But, I digress, I'm very favorably impressed with Steyr, and I may buy one in your model at some point. It would be a great squirrel rifle. I have used my single shot on the back yard varmints since I got it a couple of weeks ago. So far, it has a perfect record in defense of our bird feeders against the invading bushytails. 

I've wondered about the barrel length and FPS myself. I'm no engineer but I would imagine there'sa point of diminishing returns with regards to barrel length and FPS increases. If so, then the scout barrel length may be at that point and the additional 4 inches or so of length in the standard barrel doesn't make the use of propellant (air) more efficient?

@bowwild

I'm pretty sure the barrel has an o-ring on it. I'd remove my barrel and check, but my gun has been shooting consistently lately and I'd hate to ruin it's current alignment. 

In theory, wouldn't the longer barrel would have raised your fps a bit if everything was working correctly? 

@everyone

I wish I knew exactly what was happening when the barrel is being aligned with the magazine. I imagine that when the first screw is being tightened that it causes the barrel to bend down to the point where it just pinches the magazine and keeps it from moving. When the second screw is tightened down it seems to release the pressure on the magazine to the desired alignment. That makes sense to me on how it would align the barrel vertically. I'm guessing the notches on the magazines itself ensure horizontal alignment?

I also wonder what exactly the screw that Hubertus was adjusting in the magazine holder adjusts.

Click to expand...

That is correct with these 2 grub screws.

The O-Ring is 7,2mm x 1,9mm - mine is .177 not .22 ! 

The beginning of my .177 barrel has 7,95mm diameter so the o-rings sits tight in place.

im sure you can use a slightly different o-ring because the barrel is squeezed into the "breech" / magazine slot.

The small screw on the side just holds the magazine slot in place ? its not looking anymore like a adjuster to me now but i will ask steyr upcoming week. 

if you unscrew it, make sure you removed the hammerspring. you cant shot while the magazine is removed, right ? Yes!

but if the magazine slot is removed, you do can fire - its really loud and one part was flying out, i heard it dropping but i cant find it. it is a kind of sealing between the magazine slot and transfer port.

Thanks for this information! When I return home I will remove the barrel and measure the bore end where the o-ring slips over.


Roy

Hey,
i want to give a update.

I talked to Mr. Ernst Huber, Head of Service Department from Steyr.
He explained me what i should check, if the 5. shot is not consistent.

shoot 4 shots, try to pull the magazine out (dont push the release lever!!), shoot the 5. shot - if the fps is not dropping, the remaining force of the magazine spring is not high enough to move the magazine into the 100% correct position. ( it must not be visible to the naked eye!!)
thats because the lever is not moving only up and down rather also a bit sideways (red arrows) you can see that when pushing / pulling the magazine by hand.
if thats the problem, it is possible to reduce the the force of the small spring in the lever. you have to disassemble it and lower the force of the spring by manually (there is no adjustment build in)

i cant give it a try yet because im waiting on a spare part.

5 shots loaded







1 shot left



it should be possible to lower the spring tension by bottom it out one time by hand. it is a really small one. 

or exchange it.. i dont know yet but i will find out, if thats my problem. hope the spare part in in in the mail today!



Here is the Spare Part List!

View attachment 1535094584_19468974515b7faf38f3aee0.42186541_Steyr Spare Parts H5A.pdf

Hello,



big update!



the problem was the small spring for the lever. changed it and now the magazine is always perfectly aligned to the barrel.





yes, it really makes the difference!



if you reinstall the magazine block and have tightened up the small allen head screw, the barrel will not fit. you have to make 1-1,5 turns anti cw to be able to put the barrel back in but thats normal - dont worry. 

Thanks for all the great information that you have provided, and for sharing the information from Mr. Ernst Huber. I have the same 5th shot problem and am excited to try this fix.

In an earlier post, you talked about reducing the tension on the existing spring. In your last post, you said that you "changed" the spring and show two springs in your picture, so I assume you got a new spring. If that is the case, where did you get it?

Thanks for the great parts list!

Steyr Austria send me the spring but its not a magic steyr spring

im sure its possible to find one in a local store: rc cars and parts store ? watchmaker / horogolist - i dont know how its called.

maybe it is a bit small for hardware store.. ? or just look on ebay.

i will provide you the exact dimensions later when im back home but as far as i remember: (they are correct!)

8,5mm long

2,4mm outer Diameter

0,5 wire mm



the original steyr was just about 1 mm longer. you can try to cut yours down first.

Great review. I own an LP50 and look forward to getting the rifle brother.



How did you guys mount the silencers? Did you use an adapter?

Ok thanks. I cannot believe that Steyr still does not thread these barrels.



I assume that the trigger on my LP50 would be similar to the one on your rifle, rather poor for a match gun. But nonetheless the LP50 is great fun and very well built.



You really cannot add much to an LP50; you can change the grips, the front sight posts, add weights, and add a rail for optics.

LP50 and H5A do have the same trigger. only different is the spring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT8h3_2eCrc&t=9s

spring changing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAgiA-JIeOA



i will try to change the spring to a lighter one.