Stephen Archer - AOA Blog

Posts by Stephen Archer

Extreme Benchrest 2022 – It’s Great For Spectators, Too!

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Yes, Extreme Benchrest 2022 is coming soon! It’s running from 6 to 9 October.

Some aspects of the airgun industry’s leading competitive event are to be the same as usual. After all, why mess with success?

For example, the location’s the same – the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club just outside Phoenix. Also, of course, there’s the headline Extreme Benchrest Competition with the 75- and 100-Yard cards that have never been cleared yet.

And – as usual – the event is completely full. In fact it’s over-subscribed with 200 competitors having registered and a strong waiting list.

But there are some improvements, too. A new competition for 2022 is the Action Armor Steel Scramble. This is a NRL-style shoot with a range of disciplines including precision, benchrest and Field Target. The common factor is that all the targets are steel. This is also the only course of fire where slugs can be used.

Of course, you don’t have to shoot to enjoy Extreme Benchrest! Every year there are visitors who come to watch the shooting, soak up the atmosphere, meet-up with old friends and make new ones.

You can also see some great shooters in action, like Tom Adams – above – the overall winner of EBR 2021. John Bagakis is another consistent shooter who’e always there among the top scorers. That’s John below…

To ensure that you can watch the action downrange, Sightron is EBR’s official spotting scope sponsor for 2022. You can just walk up and take your turn watching the hits!

There’s also a chance to meet industry personalities too. Here ws see Tom Costan – the owner of American Air Arms – proudly displaying his new EVOL Paradigm model at the 2021 event.

And there’s always the chance of an exclusive glimpse of a new product or two. Usually you can try out the new model on the “trial range” too.

In fact, there’s rumors that at least one new air rifle will make its first public appearance at Extreme Benchrest 2022. Which one? My lips are sealed…

So what are all these people doing below?

They’re placing their tickets in the raffle! This is a huge part of Extreme Benchrest as it offers the chance to win some really high-end airgun equipment. In fact, some EBR Raffle prizewinners have returned and won competitions the following year with the gun they won in the raffle!

The EBR Raffle prizes are donated by the many sponsors of the event. For 2022 Extreme Benchrest, there’s a huge list of sponsors.

These include major airgun manufacturers such as Daystate, Brocock, KalibrGun, American Air Arms, Western Airguns and Umarex. A new sponsor for 2022 is Velocity Outdoor, with its Benjamin Airguns brand.

(Note that you need to attend Sunday’s Awards banquet to claim your prize. If you want to attend the banquet, email AoA for details of cost and availability).

Not surprisingly, many optics manufacturers will be participating in EBR 2022 also. We’ve already mentioned Sightron, but Hawke will be there too.

Kevin Sheehan – Hawke’s VP of Sales and Marketing for the US – has become an enthusiastic airgun shooter as a result of attending Extreme Benchrest in previous years! He’s developed into a formidable competitor and will be shooting again at EBR 2022.

New optics sponsors are Athlon Optics and Leapers. So there will be plenty of opportunity to talk to leading riflescope vendors, see their offerings, talk and learn.

Other companies attending Extreme Benchrest 2022 will be Predator International, the US distributor of JSB products. ZAN slugs will be there, too, as well as Accu-Tac, the bipod specialists.

Oh, of course, there’s the prizes!

This year’s competitors will be sharing a record $77,000.00 – yes $77 THOUSAND – in prize money and certificates. You can watch some of the best airgun shooters in the world competing for their share in that pot…

It’s going to be fun. See you there!

Tags: extreme benchrest
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

Labradar Tricks And Tips For Airgun Use

Monday, September 12, 2022

I have been using the Labradar Doppler radar system for airgun testing for some time. With experience, I’ve learned some useful Labradar tricks and tips. Labradar is not difficult to use, but this experience may be useful to those of you just starting – or thinking of buying – Ladradar.

If you’re interested in determining the Ballistic Coefficients of your pellets and slugs, or understanding the performance of your airgun downrange, this is the way to go…

First a reminder. The primary benefit of using Labradar is that it is able to record the velocity of a projectile at multiple distances downrange.

Secondly, its accuracy is not dependent on light conditions or being exactly parallel to photo electric sensors – which can result in false readings. Both these things make it different from a traditional chronograph.

Generally I have found that Labradar performs better than the manufacturer claims. However, there are obviously some limitations to using it. We’ll cover these below.

I first published a post on using Labradar back in 2019. This post updates that with some additional tricks and tips. The current model being sold is the Labradar Lite. This is identical to the original version I have, except for the lack of Bluetooth functionality (which I don’t use anyway).

Labradar calculates FPS by recording radar waves as they bounce back to it from the pellet. For this reason, the radar waves can bounce back from a wall, ground or ceiling. That will cause incorrect FPS measurements. So…

Labradar cannot be used indoors. It’s best used outdoors in a “open field” environment. However I have found that it does work well in a covered shooting range, even if located next to a vertical post or other roof support.

Also, it works best set on a shooting bench or tripod. Don’t sit low to the ground.

Often, I’ll mount the unit on a small tripod and place that on the shooting table.

In order to work with an airgun, Labradar requires the use of an additional-cost microphone. This is supplied with a mounting bracket and plugs into the Labradar box. This microphone should be positioned just a little behind and to the side of the muzzle for correct operation.

I always use the foam wind guard that’s supplied with the microphone.

Before first use, you’ll need to set the Labradar unit to recognize the microphone as it doesn’t do this automatically. (Set the Trigger Source to “Trigger” instead of “Doppler” in the setup screen.

Use the sighting notch at the top of the unit to point Labradar in the correct direction – at the target, that is. This is pretty primitive and I experimented with using a short length of drinking straw in the notch as a “peep sight”.

But a little experience made sighting easier to do and the straw sighting system was discarded.

My testing has found that Labradar gives valid data at different ranges depending on the size and type of pellet or slug.

For .177 caliber, I obtain good results out to 35 Yards. Some pellets record out to 40 Yards as a maximum. That’s with lead pellets.

Generally, I cannot obtain valid data from alloy pellets in .177 caliber, however. That’s a limitation, although not a big one for most people.

In .22 caliber, I have had good success out to 50 yards, even with alloy pellets. Larger calibers record at longer distances, however 50 yards is the maximum I generally use. My Labradar is set-up to display FPS at the muzzle and at 10-Yard increments out to 50 Yards downrange.

The unit’s screen displays data from the last shot. V0 represents Muzzle Velocity (941 FPS) in this case. V10 means 10 Yards, V20 is 20 Yards, etc. The pistol icon means that it’s set-up to record relatively low Muzzle Velocities between 246 and 1,722 FPS – ideal for airgun use.

Another huge benefit of Labradar is that it is able to record and store data onto a SD card. You don’t have to write it down or type the FPS numbers into a computer.

However, I do make written notes of the shot FPS data at the time of testing. That helps when analyzing the data later when multiple different pellets are being tested.

I use SD cards previously used for digital cameras but replaced by higher capacity ones. As Labradar is generating data only, the file sizes are small and pretty-well any old SD card will have plenty of capacity.

The card can then be read using a PC. It appears as a .CSV file that can be opened, manipulated and organized using Microsoft Excel. Here’s how the raw .CSV file displays…

The columns headed Ke are an automatic calculation of Kinetic Energy using the Projectile Weight input by the user. Because I’m constantly testing different weight pellets, I make Kinetic Energy calculations in templates set-up in a spreadsheet (rather than resetting the Labradar unit each time) and so use only the first seven columns of data.

Unfortunately this Labradar output is next to impossible to open using a Mac 🙁

As I use Apple computers, I find it necessary to load the .CSV data into Excel using a PC. It’s then saved as an .XLS file and exported to a Mac. The Mac is able to read the .XLS file and I then manipulate the data using the Apple Numbers spreadsheet program.

Trust me, that’s the easiest way to use Labradar data on Mac!

Labradar can be powered using six common AA batteries. This does work, however my testing sessions often last several hours and this eats batteries fast! So, I prefer to power Labradar either by using a separate battery pack or, even better, using a cellphone power charger connected to a 110 Volt electricity supply.

With the rapidly-increasing interest in airgun BCs, for both pellets and slugs, more and more people are using Labradar to understand the performance capabilities of their airgun. And – of course – you can buy Labradar Lite from Airguns of Arizona. They have it in stock!

Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

What Makes Leapers P.O.I Scope Rings Special

Friday, August 12, 2022

Most shooters think about three core features when choosing scope rings…

First – and most basic – is the diameter of the scope’s main tube. Typically these will be 1-Inch or 30mm, although other diameters such as 34mm are starting to appear on some high-end scopes.

Next is the type of mounting system that is on the gun. Nowadays this is typically a Picatinny rail. However, there’s also the very similar – but not identical – Weaver rail system. Meanwhile, dovetail rails still feature on some .22s and a number of airguns.

Then there’s the scope ring height. Mostly scope rings are graded as “medium” or “high”. However there are also “low” and “extra high” rings available. Although there is – to my knowledge – no standardization of measurement between manufacturers to match these descriptions, they all relate to the height at which the scope is carried above the action.

So what height scope rings to choose? This will be a combination of factors. One will be the diameter of the scope bell (front). Scope ring height will need to be chosen so that the scope does not contact the rifle in any way except via the rings. (If it does, that’s a sure way to ruin accuracy).

Now the shooter’s personal physique comes into play. How high does the scope need to be mounted in order to achieve a strong, consistent cheek weld when the rifle is shouldered?

Leapers provides a lot of information to help you make an informed decision on the profile of P.O.I rings. This includes the maximum objective diameter that can be accommodated, the saddle height and the center height for the rings.

For that extra personal touch, the experts at AoA will be happy to advise further when you phone-in your order.

To find out more, I visited Leapers, Inc. This company is based in Livonia, Michigan and they produce their P.O.I scope rings right here in the USA!

“P.O.I” is an abbreviation for “Precision Optics Interface”. To find out more, I visited the company to talk to the experts and find out some key features that should be considered when configuring your new air rifle.

The Director of Product Management at Leapers is Nick Lee. His advice was clear and valuable yet actually amazingly simple.

Nick explained that there are very precise specifications for the Picatinny rails. So, scope rings for these rails also must be designed to Picatinny specs. He directed me to the official specifications: MIL-STD-1913.

Although that’s a pretty basic statement, it’s clear that there are scope rings out there that are designed and manufactured to a somewhat “generous” interpretation of these specifications. Yes, they fit Picatinny rails, but they may do so rather more loosely than is ideal for that basic requirement of supporting a scope consistently and accurately.

To make his point, Nick pointed to the recoil stop bar that’s machined into the base of P.O.I rings. This bar is designed to be a solid fit in a Picatinny rail. And it’s rectangular in shape. There’s one in each ring. (See below).

Low cost scope rings often use a standard, mass-produced circular rod as the bearing surface against the “teeth” of the Picatinny rail. This is because it’s cheap. “But how,” asked Nick, “could that ever provide really long-term, consistent positioning for the scope against the battering the rings take from recoil? Particularly as they are often not a perfectly tight fit!”

Then there’s the material the rings are manufactured from. Leapers’ P.O.I rings are manufactured primarily from 6061-T6 Aluminum. That’s aircraft-grade material.

Why not steel? Nick explained that 6061-T6 Aluminum is plenty strong enough for this application. P.O.I rings are even qualified for use with .50 cal BMG! It also has outstanding corrosion resistance.

Plus, the light weight allows for a wide bearing area against the scope tube (it’s 22 mm for P.O.I rings). This minimizes the possibility of distorting the scope tube while also keeping the weight down.

We all expect to remove Picatinny scope rings from the gun and re-mount them later with minimal Point-Of-Impact change. So design and manufacturing precision also has to extend to the side plate: the part that clamps the rings in place onto the rail.

The locking side plate of P.O.I rings features dual spring-loaded guides to ensure that required secure and repeatable zero. They also prevent any tilting and mis-alignment. Again, another feature to consider as you choose your scope rings and an additional reason why Leapers labels these rings as P.O.I (Precision Optics Interface).

Leapers manufacture its P.O.I Scope Rings in-house in its “UTG PRO” facility on the company’s campus in Livonia. Manufacturing Director Kevin Jin showed me how P.O.I rings are manufactured.

At one end of a long conveyor belt system, strips of 6061-T6 Aluminum are loaded for delivery to whichever CNC machine is designated to produce the next batch of rings. As the P.O.I rings have a surprisingly complex shape, with many subtle curves to prevent snagging in use, they are manufactured on high-specification, Aerospace CNC-MAZAK 4-axis Horizontal machines.

Both Pictinny rail and inner bore hole for the scope are machined during the same set-up as this provides superior concentricity of the scope rings when mounted onto the gun. After that, the rings are cut horizontally into two pieces.

Particular attention is paid to the scope interface surfaces, Kevin explained. In order to secure the scope in place uniformly and without damaging the tube surface, the inner diameter is bored and finished with an endmill. Finally, there’s a final finish from a reamer to the precise diameter required.

After machining, the result is double-checked by Leapers’ extremely thorough Quality Assurance team.

Surface finish is provided by matte black, Type III hard coat anodizing. This gives a high-quality, non-reflective and long-lasting appearance to these scope rings. It’s a great match for the high quality airguns and scopes that AoA sells!

Kevin’s Manufacturing Team really cares about the quality of their products and you can see that when you look at P.O.I rings.

By investigating Leapers P.O.I rings, we’ve learned that there’s more to scope rings than meets the eye. We also found out some of the reasons why P.O.I scope rings are special.

Sure, you can buy cheap scope rings for $10.00 a set, or thereabouts. But a pair of high quality scope rings like P.O.I can be had for around $55.00 at AoA.

When you’re spending hundreds – maybe thousands – of Dollars on a new rifle like a Daystate Alpha Wolf, it just doesn’t make sense to skimp on scope rings!

Tags: scope rings
Posted in Airguns, Airguns 101 | No Comments »

Daystate’s Latest – The Huntsman Revere Safari

Saturday, July 30, 2022

The latest model from Daystate is not another electronic marvel – it’s an updated version of the company’s longest-running model, the Huntsman! You see, the new Huntsman Revere Safari Edition incorporates Daystate’s tactile, raised-grain stock with height adjustable cheekpiece, increasing this classic model’s appeal both to hunters and target shooters.

Safari Editions have become an attractive option for a number of Daystate and Brocock air rifles. If you haven’t handled a Safari stock, you really should. It’s an interesting feel that grows on you with time and use . At least it did on me!

And now there’s a Safari Edition of Daystate’s most popular model of all – the regulated Huntsman Revere.

Combining classic sporter looks with sleek design and a lineage tracing back to the company’s inception over 40 years ago. The Huntsman series has remained a firm favorite with field shooters the world over.

The Safari Edition features Daystate’s tactile, raised-grain wood stock. The boldly-textured Safari stock is further enhanced by stippled panels to the grip and forend. This provides significant handling benefits in inclement weather.

Combined with its natural camouflage look, the Huntsman Revere Safari Edition has all the perfect attributes for the field, Daystate explains.

The ambidextrous stock incorporates the lower-seated action that’s been a hallmark of the Huntsman’s design for some years years. However, the Safari Edition’s stock has been subtly tweaked to also accommodate the needs of target shooters, without compromising the Revere’s inherent sporter feel.

A vertically-adjustable cheekpiece allows perfect eye alignment for both varmint and target-styled scopes. In addition, the comb is finished in a soft-feel rubber for comfort in all conditions and shooting disciplines.

The Safari stock’s forend has been shaped to suit all holds and disciplines, too. There’s a broader shape and flatter base to assist those preferring to shoot from a bench.

The weight-relieved construction will appeal to hunters with large permissions to trek across. The scalloped butt is both practical and good-looking. Daystate says that it provides good balance in the shoulder for hunters, yet also the ideal anchor if shooting off a bench or bean bag.

For further versatility, stud-points have been incorporated for those who want to fit a sling, bipod or other shooting aid.

Action-wise, the Safari Edition keeps all the attributes that have made the Huntsman Revere Daystate’s biggest-selling rifle. These include a factory-installed Huma-Air regulator and sidelever cocking – user swappable for right- or left-hand use. Cocking effort is minimal even on the 40Ft/Lb model, the company explains.

The Huntsman Revere’s self-indexing magazine has a new loading gate, while there’s also a single-shot loading tray supplied for those who prefer to manually load their pellets.

HPA charging is via the probe system with integral rotary dust cover. The shrouded, match-grade barrel is fitted with a threaded muzzle. Finally, the adjustable two-stage trigger with manual safety catch has a tough, anti-glare metal finish.

And guess what! You can pre-order the regulated Huntsman Revere Safari from Airguns of Arizona right now…

Tags: Daystate, pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

Western Airguns Rattler 357 Now Available At AoA

Friday, July 8, 2022

The new Western Airguns Rattler is a .357 caliber, semi-automatic PCP air rifle that’s in-stock and available right now at Airguns of Arizona. It provides the capability for rapid follow-up shots for hunting larger game and pest control purposes.

The Rattler is also suitable for long range benchrest shooting. Plus, it’s fun!

In an indication of how semi-automatic actions are moving towards the mainstream for PCP airguns, Western Airguns says that the Rattler is capable of long range target shooting. Indeed, they claim sub-MOA groups are possible at 100 Yards, courtesy of the hammer forged Nitrate-coated TJ barrel.

That sounds like definite Extreme Benchrest-winning capability except for one thing. The main EBR competition is for a maximum of .30 caliber. But I’ll bet you’ll see the Rattler shooting in the Big Bore competition this year!

The Western Airguns Rattler has a fixed, 15- round magazine manufactured from Titanium. The depth of the mag is 21mm, which Western Bigbore says is capable of holding some of the longest slugs in the market today.

The manufacturer claims upwards of 15 consistent shots per fill of High Pressure Air using the included, interchangeable 580 cc carbon fiber cylinder. The fill pressure is 3,625 PSI (250 Bar). Two pressure gauges display regulator and HPA tank pressures.

Airguns of Arizona will supply the Rattler set-up to fire 81.02 Grain JSB pellets at a muzzle velocity of 900 FPS. That’s around 150 Ft/Lbs of energy.

Using 170 Grain slugs, AoA reports 800 FPS and 250 Ft/Lbs, simply by adjustments to the power adjuster wheel.

Raising the regulator pressure can bring the maximum Muzzle Energy with slugs to over 270 Ft/Lbs, they say!

The Ratter 357 utilizes a hammerless firing system that’s claimed to deliver strong shot-to-shot consistency also.

For it’s expected use at long ranges, the scope rail incorporates a 20 MOA Picatinny angle. In addition there are dual side rails, and a Picatinny bottom rail for attaching the bipod or accessory of your choice.

The Rattler has a solid aluminum shroud silencing system. It’s also equipped with dual safeties, an AR style interchangeable grip, synthetic cheek piece, and comfortable butt pad.

Plus – as we can see below – it’s easy to remove the HPA tank and barrel from the Rattler 357 if required for cleaning and maintenance.

The Western Airguns Rattler is in stock at AoA. Of course you can order online, or by phone. But stocks are not limitless so you’ll probable want to do so soon. Like very soon!

Tags: big bore, pcp
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The New Umarex Gauntlet 30 Is At AoA Now. And It Shoots Slugs!

Thursday, June 30, 2022

The new Umarex Gauntlet 30 looks very similar to its .22 and .25 caliber siblings. However, it’s different to the smaller caliber Gauntlet 2 versions as it plays on the edge of the big bore PCP market with 100+ Ft/Lbs of muzzle energy.

It’s in stock now at Airguns of Arizona and will be visible on the AoA website very soon!

True, the Gauntlet 30 sells for somewhat more than the .22 and .25 caliber models. However that’s not a big deal compared to the competitive landscape it faces among 30 caliber air rifles.

Looking a a simple price analysis, we find that the Umarex Gauntlet 30 caliber is by far the lowest priced game in town. It’s roughly half the price of its nearest competitor. And between a third and a quarter the cost of most.

That’s compared to PCP air rifles with comparable high-level specifications: regulated, magazine feed and with a shrouded barrel. The Gauntlet has always been a value product – and the 30 cal versions certainly is!

OK, so the price is good. How about the performance?

The news everyone wants to hear is this. There’s plenty of power and the accuracy is pretty good too. And it shoots slugs really well!

I found 24 consistent shots from one fill of 4,500 PSI High Pressure Air, as we can see from the chart below.

The slug-shooting performance itself will attract many shooters…

Ammo Type	Weight	Muzzle Velocity	Muzzle Energy
JSB Exact Pellets	44.75 Grains	1,003 FPS	100 Ft/Lbs
Daystate Howler Slugs	49.5 Grains	996 FPS	110 Ft/Lbs
JSB KnockOut Slugs	50.15 Grains	986 FPS	108 Ft/Lbs

My testing was restricted to three types of ammo due to the well-known ammo shortage. However, it’s clear that accuracy of the Umarex Gauntlet 30 caliber is very good.

At 25 Yards, the gun printed “one hole”, 10-shot groups on the target with the JSB pellets and Howler slugs. The KnockOuts performed almost as well, with just one shot opening-up the group a little.

Out at 75 Yards, the position was different. Here I shot a 5-shot group with a 0.75-inch Center-To-Center group size with Daystate Howler slugs. WOW!

As the photograph below shows, here we have “Extreme Benchrest”-level accuracy from a value-priced, out-of-the-box gun, shooting unsorted slugs. And with a scope magnification of only 16X and me on the trigger 😉

That’s not at all bad!!!

(Note that the scope elevation and windage were untouched in my test to show how the Point-Of-Impact dropped with increasing range. The drop was actually about 4 Inches compared to the group at 25 Yards)

So, the Umarex Gauntlet 30 I tested really likes these Daystate Howler slugs!

That’s great news because 30 caliber Howlers are in stock at AoA and they are a strong value, too.

So, overall, the Umarex Gauntlet 30 caliber represents outstanding value. It delivers power and accuracy downrange at a great price. The sample I tested shot slugs very well, too – as we have seen.

Downsides are the overall length of the gun, the muzzle-heavy weight distribution and the very heavy bolt action. The build quality is OK, but at this price there’s no way it can be on the same league as a Daystate or Brocock, for example.

But – if you can live with these drawbacks – there’s nothing in the market today to touch the Gauntlet 30 for value. In combination, of course, with those Daystate Howler slugs.

I suggest you phone AoA today to place an order for a Gauntlet 30 and a truckload of Howlers. You’re going to have long range shooting fun!!!

Tags: pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

Coming Soon – The New RTI Prophet 2

Friday, June 24, 2022

Coming soon is a new version of the RTI Prophet bullpup PCP. It’s called the Prophet 2 and it’s expected to be available at AoA in the late Summer 2022 timeframe.

The RTI Prophet 2 is the latest air rifle from the Slovenian manufacturer. As the name implies, it’s an upgrade to the successful Prophet model.

So what’s different about the Prophet II?

Essentially there’s improvements in three main areas: barrel, valve and breech block. So these are not insignificant changes. The RTI Prophet II looks very similar to the original Prophet, however there’s clearly some big improvements internally.

RTI says that Prophet II models in .22 and .25 calibers are equipped with the company’s lightly-choked proprietary barrel (RPB) which delivers improved accuracy with both slugs and pellets. They are fitted with a huge double transfer port for maximum air efficiency.

Yes, that’s the double transfer port at the rear of the barrel in the photograph below!

The .177 and .30 caliber guns are fitted with choked Lothar Walther barrels.

The new breech block includes an integrated 70 cc capacity plenum to increase Muzzle Energy. Theoretically, you could put two extended plenums on the gun and gain 44 cc additional volume, but it is not needed.

By comparison, he capacity of the first generation Prophet’s plenum was 57 cc.

This enhanced plenum operates in combination with a new valve which uses air from the barrel to close faster. RTI explains that the valve opens from zero to full in 1 millisecond. The result is that the Prophet II can achieve high power from low HPA pressures and with increased efficiency.

The regulator of the Prophet II Performance model can operate at pressures between 80 to 180 bar (1,160 to 2,610 PSI).

In fact, there’s two Prophet II models. The base and the “Performance”. The Prophet II Performance package includes a carbon fiber HPA bottle, adjustable hammer spring tension and the above-mentioned externally-adjustable regulator. This is the version that will be available at Airguns of Arizona.

The Prophet II Performance is also optionally available with a tan Cerakote finish.

Calibers available are .177, .22 cal, .25 and .30 caliber. There’s two barrel lengths, 24 Inches is standard, however the “Compact” model features a 20 Inch barrel.

RTI tells HAM that the external regulator pressure regulator is being enhanced with each production batch as well. RTI explains that they run this as a separate project to iterate upgrades quicker than on complete rifles.

To give some indication of accuracy, RTI has shared two test targets produced with the .22 caliber Prophet II PCP air rifle. The first was shot indoors at 50 Meters (55 Yards) with JSB Jumbo Exact Heavy 18.13 Grain pellets.

The second was shot outside at 100 Meters (109 Yards) with 24 Grain NSA slugs. Both targets show the excellent accuracy for which the Prophet has become known. Again, this is a five-shot group.

In addition, the manufacturer has provided test data about the power of the RTI Prophet II air rifle – in both “long” and “Compact” versions.

Here’s the graph for the full-length (24-Inch barrel) Prophet II. It compares Muzzle Energy against regulator pressure for each available caliber.

Here’s a sample of this data converted into US units.

Then, for the performance of the RTI Prophet II Air Rifle in “Compact” configuration, the graph looks like this…

As you can see, the power of the Compact model is lower. This is largely due to the shorter barre – as would be expected with any PCP air rifle.

Among the Prophet features retained in the Prophet 2 are the mid-mounted sidelever action. It’s still located on the left side of the gun. This is opposite to that of most sidelever actions.

However it makes sense for right-handed shooters as – in this location – it’s not necessary to release the right hand’s grasp on the pistol grip between shots.

The trigger also continues unchanged. It’s a two-stage trigger that can be adjusted down to a pull weight of just over 10 Ounces. The pull weight of guns I’ve tested has been around 1 Lb 12 Oz.

The first stage is long and very light, making it very easy to determine that you’ve reached the point of release. At this stage the “wall” is clear. In spite of almost no further rearward motion of the trigger blade takes place, the sear release is crisp – almost “glass break like”. I like the trigger a lot…

RTI also confirms that the Prophet II air rifle is now shipping from the factory and is becoming available through dealers world-wide. Obviously, Airguns of Arizona is in line for deliveries.

But – as everyone knows – supply chain and logistics issues are having a world-wide effect on products of every type right now, so it’s a good idea to phone to pre-order your Prophet 2 or check on availability.

Tags: pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

The Beautiful New Daystate Delta Wolf Is Here

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

The Alpha Wolf is the second ‘future-proof’ PCP that Daystate has developed. Its launch places it alongside the Delta Wolf in their current line-up of world-leading, user-programable electronic air rifles.

And it’s beautiful!!!

The new Daystate Alpha Wolf sits alongside the Delta Wolf as a more sporter-orientated electronic PCP. It uses a state-of-the-art computerized and programable action, high-end appointments and power levels up to 95 Ft/Lbs. It also brings new options to Daystate’s catalog of hi-tech electronic rifles.

The British company’s investment into computerized airguns means its rolling development program can easily incorporate today’s latest performance improvements as well as tomorrow’s. The Alpha Wolf takes things a step further by offering all this in a stylish, new sporter package.

In short, the world’s most advanced air rifle is still the most advanced air rifle… and it’s now available in two formats!

While still complementing its Delta Wolf bullpup sibling, the Alpha Wolf’s individuality is immediately obvious courtesy of a beautifully sculpted, red laminate skeleton stock. This features an extended forend lip and new-look Picatinny optic rail – still movable fore-and-aft to cater for any day and night vision scope configuration – that is fitted with an anti-cant bubble.

Elsewhere, the Alpha Wolf maintains the high-end features first seen on the Delta Wolf: on-board chronograph, quick-and-easy barrel changes and touch-screen programming. There’s now Windows platform synchronization courtesy of an optional plug-in ‘dongle’, electronic air regulation, double-magazine system and A.R.T barrel.

In addition to the adjustable cheekpiece and butt pad, there’s a fully-adjustable trigger and blade, carbon-fibre bottle and multiple accessory rails.

The Alpha Wolf has also been designed to accept a host third-party options and upgrades, such as those from Precision Rifle Systems.

The company says that – as testament to Daystate’s future-proof rifle mantra – the new computerized technology built into Alpha Wolf can also be retro-fitted into its slightly older Delta Wolf sibling.

Indeed, Daystate is offering existing Delta Wolf owners upgrade kits at introductory prices for a limited period. These kits include the sleek laminate thumbhole stock, optic rail and DTD pen drive that allows users to program many elements of the rifle’s firing cycle (such as regulator pressure, power adjustment and caliber selection).

Ask AoA for details on this…

Airguns of Arizona has released a Daystate Alpha Wolf video. It shows unboxing the product and gives a great overview of this beautiful new air rifle.

As usual, Jared Clark makes the presentation. As always, he makes a great job of it.

The Alpha Wolf increases the Daystate “Wolf” series of products to three. There’s the Red Wolf, Delta Wolf and now the Alpha Wolf.

In this video, Jared takes us through the range of caliber and barrel length options. He also explains the 20 MOA compensation scope rail with built-in bubble level that’s a change from the Delta Wolf’s optics mount.

But the main thing is the sheer beauty of this air rifle. That fantastic Italian Minelli stock makes it definitely the most beautiful airgun I have seen for a very long time!

Airguns of Arizona has supplies of the Alpha Wolf in stock, but they’re likely to sell fast. When you phone to order yours, tell them that you read about it in this blog post!!!

Tags: Daystate, pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

ART Tuning – A Special Red Wolf Service At Airguns of Arizona

Monday, May 2, 2022

The Daystate Red Wolf in .22 caliber is already well-known as one of the most accurate air rifles available for long-distance benchrest shooting, out-of-the-box.

But a special ART Tuning service from Airguns of Arizona can improve even on that, should the customer wish.

In this post, we’ll find out how…

ART stands for Accuracy Research Team. It’s the name of a Daystate philosophy for ensuring that their products are developed to achieve outstanding outstanding accuracy. You can read more about it in this story.

But even with such dedication, skill and technology, it’s still possible to improve individual examples of a product and take it to even greater heights.

“Blueprinting” the engine for a race car is one example of this type of work. ART Tuning is another – it’s a service offered by Airguns of Arizona, specifically for the Red Wolf.

The way that AoA undertakes their ART service is to break it into two parts…

First, there’s a workshop part. Secondly, there’s long-range test-firing to prove the effectiveness of the tune.

Importantly, the two stages of this process are undertaken by two different people. This is deliberate as it provides an un-biased approach, combining outstanding workshop skills with world-class testing on the range used for the annual Extreme Benchrest competition.

Let’s Start With The Workshop Side.

A key part of the ART Tuning service is mapping and re-programming the Red Wolf’s electronic “brain”. In this way, the gun’s electronics is individually set-up to provide best performance when using one specific, great-performing pellet: normally this is the 25.39 Grain JSB Monster Redesigned.

Then the AoA specialist installs a new bolt probe that’s specially-optimized to provide best performance with this pellet.

Steve Buchanan is the “wizard” tuner. He also has several other specialist “magic” tricks that are incorporated into the tune…

If the customer has any other specific requirements, these will be incorporated while the Red Wolf is on Steve’s workshop bench.

After a lot of painstaking work, the results of this tune are documented and will be presented to the customer as proof of the exact set-up of his or her individual gun.

Then To The Range.

After this extensive set-up process, the gun is taken to the Rio Salado range and test fired.

I joined Jared Clark one evening and watched him test a batch of guns that had passed through the ART tuning process.

Jared explained that his shooting test typically takes around 100 shots. He’ll normally shoot 20, 5-shot groups with each gun. As you can see, he shoots from bags. This is to prevent any possibility of jump when shooting from a bipod and is another part of removing variables from the testing.

What he’s looking for is a “good feel” with multiple, consistently-excellent groups of around 1-Inch Center-to-Center at 78 Yards from the same gun.

If a customer orders a Red Wolf with a scope, that scope will be mounted, sighted-in and used for the test. Likewise, if the customer orders a dedicated airgun silencer at the same time, the whole ART Tune process will be undertaken specifically to include that configuration.

Let’s be clear, this is a customized process that provides the customer with an unique air rifle that’s dedicated to its new owner!

Normally, the ART-tuned gun will pass Jared’s testing first time. But if he’s not satisfied with the accuracy – it will go back for the tune to be double-checked, then tested again.

It has to be right!

The customer will also receive a test target illustrating the Red Wolf’s performance.

Note that Jared shoots the Monster Redesigned pellets “straight from the tin”. So there’s still additional accuracy improvement potential should the customer be willing to sort pellets by weight and head size for competition at EBR…

So why isn’t ART Tuning included with every Daystate Red Wolf? In a word – cost!

Like “blueprinting” an engine, this is a specialist tuning process that goes waaay above and beyond even the best that can be achieved with volume manufacturing in a factory environment. As you can tell, it takes knowledgeable, highly-skilled people a lot of time to achieve.

That’s why it’s an additional-cost option for those customers lucky enough to buy a Red Wolf from Airguns of Arizona.

If you’re interested in an ART tune for your new air rifle, the best way is to order by phone from AoA and discuss any specific requirements. They’ll be pleased to help you!

Tags: Daystate, pcp
Posted in Airguns | No Comments »

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ART Tuning – A Special Red Wolf Service At Airguns of Arizona

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