DAYSTATE AIR WOLF .22 REVIEW
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:32 am
I want to share my honest findings and my review, is by no means, meant to hurt the current owners of the Airwolf PCP. I have posted this review on other forums with mixed results. It made members of a Brit forum brush their teeth for the first time.
This is the updated version.
I ordered my rifle from Airguns of Arizona on april 30th of 2007, got it on June 2nd.
After about 350 shots, the bolt jammed permanently. No matter how much force was applied to pull it back it would not budge. For members who are thinking that it might be pellet stuck between the bolt and the walls of the bolt channel, I want to explain something. I cycled a pellet into the chamber and fired. The pellet struck the target. The bolt is still closed and resting. To cycle the next pellet, I pull it back but it does not budge. How can a pellet be jammed when it is not loaded in the first place, previous pellet has exited the rifle which is now essentially empty with pellets sitting in the mag with nowhere to move. The bolt is occupying the bolt channel, previous pellet’s mag chamber and part of the barrel chamber so it is impossible for any loose pellet to fall back into the bolt channel. Strange thing is that the bolt is stuck in the pushed and locked position, not the pulled back positon. Point is, it can't be user error.
Pellets used were JSB Wolverine FTs, 16gr and barracuda match, 21gr. The bolt jammed while shooting JSBs
Now within one week of its arrival after a very long wait to get it, the rifle has been sent back to the dealer for repairs. I am very disappointed and livid to say the least.
And now the Rifle.
The rifle is good like any other high quality PCP, but IS NOT all that as most owners put it up to be, IMHO. I think it has something to with ownership pride and willingness to overlook or forgive small issues or lack of exposure to some of the best pcp’s out there. But a rifle that costs as much as Anschutz 2013 super match rifle and claims to be the greatest PCP on earth, I for one will nit pick everything. I want to use this forum for it’s real purpose -- sharing honest and correct information and not how great my stuff is:
Good Points:
1. Very Beautiful to look at, nice and comfortable stock.
2. High quality fit and finish (more on that, later).
3. Very accurate but not anymore accurate than any other high quality PCPs since they all use lothar walther barrels and use each others actions under different names. FX has its original in house designed actions and what beautiful actions they are (Speaking out of ownership experience).
4. AW is very well balanced, I had no issues with front weight bias.
5. Magazine slides in and out like knife through butter.
6. Bolt, when not jammed, functions properly, is reasonably smooth but nothing like FX’s self return biathlon action. It should be much better for this grade of rifle.
7. The action block finish is good but again, fades in comparison with the beautifully smooth scratch resisting glossy finish of FX rifles or Logun s16s. (Again, speaking out of ownership experience).
8. THE best trigger in the world. Never experienced any thing like it. Almost no lock time.
9. Huge shot capacity, 68 full power, lost count on 12lb, after about 162.
10. CDT electronics are the real advantage. Personally I found only 3 features to be useful. The Mag counter, power tuning to pellet weight and ballistics, and future availability of software upgrades to increase power. Rest are a bling factor for now but more real, useful features could be available in future. It will be a simple matter of downloads.
11. You can dry fire the gun for target practice without any damage to it.
But as you can see, all of these good points (except the CDT) can be found in other high quality pcp rifles without having to spend all that money. So really, if you can live without the gizmos this rifle does not have any edge over the others. This rifle will not appeal to the real traditionalists since it lacks mechanical nirvana achieved when a perfect mechanical match trigger is pulled, again like that of a FX rifle. To be succinct,Its like a sports car with a non-communicative steering column. This rifle is dead but still gives you great feeling when you apply the trigger because the pellet hits the target instantly (no lock time).
BAD points:
1. The stock is unfinished from the inside with wood spurs clinging on to the corners. There are tool marks everywhere, like a cheap savage rifle laminated stock. This is unacceptable for that kind of money and for a rifle that touts a designer stock. The oil finish on it is sparingly thin, and the customer has to hand rub the stock to death with oil finish to get the real beauty out of the wood and to properly seal it form the weather, especially the inside.
2. The rifle is dead. No communication. The action is not all that great and lacks that buttery feeling.
3. Hard to mount a scope with regular sliding mounts. I had to get BKL extended, expandable mounts so I could expand the runners and put the front mount on the rail from top rather than sliding it on to the rail from front. The front mount is very difficult to mount by sliding on to the rail (unless it has expandable channels) since the scope rail is not extended or continued into the shroud. So when you try to slide the regular mount it gets stuck on the shroud and has no way to reach the scope rail. This scratches the black
finish on both the shroud and the breach block. Daystate should have a least thought of that.
4. The Finish is good but needs to be harder and more durable.
5. The barrel should at least be 18” to get the most out of 40 lb. of power. 19” will be perfect.
6. First major problem was encountered within a week of use. You would expect that Daystate would nip the “pellet falling back into the bolt channel” devil in the bud by simply tightening the tolerances of the bolt channel. I am expecting German precision here. Shouldn’t I? Is it too much to ask? Alas an Aston Martin will never beat a BMW M6.
7. With the scope on, the rifle weighs in at 11-1/2 lb.. You need a BI-pod to get the full accuracy potential which makes it 12-1/2 lb.. It does not come with bipod and sling mounting studs. Pray, how are you going to carry it in the field? I paid $50 to the dealer for stud installment and risked stock damage. Upon asking Tony@Daystate I was told that the people in UK don’t like the studs jutting out so they don’t install them at factory. What about the US. We’re stud lovers. How do the Brits carry their heavy rifles? Duct tape them to their hands?! No wonder their aim is as crooked as there teeth.
8. I opened the shrould for investigation. What I saw, I couldn't believe. The shroud from the inside was downright filthy. It took me quite some time to clean it. While doing that a lot of bits of aluminium and shop debri was flushed out. I was also amazed to see how short the barrel actually was, like the logun s-16s. At least reasonably clean the (expensive) gun before you ship it to the customer.
9. The rifle is said to be "double fire safe" (since it can happen in pcps with a hair tigger). But it did double tapp on me a couple of times, although no harm done, only lost air worth one shot. But just so you know, the factory set trigger is that sensitive. It can be adjusted for weight, but that would take the fun out of it.
10. Pellet clipping and damaging the inside of the new and improved shroud, still an issue on variable power and below just 150 bar.
Not for the sake of comparison, but another perspective, you could get a Sako TRG 22, .308 ultra precision rifle (one of the best this world has seen) or an Anschutz 2013 super match for the same money. Go figure.
All in all the rifle leaves you desiring for something. That German/Swedish precision and reliability we are so familiar with, is missing. One would hate to be stuck with a $2300 rifle, all jammed up for no reason while the other guy beats his behind with very reliably and deadly accurate Steyr LG100 FT.
This is the updated version.
I ordered my rifle from Airguns of Arizona on april 30th of 2007, got it on June 2nd.
After about 350 shots, the bolt jammed permanently. No matter how much force was applied to pull it back it would not budge. For members who are thinking that it might be pellet stuck between the bolt and the walls of the bolt channel, I want to explain something. I cycled a pellet into the chamber and fired. The pellet struck the target. The bolt is still closed and resting. To cycle the next pellet, I pull it back but it does not budge. How can a pellet be jammed when it is not loaded in the first place, previous pellet has exited the rifle which is now essentially empty with pellets sitting in the mag with nowhere to move. The bolt is occupying the bolt channel, previous pellet’s mag chamber and part of the barrel chamber so it is impossible for any loose pellet to fall back into the bolt channel. Strange thing is that the bolt is stuck in the pushed and locked position, not the pulled back positon. Point is, it can't be user error.
Pellets used were JSB Wolverine FTs, 16gr and barracuda match, 21gr. The bolt jammed while shooting JSBs
Now within one week of its arrival after a very long wait to get it, the rifle has been sent back to the dealer for repairs. I am very disappointed and livid to say the least.
And now the Rifle.
The rifle is good like any other high quality PCP, but IS NOT all that as most owners put it up to be, IMHO. I think it has something to with ownership pride and willingness to overlook or forgive small issues or lack of exposure to some of the best pcp’s out there. But a rifle that costs as much as Anschutz 2013 super match rifle and claims to be the greatest PCP on earth, I for one will nit pick everything. I want to use this forum for it’s real purpose -- sharing honest and correct information and not how great my stuff is:
Good Points:
1. Very Beautiful to look at, nice and comfortable stock.
2. High quality fit and finish (more on that, later).
3. Very accurate but not anymore accurate than any other high quality PCPs since they all use lothar walther barrels and use each others actions under different names. FX has its original in house designed actions and what beautiful actions they are (Speaking out of ownership experience).
4. AW is very well balanced, I had no issues with front weight bias.
5. Magazine slides in and out like knife through butter.
6. Bolt, when not jammed, functions properly, is reasonably smooth but nothing like FX’s self return biathlon action. It should be much better for this grade of rifle.
7. The action block finish is good but again, fades in comparison with the beautifully smooth scratch resisting glossy finish of FX rifles or Logun s16s. (Again, speaking out of ownership experience).
8. THE best trigger in the world. Never experienced any thing like it. Almost no lock time.
9. Huge shot capacity, 68 full power, lost count on 12lb, after about 162.
10. CDT electronics are the real advantage. Personally I found only 3 features to be useful. The Mag counter, power tuning to pellet weight and ballistics, and future availability of software upgrades to increase power. Rest are a bling factor for now but more real, useful features could be available in future. It will be a simple matter of downloads.
11. You can dry fire the gun for target practice without any damage to it.
But as you can see, all of these good points (except the CDT) can be found in other high quality pcp rifles without having to spend all that money. So really, if you can live without the gizmos this rifle does not have any edge over the others. This rifle will not appeal to the real traditionalists since it lacks mechanical nirvana achieved when a perfect mechanical match trigger is pulled, again like that of a FX rifle. To be succinct,Its like a sports car with a non-communicative steering column. This rifle is dead but still gives you great feeling when you apply the trigger because the pellet hits the target instantly (no lock time).
BAD points:
1. The stock is unfinished from the inside with wood spurs clinging on to the corners. There are tool marks everywhere, like a cheap savage rifle laminated stock. This is unacceptable for that kind of money and for a rifle that touts a designer stock. The oil finish on it is sparingly thin, and the customer has to hand rub the stock to death with oil finish to get the real beauty out of the wood and to properly seal it form the weather, especially the inside.
2. The rifle is dead. No communication. The action is not all that great and lacks that buttery feeling.
3. Hard to mount a scope with regular sliding mounts. I had to get BKL extended, expandable mounts so I could expand the runners and put the front mount on the rail from top rather than sliding it on to the rail from front. The front mount is very difficult to mount by sliding on to the rail (unless it has expandable channels) since the scope rail is not extended or continued into the shroud. So when you try to slide the regular mount it gets stuck on the shroud and has no way to reach the scope rail. This scratches the black
finish on both the shroud and the breach block. Daystate should have a least thought of that.
4. The Finish is good but needs to be harder and more durable.
5. The barrel should at least be 18” to get the most out of 40 lb. of power. 19” will be perfect.
6. First major problem was encountered within a week of use. You would expect that Daystate would nip the “pellet falling back into the bolt channel” devil in the bud by simply tightening the tolerances of the bolt channel. I am expecting German precision here. Shouldn’t I? Is it too much to ask? Alas an Aston Martin will never beat a BMW M6.
7. With the scope on, the rifle weighs in at 11-1/2 lb.. You need a BI-pod to get the full accuracy potential which makes it 12-1/2 lb.. It does not come with bipod and sling mounting studs. Pray, how are you going to carry it in the field? I paid $50 to the dealer for stud installment and risked stock damage. Upon asking Tony@Daystate I was told that the people in UK don’t like the studs jutting out so they don’t install them at factory. What about the US. We’re stud lovers. How do the Brits carry their heavy rifles? Duct tape them to their hands?! No wonder their aim is as crooked as there teeth.
8. I opened the shrould for investigation. What I saw, I couldn't believe. The shroud from the inside was downright filthy. It took me quite some time to clean it. While doing that a lot of bits of aluminium and shop debri was flushed out. I was also amazed to see how short the barrel actually was, like the logun s-16s. At least reasonably clean the (expensive) gun before you ship it to the customer.
9. The rifle is said to be "double fire safe" (since it can happen in pcps with a hair tigger). But it did double tapp on me a couple of times, although no harm done, only lost air worth one shot. But just so you know, the factory set trigger is that sensitive. It can be adjusted for weight, but that would take the fun out of it.
10. Pellet clipping and damaging the inside of the new and improved shroud, still an issue on variable power and below just 150 bar.
Not for the sake of comparison, but another perspective, you could get a Sako TRG 22, .308 ultra precision rifle (one of the best this world has seen) or an Anschutz 2013 super match for the same money. Go figure.
All in all the rifle leaves you desiring for something. That German/Swedish precision and reliability we are so familiar with, is missing. One would hate to be stuck with a $2300 rifle, all jammed up for no reason while the other guy beats his behind with very reliably and deadly accurate Steyr LG100 FT.