electric dreams - Pomona Airguns

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Air Wolf allow the user to programme a wide range of functions and alerts. This is done by pulling the trigger and then setting the catch to fi re (having fi rst checked that the rifl e is clear and pointed in a safe direction, of course). A beep and a fl ash from the red LED behind the clear safety lever inform you that you are in programming mode, and keeping the trigger depressed allows you to move through the seven available functions. Releasing the trigger again selects the current function. Some of the functions – like resetting the magazine counter and activating the safety-catch light or the magazine-count reminder – present simple on/off choices. Others, like the shot-count reminder or the power setting function, allow for plenty of adjustment via additional pulls on the trigger. Thus the rifl e can be programmed to remind you to refi ll the air reservoir after a given number of shots have been fi red, and the power output can be adjusted The battery-charging cable plugs into a socket at the rear of the trigger guard. Note also the holes in the guard and trigger blade: these give access to the trigger adjustment screws downwards from maximum in 15 graded steps. The handbook supplied explains the operation of these functions clearly and simply; the list concludes with a fi nal function that lets you reset the rifl e to the factory defaults, in case you want to clear your experimental settings. Another useful function is the auto-safe feature. This activates if the safety lever is left at ‘fi re’ for more than 15 minutes since the last shot was fi red; it renders the rifl e inert, and causes it to beep and fl ash every 30 seconds until the safety is reset. There’s also a locking power cut-off switch just in front of the trigger guard, which when locked stops the Air Wolf being used without the keyholder’s knowledge (the rifl e won’t work without power). Power comes from a maintenance-free NiMH battery located under the receiver, near the balancing point of the rifl e. The battery is rechargeable, and can be topped up at any time via a charging port at the rear of the trigger guard. Daystate says that a full charge should give enough power for 10,000 shots, and the battery should be good for at least 1,000 charging cycles. In case you forget to top it up, a low battery is signalled by constant fl ashing of the LED. One of the Harper Wolf Pistol’s most striking features was its trigger: instead of a standard blade, there was a rubberised button that made discharging the gun as easy as clicking a computer mouse. The Mk3 and Air Wolf use a similar system: The stock has a cutaway for the contents gauge on the left-hand side, and another underneath for the fi ller valve with its metal cover. To the rear of this are the single bolt securing the stock; the locking power cut-off (at the front of the trigger guard); and the charger socket (at the rear) at fi rst sight the trigger used on these rifl es appears to be a conventional unit, but when you try it, you realise that the trigger blade is just a more sophisticated and controllable way of clicking a button. I found this took a bit of getting used to on the Harper, but once I’d acclimatised to it I found it hard to go back to a mechanical trigger. The trigger action is so precise and predictable, and at the same time so matter-of-fact, that picking the ideal moment of alignment and releasing the shot can be synchronised with exceptional ease and consistency. The use of a conventionally-shaped blade also allows the trigger pull to be adjusted – something not possible on the Harper – so you can fi netune the weight of the fi rst and second stages as well as the fi rst-stage travel without removing the action from the stock. AIR RIFLE REVIEW: DAYSTATE AIRWOLF The Gary Cane-designed proves that ambidextrous doesn’t have to mean middle-of-the-road. It not only looks great but is also comfortable in all positions, and makes the rifl e feel much lighter than its true 8lb weight Stock I’ve gone on about the electronics on this rifl e, because they’re what makes it and the Mk3 unique – but there’s nothing ordinary about the other parts of the package. The stock is another spectacular Gary Cane design; it’s superfi cially similar in confi guration to the thumbhole unit on the Air Ranger, but its many sinuous curves give the The threaded end cap on the barrel shroud makes it easy to access the spring and baffl e system that silences the Air Wolf and facilitates barrel cleaning. It can also be replaced with a silencer adapter, if additional suppression is required latter the air of a country cousin in comparison. It’s ambidextrous like its predecessors, but this version has the scooped profi le on the underside of the butt fi rst seen on the Merlyn; smaller cheek-pieces; a larger, more elongated thumbhole longer, tapered grooves running along the fore-stock; and thumb-channels on both sides of the pistol-grip (which also has a fl ared foot embellished with panels of stippling, and a rosewood cap set off by a pale maple spacer). Also different is the trigger guard, which is made of metal rather than formed from the stock wood as on the Air Ranger. The Air Wolf’s weight sits a little further forward than the Ranger’s – perhaps because of its slimmer stock – but its balancing point is still comfortable between the shooter’s hands. TARGET SPORTS 17
AIR RIFLE REVIEW: DAYSTATE AIRWOLF The Air Wolf comes with a magnetic pellet tray for single-shot use. It’s a very precise fit, so it’s important to ensure that the action block is clear of any dirt or grease before fitting the tray Parts The bolt has a chromed metal finish. As its only function is to chamber pellets and cycle the magazine, and it is not required to set and control a mechanical sear and valve (which also permits a shorter bolt throw), it is extremely light and smooth. The action block will be familiar to anyone who has used a Daystate recently, and accepts both magazines and a single-shot loading tray. The latter simply drops into place, and is held there by a couple of locator pins and a strong magnet. Daystate’s magazines now come in two varieties: a standard 10-shot unit, and a new 20-shot version that holds two 10-shot cylinders side by side in an extended housing. Once the first 10 shots have been fired, you simply push the magazine through the receiver to the next detent stop and carry on until it’s time for a reload. It costs the same as two 10-shot magazines, and could prove useful when lamping a rabbit-infested field or on those special occasions when a corvid-decoying strategy comes seriously good. The barrel is housed within an alloy sleeve. This extends some way beyond the muzzle, incorporating a series of springs and baffles designed to muffle the muzzle blast. They do this pretty well, it’s true – but this is the one area of the Air Wolf with room for improvement. A screw-in adapter that lets you fit an additional silencer is available, but I’d like to see Daystate improve the built-in silencer to the point where extra moderation is entirely superfluous – at least at sub-12FPE. Daystate’s FT pellets performed extremely well in the Air Wolf, whether loaded singly or fed through either the 10- or 20-shot magazines. Both magazine types use the same spring-loaded mechanism, and both proved equally reliable in use 18 TARGET SPORTS Daystate supplies a brass quick-fill connector that snaps onto the valve on the rifle. A miniature contents gauge allows you to check the pressure during and after filling Shooting The Air Wolf is, quite simply, the best-shooting PCP I’ve ever used. The massive air reservoir, combined with the super-efficient CDT valving, means that the power curve has a huge flat central plain that runs for hundred of shots and delivers velocities within a few feet of each other time after time. I started running the rifle on Daystate’s FT pellets and saw no reason to change, as I had to get out to almost 50m before my (bench-rested) shots did anything more than pluck at the edges of a ragged hole – and even from field positions, knockover targets fell regularly at 60m. The action feels completely ‘dead’ on firing, and the stock design provides secure support and a comfortable grip in all positions while minimising contact with pulse points that might otherwise affect the steadiness of one’s aim. I didn’t have the Air Wolf long enough to do any serious hunting, but I have no doubt it would prove to be a supreme tool – whether at legal-limit or FAC power levels. A word on scopes: the test rifle was fitted with a Bushnell Legend 5-15x40 with mil-dot reticle. Until recently, the Bushnell brand has been widely perceived as belonging exclusively to the economy end of the quality/price scale – so I was pleasantly surprised by the Legend’s brightness and clarity; the crisp predictability of its adjustments; and the reliability with which it held zero. It really helped me to get the most out of the Air Wolf. Conclusions This is undoubtedly the most technologically-advanced air rifle ever built. Its sophistication has been combined with a very high degree of usability, and completed by elegant and practical styling. It’s also spectacularly expensive, with a base price of £1,066. Having tested one, though, I can confirm it’s worth the money. Technical Specifications The filling valve is now protected by a metal push-fit cover, in place of the earlier rubber version. This metal versionundoubtedly has more class, but it isn’t as easy to grip Overall Length: 103cm (40.5”) Barrel Length: 43cm (17”) Weight (400 cc bottle): 3.5kg (7.8lbs) Action: Bolt action, multi-shot PCP, with electronic CDT firing system and programmable functions Trigger: Electronic, two-stage, adjustable Sights: None. f/l dovetails on action block Magazine: 10-shot rotary magazine or single-shot pellet tray Safety: Electronic, manual, resettable Stock: Ambidextrous walnut thumbhole Air Cylinder Capacity: 400cc or 500cc (non-removable) Fill pressure: 200-bar Calibres: .177 tested, .22 available Power: 11.2 FPE with Daystate FT pellets Shots per charge (400/500 cc) 12 FPE: .177: 240/350; .22: 340/550 Shots per charge (500 cc) FAC: .177 @18 FPE: 80; .22 @40 FPE: 70 Options and accessories:Left-hand version £30 Single-shot tray £10 10-shot magazine £40 20-shot magazine £80 Woodsman bag £49 Price: £1,066 (Std. or FAC) including magazine; pellet tray; quick-fill adapter; and mains battery charger Contact: Daystate www.daystate.co.uk Tel: 01782 791755
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