Scorpio EM332A 22LR Bolt rifle 20" vs NS522
- Thread starter Molon.Labe
- Start date
It came today...I got the bolt apart to check everything out-and now I can't get it back together,that catch at the back of the bolt doesn't seem to be 'catching ' and holding everything together .i don't think I lost anything when I took it apart
Ok,got the bolt back together( it's kind of tricky) and the bolt in the rifle..the stock might look kind of hokey,but it actually fits pretty good.Next I have to figure out how to scope it ( my aging eyes preclude using open sights) probably this one will never see a bench rest,but will serve nicely as a 'walking gun'with an improvised rest.'Minute of grouse head' serves as my benchmark
Well got my rifle yesterday. Fit and finish are pretty good. Actually really like the stock. Figured with such a fine firearm I would need to scope it with nothing but the best so had ordered a tasco world class 4-16 ao scope. Lol.
Got out and did a bit of shooting this evening. Only shot 20 yards tonight. Well started out pretty poor. Don't know if it was me or break in on the rifle, but it was shooting quarter sized groups. Kept shooting and things slowly got better. Most of the shooting was done with federal auto match. Last group was shot with Eley sport. Last federal group was .351 cc and the Eley group was .235" cc. Both 5 shot groups.
A few things to note. Ejection was sometimes erratic. Sometimes one would go left, occasionally one would drop on top of the mag. Every round did pick up and feed though. I only tried one of my mags.
Anyone know how to take the front sight off?
Got out and did a bit of shooting this evening. Only shot 20 yards tonight. Well started out pretty poor. Don't know if it was me or break in on the rifle, but it was shooting quarter sized groups. Kept shooting and things slowly got better. Most of the shooting was done with federal auto match. Last group was shot with Eley sport. Last federal group was .351 cc and the Eley group was .235" cc. Both 5 shot groups.
A few things to note. Ejection was sometimes erratic. Sometimes one would go left, occasionally one would drop on top of the mag. Every round did pick up and feed though. I only tried one of my mags.
Anyone know how to take the front sight off?
I'm expecting mine from Durham Outdoors on Monday. Not sure when I will get to shoot it, but I am keenly anticipating it. I bought a JW15 about a month and a half ago and am really happy with it (even with their really poor rear iron sight, it is amazingly accurate); everyone needs one of those too!
From the photos I've seen, it looks like the rear sight on this rifle is way better. I was going to buy the short version of the JW15 to scope and keep the irons on the 24" version, but everyone was sold out. Ordered this instead with the intent to scope it, but in reading everyone's reports, the scope may be going on the JW15.
From the photos I've seen, it looks like the rear sight on this rifle is way better. I was going to buy the short version of the JW15 to scope and keep the irons on the 24" version, but everyone was sold out. Ordered this instead with the intent to scope it, but in reading everyone's reports, the scope may be going on the JW15.
Really nobody has shot some groups at 50 in 5 months?
Things that are just about perfect in my opinion:
Adjustable sights; sight picture clean and sharp.
Fit and finish; deep dark bluing and very even; metal to metal fit is top grade, internal machined surfaces, good +
Action very smooth, no need to spot it in or hone sharp edges.
Bolt easy to dissassemble/clean/reassemble
Trigger needs no, and I mean zero attention right from the box.
The ammout of steel in it is impressive; except for the mag-well.
Quality of the Injection Moulding on the stock is top quality also.
The cheek weld and eye alignment for the sights is perfect for me (same reason I bought the JW15; Savage and Marlin did not fit me very well).
Nice clean sling studs.
Rubbery butt-plate helps with stability.
Sharp, clean rifling (inside of barrel does indeed appear to be "rotary hammer forged").
Mags slide in easily with bolt open or closed, but lockup once inserted is positive, and the mags are tight; one of the best fitting mag setups I have ever seen on a .22.
Barrel is not a "bull" barrel but it is heavy, heavier than many other sporting .22s I have handled.
Bolt is what appears to be an exact copy of the Anschutz, as is pretty much the rest of the barreled action. Someone posted in another forum that these are built on the old Savage/Anschutz tooling that was sold to China; it looks very likely to me.
Things that are not quite perfect:
Mags, while good quality, have pretty chincy plastic bottom plates, but are easy to dissassemble for cleaning; not as easy to get the lock pin to align with the plate while reassembling.
Barreled action is very loose, fore and aft, in the stock, action requires bedding.
Parting lines, particularly those in the upper thumb hole were very sharp, but the hard plastic was easy to file with a fine half-round needle file. Top edges of the inletting were sharp also, as were the parting lines in and outside the trigger guard.
Butt-plate overhangs (is bigger than the stock) on one side, has a sharp edge, and could use some rework. (no fasteners visible, so I wonder if it is a friction fit into the but-stock; it is not moulded on).
Grip texture is a bit over-done, but very positive.
Mag-release is a bit short.
Bolt handle (as others have stated) is very tight to the stock; not a problem unless one may be trying to operate it with gloves on.
Fasteners for scope adjustment; one is slot, one is a poor quality Phillips (hopefully they are metric, or SAE so I can eventually change them out, as others have mentioned also that they are "soft", and they look it).
Sights could be higher visibility, but nothing a dab of paint won't fix.
Barrel Crown, or lack thereof, some photos showed match-grade crowning, however my rifle looks to have barely been touched with a countersink.
Saturday...
I actually got out shooting today and did a comparison between the Scorpio and the Norinco. From a bench rest, the Scorpio is way more accurate, but shooting free-hand; the Norinco beat it out; however, the Scorpio had way less variation by brand of ammo than the Norinco; but the norinco fed Winchester 555 with zero issues and the Scorpio just did not want to feed the somewhat flatter nose on the Winchester. BTW, my old Winchester pump does not like the Winchester ammo either; very hard feeding.
I have to crunch numbers, and shoot some more. Regarding freehand, the shorter sight radius on the Scorpio may have something to do with the reduced accuracy. I'm thinking, if the trend continues, the sights may be coming off the Scorpio, and a scope going on.
Sunday...
Similar results; shot only free-hand with both rifles at 20M, came home, took the sights off of the Scorpio, and mounted a scope (Tasco 6-24; overkill, but the only unassigned scope I presently have). I'll let you guys know how this works out when I get a chance.
RichieB1970
New member
- Location
- Central Alberta
I ordered one this past Saturday, and it is marked as shipped yesterday! Disappointed nobody has posted pics of any actual groups. I ordered from SFRC, and stopped in to P&D in Edmonton on Tuesday to have another look at it. Two staff told me the owner shoots one regularly, and says it is almost as accurate as his competition Anschutz.
RichieB1970
New member
- Location
- Central Alberta
Picked up my Scorpio yesterday, and got out to the range today. I am very impressed! 4 shots to sight in with the scope I mounted. See pic for groups.
I have been out about 4 times with mine; put about 750 -1000 rounds through it. I currently have a Tasco Silver Antler scope on it and from a bench rest, can put 10 shots in 1/2" or less using Federal Automatch. Winchester 555 shoots very well in this rifle also, but does not feed as well due to the flatter end. I have the occasional failure to feed where the bolt does not pick up the shell when I get close to the last shell in the Mag. I have two mags, and both are the same. I am going to try opening up the back of one of them a few thousands of an inch to see if it makes a difference. I will keep everyone informed. Extraction can also be a bit feeble, with the occasional case out of the chamber, but laying in the rifle.
