sillymike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Having had the rifle for a few years now, I figure it's about time I give it my quick 30 seconds review.
If you're not familiar with the rifle, it was designed as a biathlon trainer.
- Initially made by HAENEL SUHL, as the B96. Now manufactured by Steyr.
It's a 5 shots PCP repeater in 177. Sub 500 fps
- The magazine is advanced by pulling back on the side lever
The good, the bad, the quirks?
On the plus side
- Probably the most "fun" air rifle I've own. If you get one, you need to also budget for some sort of falling plate target. The Air Venturi target works just fine.
- - You could make you're own Master-Card add. Property $$, biathlon air rifle $$, metal target $... running around the yard with the nephews and shooting stuff = priceless.
- It's proven to be quite accurate. At 10M, it will make one big ragged hole using H&N pellets
- The rail will accept any Anschutz-type accessories, like a handstop if you want to practice your prone shooting.
- Good shot counts. Well over 200 per fill.
- Reliable
- Shoots from the magazine, so as soon as the magazine is removed the rifle is safe
- Safe to dry-fire
- Fairly quite, the barrel less than 17" long inside the sleeve
- Regulated
The bad
- No easy way to mount a scope on such a short receiver. So I added a piece of rail to the barrel shroud.
- Not much adjustment as far as velocity is concerned. It's a sub 500 fps rifle, and there are no known/simple way to bump it up to something like 800 fps
- On the $$ side of things
- Extra magazines are on the $$ side of things
- -The magazines are not the same pattern as LP50 (another Steyr 177 repeater) and apparently not the same as the Hunting 5 in 177... go figure
- Shoots from the magazine, so it's not as efficient as let say the LG110, that gets close to 400 shots from the same size cylinder at the same velocity.
The quirks
- The look is an acquired taste, it's about serving a purpose.
- Because the cylinder is some close to the barrel and because of the biathlon front sight assembly. You cannot use the Steyr "long" cylinder. If you want to install a quick-gill, you'd need to remove the front sight to re-install the cylinder.
If you've been thinking about one and can live with the downsides, I'd say go for it.
If you're not familiar with the rifle, it was designed as a biathlon trainer.
- Initially made by HAENEL SUHL, as the B96. Now manufactured by Steyr.
It's a 5 shots PCP repeater in 177. Sub 500 fps
- The magazine is advanced by pulling back on the side lever
The good, the bad, the quirks?
On the plus side
- Probably the most "fun" air rifle I've own. If you get one, you need to also budget for some sort of falling plate target. The Air Venturi target works just fine.
- - You could make you're own Master-Card add. Property $$, biathlon air rifle $$, metal target $... running around the yard with the nephews and shooting stuff = priceless.
- It's proven to be quite accurate. At 10M, it will make one big ragged hole using H&N pellets
- The rail will accept any Anschutz-type accessories, like a handstop if you want to practice your prone shooting.
- Good shot counts. Well over 200 per fill.
- Reliable
- Shoots from the magazine, so as soon as the magazine is removed the rifle is safe
- Safe to dry-fire
- Fairly quite, the barrel less than 17" long inside the sleeve
- Regulated
The bad
- No easy way to mount a scope on such a short receiver. So I added a piece of rail to the barrel shroud.
- Not much adjustment as far as velocity is concerned. It's a sub 500 fps rifle, and there are no known/simple way to bump it up to something like 800 fps
- On the $$ side of things
- Extra magazines are on the $$ side of things
- -The magazines are not the same pattern as LP50 (another Steyr 177 repeater) and apparently not the same as the Hunting 5 in 177... go figure
- Shoots from the magazine, so it's not as efficient as let say the LG110, that gets close to 400 shots from the same size cylinder at the same velocity.
The quirks
- The look is an acquired taste, it's about serving a purpose.
- Because the cylinder is some close to the barrel and because of the biathlon front sight assembly. You cannot use the Steyr "long" cylinder. If you want to install a quick-gill, you'd need to remove the front sight to re-install the cylinder.
If you've been thinking about one and can live with the downsides, I'd say go for it.
