On the range...The New S16 Evo.

After i had set up the new Logun S16 Evolution it was time to see how it performed. It was throwing it down with rain so the test was all done in the comfort of my kitchen, shooting up on my back garden range ( the total length from my seated position to the backstops is 37.8 yards).

The first job was to see if the new bolt loading system was an improvement on the slide loading bar on its predecessor. This isn't a test per say but i wanted to see if the evo could cock, index and load each pellet without suffering a jam or double load situation. The first 8 shots took just under 8 seconds, 4 seconds to drop, turn and re-insert the 16 shot mag and another 8 seconds to empty the remaining 8 pellets. The cocking cycle performed without fault and felt extremely positive. No jams at all...unlike the older models.

With the scope set at 35 yards, the next test was accuracy. I setup 4 paper targets on the 3 backstops each with a 30mm kill zone and started to unload the s16 into them. I was sat on a chair and using the rifle on the bi pod off the kitchen table. The full barrel sound suppressor made firing the S16 a very quiet affair and the only noise you hear is the click of the trigger and a whisper as the pallet leaves the barrel. The grouping was incredibly good..pellet on pellet with-in the 35mm kill zone. This rifle provides clinical accuracy, ideal for close range ratting or longer range rabbit/pigeon hunting. The shot count on the rifle i tested was 249 on the one charge, so plenty of air for a good hunting session.

The Harris Pro Tilt bi pod helps immensely when taking those long range shots, but weighing in at 1.3kg i think it is a little heavy to have it bolted on all the time. It only takes a few moments to mount, so if you are stalking i would swap the bi pod for a quick realise sling.

All-in-all i would say that the new S16 EVO is now everything you need from a great rifle. Now that the Logun (owned by Webley) have sorted out all the problems what we have is a fantastic PCP for all areas of air gunning.

Verdict ; The All New Logun S16 Evolution is defiantly reborn and the people at Webley have worked hard to rebuild the reputation of this now fantastic rifle.

If any rifle deserves a place in your collection, its this one.

Richard

The all new Logun S16 Evo

On friday I had the pleasure of setting up a brand new Logun S16 Evo. I was quite looking forward to this as I have had first hand experianced the failings of the older models, so in my eyes this was the last chance for Logun (now owned by Webley) to prove themselves. This is what I thought of this "NEW" Logun S16 Evolution.

The rifle came to me in a nice Buffalo River carry case, not the Logun one the rifle come in, with the scope and the bipod already mounted.The first thing is the angled buddy bottle. This allows much better eye to scope alignment and feels much better in the shoulder.The revamped pistol grip is much better than the old one. It has a swell on the top that helps you position your finger better on the trigger. As an added bonus there is a small concealed compartment, in the pistol grip that can be used to stow cleaning cloths or spare pellets.

Now for the new bolt.

Gone is the sliding cocking lever and in its place is a brand new 40mm bolt. It cocks, indexes and loads pellets flawlessly and cycles so cleanly there is no chance of a pellet jam or double load. I managed to empty 16 shots in 20 seconds without any problems at all.

There is almost no report from this rifle due to the sound suppressor. This is a integral part of the barrel system and it works really well at keeping the noise down.

The bipod used on this rifle is a Harris Pro Tilt. It is a bit heavy for my liking but provides rock solid support when taking those all important shots.

Now, its not cheap. Retailing at around the £600 mark it is a lot of money but for me the people at Webley have finally given us what they promised back in 2001.

Its been a long time coming but I think they have cracked it this time.

Richard.

A nice sunny day for a walk.

I decided to head to our largest shoot today as i haven't been for a while, just to see how things were going and to look at the rabbit runs for sign`s of activity. True to form they had been out for their morning run and feed and as i approached the bank of warrens they bolted to the safety of their burrows. The sun was very warm and i went walking up to the woods at the top of the field where the pigeons roost once they have destroyed the rape.

Looking into the woods from the field you can see how the bluebells have bloomed under the protection of the tree canopy

As i was scanning the trees for the roosting pigeons i noticed a flock of about 20 sitting under the leaves of a beach tree some 40 feet up. One of the pigeons was very unlucky..all his mates flew off and he was sat there wondering what we going on. Seconds later he was on the floor...wondering no more. I hit it in the head and it hit quite a few branched on its way to the ground.

Down by the brook i found some of my favorite wild greens....Ramsons...wild garlic...

I think these give a nice flavour to rabbit and pigeon and now they are in full bloom i will be picking some for the freezer.

A new follower.

Now, anyone who reads the Air gunner mag will no-doubt be familiar with the name Nigel Allen.

Air gunner contributor and former editor has become the latest person to follow my blog. What Nigel does`nt know about air rifles really isn't worth knowing and his expert advice can be found on his own new blog.

This is Nigels profile info from his blog :

Airguns have been my passion for 35 years, and my business for the past 25 years. I've edited and/or published various airgun publications, including the best-selling journals, Air Gunner and Airgun World. I also founded the British Airgun Shooters' Association and now write about air rifle field shooting in the monthly magazine, Sporting Shooter. I'm also a regular contributor to other consumer shooting magazines such as Air Gunner and Gun Mart, and also to trade journals like Gun Trade News.

Please visit his blog by clicking on the picture below and see for yourself how much you can learn from one of the masters of the air gun world....

Thursdays shoot.

At last...some time to myself.

I finally got to do some well deserved shooting on Thursday. It was warm and dry so i decided to head to our rabbit shoot to look how thinks were going after the gassing. To my surprise there were quite a few young rabbits about, eating the rape and lounging in the sun. This told me that even though the gassing had been done on a vast stretch of hedgerow, some had survived and the young ones will give us something to shoot in coming months.

After looking round the fields i decided to head to the farm and have a look at the wood pigeon population in the farm yard. Now that the leaves have grown the pigeons think it is safe to rest after feeding on the lushes rape seed tips. But we know where they sit and we have quite a few spots in the 250x60 yard copse where we can sit quite comfortably and wait for them to fly in.

This one sat for a moment, posed for this picture and realised that it wasn't a good idea when the .22 bisley superfield slammed into his head.

As you can see from these pictures there are plenty of trees for the pigeons to roost in and once you are in under the trees its just a case of waiting for them to fly in.

At 60 yards wide its very easy to spot the Woody's flying in towards you when they have done eating the surrounding fields.

Looking back towards the rape fields where the pigeons feed. We often sit in the trees around this field with the decoys out..this proves very productive and provides us with a good bag of free meat.Speaking of "free meat"...i did manage to bag another nice Woodie for the freezer...i feel a BBQ coming on.