Brocock Sniper XR Review/Camp/Hunt
Last month I was one of the fortunate few to receive the Brocock Sniper XR that are New for 2020. These New model Brocock rifles now feature a side-lever over the old style bolt action design. I was excited to receive the New .25 rifle for a full field review that came shipped from Airguns Of Arizona.
RIFLE STATS
| Caliber | .25 (6.35mm) |
| Max Velocity | 1000 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 53 ft/lbs |
| Loudness | Low |
| Barrel Length | 23″ |
| Overall Length | 45″ |
| Shot Capacity | 10 |
| Barrel | Rifled LW |
| Front Sight | none |
| Rear Sight | none |
| Scopeable | Picitinny |
| Trigger | Two-stage adjustable |
| Buttplate | Adjustable Rubber |
| Suggested for | Hunting/Target |
| Action | Sidelever |
| Safety | Manual |
| Powerplant | Pre-charged pneumatic |
| Function | Repeater |
| Max Shots per Fill | 35 on HP |
| Body Type | Rifle |
| Fixed/adj. power | Multiple settings |
| Weight | 6.4 lbs |
| Cylinder Size | 480 cc |
| Shrouded | Yes |
New for 2020 is the Brocock XR series – an all-new range of compact, sidelever-operated PCPs that’s set to replace Brocock’s current line of Bantam, Commander HR and Concept-Lite models. Besides its new sidelever system, the XR line-up also brings a host of technical improvements, increasing power output, shot-count and reliability. The firing system on all XRs has also been refined using the very latest CNC manufacturing processes that deliver ultra-fine tolerances. Brocock’s integrated XR series is designed to be modular, accepting parts and fittings across the range, and all rifles are compatible with ‘AR’ styled part upgrades and accessories. The XR and Sniper XR models incorporate Brocock’s innovative semi-bullpup design that vastly improves gun handling and rifle ‘pointability’, while the Commander XR and Concept XR versions feature an adjustable telescopic stock that allows pull-length adjustability for different shooting scenarios, shooting stances or tailored gunfit. In fact, the XR series ranks among the shortest of air rifles on the market, with the Mini XR measuring just 820mm from its adjustable butt to its silenced, shrouded muzzle. All but the standard XR incorporate a highly-advanced regulator system, developed in partnership with Dutch regulator specialists, Huma-Air, who only Brocock and sister company, Daystate, have rights to fit as standard. When combined with the XR’s latest hammer design, the technologically advanced ‘reg’ precisely meters air release to totally eradicate any power curve and ensure minimal shot-to-shot deviation as the rifle cycles through its usable air charge – both important factors in improving downrange accuracy. The Huma-Air regulator also returns an even higher number of shots per fill-up – a big bonus for those who opt for an XR model in high-power format. All models in the XR series feature an on-the-fly power adjuster, removable 10-shot magazine, choked barrel with integral shrouded silencer and match-feel adjustable trigger –they can be configured with a variety of bottle, stock and power ‘Magnum’ options across three calibres (.177/4.5mm, .22/5.5mm and .25/6.35mm).
The weather here has been very cold so picking a few days to get out into the field to test the New XR was not easy. I had initially gone out to a location where I planned to pre-test the gun and to set up the scope, as well as familiarizing myself with the guns features. My first experience of shooting the Sniper XR was exciting, the new lighter-weight hammer and side-lever made the gun much smoother. After several hours of testing the gun I concluded that Brocock had a winner and was ready to put it through it’s paces over two days of field use. Several weeks later after the 2020 Shot Show Marley and I loaded up the Jeep to head several hours north of us into the mountains for several days.
Airguns Of Arizona outfitted me with an MTC Optics Cobra F1 4-16×50 scope as well as the 0dB moderator to quiet the bark down on the Sniper XR.
The plan was for us to spend the first part of the day doing some target shooting and to learn a bit more about the performance of this rifle. The XR is HUMA regulated and fills to 250 bar giving the rifle about 32+ shots on high power. The XR has 4 increments of power adjustment that’s located on the right side of the rifle.
The power adjuster is a nice feature that allows the user to turn the power up and down on the fly. This may be especially useful when shooting pest in a barn or to lower the power for backyard use.
At the lowest power setting the gun puts out around 25 fpe and as high as 53 fpe with the regulator set to 150 bar. The HUMA regulator can be adjusted externally with a small flat head screwdriver via the hole in the bottom of the stock.
After filling the rifle I set a target out to 100 yards to test out the velocity and accuracy of the 25.39gr JSB’s
The Brocock makes good power with the 23″ LW barrel and brings just over 50+fpe with plenty of room to adjust the power upwards if needed. I was more concerned with keeping the gun accurate and efficient and was very pleased with the 10 shot group I was able to achieve.
This was probably one of the best groups of my life at 100 yards, partly due to such calm conditions that are very rare in this particular location. The New side-lever works very smoothly and looks to be very well designed, very short lever and throw.
The cocking pins and arms are well machined and look to be able to handle a good amount of abuse that can sometimes happen when cocking a gun quickly. The magazines on the New models look to be the same but the one that came with this rifle appeared to work much smoother as some of the others I have used.
Normally when target shooting I use the single shot tray but was able to achieve superb accuracy with this one. These are 10 shot self indexing magazines that are very easy to load both pellets and slugs. The magazine slides easily into the left side of the breech and have a red indent that tells us when we need a reload. I next tested the New 25.54gr Hades hunting pellets put out by Predator International. These are good looking hunting pellets that are designed for extreme expansion and not necessarily designed for target shooting.
These proved to shoot very well producing over 50+fpe, very impressive groups for a hunting pellet. The trigger on the New Brocock has been improved and is now able to be adjusted down a bit more than the older models. Mine out of the box was set to just under 1lb and was more than fine for my use at the range. I think if it was my personal gun I would have chosen to lower the weight a bit, the first stage is very smooth.
I really like the paddle type safety, very easy to take on and off with my trigger finger. The easy location makes taking it off very easy and quick, one of my favorite designs. The Brocock has been fitted with a 24″ LW barrel, this one has a slight choke that from my experience works well with pellets only. The fully shrouded barrel not only helps to quiet the gun but to stiffen it and help with harmonics. I’m a big fan of strong barrel systems because things can happen in the field that can cause POI shifts.
Under heavy use we can sometimes lean the gun against a tree, drop it or the gun just simply tips over. Brocock has obviously taken this into account and produced a very strong barrel system that can in fact handle some above average abuse. I actually tried flexing the barrel with a good amount of force and wasn’t able to shift it at all. Next I wanted to try some 33.5gr NSA slugs, I only had a few left but just wanted to see how they shot to 100 yards.
To my surprise they shot really well, I didn’t expect them to do this well considering the LW barrel has a choke. That morning I was able to produce 3 really good groups and take advantage of the great conditions. It’s very rare that an Airgun can shoot so well with such a variety of ammo, I was overly pleased. After shooting slugs I loaded up some more 25.39gr JSB’s and set the RX Target System out to 100 where I wanted to see how fast I could knock down the plates. These are great targets to practice on because they have small kill zones that closely mimic what we may find on small game.
The New Side-Lever made the cocking happen really quickly without having to take my eyes off the target as we sometimes have to do with a bolt action design. The short cocking arm is super quick as opposed to a longer linkage that’s found on some other brand rifles. At this time it was about 1:30pm so I decided to start setting up my camp that would be home for that evening. The weather has been very cold with temperatures into below freezing at night.
I dug out a large fire-pit and built up a rock wall behind with the hopes of reflecting some of the heat back to the tent. The area thankfully had a good amount of dry wood and fallen trees that I was able to chop up and collect.
After getting the camp situated I loaded up my pack and Marley and I headed out to search for some Jackrabbits that might keep us fed that evening.
The cold weather has made hunting this area very difficult, most of the animals aren’t very active and are hunkered down in the thick sagebrush. We moved several miles away from camp through a large field with scattered patches of chest high sagebrush.
As Marley led the way I was hoping she would lead us to some prominent areas that may have some Jackrabbits. We stopped frequently where I took some time glassing the area for the elusive amber-eared Jackrabbits that call this place home. The XR shoulders very well due to most of the weight being towards the rear of the rifle. The semi-bullpup design is perfect for this type of hunting!
After nearly an hour of hiking we circled left and headed towards a bluff that gave a good overlook of the dry riverbed. I pulled the Accu-Tac bipod out of my pack and attached it to shoot from the prone position.
I always like to carry the gun without the bipod as it does add weight to the front making offhand shooting a bit difficult. Normally when filming I have the bipod attached as I have to set the gun down frequently to set up cameras. This time I thankfully had my cameraman Randy to help, this left me able to concentrate solely on the hunt.
After I sat down I was able to spot some Jackrabbit ears protruding from behind a bush at just over 80+yards. I should not have taken the shot as a small branch was in the way…he was off into full sprint by the time I took a follow up shot.
Mistakes like this are part of hunting but the reality is I should have waited for a better sight opportunity. UGGGG bit frustrating because I knew this may have been the best opportunity I would have had on this trip. As it was now getting into the evening Marley and I made way back to the camp where I planned to do some more filming and to get a fire started.
When it’s this cold getting a fire started can be difficult sometimes, using small kindling is the key. I was able to get a good fire going as the temperature dropped into the evening. I filmed a recap of the day and discussed my thoughts on the Brocock XR over my first full day of use.
I really enjoy getting these rifles into the field, we can learn so much away from the typical bench setting. Being able to use the XR under real conditions showed me how well it carried, durability and the overall function of the rifle. The New side-lever is a much big improvement and made follow up shots happen really quick. The 23″ barrel is a bit long but still didn’t limit my ability to travel through heavy brush, the trade-off is adequate power for extended range shots. The semi-bullpup design makes the XR handle very well in offhand positions as it has excellent balance. After filming a few segments for the enclosed video I made some turkey and cheese sandwiches followed by a fresh cup of coffee to warm the night.
Marley had a long day and went to sleep right after dinner, luckily I had brought plenty of blankets to keep us warm through the night. I was excited to spend another full day of hunting with the XR.
The following morning I woke up around 7:15, it was freezing so I started a fire and made myself a nice cup of coffee to start off the day.
The plan was to head away from camp through the large field and spend a good part of the morning looking for Jackrabbits.
After several miles of hiking I spotted very few Jackrabbits and most were gone before I could even raise my gun to take a shot, very frustrating. Marley and I took a break in some shade as the temperature was now up into the mid 70’s, beautiful day out.
Sitting on a hill I was able to spot to my surprise several Ground Squirrels moving about the field below us. The hill I was on didn’t offer a very good stable place to shoot from so Marley and I moved around the hillside under some large pine trees. The area we sat was nice and flat, perfect place to shoot from the prone position. This area had a few fell trees and some very large active burrows that seemed to be home to a good number of Squirrels.
Using the Tactacam I was able to capture most of the action, the first shot I took nailed one in the head at 65 yards. THWAAACK!!!
The 26gr Hades caused quite a bit of damage to this large adult Ground Squirrel, a real headache to say the least. We moved back under the trees and waited for another that soon came out at 67 yards. This one sat on a log making a perfect appearance for yet another brutal headshot.
I was really happily surprised to encounter Ground Squirrels this time of year as well as in this location. We spotted a few more but they were becoming fairly spooked and offered no real shot opportunities. The XR made quick work of these two so I decided to start heading back to camp where I filmed for a few more segments of video.
My two days in the field with the Brocock Sniper XR had been fun filled even though we had slow luck with the hunting. Part of getting out is just being able to enjoy the experience with and Airgun, we don’t always need to have success in hunting. My overall thoughts of this rifle are very good. I feel that Brocock has listened to customer feedback and built a durable product that performs amazing out of the box. The fact that this rifle shoots so well with a variety of ammo is really impressive to me, very rare now days with any Airgun. I really want to thank Airguns Of Arizona for sponsoring Marley and I to get out and bring this review to the public. I will enclose my final honest thoughts on this rifle as well at the video of our two day adventure.
PROS
- Accurate with variety of ammo
- Adjustable Power
- Regulated
- Good Shot Count
- Smooth Side-Lever
- Good Trigger
- Lightweight
- Picatinny Rails
- Durable/Strong
- Quiet
CONS
- Length
- Can Double Load
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Awsome review Dana ,nice Brockok .Congratulations for video!