Ever since Stoeger launched the original XM1 PCP rifle, I have been eagerly waiting to see what they would do next. It took them a couple of years, but the next rifle in their PCP stable is this rather snazzy bullpup version of the XM1. And what a little beauty it is too!
SLEEK DESIGN
The first thing you’ll notice when taking this rifle out of the box is the sleek design features. Typically Italian, it really looks the part from whichever angle you view it.
The stock is clearly designed with ergonomics in mind, and I really wouldn’t expect anything less from Stoeger after using their initial foray into the PCP market.
The XM1 Bullpup comes fitted with a blue synthetic pistol grip, which I think looks good on the rifle. It features ‘Pro Adaptive Checkering’, which gives excellent grip and feels really nice. This same chequering can be found on the fore grip, too.
If you’re not sure about the blue grip and you want to change it to black, you can by simply undoing the Allen screw and replacing the grip with the one provided.
You can also change the cheekpiece for the slightly raised one supplied, but I found that I didn’t need to do that once the scope was mounted, I think mainly due to the low profile of the Picatinny rail where you mount your scope.
Stoeger has thought of everything with this package. Inside the box are two Picatinny rail mounts that attach securely to the fore end of the stock with the four Allen screws provided. Both of these mounts also have a plastic clip at the end to house a spare magazine, which is a nice touch, although I’m not sure just how safe the mag’s will be in a hunting situation wandering through thick brush. There is a small metal pin housed in both, to which one of the magnets on the mag' can grip, but my choice would be to keep my spare mag’s in my pocket, where I know they’ll be safe.
The fill probe provided slots into the fill port, which is cleverly hidden under a pull-up cover on the end of the 265cc, 200 bar cylinder. This cover is spring-loaded, so it pops back into position once you’re done filling. There is a clear, colour-coded fill gauge housed on the end of said cylinder.
Did I mention that this rifle is also regulated? Yes, it has a regulator fitted, which gives consistent, accurate shooting.
SHROUDED BARREL
The XM1 Bullpup’s barrel is completely shrouded. There is an end cap that can be removed to reveal a ½-inch UNF male screw thread on the end of the barrel for adding a silencer, but I don’t think this particular rifle needs one – it’s really quiet. I think this is in some part due to the large shroud, which also has two rows of decompression holes drilled into the rear end.
FRONT HANDLE
You’re more likely to find a front handle on a machine-gun than an air rifle, and it’s something that I’ve always been in two minds about, mostly due to lack of experience with them.
However, the XM1 Bullpup comes with such a handle fitted, and after numerous hours of shooting this rifle I have come to the conclusion that I’m no longer on the fence. I actually quite like it on this little ‘pup, and in certain situations it does make shooting a tad sturdier than when using the usual forehand grip. I found that when leaning up against something solid, like a wall or tree, where resting the rifle on my hand like a pool cue isn’t an option, this grip gave an added degree of stability, likewise when planting my elbow on a hard surface. After many hours of shooting standing freehand, I got used to holding the grip.
My good friend Roger Cooling also really liked it. Don’t worry though, this grip is easily removed if you don’t want it there, and there is a cover supplied to create a smooth finish on the underside of the foregrip once removed.
That said, I found that when shooting freehand and holding the stock in the traditional manner, my left hand naturally fell a good couple of inches behind this grip, so I can’t really see any reason to remove it, other than pure aesthetics.
FIXED TRIGGER
The trigger on this rifle is a single-stage type and is not adjustable. I don’t know why Stoeger decided to go with this, because the trigger unit on the original XM1 rifle was adjustable for pull length, albeit again only single stage. This doesn’t detract from usability too much, though, and after putting 20 or so shots through the rifle I knew exactly where the release point was going to be each time I squeezed it. I must admit I still love a two-stage trigger when hunting, but that’s just me.
Safety wise, this is a manual push-button-type situated on the trigger itself, inside the trigger guard. Anyone who knows me will also know that I’m not a big fan of safety buttons/levers situated close to the trigger, let alone on it, but that’s a personal niggle – I just like my safety to be well away from the trigger. It’s very positive in operation, though, with a solid push required to turn it on and off.
A COUPLE OF MAG’S
The XM1 Bullpup comes with two self-indexing rotary magazines, which are some of the best finished I have come across. They’re machined from alloy with a heavy-duty, clear Perspex cover attached. At the base of each mag’ you’ll also see two tiny magnets, which help to keep the mag’ in situ when loaded into the breech. It took me a while to work out how to load these mag’s, but once you know the secret, it’s really easy. First off, you have to wind the clear plastic cover all the way round anti-clockwise against the tension of the internal spring, then flip the mag’ over and drop a pellet in skirt first. This locks the clear cover in place and then you just flip it over and load the rest of the pellets nose first, as you turn the cover until it’s full.
Slotting the mag’ into the action is a doddle, too. There’s a small lip about 10mm up from the base of the mag’ that slots neatly into the thin recess in the loading port - you push the mag’ into place and it’s held there by the magnets – simple, but very effective.
The sidelever cocking is ultra-smooth and not clunky at all. You can rattle through an entire mag’ in no time at all.
CONCLUSION
I first laid my hands on this particular model a while ago during a ‘team-building’ day at the Holland & Holland shooting ground. They had a number of Stoeger air rifles for us to shoot there, along with the usual shotguns and .308 ‘big boy’ rifles. Since that initial shoot I was keen to get my hands on one for some more extensive testing, so I made a quick call to UK distributors GMK, and well, here we are.
As soon as I shouldered the rifle it felt comfortable and natural, and it feels extremely solid and very well built. What’s more, it’s really light, weighing just 6.1lbs without the scope.
The butt pad features two coloured spacers, which can be removed to reduce the length of pull if required – probably a good idea for our younger shooters.
One of my stone-age rifle tests that I always perform with any rifle is the ‘pick it up and shake it’ test. Give any rifle a good old shake and you’ll soon learn if there are any niggling rattles or loose components such as a poorly tightened barrel shroud or wobbly trigger. Just as I expected with the XM1 Bullpup, there’s not a sound to be heard. Testament to Stoeger’s quality manufacturing.
I absolutely loved shooting this rifle in my garden and at Roger’s garden range. I think this is in part to the rifle’s weight - it’s far lighter than most bullpups, which will make it ideal for youngsters and older shooters, too.
What’s more, it’s insanely accurate, with 10mm groups at 30 metres a given – more often than not it was pellet on pellet.
As far as hunting goes, it really is a hunter’s dream, due to the accuracy, quiet operation, compact size and weight. I bet you’d notice the difference after a couple of hours carrying this rifle around a permission in search of rats and pigeons, compared to a heavier PCP hunting rifle.
The weight distribution is spot on, too. Most of it is centred toward the rear end of the rifle, the balance point being the pistol grip. This makes carrying it one-handed feel more natural and it also helps to provide better handling, especially whilst on the move.
I have to take my hat off to Stoeger yet again, for manufacturing a quality PCP rifle that is most definitely going to be a big hit.
TECH SPECS
Model: XM1 Bullpup
Manufacturer: Stoeger
UK Distributor: GMK
Type: PCP, multi-shot rotary mag’
Stock Type: Ambidextrous, synthetic
Cocking: Sidelever
Trigger: Single-stage
Safety: Manual, push button
Calibres: .177 (11 shots) and .22 (9 shots)
Overall Length: 700mm (27.5in)
Barrel Length: 575mm (22.5in)
Weight: 2.8kg (6.1lbs) without scope
Fill Pressure: 200 bar
Shots Per Fill: 50 (.177), 60 (.22)
Energy of Test Rifle: Avg 11.3 ft.lbs. over 20 shots
Variation (20 shots): 9fps
Visit: www.stoegerairguns.com or www.gmk.co.uk
RRP: £650