BRK Brocock Ranger XR Test Review
BRK Brocock Ranger XR Test Review
Mark Camoccio of GunMart Magazine gets to grips with a particularly small airgun from Brocock.
"It's an exercise in miniaturization!"
New Baby
The Ranger XR is Brocock’s new baby. Quite literally a ‘baby’ in fact! With its telescopic stock and dinky dimensions, it’ll fit into a small rucksack.
First impressions
My test rifle came in the usual boldly emblazoned protective box. And I did a double-take on first sight. The Ranger XR comes without a silencer and, at just 27.3 in (adjustable) in length, looks pretty small. So, should we feel short-changed from its £1,244 asking price? Yes, that’s a significant amount, but look closer and this model has a raft of features aimed at a particular sector of the market.
Feature-laden
For a start, we get that slick side-lever action, their new style of magazine (11 shot mags in .22 caliber and 13 shots in .177), manometer, threaded muzzle, regulated action and variable power. Build quality is impressive overall too, and whilst practical non-glare metal finishes may lack the panache of chemical bluing, who can argue with their practicality?
BRK Brocock Ranger XR Test
BRK Brocock Ranger XR Test: Airgun World editor, Terry Doe, evaluates this compact new PCP air rifle with telescopic butt and power adjuster
Compact and Light
If you want a tactical rifle, how about one that fits into a rucksack? And one that is so light, you hardly know it’s there?
Then what about adding proven performance? And a regulated action, silenced discharge, multi-shot, sidelever pellet delivery. Let’s throw in an adjustable stock while we’re at it. Sounds good, eh? It certainly would be a fine thing, especially when the whole deal is built into a super-tough, matt-black chassis, designed for practicality in the field. Oh… and how about a mega-affordable price tag, too?
Well, we can’t have everything, I guess. But the new Brocock Ranger XR is all of the above – and also quite a bit more – apart from a budget price. This rifle comes in at £1,244, without the silencer and Dual Side Rail Picatinny scope mounting platform fitted to my test rifle.
The package
The company that owns BRK Brocock also owns Daystate. Yet Brocock is no ‘Daystate lite’. These rifles are high-spec’, precision items, with their own identity, and they carry a price tag to match. Let’s see what else is contained within the Ranger XR package…
First, let’s deal with the rifle’s name. That was inspired, in part, by the input of well-known Red Squirrel Ranger, Jerry Moss. He works to preserve our native red squirrel population via the Penrith & District Red Squirrel Group. Part of Jerry’s duties involve controlling the numbers of invasive grey squirrels that have taken over the native reds’ habitat. The greys also carry a virus that is deadly to the red squirrels. So removing greys is a vital task.
Jerry walks miles through woodland, often over rough ground, to visit and top up feeding stations. So Jerry needs a convenient, lightweight rifle that can be carried in a backpack. This leaves his hands free to fill, service and repair the feeders.
Jerry’s ideal rifle had to be easily transportable and also practical. Ready to go in seconds, and totally accurate when deployed. As he shoots from hides, confined spaces and vehicles, Jerry’s rifle also needs to be super-compact rifle. Does such a rifle exist?
Yes – enter the Brocock Ranger XR…
Jerry Moss and the Brocock Ranger XR
Jerry Moss and the Brocock Ranger XR: I've been involved in the BRK Brocock Ranger XR project for months. And in that time, I've used a prototype rifle to control grey squirrel numbers over my areas around Cumbria.
In chats over the years with Tony at Brocock, we have often talked about a small compact rifle, so when Tony contacted me to say let’s see what we can do I was delighted to be involved.
There are numerous reasons why I was looking for that compact rifle. In my work as a red squirrel conservation ranger, I walk miles. Through woods and forests in search of the grey pests. So, having a lightweight compact rifle would be helpful. Also, the rifle fits in a small backpack with its stock folded. Other reasons are shooting greys at feeding areas using either a hide or from my pick up, the small short rifle is a bonus in confined spaces.
The ranger I have been using is in sub12 .177 and with a shot count of around 35 thanks to the onboard Huma reg is more than enough for me and my daily work in fact sometimes that’s fine for over a week.
Why control Grey Squirrels in the UK?
Long ago, red squirrels were all over Great Britain. Nowadays, they are only seen in a few wooded areas in:
- The North of England
- West Wales
- Many parts of Scotland.
- Anglesey
- The Isle of Wight
- Brownsea Island
- Thetford Forest in Norfolk
Red squirrels have been found in England since the end of the last Ice Age and are part of our native fauna. The non-native grey squirrel was introduced to England in the late 1870s from America and is the primary cause of the decline of the red squirrel.
It does so by out-competing red squirrels for food in deciduous and mixed woodlands and by transmitting a disease ‘squirrel pox, the squirrel Parapoxvirus, which is lethal to red squirrels.
Who is Jerry Moss?
Jerry Moss is a professional pest controller and a member of the Penrith and district red squirrel group in Cumbria UK. For the last 18 years, he has been working to support the Red Squirrel populations in the Whinfell Forest area of Cumbria. An area of outstanding natural beauty.
On Safari
BRK Brocock Safari XR Review: Hunting consultant, Rich Saunders pits his skills against the wild animals of south Oxfordshire
Skill
I’ve never done it, and I certainly wouldn’t dismiss the obvious skill involved. However, when it comes to stalking prey, I doubt the deerstalkers in the Highlands of Scotland, or the hunters on the great plains of Africa could hold a candle to the humble air gunner attempting to close in on a rabbit or pigeon.
Funny isn’t it? The things you think about when you’re on your own in the woods. Or is it only me? Here I am, plodding about one of my permissions in south Oxfordshire, thinking what it must be like to hunt big game when I should be concentrating on pigeons and squirrels. And yet, I am absolutely certain the sensations and thrill I am experiencing are the same as any big game hunter. Alright, I’ll admit it’s unlikely a squirrel or pigeon will tear me limb from limb if I miss, but no matter what size the game, the challenge of stalking your quarry is uniformly absorbing.
Equipment
These rambling thoughts are triggered by the use of a Brocock Safari XR rifle. At 12 ft. lbs. and .177 calibre, I’m woefully ill-equipped to take down any charging tigers I come across! However, squirrels and pigeons are a different story. And that’s what I’m after today. The permission is a commercial lumber plantation. The squirrels cost a small fortune each year by stripping bark and pigeons use the woods as a staging post to raid nearby crops.
The section of the woods I’m in today is planted with fir trees that provide a year-round carpet of relatively quiet vegetation to stalk over. Entering from the track is like stepping into another world as the thick overhead canopy blocks out much of the light and any wind. It’s like being in an airgunning Narnia but without the irritating posh kids and weird animals.
I shoot most of the squirrels in the woods by sitting in one of several hides I have dotted around the place, staring at peanut feeders. Its very effective but prone to long periods of inactivity. I’ve often nodded off only to wake up in time and see a squirrel leap off the feeder and disappear.
Success Rate
In terms of success rate, stalking in the woods produces a much smaller return but is far more absorbing. Although the trees are thick overhead, the woodland floor is relatively sparse, making it easy to see the pests as they forage about. As a result, I’ve often stalked a squirrel over 100 yards or more. Hardly lions and red deer I know, but I enjoy it.
Added to that is the challenge of tracking down pigeons. They are easy to spot as they flight in, and easy to hear when they start cooing, but locating them in their perch and getting close enough for a shot before they spot you is captivating and frustrating in equal measures.
Air rifles are perfect for this kind of shooting. They are powerful enough to dispatch quarry humanely without posing undue risk or danger when shooting up in trees. Especially with a buffer of several hundreds of acres.
The Brocock Safari XR is made for this kind of work. Like all the XR rifles, the sidelever action superseded the older bolt action. It transforms good rifles into truly great ones, in my opinion. The system is smooth, quiet and utterly reliable. Also, it works well with the newer style 13-shot self-indexing .177 magazine. (It’s 11 in .22.)
At 863mm (34 inches) and 3.3kgs (7.3 lbs), the Safari is light and compact. So, it’s ideal for sneaking about in the woods. And the muted colour of the Safari stock affords excellent grip. Nor will it give you away. The height adjustable shoulder pad means the rifle fits me comfortably, too. I mean both in terms of shoulder fit and eye/scope alignment.
The 480cc carbon wrapped air bottle is a real luxury for someone as disorganised as me. Once filled up, I know it’s good for hundreds of shots and plenty of trips. And thanks to the Huma-Air regulated action, there’s no power curve to have to worry about.
The pigeons were far too clever for me this particular evening. The enclosed environment of the fir trees seems to make the noise from a snap twig or stumble echo around the woods and the pigeons have come to associate the sound with danger.
The squirrels were far more obliging though and I manage to bag three before the light in the gloom of the woods got too bad. I managed to creep up close enough to each of them, and whilst they all scurried up trees at the last minute, they froze long enough for me to get a shot off and the Safari XR didn’t let me down.
Brocock Sniper XR Safari Test
Airgun World's editor gets first go of the latest Brocock Sniper XR incarnation – the Safari Sniper XR
It's always a privilege to be part of any new rifle’s pre-production test program.
To have my thoughts, opinions and results included in the final version of a rifle is an undiminishing honour. So, when asked to contribute, I give my all. Sometimes, fundamental changes are advised, and at other times, the prototype I’m testing is so close to the finished article that my suggestions are merely cosmetic. I tested Brocock’s first pre-production Sniper XR and that was one rifle that didn’t need much tweaking, so I wasn’t surprised to discover that the latest variant, the Safari, was also a done deal. The important thing for me to remember, though, is the need to discard my previous association with a rifle, and to treat, and test, every variant as a new model, because that’s how the majority of our readers will experience it. Besides, I know Brocock constantly refines and upgrades components when better performance becomes available, and these must be assessed from scratch. Here goes then…
Airgun Social Media Recommendations
Airgun Social Media Recommendations
Chris Park's comprehensive list of airgun places to (virtually) go and people to (virtually) see!
Airgun Social Media Recommendations, by Chris Park
Sometimes, it’s hard to get out shooting with your mates down the club or on the farm. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch with the sport’s bustling shooting community!
There is a vast array of social media sites and platforms where airgun fans can keep up to date and in contact with their buddies and the wider shooting community.
I’m on a good number of Facebook groups and pages, as well as dabbling in Instagram. So I thought I’d share a few of my favourite sites with you:
MAIN GROUPS
https://www.facebook.com/BrocockOfficialPage
Brococks own Facebook page, with regular updates direct from the company and details of the latest rifles in the range.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2570035526403731
Brocock Airgun Owners Group, the largest independent Brocock group on Facebook. Here you will find many experienced shooters and a wealth of knowledge, some with a working relationship with the factory. The group is very busy with discussions and will update you on the latest products.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/819534335541728
Brocock Compatto, Bantam, Concept Lite & Commander Owners Group a specialist group for the earlier bolt version of the rifle but which also includes members with the new Brocock XR.
Those are the three main groups for Brocock fans. They are great groups. But if you are looking for something a little more specialised, there are countless groups on Facebook for general airgun discussion. Almost all do not allow for sale / wanted posts for guns, ammunition, parts, or accessories for firearms. That’s because Facebook Community Standards expressly prohibit these sales. As with any group, you should read the group rules and follow them to avoid the Admin ‘Ban Hammer’. This often bets brought down without warning! The list below is just a sample of the groups available to you for advice and general shooting chat, but don’t forget if you can’t find the group you’re looking for, you could always start your own!
GENERAL SHOOTING GROUPS
https://www.facebook.com/groups/304919272895108/?multi_permalinks=3642617405791928
AirgunTV
https://www.facebook.com/groups/351221505224875/?multi_permalinks=1372002523146763
Airgunology
https://www.facebook.com/groups/airgungurus/?multi_permalinks=2155064244629788
AirgunGurus
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1095910907267591
Honest Gun Reviews
https://www.facebook.com/groups/533939790100899
Air Rifle Enthusiasts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1744589079091832
AIR GUNNER UK.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1234512020018122
Airgun World
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1143034299207072
Flat Broke Airgunner
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1077801215731796
Air Rifles UK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/572602580277042
Air Hunter U.K.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2042812652615265
Air gunners with passion target shooters and hunters
https://www.facebook.com/groups/691598510996726
Westcountry Air Rifles
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1665972373694392
Shooting UK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/184370478999357
Line of Sight Shooting Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1207664592739394/
Mavericks Airgun Talk
https://www.facebook.com/groups/142755936597174/
Air Rifles UK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1593212404329331/
U.K. Shooters Unite
https://www.facebook.com/groups/189033185689842/
The Gun Lounge
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2321807924708108
Pimp my Air Rifle
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HUNTING.down.prices
HUNTING……..down prices!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/120936275305002
LETHAL AIR Airgun Hunters
https://www.facebook.com/groups/309523832818698
Fieldsports For All
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1991517344459572
ALL THINGS AIRGUN
https://www.facebook.com/groups/airrifleshooting
POI Air Rifle
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131205725685
BASC (supporters group)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/115505319101840
NARA – National Air Rifle Association
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1011285322259345
Kevs getting to know your airguns
https://www.facebook.com/groups/851938148524218
Yorkshire Hunting and Field Sports
https://www.facebook.com/groups/856324351099747
Air Hunters UK.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/458105601363296
Pellet pushers of the world unite II
https://www.facebook.com/groups/421602212068098
Shooting Adventures
SPECIALIST LINKS
If you are into something more specialist to suit a particular branch of the sporting disciplines, or something to add to your set up, don’t be shy about searching out some of the groups for support and advice from first-hand users. Below are some examples, in no particular order:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1888907281337886/
MTC / Optisan Optics Owners Club
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nvuk.nightvisionuk
Night Vision UK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1431006563822393/
Huggett Moderator Owners
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1109737622526888
CARM
https://www.facebook.com/groups/908558065923417
UK Benchrest Target Sport Enthusiasts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/belltarget
Bell Target 6 & 7 Yard Air Rifle Enthusiasts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/653370445125690/
Preesall Air Rifle Range
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542783956025531
Mad Air outdoor air rifle range Pilling
https://www.facebook.com/groups/511300516378969
Long Range Airgunners
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207819235982252/
Air Rifle Hunters Recipe Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/954235824623568
VERMIN BASHERS……
https://www.facebook.com/groups/200610323900311
Air Rifle Vermin Control UK FEATHER and FUR
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theBFTA/
The BFTA (British Field Target Association)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1538796829720355
UKAHFT
https://www.facebook.com/groups/444909922605086
UK Crow & Pigeon Hunters
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1729863907277740
UK and Ireland squirrels The Grey Area Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/273469082988454
UK rat squirrel and bunny hunting
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2267805239967337
Pest control (air gunners) UK
https://www.facebook.com/groups/249087698548813
Eaglevision
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1687570314609905
Game for the Table
Conclusion
There’s hours of online entertainment on Facebook which will link you to other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, MeWe to name but a few. All this means there’s no reason to lose touch with your favourite shooting sports! Happy surfing…
Chris Park
Admin & Group owner, Daystate Owners Target & Shooting Group
New Brocock Magazine System
Learn about the New Brocock Magazine System here. Spares of the new Brocock BRK magazine System are now also available in our BRK Brocock online webshop.Say hello to the arrival of a slick, new magazine system fitted as standard on new Brocock XR Series of rifles, like the exciting Pathfinder XR. Our new magazine not only offers easier loading thanks to its flip-open face plate. It now also comes with a greater payload!
BRK BROCOCK Sniper XR Review - Viva The Lever!
BRK Brocock Sniper XR Review: AGW editor gets behind the latest BRK Brocock incarnation - the sidelever XR Sniper
Here’s a huge statement to open this test; think the days of bolt-action rifles might be coming to an end. Viva the Lever!
Yes, I know various forms of bolt-action sustained us since Johann Nikolaus van Dreyse produced the first one in 1824, but muzzle loaders had held sway for many years before Johan’s genius showed us a better way to cock an action and poke projectiles into a barrel. Maybe it’s just the end of an era? Whatever it is, swapping the BRK Brocock Sniper to a sidelever XR is a major plus in my view – and let me explain why…
Brocock Sniper XR Magnum - Highest Score Ever Awarded!
The Brocock Sniper XR Magnum achieves the highest score we’ve ever awarded to an air rifle! Hard Air Magazine.We like it a lot!
HARD AIR MAGAZINE TEST CONCLUSIONS
The Brocock Sniper XR Magnum offers all-round excellent performance and value for money at this price. As a powerful, flat-shooting .22 caliber PCP, it demonstrated great accuracy with heavy lead pellets.
This would be an outstanding gun for hunting. It could also double as a long range Benchrest rifle. The Sniper XR looks good, but it really has to be handled and shot to appreciate the full benefits it offers.
It’s an easy HAM Gold Award winner with an outstanding score on test!
- SPEED AND ACCURACY
- TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
- COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
- CONSISTENCY
- SHOOTABILITY
- 10-YARD TEST TARGETS
…and more!
BRK Brocock XR Series - An introduction
Brocock introduces powerful, sidelever-operated compact PCP air rifle range for 2020
New for 2020 is the Introduction of the BRK Brocock XR Series. It’s an all-new range of compact, sidelever-operated PCPs 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. Also refined is the firing system on all XR models. This now incorporates the very latest CNC manufacturing processes to deliver ultra-fine tolerances.
Modular
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.
Regulated
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.
Adjustable Power
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).
With production now underway, the full XR range is now available in gun shops.