The Editor gets his hands on Brocock's latest release - the intriguing Ranger XR
If you’re going to have a tactical rifle – how about one that fits into a rucksack and is so light that you hardly know it’s there7 If you could add proven performance, a regulated action, silenced discharge, multi-shot, sidelever pellet delivery, and an adjustable stock, then that would be a fine thing, especially when the whole deal is built into a super-tough,
matte-black chassis, designed for practicality in the field. How about a mega-affordable price tag, too7 Oh well, we can’t have everything, I guess. The new Brocock Ranger XR is all of the above, and quite a bit more, except the budget price. This rifle comes in at £1244, without the silencer and Dual Side Rail Picatinny scope mounting platform fitted to the test rifle. Brocock may be owned by the same company that owns Daystate, but 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
"I can certainly see why Jerry Moss regards it as ideal for the considerable demands of his job"
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, who works to preserve our native red squirrel population via the Penrith & District Red Squirrel Group. Part of Jerry’s duties involves 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. This can involve walking miles through woodland, often over rough ground, to visit and top up feeding stations, and Jerry wanted a convenient, lightweight rifle that could be carried in a backpack, leaving his hands free to fill, service and repair the feeders. This rifle not only needed to be easy to transport and totally practical, but it also had to be ready to go in seconds, and totally accurate when deployed. Jerry shoots from hides, confined spaces and vehicles, too, so a super-compact rifle with guaranteed performance would be a major advantage for him. Enter the Brocock Ranger XR.