Hunting Master Evanix AR6: Part 2

by B.B. Pelletier

Setup
The rifle was scoped with a Bug Buster 2 6X scope. The scope base of the AR6 is long enough to permit the installation of very large scopes, but I find I can get the Bug Buster sighted-in in half the time, so I tend to use it a lot more.

Shooting
I filled the rifle to 3,000 psi and shot it for velocity, first. I shot 28-grain Eun Jin pellets, which were made for powerful .22 air rifles like this. There were 22 good shots ranging from a low of 930 to a high of 977 f.p.s. A median velocity of 954 f.p.s. delivers 56.6 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. That's less energy than either the Career 707 or the Condor, but nearly equal to a .22 short and well beyond anything a Swedish or British PCP delivers.


A pressure gauge is built into the bottom of the forearm.

After the first 22 shots, the velocity dropped pretty fast. All shots were with the hammer cocked, which gives the highest power. If you just pull the trigger, the power will be much lower, giving more shots per fill. This would be one good way to shoot lighter pellets such as the JSBs.

Accuracy
The Beeman Kodiak was the most accurate pellet, because I waited to shoot them until after firing the first three cylinders of Eun Jins. That way, their velocity was in the 900s, instead of supersonic. They grouped under one inch at 40 yards on a day with blustery winds ranging from 5 to 15 mph. A more powerful scope and a calmer day would probably stretch the distance for one-inch groups to at least 50 yards. Eun Jin pellets were nearly as accurate as Kodiaks, and so were JSBs (shot after the pressure dropped).

Loading
To load the rifle, first pop the cylinder (the gun comes with two) out of the right side of the receiver. It's held in by spring-loaded ball bearings front and rear, so direct pressure from the side pops it out. Once out, each chamber must be loaded from the front, not the back. A shelf inside the back of each chamber makes this necessary. The pellets are pushed in until their base presses against this shelf. This loading method means no out-of-round pellets can be loaded, because their deformed skirts will not enter the chamber. All Korean revolving rifles have this feature, so I was ready for it.


The 6-shot cylinder loads from the front. This is a Eun Jin ready to be pushed down. A seated pellet is seen just below it.

Firing behavior
I was pleasantly surprised by a lack of harsh muzzle report from this new AR6. It's a loud airgun, of course, but nothing like the Career 707 or the Condor. If I were a hunter, I'd like the gentle behavior of the new rifle, which is why I made the comment earlier that the power and accuracy appear to be refined.

Hunters now have another good rifle they can choose. Disregard the low price and concentrate on the power, accuracy and nice features. This new AR6 is a real contender.