by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup
Today, we’ll look at the accuracy of the Evanix Rainstorm 3D bullpup PCP air rifle. Since this is such a powerful and loud air rifle, I decided not to shoot it in my house. So, today is a 25-yard accuracy test that was conducted at my rifle range. I doesn’t matter, though, because 25 yards is the same indoors or out.
You may recall that I adjusted the trigger last time. I said I got it as light as it would safely go because the adjustment acts on the sear contact area, so this day on the range was the first real chance I had to test it under real shooting circumstances. Although it’s a little heavy at 6 lbs., 10 oz., it’s now reasonably crisp. There is no significant creep in the trigger, which for a bullpup is pretty amazing. It’s about the same as some military rifle triggers. I can shoot this rifle with no excuses.
Someone thought that the rifle would be easy to cock because the sidelever is on the right side of the receiver. Well, touch your right shoulder with your right index finger to get an idea of how easy it is. I found it best to dismount the rifle from my shoulder to cock it each time.
Another assumption I made while in my office was that the Bug Buster scope that comes with medium-high rings would work well on this rifle. Size-wise it does look good; but when I went to shoot off the bench, I discovered that the high rings will be best, after all. That’s no reflection on the Bug Buster scope — the rings just need to be higher. As it is now, I have to tilt my head severely to see the image.
JSB Exact Jumbo Heavys
While I usually begin any shooting session at 10 feet to check the scope’s alignment, this time I settled down at 25 yards and just started shooting. The pellets for the first group landed 3 inches low and 1.5 inches to the left, which is not bad for just mounting the scope and shooting without sighting in. The first group was 10 JSB Exact Jumbo Heavy pellets — an 18.1-grain dome that often works well in airguns in this 40 foot-pound power range.
The first group measures 0.574 inches for 10 shot at 25 yards. I thought that was an auspicious start for this rifle.
Ten shots into 0.574 inches at 25 yards is a good start.
The rifle doesn’t move when it fires. I think that’s due to the weight, though I had a good hold on it, since I was in a somewhat odd position and had a tight grasp, just to see through the scope.
JSB Exact Jumbo Monsters
After the first group, I adjusted the scope by guesswork and brought the next group up to just under the bull I was aiming at. This was with a clip of the 25.4-grain JSB Exact Jumbo Monster pellets. This is another dome that’s even heavier than the tried-and-true Beeman Kodiaks. They acted like they wanted to group, but a couple strayed outside the main concentration, making me think they’re not the best for this rifle. Too bad; because at that weight, they really pack the punch.
Two pellets got stuck in the clip and had to be unloaded and reloaded to work right. That would be reason enough not to pick this pellet.
Ten JSB Jumbo Monster pellets went into 0.942 inches at 25 yards. Two pellets got stuck in the clip, so this pellet is not recommended for the 3D bullpup.
Eun Jin
Next, I tried 10 of the 28.4-grain Eun Jin domes. They just barely fit in the clip lengthwise and 2 got stuck in the magazine; but if they were accurate enough, I could overlook any shortcomings just to get the extra power. Ten landed in a group that measures 0.666 inches. That’s pretty darned good when the extra power is needed.
Ten Eun Jin pellets went into 0.666 inches at 25 yards. Two pellets got stuck in the clip, so this pellet is only recommended for this rifle when you need the extra power.
Beeman Kodiak
It was time to try the Beeman Kodiaks that I thought might be one of the best pellets in this rifle. And I was right! Ten of them went into a group measuring 0.491 inches — the smallest group of the test! Don’t be misled by the appearance of this group. It does appear larger than the first group, but careful measuring shows that it’s smaller.
Ten Beeman Kodiaks went into 0.491 inches at 25 yards. No pellets were stuck in the clip, so this is the pellet of choice for the Evanix 3D bullpup.
RWS Superdome
The last pellet I tried was the 14.5-grain RWS Superdome. It’s a very popular pellet — especially among spring-gun shooters, so I thought I’d include it in this test. Boy, what a dramatic finish it was! Ten Superdomes went into a group that measures 2.914 inches between centers! If I hadn’t shot it myself I wouldn’t have believed it after seeing all those other groups! Obviously, I’m not going to recommend Superdomes for the Rainstorm 3D bullpup!
Ten RWS Superdomes went into 2.914 inches at 25 yards. This is a non-starter for this rifle.
Cool carrying case
A while back, AirForce Airguns presented me with a TalonP pistol that I tested for you. They were kind enough to put it in one of their soft carry bags, and I found that it fits this bullpup perfectly! After posting this, Edith told me that the bag is no longer being made. If you are buying the 3D, you might want to try one of the tactical bags made by Leapers. They’re about the same size and are already linked to the gun on Pyramyd Air’s site.
The AirForce tactical bag is perfect for the Rainstorm 3D bullpup.
Besides the rifle, there are many zippered pockets for the rest of your shooting stuff.
General impression thus far
I learned in this session that, while the Bug Buster is a wonderful scope, the medium-high rings it comes with are too low for this bullpup. Since I’ll be changing the rings anyway, I’ll use this opportunity to mount a different scope on the Rainstorm 3D bullpup.
I also learned that JSB Exact Jumbo Heavys (the 18.1-grain dome) and Beeman Kodiaks are the 2 best pellets in the test rifle. Next time, I’ll shoot these 2, plus perhaps one additional pellet I haven’t tried yet. That will be the final test at 50 yards.
The bullpup configuration was never meant to be shot from a bench. It would feel and handle much better in the offhand position, I’m sure. But the test was to prove how well the rifle shoots, which is why I shot it rested.
The long pull length is no hinderance whatsoever. I found that it supports the bullpup configuration and helps you control a rifle that’s otherwise too short.
If this is a rifle that fascinates you, I would have to say it’s probably a good one to get. I’ll still shoot it at 50 yards, but I believe today’s test shows all that you wanted to see.
B.B.
Wow! Never thought it was capable of these groups. Not with a 6lb trigger.Of course the correct pellet matters but then this is very impressive for this design. I think we have to accept the Evanix on power & accuracy. Who knows, maybe all Air Guns will look like this in the future!!
Errol
Every time I see this gun I like it more.
The cage is cool but I think I would like it with a synthetic or custom carbon fiber stock. The cage in my opinion makes it bulkier than need be. But I still do like it.
And BB kind of reminds me of what I just went through when I got my Talon SS with the scope height for line of sight.
I have only experienced guns with the conventional wood stock cheek location before the Talon SS. I definitely had to put my head in a weird angle to sight the gun on to the target.
I actually double stacked the AirForce dovetail risers and used high mounts.
And offset my adjustable butt stock to the right (I shoot right handed) with the butt plate mounted in the farthest hole to the edge. The plate is facing down.
I can hold the gun and rest my cheek on the bottle like you would a normal wood stock. And the butt plate fits nice in the pocket of my shoulder. And my line of sight is perfect.
A much more comfortable gun to shoot now.
And I have tryed the Superdomes in .22 and .25 cal. and for some reason they don’t compare to the .177 Superdomes. The .177 cal. Superdomes way out perform the other two cal. by far in the guns I have shot them out of.
My Crosman 1720T doesn’t miss with the Superdomes in .177 cal. It hits the mark dead on with them.
But that’s just what I experienced with the guns I have.
But back to the Rainstorm (cool name too). Accuracy test at 25 yards turned out nice. But I think that the gun is more suited for hunting when you are in the woods with a thicker cover of brush and tighter surroundings like more trees.
And in hunting circumstances you don’t always get the luxury to shoot at 25 yrds. I bet this gun will shine at 50 yrds. or more.
Cant wait to see.
BB,
I can’t really tell from this pic… Does this gun have enough space around the muzzle for a brake/moderator to be attached and enough of the end of the barrel free for it to be attached securely?
/Dave
/Dave,
The muzzle looks like it has a cap on it. I have tried to unscrew it, but no luck yet. I assume a silencer could be added.
B.B.
Ok, thanks for looking. I’m thinking about maybe getting one of these next year and since I shoot mostly in the basement and out in the yard, the ability to make it quieter is important tho me.
/Dave
/Dave,
Yes. This rifle definitely needs to be made quieter.
B.B.
/Dave,
The cap unscrews from the shroud on the 3D. Jim Gaska makes an adapter that screws into the shroud that will then accept a common 1/2 x 20 silencer.
kevin
Thanks, Kevin. I’ll save that info for later, or at the worst, after I lose it I’ll come pick your brain again…
/Dave
With this type of accuracy, it dispells the myth that Bullpup type rifles aren’t accurate. Now Evanix needs to work on quieting the rifle down and a bit of trigger work and they won’t be able to build these fast enough!
Fred DPRoNJ
Probably a stupid question, I have a rainstorm II in .22 coming when the tuner gets to it. My Evanix Renegade loves the 18.3 JSB’s but I want to try the Kodiak, seems there are several weights and coatings in .22. Which one did so well in the test and does it have an H&N equivalent?
Thanks for the test BB
Mark,
I used the plain 21.1-grain Beeman Kodiak. Beeman and H&N have polluted their brand names with various shapes and coatings all under the one name. When I use something special, like a Baracuda Green, I tell you what it is.
So the Baracuda equivalent to this pellet is the regular Baracuda with not qualifiers.
B.B.
B.B.,
Well, if the 3D needs to be taken from the shoulder no matter the handedness of the shooter, and given how accurate it is, it has to be something I’d consider purchasing, even if only down the road a little.
Because the gun is accurate, to me that seems close to being a confirmation about Evanix air rifles in general. Lately I’ve been looking at the Evanix GTK290, which in my opinion is the baddest looking airgun ever made! It looks Rambo-ready! AND it is semiauto. Unfortunately, that means it gets far fewer shots, I suppose because it uses HPA to rotate the magazine. The trigger is probably light as a feather as it seems to be electronic, which for me is not an issue. However, it is also $750 more than the 3d.
Hmmm, so many airguns, so little time . . .
Michael
BB this is off subject. And I keep forgetting to ask.
A little while back I noticed PA is carrying the Shoebox Compressors now.
I have one of the latest belt drive ones. I got it right before they switched to the new Freedom 8 design. Mine doesn’t have all the extra bells and whistles like the Freedom 8. And it was a little cheaper but I love it.
But the question is are you going to test and make a report about it?
What’s the 3D part of this gun? The objections I’ve heard to the bullpup design are problems with the trigger because of the long linkage required and the fact that if something goes wrong with the action it could blow up right in your face. It sounds like the gun has solved the trigger problem and with airguns, the second is not a danger. Otherwise, I believe the bullpup scores very well in the ergonomics department.
CowBoyStar Dad, I neglected to comment on your interesting experience with the Savage WMR and the comments related to it. Could we be seeing something of 20/20 hindsight among the comments? I remember a discussion strongly in favor of the artillery hold for firearms as well as airguns. You know who you are, although I can’t remember. 🙂 I believe it was Harry Pope who was quoted as recommending a soft hold even for high-powered rifles. In theory, I guess that makes sense, but it runs into trouble with the shooter/rifle interface. That is just not natural to let yourself get walloped by a strong recoil. Although I’m a great fan of the artillery hold for springers, I believe in a firm hold for all firearms starting with rimfire.
Pacific Rim, which I saw last night, is one really crazy movie. Part Aliens, part Independence Day, part Revenge of the Nerds, part Matrix, part Transformers, but it all works somehow right up to the glorious detonation of nuclear bombs at the end. Maybe they will turn out to have some useful purpose in the end. If the Chinese are raving about the overseas release of the film, they’ve got this one right. Did you know, for instance, that the dinosaurs were merely the first wave of alien monsters attacking earth by way of a portal from another universe that exits through a fissure in the tectonic plates at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean?! Kind of changes your perspective. Otherwise, I’ll just say that for those who like to tinker–with airguns or automobiles–just imagine what you could do with a robot 25 stories high. A must-see film.
Matt61
Matt61,
I guess you should have started your movie review with these words: Spoiler alert!
:-\
Edith
Matt61,
I agree with you regarding holding airguns. Springers are a special case of gun. I never considered something like the “artillery hold” until I started learning about springers on this blog. As I mentioned a couple days ago, target rifles that require slings are held pretty tightly. But high power rifles absolutely require that you shoulder them tightly, otherwise you get punched, instead of pushed.
When I first started training with an M1, along with a bunch of other newbies, it was made clear that the rifle needed to be pressed into the shoulder. We were using peep sights. One guy chose to hold his M1 loose, and upon shooting his first shot got a ring cut just under his eye. He was very lucky. That sure taught us all a lesson.
But again, a sling is deliberately tightened to form a triangle between your upper arm, your lower arm, and the sling itself, so that the rifle stays up. When shooting prone, your arm must stay up high enough to prevent your hand from touching the ground. But you don’t want it so tight that it hurts your hand.
What you do want to do is relax enough so that you don’t flinch. When using a sling, you don’t use muscle, and your hand is relaxed. The same would apply for high power.
Victor
Matt,
I am guilty of the artillery hold — the lighter the better for anything w/out significant recoil (at least up to .30-06). Of course, it has to be against your shoulder if you expect a whallop, but there is no need to hold anything down — free recoil (or as much as possible) is desirable, otherwise you put yourself (and human inconsistency) into the system needlessly. Even factory cartridge consistency is more uniform than almost any shooter’s shot to shot hold consistency.
I suspect CBSDad’s breakthrough had to do with better controlling the consistency of the effect of his trigger pull on the movement of the rifle during firing. My strategy off the bench or when shooting chunk, for example, is to visualize a line between my trigger finger and the buttstock and try to pull straight back along that line. The rifle will jump off the chunk or the front rest every time, pretty much exactly the same way, with my shoulder as the pivot. With a .22LR off the bench, the only reason my shoulder touches the stock is to counteract the small force of the trigger pull. Or, if it isn’t possible to shoulder it (on the bench, depends on the stock), you can hold the buttstock in your “off” hand and/or pinch the trigger and guard together (that is good for less than sweet triggers). I don’t really think the trigger hand needs to to anything but pull the trigger in the most consistent and least disruptive manner possible; it doesn’t support any weight at all, and the off hand is only (in the case of a chunk or front-only rest) holding the rifle up (off the ground or bench) and in the same position, not moving anything during the shot.
Just my opinion.
You may be right BG (controlling the consistency). The only springer I have is the Slavia. It’s trigger is very light…under 1 lb pull. I can hold the gun lightly and the trigger is light enough that releasing the trigger does not upset my hold in any way.
The Savage is just under 3 lbs. Not heavy enough that I have felt the need to play with it, but at times I’ve wondered if it took enough of a ‘pull’ that it was upsetting the gun when I fired.
Perhaps by holding the gun more firmly it’s just allowing me to be more consistent.
Either way…I’ll take it 😉
I have a friend who has mint Cooey model 600 (just like the one Walberg used in Shooter. It was owned by a family member who bought it new when he was a teenager and he figured it’s seen no more than a couple thousand rounds.
It has a 9 lb trigger…and from everything we’ve researched there is no easy way to lighten the trigger…short of filing, sanding, etc.
It’s so heavy that after 50 or 60 rounds your finger actually starts to ache. The first time he had me try it I actually thought the safety was on…it was so hard to fire.
Anyhoo…after 50 shots your finger is aching so much that shooting 4″ groups at 100yds is no easy feat.
Definitely do what works, as there is more than one way to skin a cat, and the proof is in the pudding, to mix a few metaphors :). I just wasn’t ready to abandon artillery hold completely. Your .22mag results are some of the best I’ve heard of (even before the breakthrough), so you have to be doing a lot right and getting the most out of the platform!
Obviously this bullpup shoots well. But it really looks like something from a Robocop movie to me.
LOL,
Herb
B.B.
Are you still planning to do a full review of the Bug Buster?
David
David,
Tomorrow.
B.B.
Edith,
The new Webley breakbarrel rifles that are listed as the “Tomahawk II Quattro” and the “Stingray Quattro” may be named incorrectly. Looking at the pics for each rifle shows the names printed on the left side of the spring tube as “Tomahawk Quattro” and “Stingray II Quattro”. Thanks for all the work you do for us airgun nuts!
David H
B.B.,
Concerning optically centering scopes I have question. I meant to ask last week when you bogged Scope Dope part 3 but never got around to it. You said there was no reason to center the scope but I wonder about a couple of things.
Isn’t it a good idea to center the scope so that you don’t run the risk of having to adjust to the extreme of the range of the reticle which could leave it unstable?
And isn’t it also true that the optics perform better when the reitcle is optically centered? I am under the impression that when the reticle is at the edge of its range of adjustment that the image is coming through the edges of the lenses and not as clear, crisp, or true?? Am I just imagining this? My understanding could be way off here.
Hope these questions make sense. Thanks,
Mark N
Mark,
Optical centering has nothing to do with the image. It has to do with centering the reticle in the erector tube. So the optics never change.
But the reticle does get dicey in most scopes when it approaches the upper or right end of travel. So centering puts it into the ideal range, but of couse the scope must then align with the bore or the job is useless. That’s where adjustable mounts come in.
B.B.
Thanks for asking, Mark. I’ve also heard the bit about the centers of the lenses being of better quality, and has always wondered whether there’s any truth to that.
Now, the part about the benefits of using adjustable mounts to give yourself more effective elevation travel without “floating” the erector tube is something that B.B. has long convinced me of. Though I still haven’t gotten around to experimenting with whether my longer and shorter-range elevation adjustments are flirting with “float”.
What I wonder is, when I one day DO get around to trying adjustable mounts, would it be better to adjust so that the ballistic zero matches the scope’s optical center? Or might it be better still, especially if there’s nothing to the “lenses better in the centers” thing, to adjust the scope so that the erector tube is somewhere closer to the top of its travel rather than in the middle? That way, I reckon you would have more effective elevation clicks before flirting with float.
PS, I tend to zero near the apogee of the trajectory, so that most or all of my clicks are “up” clicks, i.e. moving the erector down.
-Jan
Hi Tom
I bought my 3D after reading your part 1 of this 3 part, mainly i like the look of this gun. I must say after reading this part three i chuckled to myself as i found almost exact results on accuracy with my 3D, i tried some H&N sport 14.5 and 24.6 grain pellets and the 14.5’s were also all over the place and the 24.6 were respectably group very similar to your results so i guess this is just not a light pellet rifle. A link to my rifle https://www.airrifle.co.za/attachment.php?attachmentid=49316&d=1382114286 .
Clint,
Believe it or not, I am not yet finished with this rifle. I’m just clearing up several outstanding tests, and the bullpup is on the books to be shot again.
Thanks for telling me your results, as they confirm the testing I’ve already done. What a time-saver that is!
B.B.
Thanks for the reply, hope you took a look at my rifle at the link provided, I look forward to reading all i can on these rifles as there seems to be very little published about them your work here is appreciated. The Evanix web site has nothing on this version and the manual provided is the one for the normal Rainstorm so that is a little irritating it also is a very limited manual, my Airforce Condor came supplied with complete diagram that enabled me to strip and assemble with ease. I must add that the silencer i built for mine has made a remarkable difference in sound the loudest thing on mine now is the klang sound of the trigger connecting rod, I want to strip it out and cover it with a silicone tube to try and silence that a little. I am finding that at 70 yards with the 24.6gn i need to compensate around 3 mil dots on my scope to hit the mark. Still very strong at that distance, fare damage to 2mm steel plate. If you have a parts diagram or exploded diagram on this rifle i would love to get a copy.
Clint,
Evanix has not been very forthcoming with drawings and schematics of their guns. I think that’s because they change their design so often. I certainly don’t have any technical information on this rifle beyond what I’ve put into my report.
B.B.