Air Arms EV2 Red/Nickel

This is a very accurate rifle with perfect balance for shooting from most positions, extremely consistent shot to shot spread, ready to rock with the right parts out of the box and has a dead firing behaviour.

I wish the knee rest could be extended farther, but works good as is.

This is only a 12ft-lb rifle, so plan on learning to dope the wind better. I think it's one of the finest air rifles out there.

The EV2 has a break-in period. I have noticed that after 600 or so shots the speed of the 7.9 CPs stabilized at an average of 778 fps. The trigger pull weight is easily adjusted after removing the palm rest. The rifle is a real treat to shoot.

Raise the power.

The rifle feels great and it is not too heavy. It has a very nice trigger (around 3.5 ozs. from the factory) and lots of stock adjustments. As with all FT rifles you will need a knee rest to shoot sitting. The red color of the rifle is the best - a real eye-stopper. The laminated stock is very eye-appealing. The speed of the pellets is nowhere near the listed 800 fps. I chronoed the CP 7.9 and 10.5 at averages of 740 and 680 fps, respectively. The rifle is set to 12 fpe, the European standard. Accuracy at thirty-five yards was the same but the point of impact was different. I will be shooting the 7.9s on FT metal targets mostly in my yard from 10 to 40 yards so this rifle is just fine. Mounting a scope is very easy aided with lots of 11mm rail front and back room and a built in level. The rifle fills easily with all fittings included and comes in a hard case. The rifle is a bit loud to shoot in a small backyard. If your neighbors are 50 to 60 yards away and there are some fences or trees to break the sound, it is OK. Accuracy on paper is not a priority as all rifles of this class shoot one whole groups out to at least 50 yards. I paper tested the rifle to set the scope (Bushnell 4200 6X24) at 35 yards and could easily cover the groups with a dime. It will hit the scoring area on any FT target if you are able to shoot that good. Loading the rifle is a bit tricky as there is no loading ramp. You place the pellet into the barrel close the bolt and fire. Big fingers on a cold day could be an exercise in true dexterity. There is also a piece of paper on the side of the rifle to mark distances. I do that on my scope. The finish on the rifle and the stock seem very water resistant. The rifle is really nice but after shooting 500+ pellets.....

I would upgrade the rifle to an adjustable or fixed energy to 18 fpe. I think the 10.5 CPs would shoot better at 825+ fps. If you are looking for a 800 to 900 fps FT rifle and will be shooting with heavy pellets, this rifle falls short. As an option I would also include a Boyt-style scoped-rifle varmint case. The factory hard case does not fit the rifle when a large scope is mounted. I wish these companies would sell a fitted knee rest to match their rifles. As an additional option the factory should have 1 inch and 30mm mounts available in the same color as the rifle. Air Arms should consider the accessories market when designing an air gun and build a shooting system around their product line.

The rifle is a step above entry level. The rifle is a real joy to shoot and a pleasant addition to my airgun selections.