Brocock’s Bantam Sniper HR has been dressed to impress, and Mike Morton gets a handle on the new Grey Laminate variant.
Accuracy, consistency and reliability are the primary factors that need to be taken into consideration when buying a new rifle.
The way the gun looks usually comes further down the pecking order of desirable features. But what if you want it all? Brocock thinks you can, and has released its latest version of the Bantam in a glorious new stock.
This particular handle is made for Brocock by Italian woodworking wizard Minelli, and it really is on a mission to seduce any airgun shooters that set eyes upon it.
Laminated stocks are made of several thin layers of wood that have been dyed with different colours and are bonded together under pressure. This creates a dense and stable composite stock that, in this case, just happens to look rather stylish as well.
Key Specs
Manufacturer: Brocock (www.brocock.co.uk)
Model: Bantam Sniper HR Grey Laminate
Price: £1,099 (400cc metal bottle), £1,199 (480cc carbon-fibre bottle)
Type: Multi-shot semi-bullpup PCP
Calibre: .177, .22 (seen here) and .25
Overall Length: 88cm
Length of pull: 37.5cm
Barrel Length: 46cm
Weight: 3.6kg (without scope)
Trigger: Two-stage, adjustable
Safety: Manual, resettable
Power: Hi-Lo Power Adjuster
Features: Single-shot tray
This one may look similar to the regular black synthetic stock on the Sniper HR, but it’s not identical, having panels of stippling either side of both the pistol grip and the forend.
The adjustable cheekpiece has been made of a rigid black polymer that features a lightly stippled texture. This feels warmer against the face than a laminated cheekpiece, and the stippling makes it grippy enough to stop your cheek sliding off, without being so aggressive that it would snag facial hair.
Brocock airguns are well engineered, and this Huma-regulated Bantam is no exception. The matt black finish on the cheekpiece works well with the reflection-resistant metalwork, and the chunky shroud that houses the choked Lothar Walther barrel looks purposeful.
If the shroud doesn’t hush everything down enough for your liking then you can fit a moderator as well. The one seen here is the short model made by 0dB, and has a standard ½” UNF thread that screws directly to the shroud rather than the barrel.
In keeping with the rifle’s elegant, yet practical, nature, it’s ready to be fitted with a bipod thanks to the Picatinny rail that comes already fitted under the forend.
That’s enough drooling for one day. If I can tear my eyes away from that stock for long enough, I might just be able to get out into the field and shoot it…
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