Effecto Zeon

For those who haven’t really been paying attention, it’s fair to say that Turkey has been producing an astonishing number of airgun manufacturers over the last few decades. Effecto is yet another player that looks set to make an impact. I first became aware of this relatively new name when I attended last year’s Great British Shooting Show, and an enjoyable amble around the Highland Outdoors stand soon had me collared by Highland’s ever-enthusiast, Ryan Charlton, proudly showing off some classy-looking PCP rifles in garish laminate stocks. Stylish and purposeful There was an above-average finish to those models on the stand, and I made a mental note to review something from the Effecto line ‘sometime soon’. OK, I won’t deny it has taken me too long to get around to it, but on test here is one of the ultra-compact Effecto Zeon models, supplied here in that rather lairy Grey Camo livery. Let’s start by stating that the Zeon is the bullpup model in the line-up, and if you’re new to the game and unfamiliar with the term, bullpups take their inspiration from military hardware and are designed with the action set right to the back of the stock. By doing so, weight distribution is dramatically altered, as much of the mass is concentrated further back. And to give more idea, look at the test gun here. The centre of balance comes in at the rear of the trigger guard, even with that sizeable optic onboard. Many shooters love the direct handling that this brings and there’s no disputing the ultracompact credentials either. The Grey Camo synthetic stock on show may be an acquired taste but there are three other styles available: Synthetic, Bronze Black and Khaki Camo. Case for the defence Effecto supplies the Zeon in its own zip-up carry case. This is not only a swanky little number, but it also has a fully padded interior to keep everything safe and free from knocks. Compartmentalized foam and sections that can be cut out to allow for a scope, all show attention to detail, and alongside the gun itself, there are two magazines, a probe-style filing adaptor, three slide-on plastic cheek sections, spare seals and an instruction booklet. That’s a comprehensive kit bag, making this model one of the best presented airguns around. In terms of features, the Zeon gets a well-thoughtout action that includes a perfectly positioned, biathlon-style side-lever. The chunky 275cc cylinder means there’s plenty of air reserves in theory, and with a regulated action, 2-stage trigger, manometer, 10-shot magazine and adjustable cheek area, there’s plenty to get excited about. Scope alignment Where mounting a scope is concerned, the designers have again applied themselves, with that high rise, super robust, ‘intermount’ Picatinny rail offering a good run of 9” to play with. The bullpup configuration requires the shooter to sight up and over the action, so eye/scope alignment can sometimes be an issue. In the case of the Zeon, we get three different cheekpieces, each allowing around 3-4mm more height. These, in conjunction with that high rail, allow the user to get everything just right, and on test, it all worked well. This is the point where I have to state that I really don’t like having my eye so near the breech/magazine when in the aim, but it is par for the course with this type of gun. Just saying.

More pre-work

Right, time to charge the cylinder, and here, the manufacturer recommends 240bar. That said, the action is regulated, so I reckon stick to a slightly lower figure, and you’ll put less stress on components in the long run. First, twist that rather swish valve dust cover around to expose the inlet, and then insert the probe. My main gripe here with the Zeon concerns the filling probe supplied, which just felt a little slack when inserted into the valve. On my first approach to charging, I could hear a small hiss of escaping air and then the cylinder proceeded to dump its contents. I cocked the action (a good trick with PCPs) and then repeated the process, and this time, despite that small leak around the probe, the charging process completed fully. Ho hum, welcome to the world of PCPs. OK, with 220bar onboard, it was time to fill the 10- shot magazine. This is a robust design and needs no pre-tensioning. The red dot at the base is the stop point. Just twist the drum anti-clockwise and drop a pellet into the chamber. Keep twisting and fill each chamber in turn. Look to the underside of the mag and there’s a small pin. This can be switched to the other side, to allow the mag to be inserted into the action from the other side, and that is quite a handy feature. My mag had the pin on the left, so is inserted from the left. Unscrew and relocate the pin as desired.

Handling & feel

Just when I was thinking it strange that there was no safety catch to speak of, I stumbled across it - the large silver slide, situated under the butt. It’s manual and there if you feel the urge. Cycling the Zeon soon becomes second nature, as it takes just a modest amount of effort to pull back the sidelever and cock the action. On test, I opted to use Webley Mosquito Express pellets, and these are quite short bodied compared to the Air Arms Diabolo 8.44-grain pellets. Just be aware that shorter pellets can be a bit loose in the magazine, as they don’t contact the small inner ‘o’ rings in the magazine chambers quite so successfully. That said, the Mosquito pellets ran perfectly, but it paid to lean the gun and magazine forwards slightly when first inserting the mag, just to stop the one exposed shot possibly falling out. Once located, all worked well. In fact, in normal use, the cycling of the magazine proved supersmooth and very reliable.

Shouldering the Zeon just feels natural, and I like that thinned-down pistol grip and even the basic but highly functional, rubber butt section. But here’s an observation and a consideration - that slick biathlon side-lever, complete with free revolving handle, is mounted on the left side. As a right-hander, I would prefer the lever to be mounted on the right, which would then allow the action to be cycled with the gun in the shoulder and in the aim. Because of the balance and weight distribution, that is still possible, but just not quite as slick in operation. It’s not a deal breaker as it stands, but it is surprising nonetheless.

Range figures

The manufacturer’s instruction booklet specifies 130 shots as a guide (using 8.44-grain pellets), but of course, as always, shot count is dependent upon several factors. For a start, stating the obvious, but fill pressure dictates play, and in the case of the Zeon, as mentioned, Effecto specifies a fill pressure of 240bar. I’m in the camp that says if you can get away with lower pressures, you’ll place the system under less stress over time, so unless a high shot count is an obsession, I would charge to a slightly lower figure. On test, I stuck to 220bar, and from this, using Webley Mosquito Express pellets, I was rewarded with 150 shots over the chronograph test. But listen to this - excluding just one shot which registered 767fps, all the other 149 shots were within a total velocity spread of just 13fps. That’s superb and proof that the regulated action is well up to the job. Even including that one lower shot, all shots were within 28fps, which is still highly respectable, but I’m prepared to give the Zeon some slack here and put it down to a possible dodgy pellet, bearing in mind I was just taking them straight from the tin. In terms of down range accuracy, that was bang on the button too. Ragged single-hole clusters at 30 yards and groups still sub 1/2” over 40 yards, all with pellets unselected. Take the time to experiment and trial more ammo, and this is the class of gun to reward your efforts.

Shortlist?

Indeed, if the test model is representative, then the Effecto Zeon is an impressive piece of hardware. So, it comes down to the bullpup configuration. This type of layout, where the action sits rearwards, has a distinctive feel and it won’t suit everyone. There is, however, a growing band of shooters that not only relish that direct weight and particular balance, but also rather like the military overtones and perceived technical advance that this style of gun offers. So, if you happen to be considering a bullpup PCP, the Effecto Zeon, whilst not perfect, has a charm and a slickness that surely earns it a place high up on any shortlist.