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Daystate Wolverine ‘C’ Pre-charge

Daystate Wolverine ‘C’ Pre-charge

State-of-the-art’ sums up Daystate rather nicely; and as the pioneers of the modern pre-charged pneumatic airgun as we know it, they’ve been in the business long enough to have learnt a thing or two.

When Daystate introduced their 100ft/lbs .303 calibre original Wolverine, many enthusiasts, myself included, marvelled, not just at the awesome power output, but at the sheer beauty of the stylish woodwork. When a highly anticipated 12ft/lbs version of the Wolverine (the ‘B’, denoting ‘bottle’) subsequently arrived, bearing little resemblance to it’s bigger bore relation, and looking more like err… an Air Ranger, disquiet understandably grew, from an army of disenchanted fans.

Finally, when the rioting in the streets eventually subsided… Okay, I may have slightly exaggerated this! No, Daystate are a company that listens to its customers, and I’m glad to report that this latest ‘C’ incarnation gives a generous nod of respect to that original masterpiece. Where ‘B’ denoted a buddy ‘bottle’ fed action, the new ‘C’ stands for cylinder, of the 200cc aluminium variety. It’s a cut-down version of the original .303 spec.

What really stands out with this model, though, lending it a highly original and distinctive profile, is that synthetic forend. Fashioned from high-performance PA66 ballistic polyester, it allows for a full-length forend handle, sliding over the on-board cylinder, whilst being easily removed to make way for a 300cc buddy bottle further down the line, if the mood should take you.

What we have here then is versatility!

Minelli…

Take another look at that woodwork and the actual configuration is extremely similar to the Airwolf and Air Ranger models. Those large stippled panels define the Wolverine breed, but they add grip where it matters too. Daystate prove time and again, that fully ambidextrous styling doesn’t need to be synonymous with excessive compromise. The nicely raised cheekpiece works well, with eye/scope alignment being second nature. Twin thumb shelves are enormously welcome too, and coupled with the thumbhole, a multitude of grip options are possible. Quality walnut is sourced by Italian stock maker Minelli, and whilst that synthetic forend may offend a few purists, there’s little to criticise with regards to ergonomics. An integral accessory rail at the very tip is a really useful feature on this type of rifle, but the icing on the cake for me is that superbly shaped rubber butt pad – surely the best fitted to any production airgun.

Mechanical

Daystate are well-known for their electronically powered range of rifles, yet the Wolverine is a purely mechanical design, with high-end build quality and a standard of finish to be proud of. A full-length barrel shroud is fitted, which is treated to a rust-free coating, and threaded at the muzzle to receive an add-on silencer. The last few inches are a void with baffles to absorb some muzzle blast.

The Wolverine’s chunky, super robust breech block is the template for several future models apparently, and with the recommended fill pressure shown in a badge on the left-hand side and the classic Daystate bolt sitting at the rear, it’s a reassuring start to proceedings. Multi-shot airguns often suffer from the problem of double loading. The bolt may become sticky to operate… the shooter pulls at it again, and actually cycles a second shot into the barrel; with of course disastrous results.

With the Wolverine project, this intensely irritating scenario is frankly history, as Daystate’s engineers have come up with a fail-safe system, that only allows the magazine to index the next shot once the gun has actually fired. An ingenious air powered, rising pin in the centre of the breech cut-away is the key, and it works really well. The system should also fail to cycle the magazine when air pressure falls below levels required to expel a pellet, which is further reassurance.

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Daystate’s magazine itself, has undergone some subtle revisions, including a slightly lower profile overall so as to minimise the chance of fouling glassware mounted on the rails above. In addition, the internal spec ensures that pellets have a fraction more clearance from the casing, which helps to reduce friction where possible. Fair to say then, some serious thought has gone into this rifle.

Fancy a left-handed action? Well the bolt handle can easily be removed and fixed to the left- hand side of the action, making this model truly ambidextrous, with the minimum of fuss.

Preparation

Filling the magazine is pretty straight forward – cock the action by drawing the bolt back. Pull the mag clear of the action from the left side. Drop a pellet into each chamber in turn and rotate the magazine’s drum to reveal the next chamber. Once filled, just push the magazine into its cut-out within the action, from the left-hand side. More attention to detail here sees a small magnet literally pull the mag into place. Close the bolt, and the Wolverine is ready to show off.

That is, of course, after an injection of air through the inlet valve, accessed by pulling the dust cover from its recess under the action. The standard Daystate Foster style adaptor comes supplied with each gun, and the recommended fill pressure is marked on a small badge on the breech block. My test gun showed 200-bar, but apparently this can vary between 180-220 bar - pre- determined at the factory.

Range Feedback

At 7.9lbs in weight, the Wolverine ‘C’ could hardly be classed as a heavyweight. In fact, my penchant for barrel heavy kit meant I actually felt it a little light at the muzzle. For the duration of my test, I fitted an old-design Daystate Airstream silencer, which had very little intrinsic weight, and if this was my gun I’d bulk up the front either with a more chunky moddy or weights. Personal taste plays a big part here, though, and many owners will relish the ‘pointability’ and easy handling afforded, as standard.

They’ll also appreciate the nicely shaped fully adjustable two-stage trigger, and the manual rocker safety catch to the rear of the action.

Over the course of my test, cocking and cycling the Wolverine’s action was a faultless exercise, courtesy of the aforementioned technical revisions. Shooting initially in a contained back yard accentuated the muzzle report, which seemed significant. Out in the field, the noise dissipated far better, but with that Airstream silencer screwed into place, decibels were reduced to a mere whisper. Daystate’s latest MK6 Airstream is available for £63 incidentally.

Over the chronograph, I managed around 135 shots using Air Arms Diabolo Field pellets with a spread of 30fps. That may not sound like overly impressive consistency, but it was using ammo straight from the tin; and with subsequent accuracy over 40 yards resulting in average groups of just quarter inch c-t-c, I remained impressed.

Conclusion

Slick marketing, fine engineering, and bold innovative design is what we’ve come to expect of Daystate; and with this very latest Wolverine ‘C’, that’s exactly what we’ve got, in a layout that largely blueprints the company’s future output. A highly versatile, up-market multi-shot PCP was always likely to excite the hunting fraternity; yet with accuracy to take on outdoor field target disciplines, the Wolverine ‘C’ has to be another winner.

OPTIONS: 300cc buddy bottle, Extended cylinder, FAC rated action, Bi-pod £29, Airstream MK6 silencer £63

PRICES: £1142 guide price, inc magazine
CONTACT: Daystate 01785 859122 www.daystate.com

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gun
features

  • Model: Daystate Wolverine ‘C’
  • Type: Multishot PCP
  • Calibre: .177 on test, .22 available
  • Weight: 7.9lbs approx
  • Overall Length: 38.5-inches
  • Barrel Length: 17-inches
  • Stock: Ambidextrous walnut thumbhole
  • Trigger: 2-stage semi-match
  • Power Source: Pump/air bottle
  • Fill Pressure: 200-bar on test (may vary)
  • Shot Count: 135 approx. on test in .177, 150 plus in .22
  • Average Velocity: 759fps using Air Arms Diabolo pellets
  • Spread: 30fps on test over 135shots
  • Average Energy: 11.3ft/lbs
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