BRK Brocock Ghost

Marketing strategy is an interesting aspect of any business, and the progress that Brocock has made over the last 8 years under new ownership has been quite phenomenal. It’s no secret that they are closely aligned with Daystate, being both owned by the Diana Group (no connection with the famous German manufacturer) since 2014. A combination of energized management, input from Tony Belas and his team and some heavyweight corporate backing, has seen both entities forge their own paths. Recently, Brocock has signalled its intention to rebrand, and with a spanking new PCP model released at the same time, it’s clear this manufacturer means business.

BRK

BRK Brocock is how they will now be known, and the smart new logo will show on their products going forward. Tony Belas said: “The re-brand to BRK reflects the fact that the air rifles we produce today have evolved way beyond the original Brocock line-up”.

As for the brand new model, welcome to the BRK Ghost. There are three versions - the BRK Ghost Carbine with a 300cc carbon air bottle that’s available in .177 and .22 in 12ft/lbs but also in FAC, then there is the Ghost Plus with a larger 480cc bottle and finally, the BRK Ghost High Power (HP), which gets the same large air bottle and also a longer barrel shroud, plus a 23.6” barrel against the standard 17”. The longer barrel obviously allows for much greater energy from the HP version, for those with the necessary FAC.

On test

On test here is the BRK Ghost Carbine in .177 calibre and 12 ft/lbs spec, and whilst it does carry a significant RRP of £1450, that includes a hard case, filling adaptor and one magazine. All Ghost models are purely mechanical actions, which is a point worth mentioning given the obvious visual similarity with the Daystate Delta Wolf. Much of the same monocoque aluminium chassis is utilized, yet where the Delta Wolf carries a host of electronics in that boxy rear, the BRK Ghost features a rather more streamlined look and a new balanced cross-flow valve system. First impressions are of a slickly built, classy piece of kit, designed to appeal to the serious airgun enthusiast.

The airgun is a multi-shot PCP with a bullpup configuration, sidelever action, shrouded barrel, buddy bottle, regulated power output, 2-stage trigger, adjustable cheekpiece and butt plate, elevated and adjustable scope rail, twin manometers, threaded muzzle, manual safety catch, power adjuster, latest gate-style magazine and Picatinny accessory rails. Barrel change kits are also available, to switch barrel length and calibres, so there’s plenty to mull over!

The system is fully ambidextrous too, given that the perfectly shaped biathlon-style side-lever can be swapped from the right to the left side of the action. The all-metal construction, save for the AR pistol grip, cheekpiece, valve cover, butt plate and carbon fibre shroud, adds to the air of quality. Plus, with a highly practical matte finish applied to all the metalwork, the Ghost is a supremely functionallooking tool, designed to do a job.

Satisfying

There is something satisfying about an ultra-compact rifle and the Ghost Carbine at just 26” in length, is a marvel of design, with that equally practical scaled-down hard case the perfect accessory.

At this juncture, it’s time for a stern word of warning and some practical advice. The 0dB silencer supplied with the Ghost for my test, is actually an optional extra, which I was quite surprised at for two reasons. Firstly, once threaded onto the barrel shroud it looks great. But secondly, and this is a key observation here, if you choose to shoot the Ghost Carbine without a silencer, then that ultra-short barrel shroud will see the lead hand hovering dangerously around the muzzle. Fit a silencer and it’s suddenly impossible for such an incident to occur. OK, so it adds another £108 on top and a few inches to the length, but it is a thing of beauty in its own right and will, as mentioned, save your digits!

Sight line/setup

There are effectively two scope rails included with the Ghost; the continuous run of dovetail rail along the top of the chassis, and then the elevated Picatinny rail on top of that. The latter has two bolts on each end and can be moved forward or back to suit. Finding a comfortable scope position is therefore pretty easy, given the flexibility and versatility on offer. My test gun came supplied by BRK with an MTC S.W.A.T. Prismatic 10x30 sight already fixed in place, so I was saved the trouble.

The rear end of the Ghost may look a little utilitarian, but don’t overlook the fact that the cheekpiece can be adjusted by slackening the two grub screws and sliding it along the dovetail. Likewise, loosen the butt pad’s Allen screw and it can be lowered by around 3/4”. If you fancy more sophistication (frankly this area is a little basic on such a pricey airgun), then the PRS accessories are all available to order.

Air apparent

Charging the carbon fibre 300cc buddy bottle is done in situ, and the inlet valve can be found on the underside of the action, just forward of the trigger guard. Where we’ve had completely unprotected valves in the past, which is asking for trouble with a PCP, the BRK Ghost gets a really subtle magnetic valve cover. Just press the rear of the neat little cover and it flips back to allow its removal. The Foster filling adaptor supplied is elongated to allow easy operation when attached to the recessed valve, and with everything connected up, the system can be gently filled to the prescribed 250bar.

Latest magazine

The magazine system is the now familiar magnetic gate design utilized by BRK’s sister company, Daystate, and this means we get 13-shots in .177 calibre, 11 in .22, 10 in .25, and 8 in .30, with the latter two strictly reserved for the Ghost HP’s high power energy output. But performance doesn’t stop there, as the Ghost is designed to allow the user to double up on firepower by inserting a magazine from each side and linking them together with a magnet. Clever stuff. Yes, you will have to fork out, first for a cheekpiece riser (to get the correct clearance), and then for the second magazine to make this all possible, but it’s a measure of the designer’s vision and the new modular design. A 13-shot magazine in .177, as per my test gun, then becomes 26 shots, with two mags in place. Nice one!

To fill the mag, first open the hinged front, then rotate the drum clockwise all the way around and hold against the spring pressure. Next, drop a pellet head first into the bottom middle hole, whilst preventing the pellet from dropping all the way through. Now, fill each chamber in turn and close the ‘gate’.

This is probably a good point to check how the trigger feels and to make adjustments as required. It’s a 2-stage, semi-match unit and some fine adjustment is possible (first and second stage, plus final release), and with an adjustable trigger shoe and match-style blade, all tastes should be covered.

Regulation fit

Brocock (and Daystate) have for some while had an association with the Dutch outfit, HUMA, that produces and fits regulators. The Ghost comes fitted with a HUMA reg and on the 12 ft/lbs version, as per my test gun, this is specified as non-adjustable. FAC versions, however, feature a finger-adjustable dial to tweak the regulator pressure.

My test gun came with the regulator pressure at around 85bar and this shows on the HUMA badged manometer, fixed to the left side of the chassis. Look to the right-hand side and the second manometer shows residual pressure in the main buddy bottle. All bases covered then, with the shooter kept well informed at a quick glance as to the state of play.

All change

Right, we’re ready to go. Pull back the perfectly positioned side-lever, snap the full magazine into its slot, close the lever, and the first shot is ready. In use, that biathlon-style lever is super slick, smooth to operate (from the shoulder whilst in the aim), and hard to fault. As for the manual cross-bolt safety, I reckon it’s in the wrong place. You can’t reach it with the thumb on the left side and the side-lever fouls it on the right. It wouldn’t bother me, but for those that put store by a safety catch, check it out. The action and hammer setup on test didn’t feel particularly crisp, even a little bit raspy, but I simply couldn’t fault either in operation or down-range performance.

As mentioned at the start, the Ghost gets a 20-stage power adjuster, and this takes the form of a small finger wheel that’s found just inside the rear butt section. Marked up MIN, 1-18, then MAX, I have to say it works a treat and brings real versatility. Admittedly, the performance figures will vary depending upon calibre and pellet used, but for the record, my 12 ft/lbs .177 model, using Rangemaster Sovereign Hunter pellets (10.33-grains), produced 6.5 ft/lbs on the minimum setting, and a rather too close for comfort, 11.9 ft/lbs on maximum. Once I sat and analysed the figures, it was clear that each setting on the wheel increased velocity by roughly 10fps, so some precise control here, which is handy when certain pellets seem to perform at a slightly lower or faster velocity, which is sometimes the case.

Range report

With the dial set back to Max, it was time to cycle the action and see if the manufacturer’s claims were fair. The shot count is specified as a guide, as 250 in .177 calibre and 280 in .22, whilst this could jump to around 500 with a Ghost Plus at 12 ft/lbs in .22 calibre. My Ghost Carbine in .177 clocked 245 shots, all within a total spread of 21 fps, which was not only quite superb but also proof that the HUMA reg was ticking over nicely. Velocities were maybe a little too near the limit for peace of mind, but I really couldn’t fault the figures throughout the chronograph test.

As for accuracy, this class of hardware really should be able to produce tiny groups, and that’s exactly what it did. Over 30 yards, genuine enlarged holes were the norm, whilst moving back to a more challenging 40 yards (using those relatively heavy Sovereign Hunter pellets), it still produced clusters that were 0.30” max. Spend time batch testing and looking for the best ammo and I know those would close down further still.

Verdict

There’s no doubting the quality and performance of the new Ghost Carbine on test here, and the subtle power adjuster and interchangeable barrel alone, make it highly appealing and extremely versatile. My only concern is that the BRK brand, in re-inventing itself as a premium option alongside sister company Daystate (even sharing some of the chassis/platform components), might just lose some of its original individuality along the way. That observation aside, the Ghost has to be seen as a top-class hunting machine that’s brimming with features and extremely well put together. It just feels upmarket and refined, and that at the end of the day, breeds confidence where it matters. OK, so this model isn’t cheap, but for fans of forward-thinking, modular, tacticalstyle hardware that can be adapted and refined to suit particular applications, the Ghost should prove popular.