Gun Reviews >
Find a Dealer >
Find a Club >
Competitions >
videos >
Reader Survey >BRK Brocock Sahara XR
- Last updated: 16/06/2023
“Wholesale transformation” best describes the journey undertaken by Brocock over the last five or six years, and the recent soft rebrand to BRK Brocock signifies perhaps the final stages of the process. Of course, as part of the umbrella group that owns Daystate, there’s undoubtedly been a strong influence from the energized team behind the scenes, with the obvious benefit being that manufacturing processes and research can be shared and exploited, for the good of both entities.
I was extremely impressed with their most recent release, the Brocock Ghost, in terms of engineering and performance, yet couldn’t help but question the marketing strategy behind creating such a similar profile as a couple of Daystate models. Well, the lines are not blurred with the classy rifle on test here - the BRK Brocock Sahara XR. It’s another fairly new piece of hardware in the line-up and a gun that has much to shout about. No prizes for guessing why the Sahara moniker, and the sand-coloured, full-length barrel shroud, matching polymer stock and that striking configuration, really gives this model an original look.
It should come as no surprise that the Sahara XR delivers one of the largest shot counts in the BRK range, courtesy of that whopping 480cc carbon fibre Hi-Lite buddy bottle. There’s also an air of sophistication and a level of build quality that well and truly justifies that not-inconsiderable asking price.
Pick up this Brocock and the classy thumbhole polymer stock instantly wins you over. The medium is satisfyingly dense and the moulding is pin perfect throughout. Ambidextrous styling is common these days, but the thinned-down, nicely-shaped pistol grip, extended forend and perfectly concave adjustable butt pad elevate the ergonomics, despite that fundamental concession to lefties. I really like the contrasting black polymer cheekpiece, and with easy adjustment, possible via the two recessed bolts, this thumbhole sporter stock has clearly been well thought through, detail by detail.
Allied to that superior stock is the latest side-lever action from BRK, largely lifted from the Sniper XR, and with the boldly styled, super-robust receiver, multi-shot system and an ultra-practical matte black finish applied, the Sahara XR already inspires confidence.
The full-length shroud sports a 1/2” UNF thread to take an add-on silencer if you feel the urge, but as it stands, there are some decibel calming measures already going on inside the shroud as standard. Attention to detail is impressive with the Sahara, and it’s small things, such as the way the shroud has been stylishly mated with the receiver, that keep things easy on the eye. There’s a power adjuster too, which brings a level of versatility which is there to be exploited.
HUMA, the Dutch company now renowned in airgun circles for their precision regulators, are a regular fit in modern Brococks, and their neat little velocity metering device is embedded here too. Look to the right side and you’ll notice the twin manometers, and here, the top one shows the regulator pressure, whilst the lower dial keeps the user informed of residual main air supplies.
I’ve long been a fan of the airgun pump and use a Hill regularly for my own use, however, sizeable buddy bottles such as we have here, are best tackled by a divers bottle, and I wouldn’t pretend otherwise. The charging process is easy and safe, given that the Sahara utilizes a Foster-style filling valve.
At this stage, it’s worth pointing out that BRK supplies this model with a special oversized extended adaptor, which then deals with the depth of the valve recess. With the adaptor all connected, the neat magnetic valve cover needs to be removed, then the spring-loaded adaptor can be snapped into place. Slowly charge to 200bar, bleed, and then remove the adaptor. Click the cover back on, and you’re then in business for some lengthy shooting sessions.
The new style of self-indexing, ‘gate’ magazine is here, and all I can say is it just feels very well made. My test rifle came in .177 calibre, offering 13 shots, whereas the .22 offers 10 shots. There is, of course, the usual single-shot tray included in the box. It’s easily switchable and held in position via magnets.
I would guess that most shooters would stick with the multi-shot approach with the Sahara, given its hunting credentials, so here’s the fairly familiar routine to fill the magazine. Pull open the hinged side, twist the drum clockwise against spring pressure, all the way around, then drop a pellet head-first into the bottom central hole, taking care to stop it from dropping all the way through. That first pellet now holds the drum and the rest of the chambers can be filled in turn.
The sizeable Picatinny rail up top means that fitting any scope is fairly straightforward. Look at where the action sits within the stock, however, and we are reminded that the Sahara is a semi-bullpup, as in the action is set a few inches back, but not fully rearwards. BRK started this trend with their popular Compatto and it is now a theme through several of their models. The reach forward Picatinny rail then allows the scope to be set further forward, and everything falls into place. It’s all about balance at the end of the day, and what suits the individual.
There’s never really an excuse for a poor trigger on a PCP, given that the sears have so little to hold back when compared to those of a spring/piston airgun. Yet, some examples are still rather crude and unsatisfactory. Obviously, if we’ve invested the best part of £1300 here on the Sahara XR, it’s only fair to expect something a little more refined, and that’s exactly what we get. It’s a quality semi-match unit that’s fully adjustable and ‘tweakable’, to satisfy the fussiest of shooters. The classy match blade is the icing on the cake, as it can be rotated around its pillar for a perfect finger position and release. Also, if you feel the need to apply the manual safety catch, you’ll find a neat push tab positioned just inside the guard, forward of the blade.
OK, time to get down to business. Cycling the ergonomic biathlon-style side-lever really is very civilised, as the slightest touch has the lever flicking to the rear, with just the merest additional pressure required to cock the hammer and set the trigger at the same time. Just click the loaded magazine into its slot from the right side, close the lever and the action can start. This has to be one of the smoothest cycling systems on the market, with the perfectly shaped side-lever controlling it all beautifully.
Internally, this model gets an upgraded hammer and valve assembly, and it feels slick. In terms of output, as mentioned, there is a power adjuster, controlled by the knob on the right-hand side of the receiver. On test, the minimum setting gave around 7 ft/lbs and the mid setting was 10 ft/lbs. I referred to this model as having a huge shot count, and this will, of course, increase further on low power. Set to maximum power, you can expect 380 shots in .177 and a huge 420 in .22, although this is dependent upon the weight of the pellet used.
I monitored the first six magazines worth over the chronograph, in order to gauge the efficiency of the HUMA regulator, and here, using Rangemaster Sovereign 8.44-grain pellets straight from the tin, I recorded the 78-shot string, all within 16 fps. Impressive stuff. Accuracy-wise, I achieved sub-5p-sized groups over 40 yards. Take more time selecting pellets, and I know those can be trimmed further.
One final detail to mention is the accessory rail on the underside of the forend. Here, all manner of add-ons can be clamped into place. Lasers, weights, grips and of course, a bipod, as supplied with my test gun. These are available as an optional extra, but given the recoilless action, just having the option to shoot from a bipod brings even more versatility to an already focused system.
I really warmed to the Sahara XR over the course of my test and it’s not difficult to see why. The combination of superb build quality, thoughtful design and classy performance just serve to illustrate how far the modern BRK Brocock has come as a brand. So, if you’re looking for a top-quality, supreme hunting machine, this eye-catching gem could well be the answer.
