Brocock AIM X Contour

I initially contacted Brocock to request the AIM X air pistol for test. An interesting ‘in-house’ designed PCP powered single-shot air pistol with the facility to fit a scope and an equally beneficially threaded muzzle for a silencer. During the conversation I was informed they’d just released the first production run of an air rifle based on the pistols action running up to the 12ft lb legal limit and dressed (in their words)  ‘in a very nice walnut profile stock’. Obviously I jumped at the chance to be one of the first to test it, but I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be so unique, and quite frankly the equal to some of the top rifles around.

Cool Contour

The name ‘Contour’ gives the game away, as the stock design has a thumbhole and profiled butt section – in other words a skeleton stock - which during test I found perfectly ‘contoured’ if you’ll excuse the pun. When you create a thumbhole stock, then pare away more wood to lighten it, the integral strength at key areas can’t be compromised or else it will be too fragile. I mention this as I feel the Brocock AIM X Contour is dressed in possibly the finest profile stock since the original Falcon Lighthunter - and I don’t say that lightly, as that was one of my favourite stocks.

The AIM X Contour’s quality walnut profile stock is nigh on perfect for this ultra lightweight, carbine size air rifle. Even cosmetically the grain of the wood has an eye-catching tiger stripe effect. Into the design of the skeletonised stock there is a useful right hand roll over cheekpiece, sliding rubber butt pad and a steep drop down pistol grip that is ideally sized for the well positioned thumbhole. On the right hand side of the grip there’s also a neat recessed thumb rest should you prefer a thumbs up hold.

The trigger guard is an integral part of the furniture and it’s just forward of this that the forend - being true to the rifle’s name - sweeps upwards to curvaceously meet a very slim and rounded short section, ending a couple of inches shy of the end of the air reservoir’s screw on cover cap. This ‘contouring’ is particularly practical and noticeable on handling the rifle. On aim the curve from trigger guard to forend sits in the palm of your leading hand perfectly when shooting freehand. This compliments the rock solid hold that the butt section affords, giving you superb and effortless control of the rifle while taking a shot. If this wasn’t enough there are also two equally sized panels of deep cut chequering at the grip and forend.

Filling and Loading

The slim air reservoir is filled via a relatively small stainless steel fill valve found under the neat screw on cover cap. It takes a max 200-bar charge injected in courtesy of the supplied quick fit bayonet connector. Incidentally, it’s the same fill point found on all of Brocock’s fast growing PCP air rifle range. From a single fill the Contour only gives approximately 30 full power shots in the .22 calibre tested and 25 shots in .177, so trips to the charging bottle will be frequent if you intend to put a lot of pellets down range or if you have a particularly successful hunting foray. However, as sensible hunters know, many times on hard days getting one or two shots off is a bonus, even good days a dozen is quite sufficient.  Besides, for the specialist hunting situations this PCP is perfect for – shooting from confined spaces or pest control in and around farm buildings - you’ll realise it isn’t that much of a hindrance if you have a small charging bottle with you in the 4 X 4 or hide.

To cock and load the Contour you first depress the spring loaded release catch which has the word ‘RELEASE’ actually etched in white on the action block alongside it. This is a neat rocker style catch positioned on the right at the very rear of the action block. This allows the pellet probe/cocking bolt to flick rearwards enough to disengage its lock at the breech but not enough to allow you to load a pellet onto the loading channel - neither does this cock the Contour. To access the loading channel fully and cock the carbine you need to manually pull back the pellet probe via its finger friendly knurled edge disc shaped ‘grip’, until you hear and feel it lock solidly in the fully rearward position. Put a pellet onto the generously sized length of loading channel now exposed and then push in the loading probe from the rear back to its original closed position. This has now directly pushed a pellet into the breech and the rifle is cocked and ready to fire.

The top of the action block has very well machined dovetails for scope fitting, I fitted a little Walther 4 X 32 Compact scope supplied by Brocock for testing and it proved to be an ideal pairing for the carbine. After zeroing using quality ammo at 25yds, the .22 calibre test rifle soon began bringing in 3/8” clusters only opening out to ½” size groups at 30yds. The rifle wasn’t fussy about ammo but did show a slight preference for Air Arms Field pellets. Accuracy is definitely aided not only by the superb stock design but the almost match grade 2-stage trigger unit. The rather unusual configured stainless steel trigger blade is reminiscent of the Daystate Mk3 design and I’ve never heard of anybody bemoaning that unit’s quirky blade. 

Hunters will be pleased to note that the 12 ¼” free floating quality barrel is threaded at the muzzle but unfortunately not the standard ½” UNF that we are used to. So if you want to subdue the crack of muzzle report you’ll need to purchase Brocock’s dedicated ‘Contour Silencer’ as an optional extra. It does a fine job of taming the firing signature and though measuring 6 ¾” it only takes the overall length of the Contour to 33”.  The un-scoped weight is good too, tipping the scales at less than 5lbs.

Conclusions

As I’m sure this review indicates that I really like the Brocock AIM X Contour, despite its rather unusual origins and unconventional procedure for loading and cocking. However although I can’t fault any major feature of the rifle, such as its handling and accuracy, I do feel rifles with barrels that aren’t ½” UNF screwcut should come with the silencer included in the price. Then again, I feel Brocock do make up for this as all Contours come in a very stylish, well padded semi-rigid gunbag, so in that respect what you lose by buying the silencer you gain by not having to buy a gunbag… and it’s one that’s even been specifically manufactured for this particular air rifle.

All in all the Brocock AIM X Contour is a very desirable little hunting carbine that handles superbly, with an action that is a doddle to operate and is deadly accurate to boot – only one question – how long before we can have a multi-shot version? 

PRICE:
£399
Optional Extra ‘Contour Silencer’ £39