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Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP

Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP

Over the last couple of years, it’d be fair to say the market place has become awash with Bullpup-style, PCP air rifles. Adding to this, from Spanish manufacturers Cometa, is their Orion. No prizes for guessing ‘shorty’ here is based on one of their conventional chassis ‘transformed into a Bullpup.

Practical & tactical?

Though most Bullpups by design look very similar, it’d be fair to say the that stock of the Orion BP stands out from most others due to a number of well-considered and useful features being incorporated. There are also two finishes, natural finish beech timber and beech treated to a ‘tactical’ black finish. This military-style look is also more a consequence of the Bullpup layout in general and in my opinion cosmetically the black ‘anti-glare’ finish suits this rifle to a T!

The butt section follows a simple but effective format, which offers both plus and minus points. The latter being the lack of a cheekpiece due to the position of the action, so your cheek rests against the side of the action block! However, that said - this isn’t that uncomfortable and thankfully doesn’t hinder eye-scope alignment in the slightest!

Starting at the rear; there’s a flat black rubber butt pad, which adjoins a contoured, full, deep section that curves inwards and upwards to continue forward under the action, past the pistol grip. It then drops straight down just forward of the trigger blade in the form of a protective block. This section is a little confusing, as Cometa could have used a standard, bowed trigger guard, instead they have attached a 1.5” plate that acts as a lower guard, but does not extend to the pistol grip. It does the job but leaves an open section at the rear, which has the potential to allow inadvertent access to the blade. They might have just extended the plate all the way back to keep it safe and simple!

Added protection

The pistol grip is well-appointed and made of a synthetic with a rubber coating; unusually it’s not integral to the stock but bolted on. It features full finger grooves, stippling and provides a comfortable and ergonomic handle! It has an internal storage compartment accessed by sliding a plate off.

Typically, the space is not big but good enough for small items! Good to see is the in-guard, push-pull, blade-type safety catch mounted in front of trigger blade; forward FIRE, reverse SAFE! Many Bullpup PCPs retain the rear-mounted safety of the standard rifle chassis they are based on, which is not that easy to operate from the shoulder, so this is definitely better!

Moving forward, we find a lengthy (for a Bullpup) flat-sided forend with an underslung, Weaver-type accessory rail. Cometa has included something I consider essential for a Bullpup; a forward grip! It offers a secure hold and can be positioned forward or back for stowage and also at 45°, these positions are controlled by a button (top left of the grip). Obviously, these types of grip aren’t to everyone’s taste but in this case its inclusion is welcome. I say this, as the short nature of this style of rifle build can give a cramped feel to the supporting arm, so a handle to get hold of solves this to a greater degree. However, if it doesn’t suit, then it’s completely removable, which means you can use the Weaver-style accessory rail it’s attached to for fitting accessories such as a bipod, laser or torch. Finally, there’s an air gauge positioned discreetly in the underside of that ‘weight saving’ butt section between butt pad and grip. Plus points here for Cometa, as most manufactures seem to fit the gauge at the front of the air cylinder, which means you are looking down the barrel when checking the fill status!

Nestled inside

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The air reservoir is almost completely engulfed by the forend and action except for the push-on metal end cap that protects the bayonet-style fill point. Once removed, clip on the charging adaptor (supplied) and a recommended 200bar fill is claimed by the makers to give approximately 190 full power shots in .22 calibre and 150 in .177. I found 190 a little on the ambitious side, as the .22 calibre test rifle gave approximately 160 before noticeably dropping off in consistency, as the pressure dropped to around the 180bar mark.

Now we come to the action, magazine and overall metalwork. First, a mention of scope attachment, which is catered for by a slightly raised Weaver-style rail nicely positioned for fitting a day or NV scope. I chose to fit a Richter Optik 3 – 9 x 50AOE, which I soon discovered proved to be a nice pairing.

Now the magazine design is a familiar format but intriguingly holds 13 pellets in .22 calibre and 17 in .177. After pulling back the large, chunky, stainless steel cocking bolt found at the very rear of the action block, the magazine can be easily taken out from the right. To load, rotate the Perspex front plate anti-clockwise against spring tension until it comes to a natural stop. Then, while still holding the plate in this position, reverse it and load the first pellet ‘skirt first’ into the empty exposed chamber (seen bottom right from this side.) Then, turn the magazine around and under control of your fingers, let the cover plate return to its original position while loading pellets into the rest of the empty chambers as they appear (now seen positioned bottom left) as normal – in other words ‘head first.’

Simple and effective

A feature of note is that the magazine has an integral lug protruding from the left front side at its base. This has a lateral groove, which mates up with a ‘location bar’ fitted at the left hand side of the magazine housing. A simple but effective design that ensures the magazine is positioned correctly and precisely when in situ. Once back in the action, the bolt can then be returned to the closed position, whereupon it probes a pellet directly into the breech and you’re good to go.

Once loaded up and with a suitable optic on board, I then began appreciating the quality of the 2-stage adjustable trigger unit and certainly the overall rock steady handling of the Orion Bullpup! The trigger released crisply and cleanly and the safety lever is positive in use and practically positioned. Also, the more I used the rifle the more the configuration of the pistol grip impressed, being comfortable in the hold and a superb base for aiding optimum trigger control.

Inherent accuracy of the gun isn’t an issue and your aim is certainly aided by the fore and aft drop down grips that your hands soon become accustomed to. I was surprised but as a hunter very pleased that the thick-set barrel shroud wasn’t only for cosmetic reasons as it did a very fine job of stifling muzzle report. Even more impressive when you consider it only sleeves back 10” on what in effect is a quite lengthy 18.5” cold, hammer-forged barrel.

You’ll notice a substantial metal barrel clamp at the rear of the shroud as the ‘middle section’ holding the scope rail has a slotted cover. This isn’t just a nice cosmetic touch, as it suits the rifle’s military styling, but also serves to protect and stabilise the unshrouded barrel before it enters the breechblock!

Conclusions

With so much choice now in this sector of the market, anything released to compete has got to stand out, so having a few nifty practical extras helps and if it’s priced right then you’re pretty much in the right ballpark. In a nutshell that’s what I feel the Cometa Orion Bullpup has achieved, as it ticks all the right boxes we now expect of this style of air rifle. Although it’s quite hefty, especially with a scope on board, it’s true weight isn’t felt as the rifle sits well back in the shoulder and again those hand grips enable it to be held in the perfect position at all times for handling and balance. Accuracy is impressive and the muzzle report being tamed so effectively must be given credit. If you like your air rifles on the short side, prefer bullpups and especially like those with military styling, then I’ve no hesitation in saying if you’re looking for a rifle of this type, then the Cometa Orion Bullpup multi-shot PCP is a ‘little puppy’ that should seriously be considered.

 

  • Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP - image {image:count}

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  • Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

gun
features

  • Name: Cometa Orion Bullpup PCP
  • Type: Bolt action PCP 13 (.22), 17 (.177”) DM
  • Stock: black finished beech
  • Sights : N
  • : Raised Weaver-style rail
  • Length: 27.5”
  • Barrel: 18.5”
  • Weight: 9lb
  • Trigger: 2-stage, adjustable
  • Safety: Manual
  • Calibre: .22 on test .177 available
  • Price: SRP£599.95 including foam-lined ABS case, magazine and charging adaptor
  • Contact : John Rothery (Wholesale) Co Ltd, www.bisley-uk.com
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