Daystate Alpha Wolf Silver Edition - Robogun

Electronically powered airguns have been with us for some while now, but while several manufacturers have dabbled with the odd feature, it has been Daystate that has run with the full concept and carved out a niche for themselves in the process. Just recently though, we’ve had the Skout Epoch hit the scene, which is a rival electronically powered PCP, again offering a raft of adjustable features.

Show time
OK, so a few feathers must have been ruffled behind the scenes for sure, but Daystate continues to make headlines. Indeed, top man, Tony Belas, ever the showman, had held back the launch of their new Silver version of the Daystate Alpha Wolf to coincide with the Great British Shooting Show, and this model, as its name suggests, now sits at the top of the Daystate Alpha tree. Given the company’s continued rolling product development program, which is difficult to keep up with at times, it’s this Silver version that guarantees all the latest upgrades.
Supplied in a smart hard case, the Alpha Wolf Silver Edition comes complete with a glamorous red laminate stock, and the action gets that brushed nickel metalwork to give it a unique look. We also get an all-metal magazine, a filling adaptor, an electric charging adaptor, factory test card details, an instruction manual, Allen keys, and a quick start guide.

AVT
The usual electronically managed power delivery system is here, which means Advanced Velocity Technology (AVT), as used on the Delta Wolf model, and this sees the action incorporate an on-board chronograph, fitted inside the carbon fibre shroud, which then works with a conventional HUMA regulator. The colour touchscreen allows the user to set and program various features, and this will appeal to those who are totally au fait with touchscreen swiping, left or right. Most of us do this regularly on a mobile phone, so it’s fairly intuitive.
To access the programmable features, first, pull back the side-lever, then remove the magazine or single shot tray if fitted. Switch the safety catch to ‘fire’, and then back to ‘safe’. Hold the trigger back for three seconds and the small picture of a padlock in the display window should disappear. The Alpha Wolf is now unlocked. The touchscreen can now be side-swiped to the left to move through the programmable features as follows: power setting, user shot setting (hammer setting and voltage), magazine shot count (on/off), night mode (allows the touch screen display to show as dark with red letters), backlight setting for the display, auto power-off times (longer or shorter time), and chronograph (on/off).

Full upgrade
Now, as alluded to earlier, it’s this latest Silver version of the Alpha Wolf that guarantees all the latest upgrades to the system, so let’s just confirm what that entails. This model is fitted with the new Ultra Fast Flow Firing Valve, and there’s also a new chronograph unit set inside the end of the shroud. The 12 ft/lbs rifle (as per my test gun) now also gets enhanced electronic programmable features for 12 ft/lbs, which is a response from the company to popular demand. Access the Power Setting mode via the touchscreen, as detailed above, and the user can now tweak the power level, from 100%, down through the following percentages: 98, 95, 93, 90, 88, 85, 83, 80, 78, 75, and 70%. By doing so, it means the Alpha Wolf can be set up to shoot with different pellets. This is because a particular pellet weight may just favour a lower or higher velocity.

Ready…set
OK, time to get started. Charging the system with air is via the filler valve underneath the forend. Simply remove the neat magnetic cap and the adaptor can be snapped into position. This model can be filled to 250 bar, and that will show on the manometer that’s positioned on the left-hand side of the gun. As for the HUMA reg pressure, this shows in the top left of the display window.
The gate-style magazine holds 11 shots in .22 (on test), and 13 in .177, and is filled in the usual way. So, simply open the gate and pre-tension the drum. Now, where glassware is concerned, my test gun came fitted with the perfectly proportioned MTC Viper Connect 3-12x32, so I was ready for action in a trice. Whilst on the subject of mounting, look closely at the moveable Picatinny rail, and there’s an anti-cant spirit level bubble included, which is a big help for true gun handling and mounting.
The butt pad and cheek sections can both be adjusted, to get the head position just so, and the two-stage trigger is also an accepted area of sophistication, which makes such a difference to fine shot release. Take the time to set all these elements, and down-range performance can only improve.

Switch on
For the record, my test rifle arrived with a fully charged battery, and the battery charge time and life span are all so impressive these days, as to hardly warrant a mention. Suffice it to say, that charging the battery is an infrequent task, so not worth worrying about.
Right, with everything ready, time to turn on the electronic action by pulling the safety tab down to the ‘FIRE’ position. We then get a small rasp from the action, and the display window lights up. Pull back the beautifully styled and perfectly positioned side-lever on the right, and the magazine can then be inserted, from either side. You can also snap two magazines into position from each side, so a backup is held ready, which is neat. Close the lever, and the Alpha Wolf is ready to go.
My test rifle was supplied with a rather natty 0db silver silencer up front, and it really compliments the brushed nickel action. However, it is technically an optional extra. The muzzle report, sans silencer, has no real sharp notes, given the expansion chamber found within the shroud, yet everything is notably muted with the silencer in place. So yes, I would!

Range stats
Given the sizeable 480cc carbon fibre buddy bottle, the shot count in 12 ft/lbs guise is unsurprisingly high, at around the 400 mark. This is dependent upon calibre, obviously. I chose to monitor the first 100 shots, and these proved to be fairly textbook, with an average kinetic energy reading of 11.7 ft/lbs and a total spread of 23 fps, proving the reg was doing its job. All achieved with Rangemaster pellets straight from the tin, I hasten to add. As for accuracy, we are entitled to expect something special given the RRP here, but after easy clusters over 30 yards, I moved back to 40 yards. Here, I was rewarded with plenty of groups measuring just 0.25” c-t-c. Short of weighing and measuring ammo, as per the benchrest boys, this is undeniably impressive stuff, straight from the box so to speak. Suffice it to say, the Alpha Wolf is designed to please the most discerning airgun aficionado, and whilst the potential for programming and tweaking just about every element will give many sleepless nights, this type of airgun platform is gaining traction in our fast-moving marketplace.

Future-proofed
Barrel/calibre changes are factored in and designed to be quick and easy, and there’s the additional feature of Windows platform synchronization, courtesy of an optional plug-in DTD (Data Transfer Device). The idea is that Daystate has intended this model to be effectively future-proof, and according to the factory, ‘plug-in connection to a Windows PC using the DTD allows numerous elements of the rifle’s firing system to be customized and tuned to the user’s preferred settings, as well as keep the rifle’s firmware fully up to date’. Blimey, they mean business!

Quality add-ons
So, when it comes to the Alpha Wolf Silver Edition, we have a top-class, super-sophisticated piece of machinery, aimed well and truly at the enthusiast who likes to tinker and play with settings. All those beautiful add-ons and high-grade accessories are now available all in one place, with the clever introduction of the Performance Centre, which allows owners of a Daystate, or BRK Brocock, to peruse and buy, all under one roof so to speak. I have to say, it’s all very impressive, and a measure of the focus and drive that now underpins the modern Daystate operation.