Daystate Forrester

Daystate have produced some impressive and very collectable Limited Edition air rifles in the past, showcasing the Staffordshire based manufacturer’s design and engineering abilities. The new Limited Edition Huntsman Forester is no exception to that rule. Within 24 hours of the first Press Release distributed, announcing the gun was to be launched, all of the 100 limited production rifles to be produced had been sold to British Gun Dealers. Loyal Daystate customers buy these superguns for many reasons, some as an investment or to collect all the limited production models, some just to own and admire the beautiful designs and pleasure of owning a rare exhibition piece and even those who buy it to actually use!. Whatever the motivation for purchasing, these wonderful creations sell fast and this particular gem has been one of the fastest selling flavours yet.

Forrest, Squirrels, Forester

With my great appreciation, the company produced the Forester and named it on my behalf. This was done to mark contributions I had made, as a Volunteer Ranger for Penrith & District Red Squirrel Group. Tony Belas, Daystate’s Sales Director, has a keen interest in the red squirrel preservation charity and Daystate have supported the trust loyally, by providing equipment, funds and generally raising awareness of the cause.

Nearly all the voluntary work I do is based in the woods and forests of North Cumbria, surrounding the Whinfell Area.  The name of the gun refers to the places where it’s used mostly for the job it was intended to represent - and also my last name.  I work closely alongside my good friend and full time Red Squirrel Ranger, Jerry Moss, and the team of other rangers, to help control the invasive grey ‘imported’ squirrels in order to help preserve the beautiful native red species.

Introducing the Forester

This special gun is a mechanically operated, multi-shot, pre-charged pneumatic rifle based on the production version of the Daystate Huntsman XL but with extra exotic features and lavish upgrades. Everything has been considered with the gun; looks, handling and performance alike. This luxury sporter is produced in sub 12ft/lbs form but is available to order at up to 40ft/lbs in an FAC variant.As you open the aluminium flight case supplied with the gun, the striking laminate stock really draws your attention. This stock is a real credit to Minelli, the Italian manufacturer. This piece of wood work art is manufactured to the highest standard using state of the art machinery. The combination of brown, green and grey layers present a beautiful appearance and give the stock naturally good camouflage in woodland areas. Detailed oak leaf motifs are etched into the dual bordered and stippled grip areas. The stippled panels on the pistol grip and fore end provide a perfect surface for a positive, comfortable and confident hold.

The ergonomics of the sleek design are nigh on perfect for me and I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of using such a comfortable and well fitting design on sporting rifles I have shot in the past. The palm swell keeps your hand consistently on the pistol grip with trigger finger nicely guided to the curved blade. The comb is a nice height for use with a scope and gives a comfortable platform for the cheek in all shooting positions.

In standard form the Huntsman features a chromed bolt handle and trigger, but on the Forester these have been gold-plated to give that extra luxurious appeal which works extremely well with the colours of the Laminate stock. The black anodised breech block of the standard Huntsman has been exchanged for a titanium plated version for the Forester variant and has been engraved to shotgun standard by Marocchi, with oak leaves and an image of the “Green Man” mythical woodland character on one side. The detail of the engraving is superb and really compliments the oak leaf motifs set into the grip panels on the stock. Gold anodised spacers at each end of the air cylinder provide another subtle touch.

The air cylinder and barrel shroud have been coated with Teflon based EX10, which gives a much deeper satin finish than the zinc powder coating on standard production Daystate models. A ‘stubby’ shortened version of the carbon fibre Airstream moderator finishes off the end of the barrel shroud, efficiently reducing muzzle report to a muted level. The compact silencer somehow aids the sleek lines of the gun in a proportioned contrast to the longer air cylinder featured on the Forester.

Multi-Shot

A ten shot magazine is supplied with the gun, the same system supplied with all the Daystate models. This is the newest format with a cut out in the housing to allow finger access to seat the ammo with ease, especially useful on cold days when ‘fumbly’ digits make things more difficult. Loading is simple, just place a pellet in the drum and cycle anti clockwise for each of the ten rounds to be loaded in sequence until the magazine is full. With the bolt fully back, the magazine is slid into the breech from the side. Pushing the bolt fully forward chambers the first shot and locks the magazine in place. Cocking the silky smooth action rotates the magazine accordingly.
The red safety catch at the rear of the action is manual and can be set or unset at any point. A red dot indicates the safety in the fire position. Simple, reliable, easy to use and effective, just the way it should be.

Filling the air cylinder is a straight forward procedure, remove the push fit dust cap and attach the quick release connector, fill to required pressure, bleed the air in the hose and disconnect, then the dust cap is clicked back into place. The maximum fill pressure is set up individually on each gun at the factory to give optimum performance. This is done to ensure total consistency and accuracy through the useable fill range. From a 200 bar fill, a count of around 110 accurate shots in .177 cal (or 120 shots in .22 cal) should be given for the sub 12 ft/lbs legal limit gun. The FAC version (available to order) at 40 ft/lbs would provide around 30 shots.

Forrest Shoots the Forester

Before I was presented with the new rifle, and even the prototype version to test, I was very familiar with the handling of the Huntsman Classic. My own rifle for regular hunting and vermin control is a rare variant with an Anschütz .20 cal barrel. This is a formidable and reliable tool, with match grade accuracy. It’s one rifle that I don’t think I shall ever part with. From the day I started using the Huntsman it just felt right for me and looks every bit as good now as the day when it was brand new, despite being subject to all the elements of the British climate. That’s a real testament to quality of finish and engineering standards in my opinion.  Because of this I knew the Forester had a lot to live up to but I felt sure that it would more than meet the challenge; I was not disappointed.

Shouldering the gun for the first time felt very pleasing. I noticed a small but positive change in the balance of the gun from the standard model, which is attributable to the longer air cylinder. This provides a slightly more forward balance that raises the butt to the cheek with ease and helps to steady the muzzle on aim. At a fraction less than 9lbs in weight, with an MTC Genesis scope and moderator on board, the compact sporter is slender enough to be carried for duration but not so light that accuracy is compromised.

On the range, accuracy proved impressive and very consistent. At a distance of 35 yards small one hole groups were common place and shot with relative ease. A sporting rifle that delivers match accuracy, such as this, inspires total confidence in hunting scenarios. The trigger is perfectly curved and its function is precise, multi adjustable, with crisp let off and no perceivable creep.  This rifle is one serious performer and a totally dependable companion.

Conclusion

The forester is a beautifully formed thoroughbred with a full hunting pedigree. A price tag of £1300 means that this is by no means an inexpensive sporting rifle. However, when you consider the luxury extras and added performance features of this Forester Limited Edition, along with the inclusion of an aluminium flight case, this starts to look like very good value for money.

On top of all of this, the performance backs up the handsome looks of this fine piece of engineering. This is also a potential future investment with some other Limited Edition Daystates now changing hands for more than their original price tag. Above all, the gun is a joy to own and it was a total honour when Daystate’s Sales Director, Tony Belas, presented it to me as a wonderful highlight of my shooting history. GM