Gun Reviews >
Find a Dealer >
Find a Club >
Competitions >
videos >
Reader Survey >Kral Arms Puncher Shadow Review: A Regulated Tactical PCP
- Last updated: 02/10/2025
Hot on the heels of the Kral Unica, Kral’s very first regulated PCP, comes the regulated Kral Puncher Shadow, which will appeal to shooters who really appreciate a tactical configuration and serious performance.
A regulated action is something of a moot point among airgun enthusiasts, and I can definitely appreciate the dilemma from both sides, having owned rifles that were easily consistent enough, relying on just the basic valve setup. The problem with those types of guns is that you need to be super careful about charging pressure, whereas if you fit a reg, the pressure issue is effectively removed, as the gun finely meters itself. All manner of regulator designs have been tried, with varying success, and whilst one school of thought says that regulators are only required for competition shooting, it’s fair to say that everyone benefits from hitting more targets consistently, irrespective of the type of shooting.
Greater complexity in design and manufacture inevitably brings higher production costs, but to many, it’s well worth the effort. Of course, once we take into account the lower labour costs of Turkish manufacturers, it’s no surprise that this model offers an extensive features list, including a regulated action, all for under £650. Consider the big picture, and that seems like great value for money.
Look carefully at our test rifle, and it’s obvious that Kral has taken plenty of inspiration from the likes of Daystate and FX, with the Shadow’s chunky modular breech block, the grip being AR-compatible, and the rear stock featuring a folding design along with full adjustment.
The modular breech block is inspired by Daystate/FX for sure
There are plenty of radical features built in from the off. Inside the box, we get two magazines, a single-shot tray, a filling adaptor, an instruction manual, and even a fully padded hard case complete with roller wheels!
All this comes in the box
With Kral having Daystate and FX in its sights, there’s also one eye firmly on FAC potential, and to that end, the Shadow features a quick-release system for barrel removal. Just unscrew the small wheel on the left side of the breech, and the barrel and shroud pull clear of the action. There is probably little point at 12ft/lbs, given legal constraints (although with the .22 you could switch to .177 for the sake of it), but a world of experimentation awaits with the FAC version.
Unscrew this knob, and the barrel pulls free
Kral fits the Shadow with twin manometers. There’s one under the block - weirdly proud and a bit exposed - showing the regulator pressure, which was set to 100bar on my test rifle, and another one mounted on the right side of the buddy bottle, showing residual main pressure.
This manometer shows the regulator pressure
Keep a check on residual main pressure here. Note the Picatinny accessory rail
The 500cc buddy bottle gets filled in situ; just pull off the small rubber cap from the valve on the left side, and snap on the adaptor supplied. This looks similar to a Foster spec, but sadly it isn’t. 250bar is the max fill pressure, and I charged to that on test.
To fill the magazine (14 shots in .177 calibre), twist the cover clockwise, right around against spring pressure until it clicks. Next, drop the first pellet in to hold the drum, then twist the cover back again anti-clockwise, filling each chamber until full. The magazine snaps smoothly into position from the left side of the action, and in testing, I experienced no malfunctions with either the magazine or the cocking lever. In addition, there is a magazine holder at the rear of the stock, which is a nice detail.
As mentioned, the Shadow is designed with a folding stock, and to activate this feature, just press the knurled button on the left side of the stock joint. I say ‘just’, but on test, it was flipping stiff, and annoyingly so!
The benefits? Well, with the rear stock folded back, the Shadow could then fit into a far shorter case, which may not look like a gun case. It is a low-profile option, though I am not sure how many will actually make use of it.
Here you can see the stock in the folded position
On a far more positive note, the ambidextrous stock’s adjustable features are very well designed and highly effective. Firstly, the cheekpiece can be raised or lowered simply by slackening off the small screw on the right side. Movement is not incremental, but tightening at the desired height proved easy. Secondly, the butt can be raised or lowered by depressing the spring-loaded button. Use both features, and the result should be a perfect shooting position, properly supported and free from stress.
Being able to adjust the cheekpiece and raise the butt is great for benchrest shooting
As for the grip, this is pleasingly textured, soft to the touch, and AR-compatible.
The soft-to-the-touch, AR-compatible pistol grip
Given the Shadow’s tactical credentials, it’s hardly surprising we get Picatinny rails. The scope rail is a bit high for my liking, creating a fairly high sight line, but that’s where the adjustable cheekpiece comes into its own to compensate. Look to the rear of the buddy bottle, and there’s a separate accessory rail too, so all bases are well catered for.
Unlike spring-powered airguns, the trigger on a PCP has very little work to do, so it should be fair. The Shadow’s trigger is adjustable for the length of the first stage, second stage, and sear engagement. An honest assessment has to conclude that triggers are perhaps Kral’s weakest feature, and whilst the Shadow’s is acceptable, it is a little unrefined. I tried tweaking the visible screw in front of the blade, accessible through the guard slot, but with little effect.
The adjustable match blade, however, saved the day, and with a reasonably light trigger release, if a little creepy, the gun’s performance, as we shall see, wasn’t compromised.
Detail of the manual safety and match-blade trigger.
Cycling the side-lever proved smooth and reliable, and given the ergonomics and position, it can be easily operated while aiming. This means a fast backup shot is possible when out hunting, which always breeds confidence.
Side-lever cocking courtesy of the drop-down biathlon handle.
In terms of handling, the buddy bottle also serves as the fore-end, and with my larger frame, my lead hand rests halfway up the bottle. That could be cold on a winter’s morning, but a bottle cover would solve the problem.
The whopping 500cc bottle doubles up as the fore-end.
Time to see how the new regulator shapes up, from a full 250bar fill. Three magazines were used for familiarisation and zeroing the Shadow, giving a total of 42 shots. Glancing at the main cylinder gauge, the needle had hardly moved, sitting at 245bar.
I then clocked 100 shots over the chronograph to gauge consistency, and using 8.64gr BSA Goldstar pellets, this showed a total velocity spread of just 18fps. That’s excellent performance, easily making the Shadow the most consistent Kral I’ve shot to date. Residual pressure now showed 205bar, so plenty of reserves.
I think it’s then fair to estimate that with the regulator pressure set at 100bar, this Shadow should be good for 200-250 shots, depending upon the ammo used. At the time of compiling this article, everyone’s printed spec sheet for this gun seemed to be carrying the same misleading figures, suggesting a far lower shot count, but having run my shot cycle, it would suggest otherwise.
So, crunch time- what sort of accuracy are we talking about with this Kral? Well, as always, I started zeroing at 5 yards to catch shots just in case the scope was way off. Soon, I was tweaking to get shots behind the crosshair at 30 yards.
Exact RS Diabolo Fields grouped to 5p size, as did the BSA Goldstars, but the best by far were the Air Arms Diabolo Fields, which produced enlarged single holes and were therefore chosen to take back to 40 yards, which is probably the maximum distance for hunting if we’re honest with ourselves, and even then from an appropriately rested vantage point.
A whisker over a ¼” c-t-c proved the Shadow was well up to the task, and with a silencer spun into position, it was fairly civilised too.
Accuracy was excellent on test.
Don’t be fooled by the massive full-length shroud, since the barrel runs almost to the tip, so there’s no expansion chamber or sound absorption going on, and it shows. Fit the silencer via the 1/2” UNF thread, and the muzzle report is transformed, with just the sound of the valve as the shot releases.
Fitting a silencer is easy.
Bold styling and robust design are what Kral’s new regulated Shadow is all about, and I thoroughly enjoyed putting this hunting rifle through its paces. Just take a close look at those consistency figures, and mull over the accuracy report, and it’s clear we have a serious piece of airgun equipment. There’s always some shortfall, and I’m not quite sure about the folding stock feature, but if the modern tactical layout appeals, then it certainly has plenty to offer enthusiasts, at a very welcome RRP!
Thanks to Range & Country Shooting Supplies in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, for the kind loan of this rifle.
click on image to enlarge
