KRAL PUNCHER JUMBO THUMBHOLE

Anyone monitoring the airgun scene over the last couple of decades cannot fail to have noticed the rise of several Turkish manufacturers, and Kral is a significant player in the market. Their range of pre-charged pneumatics has expanded significantly along the way, and the Puncher Jumbo is one of their ‘buddy bottle’ fed models, aimed at the shooting enthusiast who desires a generous shot count, along with key features.

Case-hardened
This model comes supplied in its own hard case, and it’s configured with sturdy roller wheels at one end and a large carry handle at the other. This means that as well as normal transportation, it can be used in a semi-flight case mode (regulations permitting) or manoeuvred/wheeled around hotel lobbies. Unlike several manufacturers who have taken to supplying cases which can only realistically hold the gun without a scope, this Kral-branded case has plenty of room. Indeed, for the duration of my test, I fitted the Jumbo with a sizeable Konuspro M30 12.5-50x56 scope, which is massive! Suffice it to say, the case could accommodate both with ease and still leave space for accessories.
Inside, alongside the rifle, we get a comprehensive instruction book and a small box containing all the important small bits, namely an accessory rail which can be screwed onto the underside of the fore-end, a filling adaptor, a single-shot tray, Allen keys, and two magazines.

Decision time
At this early stage, it’s important to mention that two versions of the Puncher Jumbo are available: the same side-lever action, but with either a wood or synthetic stock. These are dramatically different in configuration too. Go down the synthetic route, and in theory, you get more technical features, as the tactical-style stock comes complete with a fully adjustable butt section, both for length of pull on a buffer tube and for the height of the cheekpiece. The pistol grip is a drop-down design too.
Opt for the wood, and you get the lovely Turkish walnut thumbhole stock, as per my test rifle here. Granted, there are no adjustable features here, but an abundance of detail and clever design make this a rewarding choice. So, let’s focus on the Jumbo’s thumbhole stock first, and then we’ll see what the bold action has to offer.

Perfect execution
The Jumbo is a striking piece of design work for sure, and the more I scrutinise the woodwork, the more it impresses. There’s plenty of natural grain pattern, and the subtle matte oil finish just enhances the beauty of the timber. Small panels of laser-cut stippling adorn each side of the fore-end, and two more panels feature around the grip. It’s all pin-perfect, and with subtle contours, finger grooves just forward of the trigger, and a properly extended underside to prevent contact with the buddy bottle, it really is hard to fault its handling. Whether or not you choose to mount the small accessory rail on the underside of the fore-end, where it could possibly interfere with hand position, is a matter for the user, but it’s a neat option nonetheless, opening doors to all manner of bipods, lasers, lamps etc.
The prominent cheekpiece offers good support despite ticking the box for ambidextrous credentials, and there’s even a soft rubber ventilated pad. Overall, this is an excellent stock.
OK, the glowing report has to pause, while the slightly tatty finish inside the recessed valve area is discussed, but that shouldn’t take away from the whole. The manometer is perfectly marked and easy to read, showing the low-pressure area in yellow, the usable pressure range from 100bar to 200bar in green, and the high-pressure danger zone in red. Just to the side is the inlet valve, and here we get a basic push-fit rubber dust cover, but hey—it works!

Charging, filling, and mounting
Filling the Jumbo to the prescribed 200bar is easy, just requiring the Foster-style valve adaptor to be snapped into place. Equally simple is filling the cassette magazine, which, unusually, doesn’t have a clear cover. My test rifle came in .22 calibre, and these get two 12-shot magazines. Opt for .177, and the mags are 14-shot. Filling the magazine is easy, you just wind the cover around clockwise in the direction of the arrow until the first aperture is clear. Next, drop a pellet head-first into this chamber, keeping a finger over the back to prevent it from dropping through. This should now hold the mechanism. Wind the cover slowly back anticlockwise, filling each chamber in turn—job done.
The Jumbo includes Kral’s clever dual-rail system, meaning a scope can be mounted using either dovetail mounts on the inner rail or Picatinny/Weaver on the outer rail. It’s great and avoids the irritation of not having the right mounts to hand. As mentioned earlier, I bolted on a sizeable Konus M30 scope for my test, and its oversized dimensions seemed to perfectly complement the big, bold styling of the Jumbo.

Handling
Side-lever operation is very much in vogue these days, and the drop-down biathlon-style lever here is a perfect specimen. I like the way that the lever initially flies back when released, thus assisting the process, and not much additional effort is needed to cock the action thereafter. The Jumbo can be used as a ‘single shot’, but for the record, with the small plastic single-shot tray installed in the breech (a fairly cheap moulded item it has to be said), pellets felt tight when loading into the barrel, so I quickly dispensed with that idea, and stuck with the magazines. It is actually possible to locate a pellet directly into the barrel, with neither carrier fitted. However, I’ll admit this is fiddly. I’ve never had this problem before, and I’m sure any dealer would replace the tray, so moving swiftly on.
Pull the lever back, and with the action now cocked, the full magazine can be snapped into its slot from the right-hand side. Close the lever, and the first shot is ready. Subsequent cycling of the action using the magazines proved ultra-smooth and totally reliable throughout my test.
As for noise levels, the Puncher Jumbo is quite loud, despite the sizeable barrel shroud. However, with the knurled cap at the muzzle quickly removed, a silencer can be spun into place, utilising the ½” UNF spec. On test, this all but killed the report, so it’s an easy choice for hunting duties.

Power to the people
Look at the manual, and this model is specified as having a two-stage trigger and a manual safety catch. The trigger is adjustable for the first-stage pull, as well as for second-stage/sear engagement, but the stock needs to be removed first to gain access. As for the match trigger blade, this can be adjusted for height and angle around its pillar, in situ, and it’s this sort of refinement that can really elevate performance.
The Puncher Jumbo is fitted with a power adjuster, and this is now a regular feature on Kral’s PCP models. This is the silver knob on the right side of the receiver. It’s controlled from the right, and the setting marker is viewed from the left. Before running the main chronograph test, I wanted to quickly see the power range on offer. With the dial set right down to minimum, the velocity was reduced to around 200fps, and with it set to the midpoint, it increased to around 450fps. Converted to energy, we’re talking 1.4ft/lbs to 7.2ft/lbs. If, for example, you want to do a spot of plinking and you don’t need maximum power, then you can adjust it down and benefit from a massively increased shot count. Now, that’s great versatility!
OK, dialling back to full power, it was time to properly gauge performance and consistency. Air rifles utilising the buddy bottle configuration normally produce a large shot count, and this Jumbo proved to be no different. I chose to clock the first 100 shots over the chrono, and this returned a total spread of 37fps, which is very usable consistency. At this point, the residual pressure still showed 175bar on the manometer, so the overall count would be considerable.
To test the accuracy, I used a few different quality brands, all in a bid to find the favourite. JTS Dead ‘Centre’ pellets managed good, ragged groups over 30 yards, while the Air Arms Diabolo Fields reduced that further to just a ¼” centre-to-centre (c-t-c). The Crosman Premier Ultra Magnums, however, proved the winner out to 40 yards, posting excellent ½” clusters. This Puncher Jumbo is clearly accurate then, especially when you take the time to run some ammo tests, as we would always suggest.

Verdict
Big, bold, and beautiful—quite the compliment coming from someone who isn’t typically a fan of the buddy bottle configuration. OK, the well-crafted, super-competent walnut thumbhole specification won me over early on, but it’s difficult to ignore the combination of versatility, serious performance, great handling, and value for money.