Niksan Archero S Synthetic

I have been involved in airguns for many years, and it has been fascinating to observe the change and evolution in the industry, as our great sport gains yet more fans. In recent years, and with the astonishing rise of PCPs, it has also been interesting to note the number of Turkish manufacturers that now have a foothold in the market.

Not so new

Niksan is a brand that I have been aware of for a few years, but have had no prior experience with, and whilst the UK Distributors, The Shooting Party, are now playing a part in getting these airguns to market, Niksan Defence has actually been around since 1970. Apparently, they have supplied many airgun manufacturers with parts along the way but branching out to produce their own line-up of models, is proving an exciting development.

On test here is the Archero S Synthetic, and this slimline sporting PCP definitely seems set to impress. When it arrived from The Shooting Party, I hadn’t quite appreciated that the smart and fairly compact hard case in which it came, is all part of the inclusive deal - all in for £559. I should also confirm that despite showing three mags alongside the rifle in the case here, this model only comes supplied with two magazines, so apologies for any confusion. Consider though, that the neat removable bipod/grip is also included, and this model starts to look very good value indeed. So, let’s get started.

Features

Inside the padded case, Niksan includes the filling adaptor, spare seals, lubricant, and even a Niksan Defence key ring. At this point, it’s also worth noting that the case is plenty big enough to hold the gun fully scoped up, which makes a refreshing change believe it or not.

So, let me now confirm the other features that we get with the Archero S Synthetic. Obviously, the clues in the name and the stock is a pleasantly-styled sporter design, made from black composite. The key feature here is the adjustable cheekpiece, whilst to the rear, there’s a rubber butt for comfort. Up front, under the forend, a Picatinny accessory rail is all part of the moulding, and whilst it looks to be right where the lead hand wants to go, in use, and with my large frame, my hand comfortably sat just behind it.

Up front, there’s the manometer recessed into the front of the cylinder, so clear to read but badly positioned. Just behind this is the rotating dust cover for the valve. At the muzzle, there’s a neat two-part knurled assembly, where the cap covers a ½” UNF thread, and the rear section connects with the full-length barrel shroud. There’s a 2-stage adjustable trigger, Picatinny mounting, and even a power adjuster! Plenty of detail then.

Fit and finish

Pick up the Archero S and everything looks well-made and precisely machined. That chunky receiver, combined with the wide diameter cylinder and shroud, gives a distinctive profile, and whilst the matte finish to all the metalwork is a little lacklustre, it’s undeniably practical.

Charging/filling procedure

As mentioned, Niksan supplies a filling adaptor with the gun as you would expect, but my adaptor on test proved a little tricky, just leaking slightly when inserted into the valve. I switched to one of my standbys from my kit box, to complete the task, and after much nipping up with spanners, I’d hit the specified 200 bar fill pressure. Irritating I don’t deny, but it happens from time to time with PCPs. If you were to experience the same, I’m sure the distributor would swap it out for a replacement adaptor in any case.

To fill the rotary magazine, twist the clear cover clockwise all the way round against spring pressure, then drop the first pellet into the one hole at the rear. This holds the drum, and all spaces can then be filled from the front in turn.

Trigger?

The instruction booklet that comes with this airgun is fairly basic, not even mentioning the trigger, yet apparently, it has 4-way adjustment. Having an adjustable match blade is a great feature and this is accessible via the tiny screw in the blade itself, to allow rotation and position. All further adjustment requires stock removal, with the usual caveat that the procedure is best left to someone with experience. As for my test gun, the release set at the factory was acceptable, so I left it.

Get a grip

Being able to set the height of the cheekpiece at the press of a button is brilliant, and this feature works really well, with significant height available to achieve that perfect eye/scope relationship.

Fancy transforming handling further? Then that super-compact bipod/grip accessory which comes included in the case, can also be utilized. Just position the clamp onto the rail up front and lock up the nut. You now have great versatility. Either use it as a drop-down front grip or press the button and the bipod feet fly out. With a slightly unnerving amount of force, I might add! Having little to no recoil, PCPs can be shot with ease from a bipod, and this can prove invaluable in a hunting stake-out, for example. The gun sits upright, all in position, until the quarry shows, and in this scenario, that means we can wait stress-free until the action starts. Either way, the grip/bipod is a brilliant accessory to have as part of the deal.

Power & performance

OK, it’s time to see just what this sleek sporter is capable of. Cycling the well-shaped biathlon-style side-lever takes a little more effort than some, but it’s still very easy. With the lever withdrawn, the magazine can be slid into its slot from the right side. Close the lever and the first shot is ready.

Now, before I confirm the chronograph readings, it’s worth noting that this model is fitted with a power adjuster, situated on the right side of the receiver. It’s marked up ‘+ and -’, so I thought the first stop was to see how this worked. First, I dialled down the lever to the midpoint, but here, it still showed full power on the chrono. Turned ¾ down, the chrono showed 6 ft/lbs. Finally, with it dialled to the lowest setting, energy equated to around 1 ft/lbs, so a great feature, bringing incredible versatility if you need lots of low-powered shots for plinking, for example.

Back on full power, and from the full 200 bar fill, expect around 75 shots, if my test gun is representative. This gave a total velocity spread of 40 fps. For maximum consistency, just viewing the first 50 shots slashed that spread by half. Very respectable performance then, from what is an unregulated PCP action. All power checks were conducted using JTS Dead Center 16.8-grain pellets, but for the record, this Archero S wasn’t pellet fussy, shooting well with a variety of ammo. I achieved sub ½” clusters at 30 yards with .22, 18-grain, JTS Dead Center pellets, plus superb ¼” groups with both JTS Dead Center 16.08-grain pellets and Air Arms Diabolo Fields. (See Performance Table)

The Archero S is quite loud on full power I hasten to add, so for any serious hunting duties, I would use the ½” UNF thread up front and add a silencer.

Conclusion

Cycling the lever and magazine proved smooth and faultless throughout the duration of my test, and with the enhanced stock fit courtesy of the cheekpiece adjuster, handling was spot on. Overall, this Niksan Archero S Synthetic proved the perfect introduction to the brand, and with a host of features, and some serious performance on offer, it’s a very likeable sporter that represents great value for money.