Precihole Sports Match Pro

If you fancy taking up indoor 10m Match Air Rifle as a discipline, then how about these for starters? The Feinwerkbau Model 800X comes in at around £3700 and the Walther LG400-E Alutec Expert starts around £3900. Anschutz is a big player, so what about their 9015 for around £4130? But let’s not leave out Steyr with their Challenge Match, which is yours for a mere £4300….ish.

Investment
These, of course, represent the premium end of the sport, and these models will feature at the Olympics, for example. Incredible detail, precision, and levels of adjustment to cater for the most demanding and finicky of competitors. However, each one represents a major outlay, and not everyone wants to shell out the value of a second-hand car for a sport they are unsure of at the outset.
Well, on test here is an intriguing prospect from a sizeable Indian manufacturer, of which you may still be unfamiliar. After sampling a couple of their PCP target models recently, I have a very good feeling that that’s all about to change.

Air Arms’ distribution
You may have missed it, but as per the announcement up at the British Shooting Show, Air Arms have struck a deal with Precihole, the premier Indian airgun manufacturer. To avoid any confusion, the situation is as follows. Firstly, rather like the arrangement Air Arms had with CZ to produce the S200 several years back, now a new deal has been struck with Precihole to produce a new model with variants - the X200 PCP. Lower production costs mean value to the end user, and that should pay dividends. Air Arms’ original products will still be manufactured in the UK, but Air Arms has also undertaken to be global distributors for the Precihole range of airguns, the first of which is on test here.

Value for money
So, enough of the background information, let’s get back to our intriguing prospect on test - the Precihole Sports Match Pro. It’s a senior indoor target match rifle that currently retails for £769. Flick back to those eye-watering RRPs at the start of this article, and it puts this model seriously into context. On the face of it, great value. No one’s trying to pretend it offers the same level of adjustment and sophistication, but as we shall see, it gives an extremely good account of itself.
The Precihole Sports Match Pro comes cosseted in its own padded hard case, and alongside the gun, we get a dioptre sight, extended sight rail, filling adaptor, and Allen keys.

First impressions
First impressions are of a well-thought-out match rifle that really looks the part. Pick it up and the weight (8.8lbs) reminds us that this is a serious piece of machinery. Indeed, bear in mind that the only piece of plastic is the contoured pistol grip, and you’ll get the idea. Following the classic target rifle configuration, we get an aluminium central chassis and modular stock elements that stem from this. Adjustment is everywhere, and clearly a lot of thought has gone into the Match Pro’s design.
The first task is to fit the extended sight rail. This just slides onto the dovetail rail and can then be tightened into the desired position. The dioptre unit then slides onto the extension rail, and the final positioning of both can be tweaked over a couple of sessions, with the aim being to have the rear sight aperture near the eye, to achieve a full sight picture, free from strain and overreach.

Initial set-up
Charging the cylinder is perhaps the first task, and here, I’m pleased to say that Precihole keeps things safe, stamping the cylinder with the max pressure of 150bar. This is a comparatively low figure, but bear in mind that this type of rifle works at sub 6ft/lbs. Access to the filler valve is via the twist-open knurled dust cover that’s positioned at the front of the cylinder. Here, there’s also a well-marked manometer, to keep an eye on residual pressure.
Now, before firing a shot, given this rifle offers a multitude of adjustments, it makes sense to spend time adjusting each stock element in turn, until the final shooting position falls into place. There are effectively five elements to play with, so let’s run through those now.

Counterweights
Being able to subtly alter the balance of a rifle can be beneficial. To that end, Precihole fit this model with a counterweight bar, just behind the cheekpiece. Three individual weights are a simple slide fit, and these are locked in place via an Allen screw in the top of each.

Cheekpiece assembly
The cheek assembly is all-metal. Whilst fairly basic, the design, controlled via two large bolts on the right side, allows for 1” of height adjustment. It can be set at an angle too, and the entire assembly can also be mounted from the left side.

Butt hook assembly
The butt hook utilizes a similar adjustment system. Here, the twin bolts can be tweaked to allow for either an angled setting or to increase the length of pull by 7/8”. The rear screw controls the hook height, offering up a whopping 2.75” of adjustment.

Pistol grip
The synthetic pistol grip is ambidextrous, and the contours feel extremely comfortable. Access to the large Allen bolt is up through the grip itself, and this will allow the grip to rotate and offset to suit.

Forend
The sizeable forend riser block is a fairly simple design and relies on the bolts locating with nuts sitting loose on the other side of the chassis. The height isn’t adjustable, but it could be repositioned back to front, altering the support area. As for the block itself, it’s aluminium and treated to a soft touch skin that feels great in the aim.

Getting started
Look to the front foresight assembly, and this is more of a barrel weight than a silencer, but given this model’s intended low power, the muzzle report is modest in any case. The foresight is designed to take interchangeable elements, and access is gained by unscrewing the knurled ring. Only one element is supplied, but having the option is very welcome.
It takes only modest effort to pull back the side-lever, and whilst the breech is a little fiddly and restricted, rolling a pellet across does promote a calm, measured loading regime. The two-stage trigger feels every inch match grade, and whilst it features multiple adjustments to the mechanism (achieved by removing the stock first), as well as an adjustable trigger shoe, the precise, ultra-light release on test was all I could wish for. Quite excellent.

Sighting in
Sighting in the dioptre revealed rather slow adjustments, but I did finally achieve zero. For those unfamiliar with dioptre operation, the sight picture is achieved by viewing the ring foresight element and centralizing this inside the rear aperture, whilst aiming at the target. When all is central, the shot can be taken. The large pinhole aperture can also be removed from the dioptre, and the small anti-glare ring, another screw fit, can be used instead.
I should point out that there’s a ‘dry fire’ mode with the Match Pro too, meaning the trigger can be tripped without firing a pellet or air. To activate this mode, just cock the action, then press the silver bolt over to the right side of the breech.

Results
On test, the chronograph returned 135 shots with a total spread of 30fps, which is very acceptable, especially given unremarkable pellets, straight from the tin. In terms of raw accuracy, I shot five shots from a rest, just to minimize human error, and the group was literally barely greater than the size of the pellet. You simply can’t argue with that.
Adopting a target stance and shooting freestyle standing, unsupported, I could more often than not break the ‘9’ rings on the official 10m paper target (5 roundels). Indeed, on test, I got the impression that the Match Pro’s lock time was fast, given that I seemed to be wobbling, yet shots were favourable. Shots I could have called, for being pulled off, so often fell favourably, so this model certainly seems forgiving. As for the discipline to consistently take out bulls, this requires steely practice and a level of shooting that pushes the limits. 

Verdict
I can be sure that this Precihole Sports Match Pro has the raw accuracy required, and it will reward improvement and technique along the way. This is quite simply a fabulous rifle and a perfect introduction to the world of indoor 10m target shooting. The Match Pro offers all the elements needed, and with a top-class trigger, slick action, and serious accuracy potential, I can’t fault it for the money.