Skout For those wanting to see some Skout EVO stuff...

[Chuck26287]

I recently bought a new Skout EVO. Like most out there I realized there isn't a lot posted on them yet.

After my first initial shooting, sampling JTS 22.07 pellets, and the Skout/Corbin slugs, and some Altaros ATP King slugs (no tuning, just trying to use recommended starting points to see where these projectiles were), I decided I wanted to do an initial barrel deep-cleaning, followed by a thorough cleaning/polishing with JB Bore Cleaning Compound, a final polishing with JB Bore Bright, then applying hard wax before I started learning the gun's characteristics and tuning it.

I've read a little about a barrel having to lead-in after such a deep cleaning, and how accuracy needs several shots to come back around. So, I wanted to follow this process and show how it went for the Skout EVO.

I was shooting the 25" Lothar Walthar .22 barrel with the 1:15.75 twist rate, with JTS Dead Center 22.07 pellets. The pellets had been cleaned in acetone to remove oils and lead particles/flakes, then rolled around in a box lined with paper towels that had a light layer of Pledge spray wax on them.

I was told by Bill Gardner (Skout President) the speed sweet-spot for these pellets in this barrel is typically from 960-985 (he did mention Tim Swan was having some success pushing them faster, and Tim has posted videos showing this). So, I wanted to start shooting the cleaned & waxed barrel from the unseasoned state, watching what it does, and see how long before it starts to come in on the accuracy. I made adjustments to the scope turrets and the High Pressure Regulator (HPR) as I went along to get the initial tune on target and to the 960 fps start of the sweet spot to be ready to start full tuning evaluation for my gun throughout the full sweet-spot range.

The shooting was done in 5-shot groups. There were 15 groups shot on 15 small targets on two pages, each containing 12 targets. They were shot in order from Page 1 to Page 2. I covered these targets with shot strings on the FX True Ballistics Radar Chronograph.

String #1 - HPR 1530-1535 / LPR 190 / Dwell 25 / Page 1 / Target 1: 5 shots. Avg 994 fps / ES 7 fps / Std Dev 2.3 fps / BC 0.051.

String #2 - HPR 1510-1515 / LPR 190 /Dwell 25 / Page 1 / Targets 2-7: 30 shots. Avg 987 fps / ES 8 fps / Std Dev 2.1 fps / BC 0.061.

String #3 - HPR 1480-1485 / LPR 185 /Dwell 25 / Page 1 / Target 8: 5 shots. Avg 982 fps / ES 2 fps / Std Dev 0.7 fps / BC 0.063.

String #4 - HPR 1410-1415 / LPR 180 /Dwell 25 / Page 1 / Targets 9-12: 20 shots. Avg 961 fps / ES 5 fps / Std Dev 1.4 fps / BC 0.058.

String #5 - HPR 1410-1415 / LPR 180 /Dwell 25 / Page 2 / Targets 1-3: 15 shots. Avg 959 fps / ES 6 fps / Std Dev 1.7 fps / BC 0.057.

After such a thorough cleaning/polishing, it looks like it took about 40 shots for the accuracy to start coming back in. Once it did, I was pretty happy with this as my starting point for tuning/characterizing my EVO over the expected speed/accuracy sweet-spot range of 960-985 fps with the JTS 22.07 pellets. Looks very promising to me.

The one thing that stands out to me is the ease of tuning and consistency of single digit ES numbers. With my impacts, I always had to find the right spot on the curve to get the ES numbers to drop below and stay in the single digits. The EVO always seems to be single digit ES.

I also noticed the speed for a given HPR is a little higher now. Maybe the cleaning/polishing/waxing?

One last note... I was able to adjust and maintain specific HPR settings because I installed two digital gauges on the tank and HPR. These are from Outgun and are 25mm size with BSPP threads. These are the only gauges I've found (they are brand new to the market) that are 25mm, BSPP and display in BOTH Bar or PSI. So far they seem to be working great. These gauges don't read low enough to work on the LPR, but they have one coming out that is supposed to. I'll post on that LPR gauge when it arrives.

So far, I'm impressed.

 

[Centercut]

Looks good. Here’s my .25 Skout EVO. I’m shooting Daystate RangeMasters 34 grain at 922 fps. Very accurate. BC is 0.068 GA.

The gun has a very good balance point for shooting PRS/NRL22 type events.

 

[manabeknives]

Hi @Chuck26287
Excellent write-up!
I have a tuning set-up very close to what you are displaying
Although mine is an Epoch, there are no differences in the regulators
With the 22.07 i am using a HPR-1500 LPR- 190 Dwell 27 fps-975
you mentioned,"I also noticed the speed for a given HPR is a little higher now. Maybe the cleaning/polishing/waxing?"
I would not worry about that, the HPR moves a little up or down depending on the bottle pressure...but the FPS remains constant
I noticed that too, and chased the rabbit and found out it didn't matter
cleaning /polishing/waxing is almost alwyas a good thing

When you are testing, just remember to fill to the same pressures each time to keep everything constant

first card is at 50 yards, the 2nd is 100. Indoor range. Used the settings mentioned above All targets shot once. Very hard to see the 100 yard shots on middle right, but those are X's ..SUPER hard to see that @100 yards

 

[Motorhead]

I loaned my SKOUT EPOCH to a good friend earlier in the week as He was looking for a Long Range pellet or slug shooter and was intrigued by the SKOUT wishing to get some trigger time with one.
Well ... yesterday he calls me up with a glowing review and states he just purchased a 35" barreled EVO in .22 caliber

I guess that makes me an Enabler .. LOL

 

[Trucker3573]

Nice shooting. I figured they would be pretty awesome like the epoch. I’ve decided it’s just too similar to the epoch. I do like every single change they made but the epochs seem worth little compared to what was paid new and the demand seems very low. Hard to justify taking a big loss to spend huge $$ on something just a little different.

 

[Chuck26287]

Thanks for the responses, guys! I appreciate the real-world specifics followed by real-world results. Not a lot of this type of detail available yet for the EVO. It helps that a lot of the Epoch info crosses right over to the EVO, but with the new barrels starting out with more on the EVOs than the Epochs at this point, and me only having one new solid barrel for my EVO, I'm a little short on the info when researching.

I'll have to try some of those Daystate Rangemaster pellets, Mike. If I get the same or better accuracy, I love getting that higher BC.

Nice cards, Manabeknives... I'm surprised there wasn't more opening up of your groups when going out to 100 yards. I find that impressive given it's .22 cal.

If that had been me you loaned an Epoch to, you'd be on my wife's naughty list for Christmas this year Scott. Good job opening another shooter's eyes to the Skout platforms. I resisted an electronic platform for some time, but once I got to try it, it was far more than I was really expecting. I will say the trigger is different than what I was expecting. I seem to be finding it does better for me with a consistent non-stopping or slowing pull straight through the switch actuation point for firing. I'm used to a 2-stage trigger, and stopping at the second stage and deliberately holding to start a second pull to break the "glass rod". This doesn't group as well for me and is a hard habit to change. Need more trigger time...

 

[Chuck26287]

Nice shooting. I figured they would be pretty awesome like the epoch. I’ve decided it’s just too similar to the epoch. I do like every single change they made but the epochs seem worth little compared to what was paid new and the demand seems very low. Hard to justify taking a big loss to spend huge $$ on something just a little different.

I get that. The biggest reasons I decided to make the move from FX Impacts (MKII & M3) to a Skout platform was solid barrels vs liners (and GOOD aftermarkets ones available, too), a better trigger, and I have always wanted to be able to get a top-tier airgun from an American company. The Skouts check those remaining boxes for me, so I waived-off on the planned upgrade to the M4 just for the trigger improvements.

If I had an Epoch, I might buy an EVO as a second Skout to provide redundancy, but no way I would sell the Epoch just to get the EVO. The new barrels are compatible. I would just put a Sub-MOA solid steel bull barrel on the Epoch and it would feel new enough for me!

 

[Motorhead]

I get that. The biggest reasons I decided to make the move from FX Impacts (MKII & M3) to a Skout platform was solid barrels vs liners (and GOOD aftermarkets ones available, too), a better trigger, and I have always wanted to be able to get a top-tier airgun from an American company. The Skouts check those remaining boxes for me, so I waived-off on the planned upgrade to the M4 just for the trigger improvements.

If I had an Epoch, I might buy an EVO as a second Skout to provide redundancy, but no way I would sell the Epoch just to get the EVO. The new barrels are compatible. I would just put a Sub-MOA solid steel bull barrel on the Epoch and it would feel new enough for me!

Yea the EPOCH loaned out was sporting a 25" custom TJ's 3 groove no choke in .22 caliber. He stated the shooting done was with JSB 25.4 RD's at 930fps going 100y saying about an inch groups over and over. He was shooting along side a couple guys with new high output FX's and he felt no shame hanging right in there with them. Nice !!

That is a real PLUS that nearly any barrel ( Provided sufficient length ) can be so easily adapted to shoot in the SKOUT platform .... It opens up sooo many possibilities

 

[Centercut]

I get that. The biggest reasons I decided to make the move from FX Impacts (MKII & M3) to a Skout platform was solid barrels vs liners (and GOOD aftermarkets ones available, too), a better trigger, and I have always wanted to be able to get a top-tier airgun from an American company. The Skouts check those remaining boxes for me, so I waived-off on the planned upgrade to the M4 just for the trigger improvements.

If I had an Epoch, I might buy an EVO as a second Skout to provide redundancy, but no way I would sell the Epoch just to get the EVO. The new barrels are compatible. I would just put a Sub-MOA solid steel bull barrel on the Epoch and it would feel new enough for me!

Yeah, lucky for me I won that gold Epoch in the raffle at EBR 2023, then used that gun to win at the Oregon EFT GP and EBR and was given the orange EVO. So the gold Epoch in .30 is my bench gun and the orange EVO in .25 is my EFT gun…

 

[Chuck26287]

Yeah, lucky for me I won that gold Epoch in the raffle at EBR 2023, then used that gun to win at the Oregon EFT GP and EBR and was given the orange EVO. So the gold Epoch in .30 is my bench gun and the orange EVO in .25 is my EFT gun…

Now THAT is what I call hard work paying off!