Red Wolf standard owners ???

[wolfmangreg]

Kicking around the idea of getting one of these, probably in .177. Sometimes things worm their way into my brain & won't go away until I at least investigate the possibility. But enough about my psychoses.

Most of my shooting is 60 yards or less, and done standing offhand. Do you find you do better/worse/same as with other rifles when shooting offhand? Would think it could be set up well for this, given the adjustability of comb height/cant, buttpad height/cant, & trigger shoe position. But I don't know what I don't know. Bonus points if you have experience with shooting air rifle metallic silhouette.
Wouldn't need the power of the HP version, nor would I invest in a heliboard or programmer- primary responsibility would be sending 10.3 grain pellets at 17-20 fpe, well within reach of factory settings.
Have seen that the HP version is factory set to do well with Beasts at high setting, Monsters at medium, and Jumbo Heavy at low. Does the standard version parallel this with 10.34, 8.44, & 7.87 grain at 18-15-12 fpe? Mostly out of curiosity... doubt I would have use for or stock all three.

Don't be afraid to lay into any shortcomings, or praise any exceptionalism... this is just exploratory. My wallet will thank you if you prevent me from spending that kind of dough on something that doesn't work for me. My soul will thank you if you help me find my nirvana.

 

[Arzrover]

I use my Red Wolf almost exclusively in 22 because it's main purpose in life now is EBR styles of competition. I have Heliboards in our three rifles for the convenience in changing calibers or ammo. That said, the 177 hp barrel occasionally goes on the Safari for fun. It's BY FAR my favorite and I have 177, 22, 25, and 30 barrels ready to go and tunes figured out. It just RIPS with the Beasts but shoots very competitively w 10.3s or 8.4s. It's honestly extraordinary . I've also been trying to figure out the NSA 20.2s on an intermittent basis. It is a JOY to shoot in 177, period
The Standard barrel changes a few things, some possibly for the better. It's shorter and my feel is the balance is better for carry or offhand. I used to be a decent offhand shooter but age and lack of practice have taken a toll. Possibly for those reasons , the Red Wolf is not my favorite offhand rifle. It's adjustable but the pull seems long and grip isn't the best for me. My most experience was with sporter and 10 M style stocks. I also shot Silhouette for several years and averaged 34 at the time with a high of 39 with a Career 707 that's one of my favorite offhand rifles. Red Wolf didn't exist but the Daystate CRX I shot in that era for FT was poor for me offhand. Might have been and still might be shooting offhand with a scope. I prefer peeps.
The Standard barrel is also non polygonal . .. It's normal style rifling. It seems quite a bit less pellet picky and very, very accurate.
All Red Wolfs come with GCU2 boards now... afik. It can be programmed to about anything you want and can generate a lot of power. If you're buying from AoA, they can program to your preference. I don't know what the shotcount would be at 20 ft lb, but it's a LOT. @Franklink did a review of a 22 Standard that you should read if you haven't ... extremely thorough and well written .
So... other than my offhand preferences, I don't know if you will find a nicer rifle for your purpose. You will likely shoot near a tin of pellets before needing air..it's quiet and very pleasant to shoot and should be ACCURATE .
I also have a thumb actuated bolt from Kraford and Lypt that's awesome! Finger never needs to leave the trigger and because there's no cocking effort, a little thumb flick and you'll go through a magazine of pellets in a hurry.
Bob

Edit: here's the link for @Franklink's RW review....

Red Wolf Standard with G2 board

As I stated in the BSA Gold Star review concluding post, the next rifle to go through the process will be a Red Wolf in .22, second generation electronics. It is a non-High Power version but has the board that I believe is going into the Safari and HP versions (I think it's just different...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[wolfmangreg]

@Arzrover - thank you, this is great information! My preferences align with yours regarding sporter style stocks (never owned a 10M) over bullpup or tactical.
I do like a fairly vertical (or thumbhole) grip, & the Red Wolf's looks pretty vertical... but I'm glad you touched on it not fitting you well. Prefer a smooth grip to finger grooves as the grooves never seem to be where I want them, and there's not a thing to be done about it.
Also interesting about the length of pull. Can deal with length of pull that's just a bit short, but if it's too long my results go to pot right now.

 

[Arzrover]

It would probably be good to actually try one, if possible. I'm only relating my feelings on it and quite probably, we are different in size.
I have and have had a huge number of rifles and the RW is definitely the standout for a variety of reasons. The LPR version would be a huge improvement for offhand but it's pretty expensive.
Have fun with your research and choice.
Bob

 

[wolfmangreg]

Thanks again! Completely agree that getting my hands on one would be best, though northern Kentucky seems to be underrepresented when it comes to PCP enthusiasts.
Baker Airguns is within a reasonable drive, but do not currently have any standards in stock.

 

[Arzrover]

If you peruse the results from matches on your side of the world, you will likely find shooters that use the Standard for their competition rifle. I know Phillip Hepler in N Carolina? and the Himes brothers in PA use them quite successfully but there are likely others that if pm'd would be willing to share an experience.
Bob

 

[wolfmangreg]

That's a great idea!

Just finished @Franklink 's review... a lot to digest, but worth the read if considering this size of investment. Feel like I should send him a consultant's fee for all that information & analysis

 

[Franklink]

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed that review. Yeah, it got pretty lengthy, lol. It's easy to write about exciting and enjoyable airguns, and that one just kept me excited the whole time I had it.

Couple thoughts......

• Between good friends that like to share their guns, the reviews I did for AOA, and my personal lack of self-control when it comes to buying airguns, I've been privileged to get to shoot lots of high quality guns. Some have come and gone or come and stayed, but that Red Wolf Standard stands out in my mind the way that few do. It is simply an airgun where "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Trigger, consistency, barrel, ergos, electronics, etc just all come together to make the RW an exceptional experience.
• Lauren Parsons competes with a Red Wolf with a tube instead of a bottle (and a special stock for WFTF field target). She told me once that she had her three power levels at 10, 11, and 12 fpe. That makes all three power levels WFTF legal and allowed her to play with pellet weights and batches for best accuracy. I share that example to illustrate that the electronics in the RW platform can be set-up for whatever you want......
• Which leads me to the next thought. I think I remember something like 330 shots within 20fps? after optimization of the 20fpe tune. That was A LOT of shots at that power level. And it was so sweet to shoot it at such a docile power level.
• Finally, your question seems to revolve around shooting the gun primarily in the offhand position. I spent very little time shooting that RW Standard from that position so don't have a lot to add on that vein of though. Gun should be accurate though, so if you and it get along in the way of ergos, should be lots of fun.
• For getting to handle one yourself.....you might reach out to JD's Custom Design. https://jdscustomdesign.com/ His contact info on that website has a 423 area code, so Tennesee, but he might be the closest Red Wolf to you. Great guy.

 

[wolfmangreg]

Thanks for the reply @Franklink , & thanks for all the effort it took to produce the information in that thread. It was more than informative too- the way you presented made it entertaining, when much of the material could have been dry as the Sahara.
As to offhand shooting, probably overthinking it- generally, will do well (per my abilities) with any traditionally stocked (non-bullpup) rifle of at least 8 lbs when scoped. Have had a few though, that balanced a bit too much to the rear. Would be easy enough to remedy with this, & most other airguns, by judicious selection of a moderator.

Thanks again gentlemen, your sharing of knowledge & experience are invaluable & much appreciated.

 

[merpo]

Hello guys, excellent thread, and that “little” detour to @Franklink’s review was fantastic.
I wanted to ask, since the electronics can be set anyway you like (Lauren example above), can the HP version be set the same as well or for <12fpe it’s better to get the Standard?

 

[Arzrover]

Yes, it can. Keep in mind that the Standard is a 17" barrel with traditional rifling and the HP is a 23" polygonal rifled barrel. They react differently to pellet selection and speed and while I've tuned mine down to 12 ft lb, I'm not sure how much farther it might go. You can set the 3 powers completely independently to what you want... within it's capabilities.
Bob

 

[d3vnull]

Here is Lauren's RW

https://www.airgunsofarizona.com/precharged-pcp/daystate-red-wolf-field-target-lpr/

 

[Cannonball]

I just recently picked picked one up, it’s a .177 standard. I think it balances well and has very good ergonomics. For off hand shooting, it’s one the better rifles I have tried but maybe it’s because it fits me well. Accuracy isn’t an issue as expected and it doesn’t seem to be very pellet fussy, most I have tried do well. I have a bunch of tins in 10.34 that are a mix of JSB, Air Arms and FX. I know JSB makes all of these but usually one preforms better in a rifle than the other two. I need to do some testing with these three to find out which one that is. I have only tried the JSB so far and haven’t been disappointed with the results. I don’t know on shots per fill exactly, but it’s over 200 easy. You will love or hate the electronic trigger, most people love them. I have a .177 RAW TM1000 that’s spoiled me on triggers with it set at 3 ounces I do like the RAW trigger better. I have had a Daystate Pulsar for some time so I do have experience with the Daystate electronic triggers so it’s not me just not being used to it yet. Mine has a Heliboard installed and I highly recommend one even though you already mentioned not going that route. Overall it’s a fine rifle and I think you would be extremely happy with one.

 

[Silly boy pike]

Very interstitial thread and informative. I shoot both the RedWolf standard and HP. I chop and change barrels and calibre’s depending on what shooting I am going to be doing and strangely what mood I am in.

The RedWolf in my eyes is ideal for off hand shooting as it’s a light rifle. At my age a light rifle is ideal. Below are thee of my girls excuse the Crown.

 

[elh0102]

The best rifle for offhand shooting is going to vary so much between individual shooters, it's just too subjective for a strong recommendation. I have a standard power RW in .22, and it would suit me okay for offhand shooting, probably not quite as well as my HW100, but again, it's an individual preference. For me, it really doesn't matter, as my offhand shooting is only for comedic value, I'm satisfied to hit the berm, at least I know I haven't shot anyone. As mentioned above, the electronic trigger might be a significant factor for your consideration. Most folks like it. I prefer a good, match quality mechanical trigger. Again, it would be very worthwhile if you could try one. The Red Wolf is a good, proven platform. The adjustable power programs, the stock, and the trigger combine to make it a very versatile rifle.

 

[wolfmangreg]

Good information everyone, appreciate the feedback.

Regarding the heliboard- No doubt it's a tremendous tool if you like to experiment, or want to shoot many combinations of pellets/slugs/speeds. This just doesn't fit my usage scenario or habits.
With the standard RW, would mostly shoot with 10.3 grain pellets on the high setting, but would probably find some use for the ~12 fpe low setting. Not sure what I'd do with the medium setting. So two programs cover it. One possible exception- if I decided to hunt with it (squirrels & rabbits) or stretch out to 75-100, neither of which I do often, might want a bit more power. Enter the HP version- again, mostly 10.3 grain but on the low setting, & sometimes 16 grain on high.
So two settings would still cover things.
Not sure I want the extra length & pound of weight though. I don't mind longer guns, but 50+ inches (with moderator) may be a bit much even for me.

 

[kelly1]

I have the standard power in 177.
Nice balances and weight adj comb is great,the only gun I like as much is the huntsman /regal series.
I have used the hi power but I would only buy that in 22/25 for bench use.
power levels on mine are 13.5 15.5 and 18 with 10.3 pellets . Great shot count on these ,very efficient.
primary use is ft but would hunt with it,I just prefer 22/25 for that
I would highly recommend it to any one who can afford it!,kelly

 

[wolfmangreg]

Thanks @kelly1 - Do you notice any difference in how the shot cycle feels on the RW vs the Huntsman when shot at similar power levels? Does either seem a bit more dead in the hands?

 

[Emu]

I have never own nor shot a rifle with computer integrated. But I own a Renegade in. 177, and Renegade HP both in. 25 and. 30. And I am deeply in love with those electronic triggers.

I probably buy a wolf soon but should be under 39" inch long. So it will be a normal Red Wolf (not HP) or a Delta Wolf (I do not like red stocks).

As I want power in a compact package it is more likely to be a Delta Wolf.

If in the mean time Daystate reacts and thinks about people wih more classic taste and therefore offers a beautiful walnut stock on the Alfa Wolf, then there should be no doubt, I would apply for a Delta Wolf with dark walnut stock.

 

[elh0102]

Thanks @kelly1 - Do you notice any difference in how the shot cycle feels on the RW vs the Huntsman when shot at similar power levels? Does either seem a bit more dead in the hands?

The Red Wolf shot cycle will feel very different from any mechanical rifle. Since there is no spring, you have a sensation of a faster lock time. I guess that might be the more "dead" feel.