Skout Skout / EPOCH / Who's "All In?”

I don't think I am jumping on a 3k investment right out of the gate. I'm going to wait and see how they do before even considering. It looks great on paper but for that kind of money I want to see the horse run first. I'm old school and still not sure of the reliability of electronics on guns also. I can rebuild mechanical failures not so sure about electronics. 
 
I am on the fence, I like the idea, but need to see the outcome. From the few details we have now I see things I don’t like…

https://www.skoutairguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/epoch-oled-closeup-web-1030x1030.jpg
This picture looks like there is a fairly sharp edge right where the webbing between the thumb and index finger would sit. 

The other thing I am not crazy about is the height of the gun above the grip. It looks very top heavy. 
https://www.skoutairguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/epoch-full-lhs-angle-web-1030x578.jpg

Also not to crazy about the very flat, straight butt.
As for looks overall I really prefer the looks of a gun with more of a stock either wood like Kalibr Cricket, Edgun Matador, or synthetic like FX Wildcat.


 
Not a chance. Sorry but there are still to many unknowns. Believe in the video they were talking about the barrel being one of their own design. It honestly looks aweful as well. That and being as the "unit displayed" during shot show was only a display model and they haven't an actual product to test yet.... yeah that doesn't look good.

Will see what happens in a few years when the production unit is actually released. 
 
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I never got into the paintball scene so I'm not familiar with how Skout/Smart Parts marketed their new products. I wonder how the paintball forums reacted to a new product being introduced into the market and if they met their expectations when they were released. I can imagine that reliability was a huge factor to consider. Not so sure about accuracy to a certain extent. In the airgun realm, both have to be on point. They've got my attention but I think I'm gonna wait this one out.
 
I will be watching, but if the sticker say 3K, then i think i will have to make do with what i got.

Paintball do seem to be a lot about rate of fire, but of course doing that you cant have speeds drop off, or balls break, CUZ you dont have much time to clean your barrel in game.

I appreciated that when i played paintball in the tail end of the 80ties, only pump action was allowed, and while some kids had blistering pumping speeds, then it was still something you could deal with,,,,,,,, and joke about ;-)
 
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This will be a big money grabbing machine. Air heads get excited over anything new or fresh but in reality its all basically the same. Nothing ground breaking here that will force every other manufacturer to follow in their foot steps.
 
The proof is always in the performance and details. They do claim one key aspect that could be ground breaking, which would be the ability to create the same power by using only 900 PSI instead of 1800 PSI thus greatly increasing the efficiency, capacity, and power of how we use that precious air via their special "electronic valve technology". That would be ground breaking if it could enable big bore calibers to then have much larger shot count instead of only 3 or so, and increase all of the .357 and lower to provide much more shot counts. BUT like I posted on the manufacturers/announcement forum thread, can they deliver the accuracy, power, serviceability, increased air efficiency really down to that 900 PSI and still offer the ability of us to tune it to our preferences? If it could do all of that I would be interested in one probably in a .25, .30, .357, .45 calibers. Probably would lean toward the .357 or .45 if the shot count was good.

That technology would also enable people like me whom prefer field target or tradition rifle designs with wood to have big shot count using a long slim air tank instead of ugly bottle guns; I own a FX M3 .357 and have customized it heavily to soften that look for that reason.

On my other post on that thread I also mentioned the serviceability to purchase spare parts easily, etc. since it is relying on their technology that nobody else has yet. The good thing is that they did mention that their electronic valve technology patent used in paintballs has expired so it could be copied by other companies once the demand is there, but until then we would rely on them willing to sell spare parts. Remember the Benjamin Rogue which was ahead of it's time but now gone? I think eventually this technology is the future but just like cars going to computer fuel injection controlled by computers it took a while... 

"

One facet that I think is likely to be one of the most important aspects I realized when I was chatting to a very seasoned expert in air-guns, that nobody has mentioned is:

* Will your new air rifles enable the owner to infinitely tune the power, etc..? I think that is one of the most important aspects today as the air gun market has a huge variety of both pellets, slugs, and different applications such as (hunting, target, field target, plinking, long range, bench, etc.) for each of the many calibers on the market today. A good example of that is the FX Impact, some use it for target, some for hunting small game, large game, etc. but it is the same gun and the flexibility of tuning it for all of those applications and each application will have many options in ammunition. Today an air rifle that does not have that type of tunability are the ones few people buy or are relegated to the low end of the market products for sale.



Unlike paintball where you might only need a few power options for indoor, and outdoor, etc. the air gun world needs a lot more. There are many whom have their own preference in power settings down to very small feet per second increments so hopefully your technology will allow both owners and tuners the ability to tailor the foot pounds and velocity for our huge variety of needs/wants? "
 
Well some guys gave a yes or no. Some on the fence and didn’t answer(typical). But i will say if Skout reads this they might scrap the project. Please NO. 

I have full faith they will test and market this new rifle so it’s a winner. I’m all in upon confirmation that EPOCH is a precision, reliable, efficient, adult airgun. Easy to say, might be difficult to produce. But they aren’t two guys in a garage with a HF lathe and mill. 

So excited!!! 
 
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