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Before starting this Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP air rifle review, we need to mention a couple of things.
Firstly, the MicroStrike is officially designated as a pistol. However the HAM Team feels certain that the overwhelming majority of owners will shoot it with stock attached, as a compact carbine. That’s how we tested it. So we’re calling it an air rifle!
Secondly, the gun was not new to us. It was a very early, maybe even pre-production model, that had been used for testing by Air Venturi, but was in perfect condition. That previous use is important to note. As always, Hard Air Magazine tests guns “as received”. We make no changes.
So it was interesting to discover that the regulator pressure was reading surprisingly low at 1,100 PSI. It rapidly became clear that this gun had been used for some low reg pressure testing. It was shooting at around 12 Ft/Lbs!
In Tyler Patner’s Pyramyd Insyder video on the MicroStrike he mentions (at around 7 minutes 20 seconds) that the minimum reg pressure for the MicroStryke is somewhere around 1,000 PSI. Maybe “our” gun is how they knew and it was not re-adjusted before dispatching it to HAM! Tyler also says that his test gun was received showing a low 1,400 PSI on the reg gauge – he adjusted it for the shooting test.
Given that one of the big benefits of the MicroStrike is its externally-adjustable regulator functionality, we did not regard this as a big issue and left it alone to record performance at that setting. We will investigate performance at other tune levels in a subsequent story!
Of course, customers will receive the regulator set appropriately for the specs listed on the Pyramyd AIR website.
VALUE FOR MONEY
With a Street Price of $400 at the time of writing, the MicroStrike PCP air rifle offers a huge amount of versatility. It is able to achieve significantly-different performance personalities due to the externally-adjustable regulator and hammer spring adjustments.
It can accept a massive variety of sighting systems – as we’ll demonstrate below. Plus it has easily-interchangeable calibers with .177, .22 and .25 cal replacement barrel (and pellet probe) options readily available.
Then there’s the capability to be used as a pistol (well, only just, in my opinion) or as a carbine with collapsible stock. The stock itself can be changed for an alternative AR-compatible part and the pistol grip can be swapped for pretty-well any other non-beavertail AR-compatible pistol grip.
Plus it ships complete with two rotary magazines, a single shot tray, a fill probe and complete O ring kit.
With such an impressive range of capabilities, it’s very tough to argue that the Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP air rifle is not outstanding value!
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Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP Air Pistol 0.177
SPEED AND ACCURACY
As noted above, the MicroStrike PCP air rifle reviewed here had its regulator gauge reading just 1,100 PSI. So what we are reviewing here approximates to a “minimum power, maximum shot count” tune.
Tuning is accomplished using the externally-adjustable regulator located around the HPA tube. But note that – unlike many regulated PCPs – the gun must be completely de-gassed before any regulator changes are made – not just for set pressure reduction. Fortunately the easily-accessible degassing key makes that easy to do.
In addition, it will be beneficial to make additional adjustments using the hammer spring tensioner that’s located in the rear of the receiver, as shown below.
The Muzzle Velocity demonstrated by the HAM test gun with our standard test pellet suite was as follows.
But note that the 20.3 Grain Daystate Howler slugs did not pass down the barrel at all. There’s simply too much friction to be overcome by the 1,100 PSI regulated output pressure the gun was set to deliver!
Conversely, this would be a very good tune for light, lead-free pellets.
| Pellet | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&N Field Target Trophy Green 10.03 Grain | 740 FPS | 11.64 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| Predator GTO 11.75 Grain | 679 FPS | 12.02 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| RWS Hobby 11.9 Grain | 685 FPS | 12.42 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| Crosman Premier HP 14.3 Grain | 594 FPS | 11.19 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| JSB Jumbo Exact 14.35 Grain | 630 FPS | 12.66 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| H&N Field Target Trophy 14.66 Grain | 577 FPS | 10.83 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| Datstate Howler Slugs 20.3 Grain | N/a FPS | N/a Ft/Lbs | N/a |
| H&N Baracuda Match 21.14 Grain | 447 FPS | 9.36 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| JSB Jumbo Monster 25.39 Grain | 424 FPS | 10.13 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. Best Tested. |
HAM Tester Doug Wall made a very satisfactory 25 Yard, 10-shot test target using the 14.35 Grain JSB Jumbo Express pellets, as we see here.
Such a low Muzzle Energy as 12 Ft/Lbs may seem minuscule by US standards. But, huge numbers of air gunners in the UK are shooting at that level as “full power” models due to the laws in that country.
What we know from UK experience is that 12 Ft/Lbs airguns are capable of humanely harvesting a wide range of pests and small critters. They also can shoot accurately out to 50-55 Yards or beyond, as is proven by the UK-based WFTC Field Target rules.
So let’s not rule out this tune level, particularly given the shot count benefits that we’ll find below. It could appeal to many US shooters as well!
In addition, that ultra-low reg pressure facilitates using the MicroStrike with a hand pump. The shot count from a 3,000 PSI fill – easily possible with a hand pump – can be usable in this case, without the need to fill to the full 4,350 PSI (300 Bar). That’s a pressure unattainable with a hand pump for anyone short of Superman!
TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
The MicroStrike’s trigger weighed-in at a reasonable average pull weight of 3 Lbs 0 Oz. However, it felt heavier than that.
The first stage was very short, leading to a release with very little creep. But there wasn’t a lot of “feel” to the trigger. It felt more like a mechanical switch.
There’s a trigger adjustment screw at the rear of the blade. Turning it clockwise will increase the trigger pull weight. Turning counter-clockwise will decrease the pull weight.
The left-mounted sidelever action is easy to use – at least after a few fumbles where I instinctively reached for it on the right side of the gun!
The side lever action of the MicroStrike tested by HAM was heavy, both pulling and pushing. It worked faultlessly, however there was no joy in operation, as there can be with some other side lever actions.
The manual safety uses a “push across” action. However the HAM test gun’s safety seemed to be a little loose. It tended to set itself on “safe” if the gun was tilted on its right side. Of course, that’s a lot better than setting to “fire” unbidden!
The HAM team were of the opinion that this was an artifact of this specific pre- or early production gun. But it will be worth checking by the owner. The workaround was easy: a tap on the safety from the right side before firing.
COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
Given the tune level of the MicroStrike tested by HAM, it’s tough to confirm the maximum power specs for the gun – 27 Ft/Lbs in .22 caliber.
“Our” gun delivered a maximum of 12.66 Ft/Lbs. But – on the other side, we achieved no less than 45 consistent shots per fill “on the regulator”, compared to the factory spec of 26!
Both sets of numbers are the result of different tune settings that are such an attraction of the MicroStrike.
Given our experience and familiarity with other Air Venturi PCP airguns from the same factory, the HAM Team has no hesitation in accepting that the peak power specification is attainable. However – in the spirit of “trust but verify”, we plan to re-tune the gun and report back in future.
CONSISTENCY
As was discussed above, the Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP air rifle displayed good accuracy with a wide range of pellets. This is a significant aspect of consistency. Not being “pellet picky” means that there’s little need to search for that ideal pellet – a big practical benefit for any airgun.
The Standard Deviation was also reasonable for a PCP at an average of 7.6 FPS across the range of HAM test pellets.
In addition, the trigger pull weight of the MicroStrike tested by HAM was very consistent too. With a maximum of 3 Lbs 2 Oz and a minimum of 2 Lbs 12 Oz, that’s a variation of just 6 Ounces. For most of us, that’s excellent consistency.
Now let’s take a look at the shot curve. Operating at the 1,100 PSI regulator pressure, the Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP air rifle tested by HAM delivered 45 consistent shots before the regulator set point was reached. (Apologies, I discovered too late that the computer’s auto-correction facility mis-spelled “Baracuda”. I’ll be more careful next time).
This is a very good number of shots from such a small – 80 cc – High Pressure Air source.
That 1,100 PSI reg pressure also generated 25 consistent shots if the HPA tube was filled to just 3,000 PSI. This is within the range of hand pump filling and again shows the versatility of the design.
Overlaying the two shootdown graphs, we again see consistent performance. Note that the first shot after a fill tended to be fast – as is often the case with PCP air rifles.
The straight, very slightly-rising nature of the regulated shots shows also that the hammer spring tension was well set to match the reg pressure in use here. Good!
NOISE LEVEL
Even at our “minimum power” tune, the Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP air rifle was loud. How could it be otherwise with a short (10.65-Inch), un-shrouded barrel?
Needless to say, the gun will get louder with increasing power output. But that’s what the capped, threaded muzzle is for. That makes it easy to install a dedicated airgun silencer where legal.
Of course this will make the gun longer. But for many it will be a sacrifice worth making to gain “backyard friendliness”.
SIGHTS AND SCOPE
The MicroStrike PCP air rifle is fitted with a full-length Picatinny top rail that extends for the full length of the barrel. That’s no less than 14-Inches!
This makes it possible to fit just about any scope to the gun. Or a red dot sight, or open sights. For example, this Leapers UTG ITA red/green dot sight looked good and worked well for close-range plinking, an ideal task for the MicroStrike – particularly in our low power tune level.
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1×32.5mm ITA Combat Red/Green Dot Sight, 1/2 MOA, 38mm Tube, Riser, Quick-Detach Weaver/Picatinny Mount
The MicroStrike arrives packaged with some simple open sights that fit into the picatinny rails. These have no elevation capability and the rear sight has only a “drift across” windage facility.
However open sight enthusiasts could replace these with a set of “BUIS” sights, as we can see below. The length of that top Picatinny rail allows for a fairly decent sight radius to be attained for open sight use.
The BUIS sights I used were stolen from a SIG Virtus air rifle, they worked very well. The rear sight is shown below.
For serious HAM testing, we removed the factory rear sight and mounted a Leapers UTG Accushot 3-12 x 44 SWAT scope using UTG 30 mm rings. Although recently discontinued, this combination worked well and – at a Street Price of around $250 – is typical of the optics that will most likely be used with the MicroStrike.
Certainly the UTG scope looked and balanced well with the rifle. The long Picatinny rail gave extreme versatility in how the scope could be placed, according to eye relief needs, ring position and personal preference. This is an excellent feature of the Microstrike air rifle!
SHOOTABILITY
Even with the collapsible stock fully extended, the MicroStrike is just 28.75 Inches long. That gives a remarkably long pull length of 17 Inches that worked well for me.
However as can be seen from the photograph below – being long-necked – I would have found a vertically-adjustable cheekpiece or buttplate to give a superior contact with my shoulder. But – if that’s the case – there are replacement stocks that can provide those features.
With the stock set to its most compact setting, the Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP air rifle measured just 25.25 Inches long. In that configuration the pull length was just 13.5 Inches. So the collapsible stock feature allows the gun to be used by just about anyone in the family – whatever their height.
The MicroStrike can thus be an ideal air rifle for all the family, shooting together. The foldable stock also marks-out its suitability as a “truck gun” or for storage in confined spaces. See – yet more versatility!
Including the UTG scope, the MicroStrike tested by HAM weighed-in at 6 Lbs 7 Oz. That felt pleasantly substantial. The Center of Gravity of the gun fell conveniently through my natural forehand position, making handling intuitive and comfortable.
The rotary magazine looks familiar and it is. It’s the same as that used in the Air Venturi Avenger and Avenge-X air rile families. That could be a very practical benefit if you already own one of these models. Oh – these magazines work well and are cheap, too.
One feature that I continue to dislike is the HPA tube-end positioning of the main pressure gauge.
As the Rules of Safe Shooting in the MicroStrike’s owner’s manual correctly state: Rule One is “Never point the airgun at any person”. But it’s tough to read that pressure gauge without the fear that you could shoot your eye out!
A side-mounted HPA pressure gauge would be a definite safety benefit in my opinion.
APPEARANCE AND FINISH
In appearance, I would say that the MicroStrike PCP air rifle falls into the “handsome is as handsome does” category. The design has a functional simplicity with little pretense at unnecessary styling, clearly based on the currently popular “black gun” look.
Of course, your mileage may vary on this subjective topic!
Close examination reveals a good level of molding and machining of the metal parts. The surface finish is a type of flat black powder coating. It’s even and smooth, with a uniform coverage. However there’s a tendency for sharp metal corners to “silver” quite quickly, as you can see in some of the photographs in this review.
BUYING AND OWNING
The MicroStrike PCP air rifle is readily available online from Pyramyd AIR, Airgun Depot and other sources. Air Venturi’s increasing dealer base means that you may also find it in some physical stores near you.
The sample tested by HAM had the fill probe port located very close to the barrel frame – as can be seen by the mark from the quick disconnect collar on the frame in the photograph below. It did work, but the clearance was very tight.
Again, the HAM Team feels this is not likely to be repeated in full production guns.
The MicroStrike is supplied with a fill probe, single-shot tray and two rotary magazines (10-shot in .22 caliber).
But a highlight is the inclusion of the BEST EVER O ring kit to be supplied with any PCP airgun! This includes individually-packed O rings and a location diagram.
This is fantastic and will make the MicroStrike a first choice for anyone with an interest in tuning and maintaining their own airguns. Well done to the manufacturer!
Finally, the Owner’s Manual is generally very good, although in English only. Warranty is 24 months. That’s a little less than for the majority of PCP air rifles nowadays.
TEST TARGETS
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Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP Air Pistol 0.177
This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.
The post Air Venturi MicroStrike PCP Air Rifle Review .22 Caliber appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
