S_S_2015_05_

40 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE

AIRGUN | GUN TEST

STORY

Bruce Potts

admits

his affection for

one of BSA’s finest

modern springer

designs

Price, features

and performance

FOR

Not a lot

AGAINST

Great rifle and

well worth a look

VERDICT

I

t’s no secret I love the BSA Lightning

design, I have a well used and gnarly .25

XL Tactical which shoots on the money

every time and refuses to die despite my

best efforts. It’s a tried and tested design

and is just at home plinking in the garden as

it is eradicating rats from around the farm

yard and toppling hooded crows in Scotland.

Also the price is right, it’s accurate, easy to

cock and consistent with the proper choice

of pellets. The new version i.e. XL SE has

had a makeover regarding stock design, here

tested in beech wood, and its actually made

a good rifl e great in my view.

As a no-nonsense springer that anyone

can use and rely on it’s a great looking rifl e

and is also very practical and up to date in

its new sporter trim. The stock has been

revamped with some great styling and you

still have the integral silencer and Maxi grip

scope mounts as standard.

BARREL AND ACTION

Action-wise the spring piston design is pretty

conventional but the overall stroke and

cocking is smooth without any faltering and

BSA offers a really good scope mounting

system as standard! The Maxi grip rail gives

a full six inches of dovetailed grip for your

scope rings. As standard there’s an integral

recoil stud to stop excess rear movement

under recoil, also the overall fi ring cycle is

quick and smooth.

Very quiet and

accurate in the field

the XL SE is a well

priced and very

capable sporter