EdGun Matador R5 in .30 cal just landed... monsters exist!

[PiterM]

Yes. Title says it all. My R5 in .30 cal just landed safely in my hands. I always wanted to go high-power but so far the choice was pretty limited here in EU. Please don’t tell me one brand or another... after owning several PCPs from several manufacturers I simply wanted an EdGun, period! And short R5 (officially named as Standard) seems to be my ‚dream come true’ .30 high power airgun. Well... so far I’m delighted. I’ll play with her a bit in coming days, try couple of pellets, try another 1 or 2 scopes, and (of course) you can expect some photos in this thread soon. And after some time maybe also a review? Who knows... but for now quick and dirty ‚unboxing’ kind of picture of my R5 on my desk. Yeah! 

My first scope of choice is Vortex Diamondback Tactical 3-9x40, which is lightweight, compact, good glass, good reticle and very good target turrets.  So it fits my small R5 perfectly. Parallax is set at 100m... and well, that’s exactly what I need. It’s not a backyard gun after all! 100m seems to be just right for that sniping machine. Can’t wait to try her out...



It’s a beast! The most beautiful beast I’ve ever handled! And it handles amazingly well!

[aluminumfetish]

That is a great looking setup. I am SUPER jealous ! Good luck and keep us posted !

[Dairyboy]

Congrats on that beautiful gun! I have an awesome .30 already but if I didn't that would definitely be the one I'd want! Can't wait to see your results

[RONIN001]

Nice facelift for the Matador now lets see how it performs! 

[grand-galop]

Congrats on your new toy!!!   The R5 will do better than the previous model for sure and the look is just amazing..

[Jadocs]

That is just beautiful! Looking forward to your thoughts.

[Nomadic Pirate]

Will follow this thread closely, that gun is stunning !!!

[KnifeMaker]

Beautiful! Simply Beautiful!!!

I understand that Ed is toying with putting a side lever on them?

congrats Sir!!! 

KnifeMaker

[Tater]

Great looking shooter Piotr.

[Joekrooz]

Beautiful gun, looking forward to your review, and pictures.

[Tweeter]

Following as well, looking forward to your results!  Man, I would love to see these hit the US in .22cal...  Does it have the same feel as the r3m?  I don't mean quality wise I'm sure it's first rate.  It just looks like a beefier gun then previous matadors.

Also, I love how Ed announces a new gun and a month later we already start seeing them in the users hands good stuff!

[Xraycer]

I believe that should read: Monster Killer

[Bizill]

Beautiful! Simply Beautiful!!!

I understand that Ed is toying with putting a side lever on them?

congrats Sir!!! 

KnifeMaker

I believe he may not offer the side lever on the .30 or mags, but on the smaller calibers will.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

[Nomadic Pirate]

Can't wait for the 1st owner to paint that stock black,.....The new Matador all black would look just Phenomenal.

[Xraycer]

Can't wait for the 1st owner to paint that stock black,.....The new Matador all black would look just Phenomenal.

As a big fan of black guns, I concur!

[Dairyboy]

Also, I love how Ed announces a new gun and a month later we already start seeing them in the users hands good stuff!

This speaks wonders! He announces when there ready to go.

[PiterM]

Hi Guys! Welcome again finally!

Believe it or not, bue to IT-related issues (firewall or proxy, I don't know) I've been not able to login to GTA forum for more than two months. It was just not accessible for me. But finally I found a way and now I'm gladly back.

I've been using my Matador R5 quite extensively for almost 3 months now, and during that time I've been updating my thoughts (in another place) but finally I can also post it all also here.  So instead of copy-paste I though I'd just make a quick review for you and post it in this thread. Hope you'll like it... so enjoy!

[PiterM]

EdGun Matador R5 – Limited Edition .30 cal

It's been couple of years since EdGun introduced Matador R3, which became an iconic bullpup airgun. Surprisingly version 4 was skipped due to business-related problems. So when an updated version finally emerged from Eduard's drawing board it was completely new construction, named Matador R5. And what a beautiful monster it is!



When I decided to grab my new PCP, I knew I wanted not just performance, but also undisputed power! So when Ed announced the Limited Edition of R5 in .30 cal I knew I needed one in my life. It took me some time to take care of all the formalities but in the end Matador R5 landed in my hands. Delivered in a sturdy wooden box. There are 3 versions available: standard, long and extra-long. In bullpup I want short size and maneuverability, so my obvious choice was standard version, which is 75cm long (or short, actually).


OVERALL LOOK & FEEL




R5 landed safely in my hands early November. My first scope of choice was Vortex Diamondback Tactical 3-9x40, which was lightweight, compact, equipped with good glass, proper reticle and very good target turrets.

Quick hands-on: as I said it’s a completely new design and there is not much in common with previous Matador. But even though my R3 was quite a looker, that R5 is in a class of its own! It’s compact, muscular and with distinctive ‚gun like’ look thanks to that bold moderator and long weaver rail on top. Speaking about the integral moderator – it does tremendous job! My R5 in .30 is just as quiet as Matador M3 in .22, which is quite an achievement. It’s a very quiet airgun with muzzle report considerably quieter than the sound of .30 pellet hitting the target.

Protruding bolt & breech... well, that’s Ed’s out of the box thinking at its finest. It makes total length the shortest possible, but also moves a breech way back, so cheek weld is considerably nicer than on most bullpups. And also it hooks over the shoulder, so helps to handle R5 steady when shooting off hand. In the breech block you can see integrated a single attachment point for tactical sling. Trigger is 2-stage, smooth and predictable, no creep. It's also fully adjustable. Of course it's not a match trigger but you don’t want touch-sensitive trigger on such a powerful hunting-style airgun.



Another innovative feature is an electronic pressure gauge with built-in screen and computer -  works awesome and it’s very precise (+/- 1 bar). And it displays additional info too, like air usage statistics and number of remaining shots, and more - no more guessing!

Walnut stock has modern lines and looks like an integral part of R5, follows the R5’s action in details. However it lacks integrated weaver rail for bipod so I purchased a short rail and attached with two screws and nuts. Easy job, but I’d prefer to see some sort of integrated bipod rail.

Bolt operates surprisingly smooth considering it also cocks heavy hammer spring. Matador R5 is a single shot gun, but in .30 caliber I have nothing against single shot operation. That slows shooting process so I can focus on each shot (as far as I know a regular multishot version should follow soon). Safety catch makes the gun really SAFE as it blocks the hammer in place, not just trigger. So whatever happens - you’re safe. And with potential of that 44 grain pellet going airborne at high speed it’s just as it should have be done.

Overall it feels like a serious shooting tool and it is. It’s a big bore sniping bullpup, something like .50 BMG  in airgun world. It’s made for both: a precise long range target work, or hunting silently (and safely) around the farm – not just small game, it can surely take down a coyote or a wild hog.

[PiterM]

THE PACK



It's a bullpup, so perfect candidate for discreet carry. So I needed something more than just a gun bag for my EdGun. After great experience with Eberlestock S26 and S34 packs I knew where to look for a new pack. I picked the new Eberlestock S45 Big Trick pack as my new carry platform and boy... it's a stunning piece of kit! First of all it carries like a mountaineering pack with pure alpine pedigree, never seen such an advanced harness on a discreet gun pack before. It protects the gun inside in a separate sleeve, so even if you fill your pack with some extra stuff (and there is plenty of room for that)  it won't snug on your gun and you can still get your carbine on your shoulder in seconds. In extended mode you can carry a rifle up to 76cm long butt to muzzle.



That pack is discreet, oozes quality and it’s a joy to carry around. I’ve tried it also as a mountaineering pack, and except the extra weight (mandatory for a robustness of a gun pack) it carries heavy load really well. So, apart from my use, it could be a perfect day hunting pack in a serious rocky terrain. Just put your carbine into the internal sleeve, some snacks, rain jacket, ammo… and you’re good to go!


FINE TUNING



Gun tuning it’s part of the game. It’s just like with sport cars – even the coolest latest one can be tuned, not just outside but also inside – suspension, engine, exhaust, etc. Thanks Lord it’s a bit less complicated with airguns, and waaaay cheaper too! Anyway, long story short – I was asked by my buddy airgun tuner from New Zealand if I’d be willing to take part in HUMA kit development for R5 (HUMA is a world leading company in internal tunings for PCP airguns). So I tried my lathe operating skills and built a hybrid of original plenum and valve (very good valve let me tell) and HUMA’s regulator and additional plenum space. I tried many different settings and in the end I set my pressure regulator at 125 bar. That way, depending on need, I can get either high power (900+ fps, or 285+ m/s) or very efficient shot count at slightly lower muzzle energy (850 fps, or 260 m/s, which is still in 100 Joule territory) – all that with single adjustment screw (you just need to remove stock).

Air consumption: with my new custom setup (gun filled to 250 bar) I can get 40 very stable shots at 260m/s, which is 10 shots more than in original setup. And it shoots quieter and smoother thanks considerably lower regulator pressure (125 bar vs original 140 bar). Worth the hassle? Well, is not 'day and night' and .30 cal still eats air very fast so remember to get a bigger tank if you plan to step into .30 cal territory, so you decide. Full fill of just below 300 bar gives you 50 good shots. I hope Huma can use some of my findings and suggestions for the final R5 kit.

Small digress here: I really like the way EdGun designs his airguns (as an overall concept). It’s just SO EASY to work on them. No special tool required, just basic technical skills. Important note, when assembling R5 be sure to install the supplied breech block insert and tighten the block screw really well, otherwise it can get loose with time. BTW, you can find full disassembly/assembly tutorial by EdGun available on YouTube – that’s a cool approach too.

RANGE DAY - 50 YARDS




At 50 yards a half inch c-t-c group was not a big problem when shooting off bipod. I tried both version of JSB 7.62mm ammo: 50 grain at average speed 255m/s and 44 grain at 265m/s, so both at quite healthy muzzle energy of 100+ Joule.  BTW, I was quite glad that .30 ammo can be easily loaded with gloves on a cold day. Good luck trying that with .177!



I also tried 100 yards with my best groups 25mm c-t-c and average groups of just below 33mm c-t-c. Of course not all were perfect but there is a lot of potential in that R5, especially considering weather conditions (good, but still not perfect). It's a quantum leap going from .22 to .30 for long range shooting. But for 100 yard airgun sniping 3-9x scope was just not enough. Time for another serious upgrade!

[PiterM]

THE SCOPE



My choice of long range scope was Vortex Viper HST 6-24x with MRAD reticle and turrets...and  that change was so substantial that it needs a separate paragraph. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with Diamondback Tactical and it's a great scope for long range airgun hunting but the difference between 9x and 24x at 100y is massive! HST has extremely clear glass, very crisp reticle and parallax adjustment (side focus), which is imho mandatory for 10x magnification and up. It's a 30mm monotube with resettable target turrets (0.1 MRAD adjustment). Multi-coated 50mm front lens gathers a lot of light, so shooting late afternoon is not an issue. For my peace of mind I mounted it on a 1-piece Vortex mount.






Zeroing MRAD scope is the easiest process you can imagine. Shot a 3-shot group, measure distance from bullseye (in MRAD), dial in... and you should be done. 2-3 fine tuning shots and scope is zeroed, the turrets are very accurately marked, repeatable and with crisp clicks. I knew I'd be dialing in my shots quite a lot, so I put the brass zero-stop rings on my up/down turret for easy re-zeroing (this feature is a godsend!). I’m really pleased with that big piece of glass, it's a very shootable one, with great reticle and no-questions-asked lifetime warranty. For ballistic calculations I use Strelok Pro app on my iPhone – it’s not free but it’s one of the best and it has all Vortex scopes / reticles in a database. 


RANGE DAY - 100 YARDS




I went full monty and bought also a precision scale to selected my pellets - not just visually for any damage, but also by weighted. Plus I built way more solid shooting platform out of sand bags, with additional side bags to stabilize R5 side-to-side. Time for a final check of that Matador R5 – new glass, super-steady shooting bench, selected ammo, so I eliminated any variable factor I was able to. Except me and my trigger finger, lol!






Now check these 5-shot groups now! That 'opened' group on the right is 31mm edge-to-edge (24mm c-t-c) and the tightest group was just above 21mm edge-to-edge (so about 14mm c-t-c). So even if we exclude that crazy tight group of the day as "the lucky one" (it must have been a lucky group, I’m not that good... but it's still there) my Matador R5 with proper scope and selected ammo can potentially group at below 1" at 100y so it's clearly a MOA-capable gun. Off the sandbags of course. I think it's all I need in .30 cal airgun - MOA at 100y is more than enough for serious hunt or recreational target work. Now what do need is more time at my range and more pellets through my Matador.

FINAL THOUGHTS

 


Airguns, like anything else, are subject to personal judgement. But for me that R5 is just amazing. I like that 'gun look' muscular aesthetics a lot, can't hide it. And it's so shootable as well. It's sheer power in a compact and purpose-looking form. All that MOA capable at 100y. All that is a very compact, portable and super-quiet package.