Umarex Zelos

[subscriber]

I am not in the market for a new PCP, but the Zelos' feature rich simplicity appeals to me:

[JimD]

I think it is interesting too but I'm not sure it fills a need I have.  Maybe.  But I would get the SPA M60b with a bottle from Wes at Air Archery Fun, I think.  I like the psi gauges of the Zellos but I think it's worth $100 more to have a carbon fiber bottle.  There is a review in youtube of somebody who got 25.4 grain 22 caliber pellets up over 900 fps. 

[only1harry]

Not bad.  Decent power, good accuracy and adjustability.  To me the gun is not very appealing with that big gap between the barrel and air tank, but I guess they had no choice when they put the reg. adjuster between them.  So it's kind of a design issue for me.

[Back_Roads]

 Umarex was assuming everyone would put a bottle on them like the Notos

[subscriber]

To me the gun is not very appealing with that big gap between the barrel and air tank...

I see the opportunity for a larger diameter shroud. 

Who knows what they were thinking.  If it included a factory bottle option I suppose the design would make more sense.  Else, since when does a manufacturer design products specifically for aftermarket bottles?  Be that as it may, the opportunity exists.

[only1harry]

Umarex was assuming everyone would put a bottle on them like the Notos

Yeah I can almost hear it desperately crying out for a bottle.

[JimD]

Krale has the M60 with an aluminum bottle on it.  I think SPA makes the "bottle adapter" that Airgun, Archery, Fun supplies.  Umarex hasn't picked up on this yet but to me it's clear that SPA had that option in mind when they positioned the long skinny cylinder of the Zellos.  Airgun Archery Fun also has M60s with the cylinder (or you can buy both from them with the gun) and the gun in 177, 30, and 357 which Umarex also doesn't offer (yet) in the Zellos. 

It's the "dollar sportsman" youtuber who has the review with a high powered Zellos in 22.  I saw another portion of his review this morning and he was getting pretty good accuracy and over 900 fps speed from some 23 grain Zan slugs (working from memory so don't shoot me if that is a little off).  With JSB 25.4s he got well over 900 fps and something up into the mid 40 fpe range and accurate.  Only a couple dozen shots per fill but a bottle would cure that.

It isn't a feather weight like my P35s but it also has a lot more power potential. 

[Gramps-Too]

I was under the assumption that the Zelos was just a rebranded SP M60 but looking I do see some shuttle changes when looking at the M60.

[JimD]

What differences?  (not challenging, just curious, I only noticed the gauge labeling).

[Gramps-Too]

What differences?  (not challenging, just curious, I only noticed the gauge labeling).

The one difference I saw was the gauge was on the end of the air tube where the foster fitting is on the Zelos.

[JimD]

You are right Allen.  I never noticed that.  The SPA gun has a fill probe with the gauge on the end of the airtube like my P35s.  The Zellos has a foster on the end of the airtube like my Avenger and the gauge somewhere else.  That is significant.  The Stoeger Bullshark is based upon the SPA P35 but has a longer barrel, different stock, and different baffle stack.  So there is some history of SPA making changes for their "customer". 

I would be most interested in the bottle version.  That was initially offered with a screw off bottle and adapter you screwed into the bottle to fill it.  Then you removed the adapter and screwed the bottle back on the gun.  There could be some of that initial version still out there and I don't think they are desirable.  But Airgun Archery Fun has them with an improved bottle adapter that puts a foster fitting right at the front of the bottle.  Much better arrangement in my opinion.  Krale has an aluminum bottle version, hopefully with the right adapter.

If I wanted a cylinder version the better fill method/gauge location and the psi gauges would make me willing to pay a little more for the Umarex. 

[Keesbo]

Snowpeak makes nice guns.
You just need a bit of luck with the accuracy of the barrel.

Have a PP700S-A,  PP750,  M25, M30
Had a P15 but sold it because of accuracy problems.

[Gramps-Too]

One has to wonder if Umerex will realness a bottle version down the road or offer a bottle version Ike the Avenge-X?

[JimD]

The lack of a bottle option from Umarex is curious.  SPA obviously makes a bottle option on the M60 because Krale has them.  It's an aluminum bottle but everything except the bottle seems like it would be the same for a carbon fiber bottle.  Airgun, Archery, Fun apparently sells the conversion kit too.  Presumably at least most of that comes from SPA.  Could be lots of reasons but my guess is Umarex will add a bottle version. 

[dan_house]

I see the opportunity for a larger diameter shroud. 

Thought of you when I got mine...
interestingly..... the last 4 inches or so of the shroud are empty...... the barrel stops about there.... a cut down Crosman monocore fits well, but still needs an external device.....
havnet had much time to mess with it, got too much "Life" going on.

[JimD]

The lack of moderation in the shroud probably helps Airgun Archery Fun handle the M60.  Canada doesn't permit moderators even on airguns is my understanding (and Wes told me essentially this).  You can get a moderator with your M60 but it won't ship from Canada, I believe it ships from California. 

If there is space beyond the barrel in the shroud I am sure Subscriber could make good use of it.  I would assume he'd  need some dimensions.  He did a great job on designing in shroud moderators for my P35s and I also really like the Avenger design I use on that gun which starts inside the shroud and extends a little beyond it but much less than a normal moderator would extend. 

[subscriber]

Yes, Jim, all I need are interface dimensions.

[JimD]

I highly recommend one of you with a Zelos take some measurements and start a dialogue with Subscriber.  I and another guy did this on his bullshark and my P35 and it was a pleasure.  Subscriber doesn't print but will probably involve Bob, a moderator here, for that.  The whole process was good and very inexpensive for what you end up with.  Some measurements are helpful but also difficult to get consistency with.  I ended up deciding a free phone app worked about as well as an inexpensive meter.  Even if you do not get measurements you will end up with a good working moderator.   

[subscriber]

This the Bob that helps me develop mods and print them for people:
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?action=profile;u=67950

[JimD]

I think I noticed another difference between the Zellos and the M60B.  I think the Zellos barrel is 26 inches long and the M60B is 610mm.  26 inches is about 650mm.  Curriously, the Stoeger Bullshark barrel is 40mm longer than the SPA P35.  For a 22 or 177 I think the M60B barrel might be preferable to me since I think the M60 gets plenty of power for 22s or 177s.  Maybe if you want to shoot heavy slugs the Zellos might be better.  But for a 25 caliber, the longer Zellos barrel seems more indicated.  Maybe buying a Zellos and a bottle conversion kit makes more sense than I thought.