Stoeger ATAC Suppressor

[Flyboy]

Yesterday I bought a Stoeger ATAC Suppressor in .177 calibre and today I managed to get out and put some shots through it.

There doesn't seem to be a meaningful topic about this rifle anywhere on here, so I thought I would share some opinions and observations with you...

It is essentially the Stoeger X20S Suppressor but in a different stock, with a Weaver/Picatinny rail instead of dovetail grooves and most importantly, a gas ram instead of a mainspring. It utilizes the exact same integrated suppressor as the X20S.

In no particular order...

The scope is a 4-16x40AO, and in the UK does not come factory-mounted and zeroed at 25yds. The target picture is clear, but I find the crosshairs rather thick to what I'm used to and it is a Mil-Dot reticule... I prefer the 30/30 Duplex reticule myself.

The scope fits very securely on the Weaver/Picatinny rails as the screws for the mounts also act as stoppers that go between the gaps in the rails... making sure that the scope will not slide back-and-forth at all when shooting. There are two big chunky bolts that secure the mounts to the rails, one for each part of the 2-piece mount.

When the rifle is fired, the gas ram makes a single 'thud' in comparison to the 'clunk' followed by reverb of the X20S's mainspring. The firing cycle sounds solid, and coupled with the integral suppressor makes for a quiet rifle indeed.

The synthetic stock is bulky, solid and has a tactical look to it. Forward side-mounted Weaver/Picatinny rails can take the ATAC Bipod or any other gadgets such as laser sights, flashlights, etc.

The cocking effort is higher than that of the mainspring X20S, but it feels consistent and sturdy... and you only need to coax the barrel shut rather than having to slam it shut like with a lot of break-barrels (especially when new).

I won't get into groupings as I probably only put a hundred or so shots through the rifle today, and we all know about breaking the rifle in and groups tightening up as time goes by...

Now on to possibly the two most controversial topics for the Stoeger line... the trigger and the breech.

The stock trigger has a very heavy pull weight and the first stage is way too long. It seems harder to pull back on this rifle compared to even the X20S. I didn't even bother trying to adjust the screw, as soon as I got home I immediately set about taking the rifle apart and fitting the GRT-III trigger that was on my X20S. I'll need to take the rifle out again and tune the trigger up but already it's made a huge difference.

The breech is actually surprisingly good on this rifle. On my X20S I had to 'throat' the breech to allow pellets to sit in snug and so that the widest part of their skirts weren't shaved off every time I closed the breech. The finishing on the ATAC's breech is clean, and pellets sit in mostly almost flush with just a few having a tad of skirt sticking out... nothing like past experiences though, and so far no shaved skirts or lead build-up. So I'm pleased that I don't have to get in there and start grinding away metal on my new rifle.

So far, so good... especially now I've fitted the better trigger. I haven't fitted the bipod yet as I just wanted to go out today and get a feel for the rifle and set the scope up so that I was at least hitting an A4 piece of paper. I did, and was lucky enough to shoot a few old aerosol cans from a standing position, using the artillery hold (or my version of it) from 25yds.

Any questions? Please ask!

P.S. Pics to come at a later date.

[renowntwo]

Congrats on the AG. How does the ag shoulder?

[Flyboy]

It shoulders well, pretty much the same as any other full-size air rifle I've used. It's rather heavy though, said to weigh in at around 9lbs with the monster scope fitted... so it can get a bit tiring using a freehand shooting stance after a while.

[Flyboy]

Here are the pics. Note the gold-color GRT-III Trigger. I have now tuned the trigger, and the rifle is now much more responsive and accurate compared to when the stock trigger was fitted.

P.S. Apologies for small pics but I had to reduce them to get them under the file size limits imposed by this forum.

[CSSWormy11]

How do you like this rifle in comparison to the X20S?  Would you prefer one over the other?  I have the X20S, but my father is in the market for a new pellet rifle for shooting in the city limits when it's not deer hunting season.  I've been having trouble out of my X20S, so I've been looking for a decent alternative for him.

[Flyboy]

I actually really like this rifle... a lot. I wouldn't go back to mainspring air rifles now if given the choice. Just the consistency in the cocking effort and power of the shot to be had with the gas ram is something I admire. The ATAC is more bulky and weighty compared to the X20S, and feels like a solid piece of engineering indeed... not hurt by the Weaver/Picatinny rails for mounting the hefty scope where the scope mounts actually have to clamp over the edges as opposed to standard dovetail rails where scope mounts seem to precariously cling to those tiny grooves.

I have noticed while shooting in an open field, that the ATAC's gas ram system is actually probably noisier than the mainspring X20S. In some acoustic environments it just seems to make a heck of a thud, so take that into account if shooting in built-up areas is a desire.

I highly recommend the ATAC... yes over the X20S. Mine, in any case, did not suffer the tight breech issue that I had with the X20S and therefore is much more accurate out-of-the-box. I've set my scope up to 2-3" groups freestanding at 25-30yds and feel that I have truly broken the rifle in... all within around 100-200 shots.

The only word of wisdom I put to you is replace the stock trigger with a GRT-III, and you'll not be sorry.

P.S. I note that you are in Alabama, sir. Just remember that I am in the UK and therefore have a sub-12 ft. lbs. version of the ATAC which I'm sure is more powerful in the U.S. (and therefore perhaps may create more or less points of issue).