Umarex makes some very good air rifles, and I always enjoy shooting their guns. When I unboxed the Zelos, I was not sure what my first impression was until I started putting the rifle through its paces.
My first order of business after opening the box and giving the gun some hands-on attention was to read the manual. Umarex manuals are never short on details and the directions are always clear. The illustrations are often quite helpful as well, and the Zelos manual was no different.
Classified as a bullpup design, the barrel constitutes 26" of the 36" package. The 20-pellet rotary magazine (yes, 20 pellets!) is an awesome feature for squirrel or rabbit hunters. The magazine is inserted, clear side back towards the shooter, into the stock. The rifle comes with two of these magazines, which is clearly a benefit for those wish to go small-game hunting.
I pulled a 3x9x40 scope off the gun bench and easily mounted it on the included Picatinny rail above the receiver. There is another Picatinny accessory rail under the tank for those that desire to add something to their rifle. A bipod for shooting is an excellent choice. The Picatinny rail on the tank is moveable, which is a great feature as well.
After reading the manual and loading the magazines, I began shooting the rifle. Loading the magazines was quite simple and clearly detailed in the directions. Shooting the rifle was pure pleasure, without a single hiccup during the entire test.
I used five different pellets for my testing at 30 yards, and I also fired at 100 yards to see if I could have a little fun poking at targets at that range. The answer is “yes” to both: The rifle will hit cans and so on at that range, and it is more than a little bit fun.
The tank holds up to 3,625 pounds per square inch (psi), but I only filled mine to around 3,000 psi. There is an air regulator if you wish to reduce output from 2,000 psi to 1,500 or even 1,000 psi. I left the rifle I tested at the factory setting to see what it could do.
I have to say that accuracy with all the pellets, even the inexpensive pellets, was good. I use UX Brimstone pellets often for hunting (not pictured) and they are an excellent choice for this rifle. I also used GAMO TS22 pellets with great accuracy results. Many of the pellets shot at less than an inch at 30 yards with five shots. This rifle is built for hunting in my opinion, but it could also serve as a precision shooting platform too. I would have no hesitation to take head shots at small game with a rest with this rifle.
The rifle fires .22 pellets up to 1,100 fps. The .25 caliber version has an 18-count capacity magazine and fires pellets up to 1,000 fps.
Another comment I would like to make regarding the Zelos is the action. This rifle has the smoothest action I have shot on an air rifle in a very long time. At the end of my testing, I loaded up a magazine and rapid fired the rifle and just enjoyed how easily the side lever action worked, and how quickly I was able to cycle and get on target with the rifle. Shooting at fast-moving game or racing other competitive shooters with this action will give you an edge.
Although I did not find the need to tune the regulator to enhance accuracy with any of the pellets I was using, the ability to do that, particularly for those that enjoy precision shooting, is there right on the receiver.
Some other observations I made with this rifle include the noise level. I would rate it average on a noise level. You won’t be shooting it in a small backyard under the radar of nosy neighbors, but you can definitely shoot small game with it and not disrupt the woods for an hour at a time. Squirrels are likely to ignore the noise unless they are 30 yards away or closer. A moderator is easily added to the threaded barrel.
The rubber butt pad is nice, because it keeps the gun consistently in the same spot where you mount it each time without slippage. The safety is on the right side of the rifle and an easy reach. Users will flip it back to FIRE and flip forward very easily to SAFE. As for the trigger, it's a blade trigger style that is adjustable upwards or downward. That is a nice feature to customize the rifle to each shooter. The two-stage trigger is also adjustable for travel--again, a nice feature.
The tank is removeable for those that might wish to do so for traveling or breaking the gun down. At the end of the tank is a foster style fitting to fill the tank. On the other side of the receiver, (left side) is the degassing screw which is easily accessed.
This rifle shoots the pants off many other rifles. It is a well-built gun with a lot of added features to make plenty of air rifle enthusiasts happy. The smooth action, reliability and consistent performance is just what many airgun shooters will want. I know I do! MSRP $599.99; Umarex.com
Specifications
- 26 Inch Barrel
- 250cc Tank
- 3625 Max Fill Pressure
- .22 Caliber
- 20-Shot Auto-Indexing Magazine
- Tank Mounted Picatinny Rail
- Top Picatinny Scope Rail
- 1/2"X20 Muzzle Threads
- 14.75 Inch Length of Pull
- 6.95 Lbs
- Adjustable Regulator
- 6.98mmX4.33mmX1.5mm Tank-to-Reciever O-Ring (ODxIDxThick)
