The action is secured via twin 5mm screws through two aluminium pillars and a separate screw-attached recoil lug. The trigger-guard forms part of the stock moulding and the fore-end has been stiffened with five cross braces. These spacers can be removed or added to accommodate various lengths of pull. Two replacement spacers are supplied together with a solid black rubber/ synthetic recoil pad. The butt section has a useful system of butt pad adjustment. The comb is straight and high enough for positioning your head correctly to avoid parallax errors with a scope. Right and left-handed Shots can use this rifle equally as there is no cheekpiece. It has no chequering, but it doesn’t need it due to the flamboyant, contoured fore-end and deeply scalloped pistol grip. The finish is a dull black colour with a moulded finish for grip. The stock feels solid and capable, thanks to being made of a high-density, moulded polymer material. The Pro Hunter was first launched around 15 years ago and raised eyebrows with its radical styling, which was unlike previous, more traditional Mannlicher Lux models.

You also get a lot of rifle for the money you pay, which is very satisfying. Synthetic materials and stainless steel attest to this ethos. This is a rifle for the hunter who wants to go out and use it – rather than use it as an element of interior decoration. The Austrian company Steyr Mannlicher makes premium grade yet highly practical rifles, especially with the Pro Hunter series. Now I have tested this rifle, I can assure you that it’s because people keep hold of this model once they’ve made their purchase.

Want to buy a single issue of Shooting Times, Sporting Gun?īefore testing the Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter rifle, I was unsure whether its scarcity on the shelves of second-hand gun dealers was due to its being an unpopular model, or people tending to keep hold of them after purchase.

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Steyr mannlicher 308