Air rifles product reviews

Skout Evo

Dave Barham tests the highly anticipated Skout EVO, all the way from the US.

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Back in the early part of 2024, I reviewed the revolutionary Skout EPOCH, of which Skout claimed: “The EPOCH is not just an air rifle; it’s a game changer designed to propel you to the pinnacle of competitive shooting. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a rising star, this competition-ready masterpiece delivers unmatched power, precision and adaptability.” That statement pretty much summed up the rifle perfectly. It had obviously been designed for competitive shooting, and the price tag reflected that.

Now there’s a new model in the form of the EVO, which, although promoted as a rifle for shooting slugs, is equally at home with pellets. The main difference between the two models is their size—the new EVO is much more compact. Plus, there’s an upgraded electronics package inside, complete with a full-colour, touchscreen OLED display. The build quality is superb; this truly is one of the best-made rifles out there. The tolerances of the machined components are unbelievable—we are talking fractions of a fraction of a millimetre here, folks.

ONBOARD COMPUTER
I recommend that you read the accompanying instruction pamphlet from cover to cover if you buy one of these rifles, and also watch the many YouTube videos that Skout has produced. It just makes life easier in the long run while getting to know this rifle inside out. With fully customisable shot cycles and pre-fire sequences, multilingual voice feedback, an OLED data display, and a commitment to lifelong software upgrades, the EVO is technically brilliant.

The new user interface provides an easy-to-understand and navigate menu system that allows you to customise valve dwell, cycling modes, safety parameters, and guidance cues. Don’t think for one second that you need an Einstein-esque IQ to work this rifle; you don’t. You just need to know which buttons to press and what they do. It took me all of 20 minutes to get every feature of this rifle engrained into my brain.

As far as battery life goes, you’ll get thousands of shots with the EVO before having to recharge the internal battery, which has a standby time of weeks. There are four shooting modes to choose from:

– Limit mode: In this general use mode, switching from “Safe” to “Fire” by pressing the safety button will begin a “Fire Countdown” on the display. Every time the airgun is fired, or the timer reaches zero, the EVO’s digital safety will automatically re-engage. Please note, the EVO leaves the factory in Limit mode by default.
– Match mode: In this benchrest competition mode, the digital safety must be disengaged with the safety button from “Safe” to “Fire,” but the digital safety will not re-engage until the “Fire” timer has expired or it is re-engaged manually. Multiple shots may be fired without leaving “Fire” mode.
– Release mode: In this benchrest competition mode, the EVO will fire upon release of the trigger. You can cancel this function by pressing the safety button during the trigger pull, which will engage the safety. Like Match mode, the digital safety must be disengaged with the safety button to enter “Fire” mode. However, the digital safety will not re-engage until the “Fire” timer has expired or it is re-engaged manually. Multiple shots may be fired without leaving “Fire” mode.
– Hunt mode: This mode is focused on minimal noise when in use; otherwise, the order of operations is identical to “Limit” mode. Voice feedback will be silenced by default, and the digital safety will re-engage after every shot, requiring the shooter to press the safety button to enter into “Fire” mode for the next shot. As this mode uses the least number of sound outputs, “Hunt” mode is also the most battery-efficient mode of fire.

SEXY CHASSIS
The EVO also features a benchrest chassis (BRC), which has been proven around the world in competitive, hunting, and recreational usage. A wide variety of adjustments, including length, shoulder pad height, and cheekpiece elevation, are available, providing a massive range of options to offer you the perfect gun fit. Skout’s new Skeletonised Shoulder Rest (SSR) butt pad helps cut down the weight and provides somewhere to attach a sling, should one be required.

LOADS OF AIR
Filling the rifle is easy. If I had one gripe, though, it’s that the fill port is a protruding male nipple type that a 1/8in female Foster probe attaches to in order to fill, and there’s just a tiny piece of flimsy rubber that you push on to protect it.

The air supply system of the EVO consists of an on/off bottle adapter, which threads into the chassis, and a stainless steel pin valve that threads into the air bottle. This system provides a robust mounting point, eliminating vibration or wiggle that could result from an improperly secured tank.

The carbon air bottle attached to the EVO is 500cc, but there is also a 580cc version available, both of which have been tested to over 6,000 psi. Skout stresses that it shouldn’t be filled to more than 4,500 psi—that’s a lot of shots in a sub-12ft/lb airgun!

INDEXED BARREL
Just like the EPOCH, the EVO features a unique interchangeable barrel system, catering to every popular calibre. Your rifle comes perfectly configured for your chosen calibre from the factory, eliminating the need for extensive modifications.

This rifle is available with numerous barrel configurations, including the traditional bull barrel, which is manufactured from steel in various lengths. However, there’s also a composite hybrid bull barrel, which uses a thick carbon outer wall, permanently bonded to an alloy liner.

MAGNETIC RETENTION MAGAZINES
Everything about the EVO magazine is magnetic, and the self-aligning and retaining magnetic design is engineered to optimise feeding using pellets and slugs. Crafted with durable aluminium and polymer construction, the magazine is built to withstand the rigours of shooting, ensuring lasting performance for the user.

M-LOK SYSTEM
The EVO platform features an improved ARCA rail, slightly longer than that found on the EPOCH. It embraces the industry-standard M-LOK system, a widely adopted and military-proven design that enhances the versatility of your firearm.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL
The EVO is fully customisable straight out of the box, which is itself a custom-built Plano hard case, complete with a massive toolkit inside that contains full sets of Allen keys, a tub of grease, a segmented box of spare seals, a charging lead, and more.

ELECTRONIC TRIGGER
The original EPOCH featured one of the most adjustable, unique, and lightweight triggers on the market. Much of the trigger system remains intact on the EVO, with refinements that increase the range of adjustment and provide a cleaner break feeling to the trigger.

IN SUMMARY
To sum up, the EVO is not only insanely accurate and fun to shoot, but it is also manufactured to a quality that is rarely seen in the world of airguns. Whether you’re a licensed pest controller, club shooter, benchrest competition enthusiast, or regular shooter, this rifle fits into every category with ease.