STATE OF THE ART (UPDATED)
What does ‘ART’ stand for?
ART stands for Daystate’s Accuracy Research Team – a selected group of developers, testers and engineers from the UK and US. Guided by a strict approval and testing protocol, their role is to improve, wherever possible, the accuracy and performance of Daystate’s new and existing products.
Doesn’t Daystate already have such a program in place?
Yes, and always has had. However, the new ART program supersedes this and has been developed as part of the company’s ongoing quest to maintain its reputation of producing the world’s finest air rifles. By labelling a product as ‘ART-approved’, shooters can be assured they are using the most advanced airgun technology currently available.
What will be the first ART-approved guns or gear?
The ART program has initially been focussed on improving barrel performance of Daystate’s high-power air rifles fitted with 23” (60cm) barrels. With the extreme high-power levels that many Daystate models can now achieve – upwards of 65 ft/lbs in the case Red Wolf Safari – comes the opportunity to shoot over much greater distances. The goal of the ART has therefore been to improve long-range accuracy.
Will all high-power Daystate PCPs now be fitted with ART-approved barrels then?
Using the latest pellets manufactured by JSB, ART found that it was able to improve both accuracy and overall performance to an unprecedented level on extreme high-power models in .25 (6.35mm) calibre.
However, the ART’s research into the accuracy and performance of Daystate’s high-power PCP in .177 (4.5mm) and .22 (5.5mm) calibres concluded the performance of current, factory-approved barrels reached a very high standard demonstrated by the excellent results achieved by high-power models throughout 2018 in competitions such as Extreme Benchrest and the US FT Championships (to name but a few).
What about .303 calibre barrels?
The ART programme is still evaluating the performance of the current .303 calibre barrel that Daystate uses on its high-power models. The forthcoming Red Wolf Safari is set to produce an unprecedented 80ft/lbs of power output (up from the current 70ft/lbs) in .303 and only when the team is happy with the result will the Safari be released with a .303 ART barrel.
What about lower-powered Daystate PCPs – will they get ART barrels?
The shorter, 17” (43cm) match-grade barrels that Daystate fits to various models rated from sub-12 to 45ft/lbs power output have a different internal profile and spin rate compared to high power barrels. They offer excellent accuracy, so are not currently under scrutiny.
The team had a bit of fun at the end of a days’ testing by putting out a single exploding target – the testers were only allowed one shot each to hit it. The distance – 100 yards of course!
But could I buy an ART barrel for my current Daystate if I wanted?
Yes, subject to availability and through an approved Daystate dealer. However, the only ART barrel currently available is the 23” (60cm) version in .25 (6.35mm) calibre, fitted as standard on the extreme high-power Red Wolf Safari.