Late one Friday evening in June, Jack, from the Pellpax Sales team, set out with an R10TH .22 calibre PCP, hoping to bring back a few rabbits.
BSA’s R10TH, which was released in 2019, has proved to be a popular airgun for pest control. The 280cc buddy bottle will give you up to 340 shots in .22, and the ergonomic thumbhole stock, with adjustable butt stock, is supremely comfortable. The R10TH is also available in .177 calibre.
Jack’s choice of scope was an FFP (first focal plane) riflescope (6-24×50) from London Armoury’s Resurrection range, attached by a Hawke one-piece mount. His ammunition was JSB Exact Jumbo Diablo pellets – wide-skirted roundheads, well known for their knockdown power.
Jack’s Review
Ergonomic PCP and top-quality scope
The best time to shoot rabbits is probably at dawn, after a rainy night. The rabbits have been in their burrows for hours, sheltering from the rain, so by the morning they’re hungry. They’re so intent on feeding, they’re not so quick to bolt!
With rabbit shooting, though, you don’t have to wait for the perfect time. There are usually plenty of them about, especially at morning or evening twilight. If you know what you’re doing, you’re sure to bag a few.
I spent most of the time in a prone position, which can get pretty uncomfortable. But with its smooth thumbhole design and adjustable cheekpiece, the R10TH is a great gun for prone shooting.
The scope gave me a fantastically clear view, and the adjustable objective focused perfectly at ranges of around 23 to 36 metres. I set the magnification to x12 for a good view of the field, and adjusted the AO as I went.
Missed!
I took my first shot at what looked like a young jack rabbit, about 30 to 35 metres away. I was lying close to the hedge, but facing into the sun, so I used the scope’s sunshade. The sun was dazzling, and I missed the rabbit, sending the pellet low and to the left.
My target fled, but the shot didn’t seem to alarm other rabbits, who were grazing further away. The R10TH is fitted with a customer-configurable shroud (CCS), which makes each shot incredibly quiet. I decided to move to a better position before attempting a second shot.
Result!
This time, I made sure my back was to the sun, and ducked down behind a fallen tree, approximately 25 – maybe 30 – metres from the hedge. I re-zeroed for my next shot (the fine adjustments on the turrets were fantastic) and removed the sunshade.
I don’t think the rabbits were aware of me creeping about on the outskirts of the field. I was wearing Huntsbury camo clothes, which are great not only for keeping you out of sight, but also out of hearing! The few rabbits I could see were too far away to take a shot at, so I lay still for a while and waited.
Eventually, rabbits started wandering closer to me. Fortunately, the little bit of breeze was coming my way, so they couldn’t smell me.
My second shot was spot on – bang in the middle of the crosshairs. The sun was getting lower now, and the light levels were dropping, so I turned on the illuminated reticle to a low-level green setting. A rabbit ran from my right and stopped to feed, less than 10 metres from my hiding place. I hit the rabbit clean in the back of the head.
I loved using the R10TH, and, as always, I was more than happy with the JSB pellets. I found the London Armoury scope to be a great piece of kit – a fantastic all-rounder – but its security and steadiness were totally down to Hawke’s top-quality mount.
Oh yes … and I was very pleased with my three rabbits!
