US-based rifle manufacturer Aero Precision has released its Solus range of high-end bolt-action rifles in Australia, with models for hunting, long-range shooting and competition.
The Remington 700-based Solus action will also be available over the counter to shooters who want to build a custom rifle.
After making its reputation building AR-platform rifles, Aero Precision added bolt-actions to its range two years ago, and has now signed a deal for Australian distribution with NIOA.
The Solus action is compatible with the Remington 700 footprint but the action differs in a number of important ways, including having a three-lug bolt head that gives is a 60-degree bolt lift angle.
The three models available are:
- Solus Lightweight Hunter, which has a carbon-fibre wrapped barrel and a Grayboe Phoenix 2 carbon-fibre stock. It weighs 3.5kg in standard calibres and 3.6kg in magnum. Expect dealers to sell it in the vicinity of $5600
- Solus Competition rifle with alloy chassis, TriggerTech trigger and a solid 5.4kg mass. Prices are likely around $4300
- Solos Bravo with KRG Bravo stock and TriggerTech trigger, weighting around 4.5kg depending on calibre. Pricing is about $3750.
The action alone can be bought to suit either standard calibres or magnums, featuring .478” and .540” bolt faces respectively.
Short and long actions are both produced, and a lightweight option shaves 153 grams from the 1020g regular action weight.
I had the brief opportunity to shoot the Hunter and Bravo models at a NIOA trade day held at Brisbane’s Belmont Shooting Complex, where both scored easy hits on targets at 500m. We will have a full test on at least one of these models in the near future.
Chad Forrey, Aero Precision’s director of international sales, admitted the brand was not well known in the Australian market.
He said the company had started out with a single machine in its founder’s garage and was now in a state-of-the-art factory containing 150 machine centres.
It is now an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) that creates the majority of its components from raw materials.
He said all design, engineering and testing is also done in-house, and added that every rifle the factory produces is test-fired and the results logged before it leaves the factory.
Meanwhile, at the NIOA trade event, Ruger announced that NIOA would once against become the sole Australian distributor of the brand, ending a brief period in which both NIOA and OSA were responsible for importing them.
Among other developments, NIOA has become the Australian distributor of Fiocchi ammunition, a result of the Australian company’s partnership with Fiocchi’s Czech owner, CSG.
NIOA has also taken on Perazzi shotguns and will be setting up a special showroom and gun fitting service for the bespoke gunmaker’s Australian customers.
NIOA’s newly appointed representative for Perazzi, Keith Grundy, said a small number of guns would be kept in stock for immediate delivery but that he expected most customers would buy guns to order with tailored fitting and customised features.
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