Precision personified
Paul Miller’s in awe of the Solus Hunter
I was reading a review of a telescopic sight made in Europe by one of the world’s premium scope manufacturers. The article was in an English magazine and the reviewer in typically British style said he’d decided to ‘break with tradition’ and start with the conclusion. He went on to say it was the finest hunting scope he’d ever used, then explained why it was so sensational despite its considerable price-tag.
The point of this aligns perfectly with my feelings about the Aero Precision Company from the US and their new Solus Hunter Lightweight rifle. Now I’m not going to say flat-out it’s the finest hunting firearm I’ve ever seen or reviewed as that’s a personal thing. But it’s certainly up there as an example of a remarkably well-built and ridiculously accurate rifle, for those with the budget and desire for such a fine example of a thoroughly modern US design.
Aero Precision is better known historically as a maker of rifles with the AR15 platform and accessories for such. Based in Takoma, Washington with its production facility at nearby Lakewood, the company sets quality standards inspired by its early days in aerospace manufacturing.
When dealing with aerospace products you can imagine how fine the tolerances must be. There’s no room for error in terms of the quality of materials used and absolute precision required in the manufacturing process. A look at their website shows a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which makes the old saying ‘you could eat your lunch off the floor’ seem entirely credible.
The vast number of CNC machines and ancillary apparatus are immaculately laid out and produce rifle actions, aftermarket triggers, barrels, chassis, pistols and now complete rifles along with all the spares to support them. So let’s jump in and see what this technology brings to a highly effective rifle that’s only been in existence for a little over three years.
Action
The Aero Solus’ light action is based on the hugely popular Remington 700 footprint which makes it easy to accessorize. The action has been cleverly scalloped and whittled away where possible without sacrificing strength, with a view to making it as light as possible in its hunting guise. It’ll be available in more robust versions for target shooting but this one’s their attempt at a premium hunting rifle and they’ve definitely succeeded.
The action is made from 416 stainless steel. These Solus actions have an integral 20-degree rail machined in but, in the interests of saving weight, the mid-section is removed to essentially leave two separate Picatinny bases. The 60-degree-lift bolt has a detachable head and three lugs. This short bolt lift facilitates speed of cycling and, depending on your scope’s objective diameter, allows for lower mounting if required. The bolt body is fluted which also saves a little weight in a design said to better remove any gunk which might accumulate while hunting. The bolt works very smoothly with its oversize knob and fed cartridges perfectly every time.
The rifle came with a synthetic 10-shot magazine, perfect for those who need that amount of firepower, though I’d add to this a five-shot mag for ease and balance of carrying (and because I rarely fire more than two shots in the field). I’d also prefer the look of it with a shorter magazine and while that may sound a bit shallow, the appearance of a rifle is important to many shooters, including me.
Trigger
Solus make their own custom triggers for the aftermarket and this one is their TriggerTech version, easily adjustable for sensible hunting weights from 1-2.3kg. This rifle was set at the lighter end and I saw no reason to fiddle with it, as it felt superb and let off as crisply as you could want, another important contributor to fine accuracy at the bench and confidence in the field.
Barrel
Aero says the barrel is their Helix 6 Precision match grade with the core made from 416R stainless steel. This one’s button rifled, hand-lapped and wrapped in carbon fibre using their own proprietary process. It’s 20” long in 308 Win with capped muzzle threads for the attachment of a silencer where legal or, more commonly, a muzzle brake to tame recoil of some of the more potent 308W factory loads available today.
This is undoubtedly the best carbon fibre-wrapped barrel I’ve seen to date, which lends a thoroughly modern and hi-tech look to the rest of the firearm. It dissipated heat extremely well when firing numerous loads off the bench and undoubtedly contributes to the stellar accuracy this rifle produced.
Stock
The rifle we have for review is a prototype stocked with an AG composite adjustable ‘Hunter’ model, while the one now available in Australia is stocked with a Grayboe Phoenix which can be seen on the Nioa website. It’s an equally adjustable stock with the difference being the solid full point of comb in front of the adjustable cheekpiece and scalloping in the stock below the comb. The method of comb adjustment is also different but should be equally effective. Made of 100 per cent carbon fibre, it’s light and strong and makes a perfect support for the Solus’ lightweight action.
The barrel’s fully floated in the stock as you’d expect, again a great contributor to consistent accuracy over time. We’ve said before these carbon fibre stocks seem to absorb recoil and this is definitely the case here. Premium loads provided for review were pushing large 30-cal projectiles and the stock composition and clever ergonomic design certainly tamed recoil. The full pistol grip offered great control and aligned my trigger finger perfectly.
Performance
My first range session was in ordinary conditions and frankly I wasn’t at my best either. But the rifle impressed so much from a manufacturing point of view, I took it for another run and was glad I did. In the second session everything came together and the Solus proved it could shoot better than I can – what a difference a day makes.
To say I was impressed is a major understatement after enlarged one-hole, two-shot groups at 100m with Federal Gold Medal 175gn Sierra MatchKing and less than half-inch, two-shot groups with 180gn Remington Core-Lokt tipped ammo. Once again more proof of how well Core-Lokt tipped hunting ammo shoots in our review rifles (better than my best reloads). These group sizes held all the way to the maximum 500m at the Hilltop Range in the NSW Southern Highlands.
With a two-inch orange aiming spot sprayed on a white-painted steel plate, I was able to shoot groups of about 2.5”. For me that’s another eye-opener on what seriously well-made modern hunting rifles are capable of with quality factory hunting and match-grade ammunition. Some readers may question two-shot groups but I find that’s an effective measure and saves on expensive factory rounds. The third shot never makes the group smaller and it’s also a measure of accuracy for me in the field, as I don’t often fire a second shot at the same target.
I took the Solus to the NSW Southern Tablelands around our favourite hunting spots with high hopes of a nice deer or some large feral pigs. Sadly not an animal was seen (isn’t it often the way) but the rifle carried beautifully with the optically excellent and top-of-the-line Leupold VX6 4-24 scope and mounts. The Leupold CDS (compact dial system) was spot-on with the factory ammo provided as it had been tuned at the Nioa factory range before dispatch.
The Gen 2 quick-hand detachable turret covers were super-easy to use. They do away with all the fiddly adjustments with wrench and small screws which can be dropped or lost in the field, when removing turrets with the previous model Leupold – a great innovation. The whole outfit felt perfectly balanced and was a delight to shoot over sticks or a bipod from the ground, even though targets later in the day were distant rocks rather than deer and pigs.
Time constraints for returning the rifle meant I couldn’t take the Solus on a second hunt. Yet I’ve no doubt this rifle and scope combination will perform perfectly on game at any ethical shooting distances, with a decent rest and game accurately ranged and the Leupold dial set. Assuming the shooter is up to the task, this Solus rifle with its immaculate construction and super-sensitive trigger will do its part.
So what I said at the start of this review holds true. The combination of state-of-the-art manufacturing with quality components, like the Helix 6 carbon-wrapped barrel and excellent TriggerTech trigger, all housed in an ergonomically designed carbon fibre stock really puts this outfit into the custom class category. This is a serious rifle at a serious price for the committed hunter but is it worth the price? I believe it is – and possibly then some. More at www.nioa.com.au
Specifications
Manufacturer: Aero Precision, US
Model: Solus Hunter Lightweight bolt-action
Weight: 3.55kg naked
Distributor: Nioa
Stock: Grayboe Phoenix carbon fibre for Australian market, adjustable length of pull around 32-35cm, adjustable comb
Barrel length: 20”
Barrel: 416 stainless steel wrapped in carbon fibre, threaded with end cap
Sights: Integral Picatinny bases 20MOA
Chambering: 308 Winchester, 1:10 twist barrel
Trigger: Single-stage TiggerTech ‘Field’ 1-2.2kg
Warranty: Five years
Price: Around $5500