CUT TO THE CHASE

The editor tests the Varmint Ultra Carbine version of the Walther Rotex RM8

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I saw the latest incarnation of this rifle in production during my last visit to Walther headquarters, and although I was there to see another model, I had a sneaky play with the Varmint Ultra Carbine, and the improvement in handling over the full-length version was as obvious as ever. I first tested this rifle a couple of years ago, but I’m assured ‘certain refinements’ have been added, so I was keen to see what’s changed. I’ve now put a couple of hundred pellets through the one I have on test, and it’s completely backed up my initial impressions of the Ultra Carbine. It’s also confirmed something I didn’t like when I first handled the rifle, and we’ll get to that during this test.

THE BASICS

The Rotex R8 Varmint Ultra Carbine, is, as its long name suggests, a foreshortened version of the best-selling standard R8, and carries its predecessor’s full list of features, including the front-mounted buddy-bottle, a removable, rotary 8-shot magazine, and a black, synthetic, ambidextrous thumbhole stock.

Calling that stock a ‘thumbhole’ is a bit of a stretch, mind, because the ‘hole’ is big enough to get an arm through, let alone a thumb. That stock is definitely ambidextrous, though, albeit holding an action where the cocking/loading bolt is permanently fixed to the right-hand side.

At the business end of the UC’s stubby, ½-inch UNF threaded barrel sits Walther’s K3 Neo silencer, which does a fine job on the visuals and the emerging muzzle blast. This is a supplied item, along with a spare magazine, and with a price of just £449.95, the Varmint appears to represent quite a deal for the cost-conscious airgunner. Of course, that deal is only a good one if the rifle does what it needs to do, so I’ll get straight into the ‘how it works’ phase.