Got a chance yesterday to play with my new toy. Yesterday's high in Central IL was something like 2 degrees. Not exactly go out and shoot weather (especially to single feed super small projectiles). So I shot in the basement range. I have about a 12y shot.
Overall I think its a pretty neat looking gun. It shoulders pretty nicely. The trigger is very.... meh. A bit better than a cheap AR trigger, I guess (don't have a scale). Definitely not in match territory, but functional. The trigger and guard are plastic. The stock is some cheap-ish wood. Its attractive enough, but definitely not fancy.
I have previously shot into a medium cardboard box full of rubber mulch, as its a nice quiet pellet trap. Frontal dimensions about the size of a sheet of printer paper, and about 4" deep. Being cautious, I balled up some old clothes and finally a board behind my target, since I didn't know what kind of extra penetration the .22 would have. As it turns out, it was overkill, the original "trap" worked fine. Nothing left the back. This was shooting 14.3 gr Crosman Premier HP pellets.
The pump is pretty neat. I was mostly expecting an overpriced, glorified bike pump. Not so much. This thing is seriously beefy. I guess it should be. 20-50 psi in a bike tire is a heck of a lot different than 2000 psi (actually the pump, in theory, is rated to 3600psi, but I'd not want to pump it that far). It took me 80 pumps to go from empty to a full charge at 2000psi (the gun's top end). Pumping wasn't hard, but it does take some effort. I would actually say its about even with pumping a bike pump.
It wont replace the fun & ease of shooting a brick of .22lr, and not having to get up, but then, I bought 500 pellets for $5.84. I havent seen .22lr at just over a penny a shot recently. And no I'm not comparing the power. I well realize that even a healthy .22 air rifle is well behind a .22lr in energy.
I lost count, but figure I shot 15 - 20 pellets in the "green" zone from 2000 down to 1000 psi. It took another ~40 pumps to fill back to 2000 psi.
I had read some reviews stating that the Discovery was loud, but I wasn't sure what to expect. My previous air rifle experience is with springers and a couple of multi-pumps (Daisy 880, Benjamin 397, and a Gamo). The Discovery is certainly louder than my earlier guns. But a .22lr it is not. Frankly, I doubt if any neighbors in anything but a condo would really pay any attention, unless they could see you shooting what appears to be a "real" gun. My wife stayed on the main floor while I shot in the basement. She said it sounded like someone setting a small book on the counter - not a big deal (and maybe, just maybe, wont even wake the kids while they are napping on the second story - fingers crossed).
Recoil? Not worth mentioning (obviously, I guess). The fiber sights are nice, but the lighting in my basement sucks, so I haven't even pretended to try any accuracy testing. Maybe later this week. I also didnt take time to break out the chronograph just yet, but I will. The gun is rated at 900fps. It will be interesting to see how close to that claim it comes, and how the velocity falls off with tank pressure.
Parting thoughts..... I bought the kit (Discovery rifle in .22 with pump) on Amazon for $350, delivered. I'd been toying with the purchase for sometime - something of a curiosity, as Id never tried PCPs before. And as a legitimate small rifle to shoot in my semi-suburban home when I cannot get to the range. If you can shoot a .22lr off your back porch, and weather is rarely to never an issue..... the Discovery probably isn't the rifle for you. You can buy a .22lr that is more powerful, only barely more expensive to shoot, and you don't have to pump anything up, for LESS money upfront. But some of us dont live on a range. I feel I have it pretty good - I can get to a very affordable pistol/rifle/shotgun range in about 15-20 minutes. Its fairly convenient, but still ends up being a near 2 hour commitment. I also have a good sized, unfinished basement for a gun cave. Its not fancy, but prime for playing with light duty weapons inside. Shooting something is definitely better than shooting nothing. I could also see it as a solid option for someone living on a larger lot, but still having neighbors, where a firearm may not be appropriate and/or may draw unwanted attention, but where target practice or small varmint control is still in order.