Anschutz 1782 stalking rifle £2,080

The Anschutz 1782 rifle is sturdily built and highly resistant to changes in heat and cold, thus maintaining accuracy. It has a unique bedding system of a solid aluminium action carrier and additional recoil lug for a precise and sturdy union of metal and wood.

Anschütz triggers are some of the best in the business and this model can be changed from single stage to a two-stage, with an ergonomic and silent safety catch too.

A quick detachable magazine that is easy to remove with a slight pressure is handy and the integrated universal Picatinny scope mount to the action top makes mounting a scope a cinch.

It is a traditional-looking rifle that hides quite a few very useful and precision features.

The Anschütz’s bedding system, with solid aluminium action carrier and additional recoil lug, makes for a precise and sturdy union of metal and wood

Need to know

• Manufacturer Anschütz
• Model 1782
• Action Bolt action
• Barrel 20.5in, threaded 15mm/1
• Calibre .243 Win on test
• Overall length 40.75in
• Finish Matt blued action, semi-polished blued barrel
• Stock Walnut, oil finish
• Trigger Adjustable single stage
• Safety Two position
• Magazine Detachable three-shot in .243 Win
• Sights Built-in Picatinny rail to action top
• Weight 3.4kg
• Price £2,080
• Importer RUAG Ammotec UK, 01579 362319

The Anschutz trigger can be changed from single stage to a two-stage

In depth

The stock design and finish of the Anschütz 1782 initially catches the eye. It has a traditional classic straight comb and rounded fore-end exhibiting some well-cut chequering. The pistol grip also has a pronounced palm swell to one side for assured hold. The well-figured walnut has a very nice, practical oil finish and, though it is quite heavy, it balances well. This gives a beneficial rigid and stable bedding platform.

The action is precisely bedded to the stock via a special integrated recoil lug and V-Bedding system to guarantee consistency. The action is milled from solid steel with an integrated Picatinny scope rail and its modern humped-back design has a matt blued finish.

Anschütz’s bolt movement never fails to impress as it is silky smooth and that finely ground and hard-chromed bolt with its six locking lugs — two rows of three — allows maximum strength. The safety has a low 60-degree bolt throw for a fast operation.

The bolt handle has a slightly raked rearward profile, synthetic rounded bolt knob, red protruding cocking indicator and a small inset claw extractor. The sprung plunger-type ejector to the bolt face ejects the cases reliably and briskly.

The best part is that Anschütz’s match-grade barrel is fully free-floated, maximising accuracy potential with six rifling grooves and a rifling twist rate of 1-in-10in. This means it is OK up to 100-gr bullet weights and has a threaded 15mm/1 muzzle for sound moderator fitment. At 20.5in it is short for a .243 Win (see box, right) but no matter — a 23in barrel version is available.

Finally, the trigger, safety and magazine complete a well-thought-out rifle. Anschütz uses the Match 5082 D trigger that can be adjusted from 400g to 1,550g. The gold anodised trigger-blade can be adjusted back and forth to suit your shooting style.

It was set at an ultra-crisp single stage with zero overtravel and 2.75lb let-off so I left well alone. The side-mounted safety is silent in use and a simple two-position affair.

The three-shot capacity detachable magazine has an excellent, ambidextrous fast-release magazine lever set into the trigger-guard, which is very handy.

The bolt is a synthetic rounded knob and its movement is silky smooth

Conclusion

This is a rifle in traditional styling with a newer humped-back design in a choice of walnut stock styles and barrel lengths to suit your needs. The action and bolt system are silky smooth and the barrel is superbly accurate, helped by that unique bedding system and a precise trigger. It’s hard to argue with the test and field results.

• Accuracy. It’s an Anschütz — of course it’s accurate 19/20
• Handling. Quite heavy but a nice balance 17/20
• Trigger. Good adjustable trigger 18/20
• Stock. Nice design and good bedding system 17/20
• Value. You get what you pay for 18/20
• Overall score. Accurate, great handling, nice wood and a good trigger89/100

Field test

It is difficult to achieve deer-legal energy with the 100-gr loads needed for large-species deer in Scotland on any rifle with short .243 Win calibre barrels. But this can be corrected by opting for the 23in barrel.

Factory-wise, Winchester 55-gr Ballistic Silvertip bullets achieved 3,390fps and 1,404ft/lb energy and some superb 0.75in groups at 100 yards.

The Norma Tipstrike 76-gr shot 3,179fps for 1,706ft/lb and 0.65in groups. The RWS 100-gr struggled at 2,711fps for 1,632ft/lb but the Sako Gamehead softpoint 100-gr bullets shot 2,837fps and 1,787ft/lb and all shots under 1in.

Reloads always help with velocity from a short-barrelled .243 Win so a Hornady 80-gr softpoint and 45 grains of Swiss RS62 powder achieved 3,145fps for 1,758ft/lb and 0.75in groups. A Hornady 95-gr SST loaded with 43 grains of RL19 powder achieved 2,887fps and 1,758ft/lb and sub-1in groups. The same load with 100-gr Sierra GameKing bullets shot 2,847fps and 1,800ft/lb with 0.75in groups.

I used the rifle to thin out hooded crows in Scotland at the end of 2020. This 1782 model feels robust and perfectly balanced in the field. With its 20.5in barrel, the fitted Hausken moderator kept both overall length and noise down.

I slipped in a 55-gr Winchester load and sat overlooking a deer gralloch, where the crows were gathering. At exactly 100 yards the first crow dropped to the superbly accurate Anschütz. Then a straggler at 185 yards thought he was out of range but the Anschütz knew differently.