Stoeger X50 Review

Stoeger X50 ReviewThe Stoeger X50 has gotten a lot of attention lately, and while some of it is due to its apparently inflated FPS ratings, the fact remains that this is a very powerful, well-built air rifle that comes with great optics and is an all around good buy for the money in our view. For more information about the X50, please keep reading.

Stoeger X50 General Specifications

The X50 is a spring-piston air rifle that is available in both .117 and .22 calibers. This is a big air rifle, weighing 8.3 pounds, or 10 pounds if you buy it with the scope combo. It’s also long, with a 19.7 inch blue rifled steel barrel that puts the total length of this rifle at 50 inches.

This is a breakbarrel model that requires roughly 40 pounds of effort to cock; so if you are considering a purchase for a younger user, think again unless they are particularly burly!

The trigger is two stage and adjustable. However, the second stage is very tough to break and get a feel for, particularly at first. The stock comes in a variety of colors, but is solid and otherwise feels sturdy.

The combo comes with a 3-9×40 AO scope that is considered by most to be good quality. This model uses a dovetail rail in the event you want to pick out your own. However, if you prefer to use open sights rather than a scope, you will be pleased as the X50 comes with adjustable fiber-optic sights in the front and rear.

Click Here for a Price Check!

Stoeger X50 Breakbarrel in Monte Carlo (Camo) stockX50 Muzzle velocity & Power

According to Stoeger, the X50 can fire an alloy pellet up to 1,500 FPS in the .177 caliber and 1,200 FPS in the .22 caliber; using lead pellets, FPS drops to 1,200 FPS and 1,000 FPS, respectively. There has been quite a buzz about how inflated these ratings are; however, the lead pellet numbers are not too far off the mark based on actual testing reported by users.  In any event, plugging the lead numbers in our FPE calculator and assuming a 7.9 grain weight for the .177 and 14.3 grain weight for the .22, we get estimates of 25 FPE and 31 FPE, respectively. Again, we don’t know the weight of the pellets actually used by Stoeger and can’t confirm their numbers, so this is most likely an overestimate of this rifle’s power – but that doesn’t change the fact that this is still a very powerful air rifle!

Stoeger X50 Reviews

This rifle is fairly new, and there’s been a lot of talk about it being manufactured in China. Also, as we stated, there has been considerable press about its boastful FPS ratings. Nevertheless, despite having a clunky trigger, we find much of the critical reviews to be a bit overblown. Yes, this is a spring rifle and it will take some time to break in and deliver tight groupings. And yes it will generate some recoil; however, this is not unusual.

Overall, people that have used this gun for some time report good accuracy, great power and generally good performance, particularly when using heavier pellets to keep FPS down and under the sound barrier. Indeed, with all of this power, the X50 makes an excellent hunting rifle, even in the .177. In fact, with a proper pellet, like the Beeman Kodiak Extra Heavy .177 Cal, 10.6 Grains, the .177 can hit as hard as many .22s!

Price and Value

Although the X50 lists for over $300, at the time of this writing, the .177 caliber combo can be had for about $250 and the .22 combo for $266. This is a pretty good deal in our book for the kind of power this rifle delivers and the quality of the scope and sights. Click here for the most up-to-date discounted pricing.

Concluding Thoughts & Opinions

The Stoeger X50 certainly does not deliver the same quality and accuracy as some comparable Diana rifles, such as the RWS 350 Magnum.  Likewise, the X50 cannot match the extreme value of the less expensive Hatsan 95, for example. Nevertheless, the X50 delivers outstanding power, good accuracy and great optics – all for about $150 less than the RWS 350 and $100 more than the Hatsan 95. As such, if you are looking for something that has big time take-down power for serious small game hunting, particular at longer ranges, without getting into the higher price ranges, the Stoeger X50 is a still very good option in our book.

Buy the Black Synthetic Stock Combo!

Buy the Monte Carlo (Camo) Stock Combo!

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5 Comments

  1. KEITH MARTIN says:

    The stoeger x50 is one powerful air gun its got lots of power it amazes me this air gun is no joke I luv my x50 very powerful for air piston gun I wish I could get a magazine on the x50 updates.This is the most powerful crack barrel air gun I’ve owned amen.Be very careful while shooting.

  2. Kevin says:

    I bought the X50 and I am very disappointed, it’s a 177 and the accuracy sucks. It’s loud, has way too much forward kick and falls apart. Hold on, if you think I am not impressed you are right. Experienced guys will tell you you can have too much power and it makes the pellet tumble which means it goes out of control and won’t hit the target. The X50 proves this to be true. It has too much power in a177 and I do not recommend this gun.

    • Rick Butcher says:

      Sorry to hear. I would definitely use the heaviest .177 pellet you can find if buying in the small caliber precisely to avoid breaking the sound barrier!

  3. KEITH says:

    The steohger x50 has a ton of POWER but with the right pellet it showed me how much power and I’m very Happy. They have to get new technology on the x50!!!!!

  4. Rich Granstra says:

    I bought an X50 in2010 shot it for three years but never was satisfied with its accuracy. It had great power, terrible trigger creep and hard pull and had trouble keeping the scope tight. One day I noticed that there was too much adhesive holding the hand grip it was interfering with the muzzle crown. They replaced it in 2013 the replacement shoots much more accurate but the trigger still is a problem. My x50 is a .177.

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