Snowpeak M60B: pure air power in four calibers

Snowpeak is a Chinese manufacturer that has recently appeared on the market with some affordable products, suitable for those who want to take their first steps in air rifle shooting, whether academic or informal. In Snowpeak's catalog we find in fact products intended only for the range, such as the PP20 Match pistol – ideal for those approaching the 10m air pistol discipline for the first time – or full-power rifles such as the M60B, a real powerhouse capable of pushing a 9mm pellet out of the muzzle at almost 200 meters per second. We tested it in 9mm.

Snowpeak M60B air rifle on the range

The Snowpeak M60B is a pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifle powered by a bottle with a capacity of 205 cc and a working pressure of 250 bar, allowing approximately 40 shots per charge. The rifle comes with an externally adjustable pressure regulator and a stock with adjustable recoil pad. Safety is manual. The M60B fires diabolo-type pellets contained in a rotary magazine with a capacity of 12 to 20 rounds, depending on the caliber. Pellet loading and magazine rotation is operated by acting on a side charging lever identical to that on a biathlon rifle. The rifle can also fire slugs.

The trigger of the Snowpeak M60B is adjustable, with a pull weight of between 900 and 1500 grams. Now let's talk briefly about calibers: as mentioned, the rifle is available in 5.5 (.22), 6.35 (.25), 7.62 (.30) and 9mm (.35) with bullet energy ranging from 50 to over 110 joules. 

The rifle can use 'traditional' diabolo-type pellets or slugs, which have a cylindrical body and are heavier, and are usually the ideal choice for pest control. For our fire or, better still, "air test" we mainly used 5.24-gram (80.87-grain) Snowpeak round pellets with traditional pellet profile, and 6.47-gram (100-grain) ZAN slugs. The latter must be loaded individually in the chamber as they are too long to fit in the rotary magazine. Out range test showed that with the 9mm M60B air rifle accuracy improves after 5-10 shots, when the 610-mm barrel gets a bit warmer. Overall, we achieved nice groupings on the target at 50 m, but we are pretty sure that the rifle can be used up to 200 m without any trouble – and at that range you will also need some good scope to squeeze the most out of the rifle in terms of precision.

Snowpeak M60B technical specifications