EDGun Lelya 2.0 - the way I see it
Disclaimer: don’t treat it as a formal review. It’s rather a story of me and my Lelya. After more than 20 tins of pellets I can say with full confidence - this is my favorite EdGun and overall favorite pcp ever. So if you have some time - just grab your coffee and check out why I do think so. It’s about technical aspects and tuning, about various scopes I tried on Lelya, but mostly about pure fun of shooting this marvel. Enjoy!
Yeah, I jumped a little bit late on the Lelya 2.0 bandwagon – at least half year after it appeared in shops. And that was my initial setup: .177 cal (set to FT/HFT energy level of 12 fpe), 1-6x24 C-More competition scope, Leupold mount, Eberlestock S25 Cherry Bomb pack, two polymer mags and JSB Exact ammo. Forgot about Vortex Ranger 1000 rangefinder. Overall not so bad for a starter kit, right? I must admit, overall look of this combo is unique and beautiful! Also thanks to nice figuring in that walnut stock. As far as I know Edgun changed supplier of the wood material not long before I got my Lelya, so if you’d purchase your Lelya now you should get her dressed in a really nice timber (btw, there’s a laminate option too). Overall look of that little bullpup resembles more 'micro Matador R5M' than old-school single shot Lelya. And indeed Lelya 2.0 shares all mechanics with new Matador, so should be really darn robust and reliable. And accurate too! The new one is not as compact as the old one (about 2 inches longer) plus it’s is considerably heavier due to bigger tank diameter, chunkier moderator and multishot mechanics of course. And new rock-solid chassis. But still fits perfectly inside my Eberlestock S25 Cherry Bomb pack, so it’s cool.
But what about comparison with Leshiy? Well, two VERY different animals and (of course) my Leshiy is not going anywhere. Leshiy is smaller when folded for transport BUT it's not a bullpup and is actually longer in shot-ready position! So if you're looking for maximum maneuverability in thick woodland or barn then Lelya 2.0 is just better choice. Quite surprising, but that's how it is. Two different animals - Leshiy is a single shot portable 'ambush' airgun while Lelya 2.0 is a subcompact bullpup multishot. They complement each other perfectly.
Lelya 2.0 handles extremely well, cycles nice and smooth. Forward positioned cocking handle is doubled on both sides, so it’s equally easy to operate with either hand. Cocking is super-fast easy, just short stroke back and forward. Each magazine holds 10 pellets in .177 cal and you can store 3 mags under the scope rail plus 4th in the gun. Magazines are made of some kind of polymer, easily available and cheap. I purchased extra mags @ airgunheaven.com (located in EU) but I’m sure you can get them just as easily in US from Brian at EdgunWest.com
Overall build quality of Lelya 2.0 is nothing short of amazing. I really dig all the design details, edges, curves, etc. It looks (and is!) very rugged, built as a true field gun. I simply love that chunky moderator with knurled end and the fact that barrel is fully hidden inside chassis. Thin and exposed airgun-obvious barrel is the last thing I'd like to see on my PCP. And remember, this thing doesn’t look like an airgun for average Joe, more like a fancy firearm... and that’s also one of the reasons why I switched to EdGuns years ago - that unique killer look! It’s a piece of airgunning art.
Shooting… yeah, new Lelya is a tack driver when rested on a sandbag but most important it shoots AWESOME off-hand. It's shorter than Leshiy (in shooting position), heavier and better balanced, so center mass is right between shooter’s hands – and this is in my opinion main reason for that stunning off-hand Lelya’s shoot-ability. Trigger is a new two-stage unit - more complex than on Leshiy and without a doubt the best trigger on any of my Edgun so far. I’d say it’s just what you want in a field gun – control crispness combined with operational safety.
Scope combo no.1: C-More 1-6x24 scope. If you’re not aware let me educate you: C-More is a US company, based in Virginia, which is best known for top-class competition red-dot sights and they invented and patented some unique solutions, starting back in 1993. Basically they built first practical ‘open’ Red Dot sight with an unobstructed peripheral view, which speeded up aiming in competitive shooting sports considerably. During the years they set new standards in competition red dot optics and IPSC style shooters won multitude of world championships using C-More sights since that time. I’m a scope seeker, and when I looked through that scope (with red dot inside too, of course!) at IWA 2019 I just knew it was my next scope.
I spend another solid hour talking to Dr. Ira Kay, founder and owner of C-More, and at that time I learned more about Red Dots than ever before. C-More as a company is an innovator in optical design and 1-6x24 is no exception. It’s a variable mag crispy little beast made for competitive shooting. Reticle is thin and precise, airgun friendly and yes, it’s available in Strelok Pro app. Plus Ira is one heck of a gentleman, and it was pure joy discussing scopes and sights with him.
That scope is a tank-like construction with oversized precision locking turrets and daylight bright ‘red dot' illumination. Assembled overseas (like most scopes today) but fully designed in Virginia - and not just look mechanics but also optical design and illumination, which is Ione of the key reasons for its clarity. Result? Down to 0.7 inch c-t-c in 5 shot groups at 50y - not bad for 6x optics. Yeah... I really like non-obvious (but no less than top quality) choices in my gear.
Scope combo no.2: big and mighty Vortex 4-16x44 Diamondback Tactical FFP plus scope leveler on my Lelya. To my surprise it's not a bad looking combo at all! Hmmm, it's actually quite badass little sniping bullpup in this config. I've been shooting off a sandbag this time. With a bubble leveler I was not afraid of canting anyway (which is crucial for off the sandbag shooting).
At 25 it was essentially just one hole. At 50 yards I was able to go below 0.5” c-t-c! Yeah, it's easily a sub-MOA airgun at 50y. With selected ammo and perfect weather conditions of course. Just a reminder: I had mine set at 17 Joule at that time (a bit above 12 fpe, my local limit for unrestricted open field shooting). To make it hotter I’d have to register my Lelya but so far I'm not tempted - for long range fun my R5 in .30 cal (over 100 Joule) is waaaay better solution anyway. Of course you can order your Lelya in .22 and .25 cal too, which should be pest controller’s dream (where permitted by law).
Scope combo no.3: with Stalker 6x scope. Well, I've been using Stalker 6x on Leshiy since spring 2018, so it's been quite some time now. I think it's one of the best choices if you're looking for a really compact size, super robust construction and pinpoint precision to about 50 yards (it’s an adjustable parallax optics). It’s a match made in heaven and I decided to keep Stalker 6x on Lelya. C-More 1-6x variable scope will stay on Leshiy, which also makes TERRIFIC combo (and it looks amazing too). I've said more about my Stalker last year on the blog here: https://www.edgunleshiy.com/blog/2018/8/9/edgun-stalker-6-the-game-changer/
Vacation time... yep, Lelya makes nice travel companion for dedicated airgunners, which easily fits in a mid-sized backpack. I carried my Lelya in Tasmanian Tiger Modular 30, Arcteryx LEAF Assault 30 and of course Eberlestock S25 Cherry Bomb. At 12 fpe it’s first of all perfectly legal almost anywhere, but also a very quiet pcp, actually inaudible at 10 yards aways from the shooter - more than enough for holiday plinking. Weekend in a backcountry? Sunday in the forest? Or just afternoon fun shooting after long day in the office? My Lelya .177 is a perfect precision plinker - short quiet, doesn't attract unwanted attention. And fully legal anywhere and anytime (but - safety first, of course). However, if you live in US or other area with no power restrictions you can enjoy Lelya in .25 cal and up to 55 fpe. That should be more than enough for any pest control around the farm. Sure thing, shot count would vary depending on muzzle energy tune. At default EU factory setting (120 bar on regulator) when filled to 250 bar I was getting 70+ shots at 12 fpe, which is not bad. At 50 fpe I’d be empty after 2 mags I guess.
With compact size and stunning off-hand shootability it seems to be good choice for HFT, doesn’t it? But shot count and fps stability through the full shot string is crucial for HFT. With original reg dialed down to 100 bar I was able to get 85-90 good shots but that system was optimized for 40-50 fpe (big plenum), so there was some fps peak at the end of shot string. To prevent that I decided to install an HFT specific 12fpe reg plenum system by HUMA. It’s a very clever system, which works with low reg pressure and really restricted plenum. So not only it gives roughly 70mm of additional tube length for air, but also prevents that peak at the end of shot string as it empties all air from plenum with each shot. I’m still working on my final tune (my setup was kind of prototype) but I’m getting now up to 120-130 shots (!) from 250 to 90 bar... and hoping for 140+ yes! Any downside? Well, you can’t go much higher than 12fpe with that system and it’s semi-permanent mod (to go back you need to purchase new valve stem, which must be shortened for HUMA system) but for me it’s fine as I want my Lelya to be sub 12 fpe airgun.
Another HFT necessary mod is single-shot adapter. You can get one from HUMA or from CARM. They work in a similar way. I tried CARM and it works great, just as expected. It’s a 3D printed unit, quality is very good, no complains. I compared accuracy and there’s no POI shift when shooting from CARM adapter vs standard magazine. Accuracy is exactly the same as well. Pin-point!
Bottom line - yeah, I’m simply delighted with my Lelya. Plus it just perfectly fills the gap between my folding Leshiy in .22 and my Matador R5 cannon in .30, both being single shots. Fits my packs, gives a lot of shots, looks great (honestly, it’s a jaw dropper when I take it out of my Eberlestock pack). Could I ask for more?