Stoeger has a few variations of the XM-1. (In fact, I reviewed one here.) Today, we're covering a newer model: the XM1 Ranger. The Ranger and its relative, the Scout, are both compact and smaller versions of the full-sized XM1. The Ranger is a bit louder than the XM1 I reviewed previously, but the pellets smack hard and accurately, with an audible crack.
Out of the box I appreciated the feel of the rifle. The length of pull is customizable via buttstock spacers, and there is an interchangeable cheekpiece as well as an interchangeable pistol grip included with each rifle.
The rifle does not come with a scope, but most serious air rifle enthusiasts prefer to mount a scope of their choosing on their rifle anyway. I had a CV LIFE 3x9x40 scope lying on the gun bench, so I put it to use on this rifle. While the scope is not very high quality, it did the job and allowed the rifle to shine quite well out to 50 yards. It mounted easily to the Picatinny Rails on the rifle, and I went to work after filling the 200CC tank. The rifle has an air tank gauge and an air regulator gauge that is easy to read.
Once I had the rifle tank filled, I went down to the range and began trying to load the magazines. I loved the look and feel of the magazines. They appear to have some metal parts, which is a nice switch over some magazines we get nowadays. However, the directions for loading it were not very clear in my opinion. I had to figure it out on my own. Here is what I recommend users do to quickly load the two magazines that come with the rifle. 
To load the Stoeger Ranger XM1 air rifle magazine, first fully turn the clear plastic cover counterclockwise and drop in a pellet--TAIL FIRST--with the nose of the pellet facing you as you load it. Next, you can allow the spring-loaded magazine to rotate backwards from that position, loading each pellet the same way until it is full. Alternately, you can turn the magazine over after loading the first one tail/skirt first and then on the opposite side, load them nose first.
Loading the magazines is not hard after you load the first one. Keep in mind that the magazines have springs, which will keep tension on the rotary part. The two included magazines hold 11 pellets each.
Once I had the magazines loaded, I began breaking the rifle in and firing a variety of pellets from various manufacturers. I have shot a lot of air rifles over the past few years and most of the time air rifles, like many slug guns or conventional rifles, prefer a certain ammunition.
The Ranger I was shooting fired four different brands and weights of pellets with nearly equal accuracy. Most of the groups were one big hole (five shots) at 30 yards. I loved that aspect of the Ranger. If you run out of a certain ammo, you can easily switch, check the zero and keep hunting. My zero did not change more than an inch at 30 yards going from one brand or weight either!
The pellets easily punctured the thick cardboard I was shooting at. I cannot wait to try it on squirrels in the coming weeks! I shot the rifle at 100 yards and feel it will hit a 5" circle with regularity, but it does take some steady hands, a good rest and patience. The crack of the rifle and then the pellet striking the target had a bit of an audible delay, which I expected. With lead pellets, the rifle is advertised at 800 feet per second (fps). Alloy pellets can reach upwards of 1,000 fps.
I will mention that should someone want this rifle in .25 caliber, it is available! Those pellets will reach 810 fps with lead and 900 fps with alloy pellets.
Besides having great accuracy, this rifle was a joy to shoot, and it was a good handling rifle at 43" overall length and 7.65 pounds. The trigger is a two-stage adjustable trigger that has a fairly smooth pull to it. The side lever is nice, because it's the end that is most often handled, and it rotates to make the cocking experience nicer. The rifle comes with three additional Picatinny rails that can be bolted on the forend of the stock for a red dot, lights or a bipod for fun. The rifle has a five-year limited warranty.
There is one small thing that I wish could be changed about the rifle. The crossbolt safety is tucked up high enough on the trigger that it is tough to get at in a pinch. As this is a hunting rifle, I think it would be nicer to have the safety more accessible. The rifle retails for $350; StoegerIndustries.com.
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