Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Steyr Pro Hunter Pros and Cons

About 10 years ago I passed on a consignment Pro Hunter in 6.5x55. Been kicking myself ever since. Thinking now about a Pro Hunter in 280 Remington. Curious to know your thoughts and experiences with the Pro Hunter, and especially new production.

I had one of the 308 Mt rifles with a 20" barrel. It was HEAVY, it was also among the most accurate rifles I've ever owned.

The safety is very different, but I actually liked it.

The bolt handle shape forces you to mount the scope higher than normal for clearance. It can be replaced or ground down if you don't want to mount the scope high.

Spare magazines are expensive and hard to find.

The ergonomics and balance are "different". Not bad, just different and it takes a while to get used to it.

I sold mine after a brief ownership. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it just didn't fill the role I envisioned it for when I bought it. I was looking for a lightweight carbine length rifle and it was just much heavier than I realized. Especially after getting a scope mounted.

If none of those are negatives to you, you'll have a hard time finding a more accurate rifle.

Very well made rifles, accurate as well. By that I mean less than MOA with loads it likes. Mine is in 6.5X57. Different safety as mentioned, but very easy to use and I as well found it easy to use gloves or not. Ergonomics are great, the removable spacers make the rifles suitable for women and youngsters. Triggers are first rate, as good as any I have had on a factory rifle. Daughter got married and asked for "her" rifle... Would get another with no reservations.

I had one in 308 that I bough used for $550. I tried a couple brands of factory ammunition, and found the Hornady Light Mag 150gr SST shot a .267" group the first time I tried it. Steyr's are capable of incredible accuracy.

Pros: Incredibly accurate, great trigger, great safety )3 pos., plus you can push the bolt down into a "locked" position which blocks the firing pin), great ergonomics. Easily adjusted length of pull (spacers). Detachable magazine which locks in low where it wond feed or all the way up where it will feed. Great open sights on some models. Can be bought cheap.

Cons: Out of the main stream looks, Heavy.

I never knew it was heavy til I started carrying a Montana and a melvin Forbes worked over Colt light rifle. My 376 steyr has killed a truck load of deer though.

They're built like a brick [bleep] house.

I've had 3 of them, 2 I bought new and 1 I got used from the Katrina flooding and had to have it redone. After the facts, I had more into it than if I would have bought it new, oh well.

The new ones where 376 Steyr and 260 Rem. Shot the 376 quite a bit but got rid of it after I left AK. The 260 has never been fired, but am in the process of borrowing it to a coworker for winter deer season so I can at least see what it is capable of.

From what I've shot of the three, Triggers are good and really like the safety. They are on the heavy side.

I have a Steyr Prohunter in a .280. The most accurate rifle I own (I own 2 Tikkas as well). Sub MOA with several different brands of ammo. I have hunted with it for years and it has performed perfectly in every possible hunting condition you could imagine. I love the safety, the trigger, the magazine, and the lock down bolt. I was ambivalent about the spacers on the stock until I started hunting in Saskatchewan. Being able to adjust the stock for all the heavy clothing was clutch.

Now, the gun is not that pretty, and a little on the heavy side as well. For me, it is like taking the chubby girl to the prom. At least she can dance.

Steyr Pro Hunters are heavy, ugly and very popular in the homosexual community.

Thanks guys, informative posts and I appreciate it. I don't mind the weight. Most interested in reliability, accuracy, and the synthetic adjustable spacer stock for ugly weather hunting conditions. I am curious if the Pro Hunter will outshoot my M700 CDL... will keep you posted on results.

PS: ReadyRob, how can you be an Auburn fan and live in Georgia? ;-)

Tell us about yours.

Ditto. The magazine has a latch on each side, nearly impossible to bump it loose by accident. Very long OAL possible on the short action models.

Haha! Good one.

Ask ringworm. He's totally queer for them things. Or maybe it's just Kimber he's queer for. HeII, I forget...

It rusts easy..................keep it oiled.

I have a stainless Prohunter .280 and it shoots lights out with both 120BT and 120gr TTSX. Also had two .308's and they were half MOA shooters. Steyr's are one of the most accurate out the box rifles you can buy IMO.

Are the actions all the same length? All long action?

I have had three of the older ones, still have two of them. I traded a mountain version for the longer barrel. All were outstanding shooters with the right factory loads.
Pros--accurate, good trigger, love the tang safety, stock spacers.
Cons-the early production had a problem with heavy bolt lift. Newer ones have an improved bolt cam. Early production had a grey stock that was flimsy. New black stocks are stiffer. Neither of these should be an issue with the newer rifles. The old stocks had flush mount detachable sling swivels which made it hard to use a bipod. The newer ones have studs. A bipod probably wouldn't have worked well on those flimsy stocks anyway.

Mine are all older production. I had the newer bolt cams retrofitted, but the new stocks were too pricey. If I rest the rifle just ahead of the magazine, I can get groups like this (shot #4 was not a flyer, it was up four clicks)

I have owned or own...
308, 243 and 223 scouts.
Classic mountain in 308 and 7/08.
Foresters in 30-06 and 270.
Prohunters in 243, 7-08, 308, 7x64mm, 270, 30-06, 300wm and 376 steyr.
Tactical in 308 standard and HBC and one mag.
To call them accurate is like calling Dolly Parton top heavy.

1:10 twist?

to clarify, the 280 Pro Hunter factory barrel is 1:10?

Dogger, give these folks a call. They are the US distributors, and have been helpful to me in the past. For what it's worth, it looks like they may be discontinuing the Prohunter. The European website doesn't show it anymore (just the Prohunter Varmint), and the US website has them at a discount (but not in 280).

Steyr Arms, Inc.
2530 Morgan Road
Bessemer, AL 35022
Phone: (205) 417-8644
Fax: (205) 417-8647 - See more at: https://steyrarms.com