By Brad Allen 

When I was a boy, my old man arrived home one day with a well-used Mannlicher Schoenauer ‘Full Wood’ in 6.5 x 54. With its rotary magazine and ‘spoon handle’ bolt, it was one of the slickest actions I’ve ever cycled and was unlike any hunting rifle I’d ever seen and in its own right, a thing of beauty. Throughout the years I’ve noticed with interest quite a few ‘full wood’ hunting rifles, mostly in gun shops and more recently for sale on gun sales websites. 

Recently, a couple mates purchased rifles that were a little out of the ordinary, both being ‘full wood’ hunting rifles. Geoff bought a lightly used full wood Sako L461 carbine in .222 Rem, a beautiful little rifle with excellent handling and balance. Paul bought an older, but near new Brno ‘full wood’ Model 2 .22lr. After handling these two beauties, it didn’t take long for the ‘I want one’ juices to start flowing and it was almost a foregone conclusion that I too would now have to acquire one of these unusual pieces of firearms artistry for myself. 

As luck would have it, within a few weeks I saw several advertisements for ‘full wood’ Steyr Mannlicher Zephyr II rimfires on one of the websites. My youngest son Morgan’s first hunting rifle was a Steyr Mannlicher stainless synthetic Pro Hunter in .30-06 that shot and handled like a dream, so my interest was sparked and I immediately knew that I had to have one! At my age (60+), when ‘needs verse wants’ arrives, wants usually win out. So, with my old Savage .22 Magnum in hand, I headed off to my local firearms dealer, prepared to do a ‘like for like’ swap, with the mandatory cash adjustment of course. The ‘like for like’ swap is an advantage we are allowed in Queensland without the need to apply for a Permit to Acquire. 

In typical Steyr Mannlicher fashion, the Zephyr II rimfire is a truly beautiful piece of hunting rifle ordinance weighing in bare at 2.87kg or 6.34lbs. The full wood, oiled walnut stock is typically European in shape, with its black rubber recoil pad, straight comb, Bavarian cheekpiece, pistol grip swell, fish scale chequering and slender fore end that tapers through to a ‘Schnabel tip’ at the muzzle of the cold hammer forged 500mm or 19.7inch barrel. Overall length is 995mm or 39.2inches. As with most Steyr rifle barrels, the hammer forging spirals are visible around the full length of the barrel. 

The rifle is furnished with a sturdy set of fixed steel sling swivels and, although unlikely to be used for hunting with my old eyes, it also has a set of very usable open sights to complement the look. The safety is extremely positive in operation, mounted on the tang for both right- and left-hand operation, with SAFE to the rear (white dot exposed) and FIRE forward (red dot exposed). 

Unlike most timber stock rifles, the metal work of the Steyr Zephyr II is not blued. The finish on the barrel and action has an attractive matt black appearance. This is Steyr’s exclusive surface treatment called ‘MANNOX’, a plasma nitrated finish that is used on Steyr’s military firearms, such as the Steyr Army Universal Gun (AUG), which they say is ‘abused’ by militaries worldwide. Consequently, such a tough protective metal finish should serve the rifle well, protecting it from wear, moisture and my particularly salty sweaty paws. I’ve left surface rust spots on more than one rifle throughout the years just from touching them. 

With several spare scopes in the cupboard, it didn’t take long to select a trim Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36mm, which was then mounted onto the rifle’s 11mm dovetails with a set of one-inch mounts. This Leupold is on the smaller side of ‘full size’ rifle scopes and perfectly complements the size, weight and balance of the Zephyr II, with 8x being plenty of top end power for any shot one would be prepared to take with a .22 magnum. All Zephyr IIs use reliable CZ rimfire magazines and the rifle comes with a plastic CZ magazine designated for both .22WMR and .17HMR rounds. This enhances the availability of aftermarket mags and, to date, the feeding and ejection of rounds and empty cases have gone without a hitch. 

Out of the box, the Zephyr II exudes the quality Steyr rifles are renowned for and, although a light rifle at only 2.87kg/6.34lbs, it shoulders and points well and holds steady from the offhand position. With ‘low’ mounts, the scope aligns perfectly with a good cheek weld to the stock comb. The computer-cut, fish-scale checkering on the pistol grip and fore-end is typically European and may not be to every one’s taste; however, it is well executed without any over runs and affords the user a positive grip on the rifle. The pistol grip is finished off with a tastefully inletted silver ‘Steyr Arms’ logo. 

The smooth plastic butt pads found on many rimfire rifles don’t assist accurate shooting in any way. Even though the black rubber recoil pad of the Zephyr II doesn’t have to soak up any recoil from the meek .22 Mag round, its comfortable and grippy and it aids immensely by stopping the butt from sliding around on the shoulder while sighting, definitely a practical addition. With its Bavarian cheekpiece and right-hand pistol grip swell, it’s quite clear that this is a right-handed rifle, and a left-handed shooter would find it uncomfortable long term. Having said that, due to prevailing circumstances/conditions, I take left-handed shots while hunting fairly regularly, probably about two out of every ten, so for those 20 per cent of shots, I can tolerate that slight discomfort with the Zephyr II. 

The trigger of the Zephyr II is non-adjustable but has a very nice two-stage pull, which is something that I particularly don’t mind. After taking up the initial first stage of the trigger pull, the trigger breaks crisply at about 2lbs, which is just about perfect for a hunting rifle. Unlike many rifles nowadays, the trigger guard is made from steel and finished in matt black Mannox. 

The bolt is rear locking, as are most rimfire rifle actions, with duel-opposed extractors for positive extraction of fired cases. The Zephyr II also sports the iconic Steyr Mannlicher ‘spoon handle’ style bolt, which is fairly flat with no ‘ball’ at the end of the handle, as with most other bolt action rifles. The spoon handle bolt is definitely different, sitting close to the stock when closed and is only made by a handful of European makers, but especially Steyr. Love it or hate it, it sets Steyr rifles part from most others at a glance, and I definitely find it appealing. The bolt is removed by depressing the bolt guide at the left rear of the receiver. 

So far, so good, but there is one (only one) thing that Steyr could have done better – and that is the magazine release. The release protrudes about 5mm out of the front of the magazine recess, just in front of the magazine. It is easy to use and releases the magazine positively and easily – but that’s the problem. Even while sighting the Zephyr II in from the bench, it became apparent that it would be very easy to bump the magazine release while hunting and lose the magazine. The solution would have been to have the release recessed at the point where it emerges from the magazine well, much like older Brno rimfires. This would then protect the release from being unintentionally bumped or activated. However, being aware and mindful of this potential problem will hopefully negate the loss of a magazine while hunting, fingers crossed! 

At the range, I was suitably impressed with little rifle’s function and accuracy. Thankfully, it shoots quite well with Winchester 40grn jacketed hollow points, as I was lucky enough to pick up a near lifetime supply of them some years ago, at the right price. It’s always a bonus when you can shoot as many rounds as you would like without having to worry about cost! As we slide into winter, I’m looking forward to getting out into the bush to ‘blood’ the Zephyr II and harvest a few young meat goats, take some foxes and maybe another session at the range to see what other ammo she might like. 

I understand that not all hunters are as smitten with ‘full wood’ hunting rifles as I am, and although not as pleasing to the eye (my personal opinion), the Zephyr II also comes in a normal short fore stock version with no open sights in 17HMR, .22WMR and .22lr. At the time of writing, prices for Steyr Mannlicher Zephyr II’s varied widely from about $1100 and upwards, so check around to find the best price. Who knows, you too may just fall in love with this ‘full wood’ hunting rifle like I did. 

Enjoy the hunt!