I got into SBR’s a long time ago—let’s say 2005 or so, and I’ve had many since. There was a time when I scoffed at the thought of shooting anything with a barrel longer than 11 inches. Now, these, of course, were AR variant items because I thought precision shooting was a ridiculous waste of time and money, especially on such a long and silly-looking weapon. A lot has changed since then, but my love for short barrels hasn’t. Which is why I love innovations like the Aero Precision Solus Pistol.
The Aero Precision Solus Pistol
In 2014, I was hit by the precision love bug. It was still with gas guns, but I would never recover from the spiral. Soon I went from .30-caliber gas guns, including the 300 WM Omen from Nemo, to the 6.5 Creedmoor, and, dare I say, the bolt-action rifle. Yeah. 27-inch barrel for me, please, and no shorter. If I were watching myself through a crystal ball right now, I’d be shaking my head.
Now, imagine taking both ends of that spectrum and bringing them together, and you get this beautiful little beast called the Aero Precision Solus pistol. It is a bolt-action pistol, with a precision look, feel, and function morphed with SBR compactness, convenience, and, of course, coolness factor. I think I’m in love!
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The Solus bolt-action pistol has a list of features that would make any competitive bolt-action rifle blush. The barrel, while only being 10 inches, is honed and lapped. I opted for one in .223 specifically with the .223 Wylde chamber and a 1:7 twist barrel. This would allow me to shoot the 77-grain bullets that I used to (and still do) love so much.
This would also allow me to enjoy shooting this pistol form much more than, say, in a chambering like 6.5 Creedmoor or, dare I say, .308, which the Solus pistol is available in. No thanks. My shoulder hurts just thinking about it.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
This configuration in this caliber makes the Solus pistol more practical. Not to mention, useful as a varmint gun to keep in your truck, side by side, or in a pack on your ATV. Imagine buzzing across an expanse of land and seeing a coyote making its way across in the distance. Just stop, pull out the pistol, and get to work!
Enhancing the Solus
I imagined such a short barrel would possess a significant amount of blast and bark. And since it comes with a barrel threaded in 5/8×24, I opted to suppress it from the jump. My choice, the Dead Air Nomad XC.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The Nomad is one of the best all-around, multi-use, multi-caliber (read: .30-caliber) suppressors available. Fit and finish are top-notch with rugged design and construction. The Dead Air Nomad falls on my very short list of “suppressors to own.”
I knew it would have no trouble with the chopped off .223 dimensions of this barrel. While I didn’t expect recoil to be an issue, I still added a RecoilX Comp Brake to the end of the Nomad. This made the suppressor as long as the barrel itself.
The Solus pistol comes with no brace, so I added a J Mac Customs folding pistol brace, which I don’t think is produced any longer. It quickly attaches to the tiny pic rail section on the back of the Solus. With a raised bar, it works well enough for cheek placement, allowing a good weld closer to the jawline for real precision work.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The short forend with its M-Lok slots and Arca-type attachment has enough room for a solid bipod setup. So, I added a B&T Industries Atlas CAL. It is a lightweight, adjustable, and sturdy bipod that provides superior stability on an already stubby and challenging platform.
Adding an Optic
All that was needed next was an optic, and I grabbed the new Meprolight MVO 1-8x28mm. I could have opted for more magnification. However, with today’s modern optics, it would likely add significant weight and length, and I was concerned about achieving proper eye relief with the already short pistol brace.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Plus, with speedy deployment being the overall goal with this “build,” too much magnification could slow you down when it’s time to get that yote. I placed the MVO in a very hard-to-find Zero Delta DLOC cantilever mount and cinched it down on the Solus.
Adding the Rail from the Solus Competition
While it was nearly complete, it needed one more thing. So, I robbed Peter to pay Paul by removing the NV rail from my full-size Solus rifle and placing it on the pistol. The result—absolute badassery that begs you to take it out for a ballistic flogging. The package’s total weight by this point was 10 lb., which is quite a bit, especially for a .223.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The Solus’ big brother, Solus competition, was the winner of Ballistic’s Best target bolt action category in 2024. The Solus has an incredible feature-to-value ratio that is nearly impossible to outdo. A Remington 700 footprint, with pre-fit barrel replacement capability, integrated 20 MOA top rail, three-lug 60-degree throw, interchangeable bolt head, and dual ejectors. That’s just the receiver part.
The chassis, albeit shortened, is just as impressive with M-Lok slots at 3,6, and 9 o’clock, Arca, adjustable mag release, adjustable thumb rest, straight pistol grip, eight QD points, and with AICS/AIAW magazines. That’s a lot of well-thought-out inclusion, and it comes with a Trigger Tech single-stage trigger.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Shooting the Aero Solus Pistol
My mission at the range was simple—prove my theory of this being a superior compact and useful setup while being fun at the same time. It wasn’t uncommon for me to shoot .223 SBR’s out to 200 or 300 yards back in the day. So, I had confidence that with a proper optic setup, rifle stability, and good ammo, I could easily shoot to 600 yards and beyond. Right? Maybe not.
During my efforts to zero the pistol, I discovered that I needed one of those additional cheek pieces. I did not have one. What seemed good enough while lying on my living room floor behind the Solus wasn’t enough for any true stability at the range.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
I also didn’t bring enough magnification. The 1-8x was difficult to shoot groups with. This is mainly because of comfort/stability issues with the brace, not so much because of the lack of magnification. Definitely not because the Solus Pistol is lacking any capability.
Even with the issues, I managed a .91-inch group with Sig’s 77-gr. OTM Marksman and 1-inch group with Federal 77-gr. Gold Medal Sierra Match King. Velocities running 2195 and 2114 fps, respectively.
Recoil was basically non-existent thanks to the big Dead Air Nomad XC combined with the RecoilX Comp Brake. It was crazy quiet, and I’d opt to keep a larger displacement suppressor such as this on the Solus for these advantages. Smaller suppressors mean an increase in noise and recoil. Physics is what physics is.
Reaching Out
The Solus pistol was amazing between 200 and 350 yards. Everything was easy. 400 yards wasn’t a chore either, but you had to be sure your data was correct and that DOPE was adhered to. Any error could produce a miss, even on full-size IPSC steel targets.
While I was confident in my ability, I struggled beyond the upper 400-yard range. I tried a 600-plus yard shot that produced nothing. It was really hard to spot misses with the 1-8 magnification and that tiny bullet.
Any impact produced little audible feedback due to a lack of energy on target. I won’t even mention the fact that the bullet is transonic around 473 yards. So, things are falling apart rapidly. In short, I got cocky, and it worked against me.
Parting Shots
If you use this pistol in the appropriate range of 150 to 350 yards, you’ve got a real winner on your hands and something truly fun to shoot. (Don’t forget a brace with cheek rest).
I think the Solus pistol is great for dispatching the right varmint at the right time, and it can be with you all the time. Or it can simply be used for fun shooting with no strings attached. It looks killer in this configuration and is loads of fun. I only wish they made it in a left-handed action.
Aero Precision Solus Pistol Specs
| Action | Bolt-action repeater |
| Caliber | .223 |
| Weight | 6 lb 4.75 oz |
| Length | 20.75” no brace 28.75 with brace |
| Barrel | 10-inch, 1:7 Sendero Light Profile |
| Stock/Brace | J Mac Customs |
| Trigger | Trigger Tech single stage |
| Grip | Aero Precision |
| Capacity | 10+1 |
| Magazine | Magpul |
| MSRP | $1899 |
WHY OUR ARTICLES/REVIEWS DO NOT HAVE AFFILIATE LINKS
Affiliate links create a financial incentive for writers to promote certain products, which can lead to biased recommendations. This blurs the line between genuine advice and marketing, reducing trust in the content.
