Axor Arms Bushpig 2.0 Review – Lever Release Shotgun for Aussie Hunters & Sport Shooters
G’day, it’s Woody — and today we’re diving into the brand-new Axor Arms Bushpig 2.0. If you caught my review of the original Bushpig about 18 months ago, you’ll know it quickly became one of my favourite shotguns. Now, the Bushpig 2.0 takes things even further with smart upgrades, tougher construction, and a shooting experience that’s as fun as it is practical.
I’ve been testing two new models:
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The Bushpig XT 2.0, built with a few more "tacti-cool" features
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The standard Bushpig 2.0, built with beautiful simplicity.
After running both shotguns hard on the range, here’s everything
you need to know.
What is a Bushpig Shotgun?
The Bushpig is a lever release shotgun. Unlike a straight pull, where you need to take your hand off the trigger to rack the bolt, a lever release allows you to stay in the firing position. After each shot, the gas system cycles the bolt, and a press of the release lever chambers the next round. It’s smoother, faster, and keeps you on target the whole time.
That alone makes it a step up from a traditional straight pull. But the Bushpig 2.0 adds even more clever design features.
Key Features of the Bushpig 2.0
🔹 Dual Loading System
You can load via the traditional loading gate, or break the action open for direct access to the magazine tube. Not only does this make loading quicker, it makes unloading safer and easier too.
🔹 Compact Fold Action
The folding action lets you store and transport the shotgun in smaller cases. It’s also a neat way to gain full access to the magazine tube when loading or clearing the shotgun.
🔹 Heavy-Duty Hard Case
The Bushpig 2.0 now ships with a premium Axor Arms hard case featuring laser-cut foam, space for your folded shotgun, chokes, and accessories. A big upgrade over the old packaging.
🔹 Glock-Style Sights & Optics Ready
The 2.0 comes with Glock-style fibre optic sights. These can be swapped for night sights, tritium, or whatever best suits your shooting style. On top of that, a removable rail section reveals an RMS footprint for direct-mounting red dot optics like the ZeroTech Trace HALO or Micro Reflex.
🔹 Reinforced Receiver & Piston System
Axor Arms has beefed up the receiver and piston, with extensive testing using heavy 42-gram hunting loads. For versatility, you can also swap to a lighter piston for 28-gram target shells or birdshot – something I haven’t seen other manufacturers offer.
🔹 Ergonomic Controls
The pistol-grip mounted release button is intuitive and fast. Pair that with the cross-bolt safety, adjustable cheek riser, and spare round holder on the stock, and you’ve got a shotgun designed for practical use in the field.
Performance on the Range
I took both models to the farm to see how they’d perform under real conditions:
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Bushpig XT 2.0 – fitted with the ZeroTech Trace HALO enclosed reflex red dot, running buckshot, slugs, and HP34 hunting loads.
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20-inch Bushpig 2.0 – paired with the ZeroTech Micro Reflex, fitted with the lighter piston, and tested with 28-gram Fiocchi TT target loads.
Results?
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The XT cycled flawlessly with heavy loads. I fired nearly a full box of HP34s without a single malfunction. The heat guard on the barrel worked well, even during rapid strings of fire.
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The 20-inch model performed just as well with lighter loads. Cycling was smooth, ejection was clean, and reliability was 100%.
Both shotguns were a pleasure to shoot — accurate, ergonomic, and genuinely fun. Pairing them with red dot optics made target acquisition fast and intuitive. Zeroing took just three shots with rifled slugs, and both optics sat low thanks to the direct-mount footprint.
Straight Pull vs Lever Release – Why the Bushpig Wins
A straight pull forces you to break your shooting position to rack the bolt. With a lever release like the Bushpig 2.0, you stay on target, your sight picture remains stable, and the next round is chambered with a simple thumb press.
For hunters chasing pigs, ferals, or game, that difference is huge. For sport shooters, it means faster follow-ups and more fun on the range.
Final Thoughts – Should You Buy the Bushpig 2.0?
The Axor Arms Bushpig 2.0 is everything you’d want from a modern lever release shotgun in Australia:
✅ Tougher construction
✅ Optics-ready design
✅ Customisable piston system
✅ Practical case and accessories
✅ Reliable cycling with heavy and light loads
Whether you’re a hunter looking for a dependable field gun, or a sport shooter wanting something more advanced than a straight pull, the Bushpig 2.0 is one of the most versatile and enjoyable shotguns on the Aussie market today.
