Best bottle gun?

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zebra

Member
Sep 29, 2015
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New York
Does anyone have any thoughts on what the best 22 cal bottle gun is or the top 3 perhaps?

I feel like this is the last thing missing from my collection and it's time to correct this. 

I have a theory that bottle guns have greater potential for precision as the larger reservoir alllows for less variation in output pressure between shots. I want to test this for myself.

Anyway.... by "best" I mean the usual - I.e. Accuracy, consistency, noise, efficiency , build quality, balance, quality of stock, reliability etc.

The only other thing I would throw into the mix is length. I.e. I can't live with a 47" or 50" pole vault of a rifle. 

I have had my eye on a 22 Wolverine B Hi lite for a while and now that they are on sale, they finally have a price I could tolerate. 

In addition to Daystate's use of wood that is actually nice (mostly), I particularly appreciate their overall build and finish quality. At 43" including the Huggett, I could probably live with the length. Plus, I hardly ever see them in the classifieds (in 22 cal) which means either people love them or hardly anyone has one or both. 

So are Wolverines the best bottle gun or should I go with an FX Royale or something else? What would you buy if you were me? 

Also, has anyone here regulated a 22 Wolverine and if so, how did it turn out?
 
Also from Daystate in .22 is the Air Wolf. The factory board comes with 2 power settings that AOA can setup to your specs (I asked for 20 ft/lbs on low); high was left at standard setting, which was 34 ft/lbs. With the Heliboard that's been discussed extensively on AGN this is a highly tunable gun. With a Huggett its 42" long. Several people on AGN have posts saying they love the Air Wolf. Also, it can be tricked out with adjustable trigger, adjustable Butt Pad and single shot loader from Rowan Engineering. Another plus is the incredibly light bolt action on the Air Wolf: Because there is no spring to compress, all the bolt does is cycle the magazine, which takes no effort at all.
 
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You're on the right track.
My 400 is the most accurate rifle I own and I'm very pleased with it. It was pretty quiet to begin with but it is now very quiet since I added the Hugget. It's ~43" with the Hugget installed. 
I'd like to someday be able to give my opinion on a Daystate but, I have not owned one yet (Maybe the Saxon is in my future?). The two (FX and Daystate) are generally head to head with one another. 
Tom
 
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I usually prefer a side lever but the bolt action on Daystate guns is a good bit smoother than most and in this particular case, the bolt action is an advantage because I shoot both right and left handed. I believe the Wolverine is designed to be a true ambidextrous gun - I.e. Switchable bolt and ambi stock. I do more left hand shooting in Winter as I shoot out the window and can only aim right. 

I have looked at the gladiator a few times but it's not what I'm after here. I want something that is available with nice figured Walnut and a highly polished finish. Plus, I haven't seen that many reviews of them so I don't have a good sense of how good they are.

I think the wolverine wins out in looks, build and finish quality over the Royale but the Royale is regulated (which I prefer) and I think it's slightly more efficient. 

Has anyone owned both a Wolverine and a Royale? If so, was there much difference in accuracy, efficiency, noise and trigger quality?

The Airwolf is a little more than I want to spend if I bought new (with cf bottle and Huggett) but I have seen some fairly cheap used ones. Luckily for me they don't hold their value...From what I read, either the Wolverine or the Airwolf could be more accurate depending on the individual unit. I read that the Wolverine build quality is better but the wolf is more efficient. How do you choose between two great guns that look almost identcle when they both have features you want?

The Impact was going to be my bottle gun but lately I have been craving a gun with finish quality that matches the price. I want to be wowed and think "that looks like a $1600 or $1800 gun" (or however much it costs.

Could the Royale, Wolverine and Airwolf be the top 3 bottle guns? 



 
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Regal_USAnother thing to know about the Air Wolf: they all come with the CF bottle now, which cuts down substantially on weight. I'm not sure if FX 400 still comes with a metal bottle?
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I called AOA last week......and whomever I spoke with told me the airwolf came with a metal bottle and I would have to upgrade to the carbon fiber. I hope your right. The guy I was speaking too also said they were 2500 and that was wrong. Maybe I got the village idiot by luck?
You cant go wrong with a hilite .22 for the price theyre asking.
 
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I just received a Daystate Airwolf in.22 cal from AOA. Not sure about the sound signature, I ordered it with a Hugget moderator. I also requested that the factory installed Airstream moderator be enclosed so that I could decide which would work the best. Upon arrival, I mounted the Airstream and was pleased with the results: very back yard friendly. The Huggett moderator takes it down to a super quiet level, but adds about 3-4 inches to the guns length. This is the most accurate, best shooting air gun I have ever owned. If you can swing it, this is the way to go. PS the CF bottle just adds more to the overall package.
 
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grackleblastI just received a Daystate Airwolf in.22 cal from AOA. Not sure about the sound signature, I ordered it with a Hugget moderator. I also requested that the factory installed Airstream moderator be enclosed so that I could decide which would work the best. Upon arrival, I mounted the Airstream and was pleased with the results: very back yard friendly. The Huggett moderator takes it down to a super quiet level, but adds about 3-4 inches to the guns length. This is the most accurate, best shooting air gun I have ever owned. If you can swing it, this is the way to go. PS the CF bottle just adds more to the overall package.
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Did yours come with the carbon fiber bottle?
 
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I called AOA last week......and whomever I spoke with told me the airwolf came with a metal bottle and I would have to upgrade to the carbon fiber. I hope your right. The guy I was speaking too also said they were 2500 and that was wrong. Maybe I got the village idiot by luck?
You cant go wrong with a hilite .22 for the price theyre asking.
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Its sad that AOA have people like that dealing with Customers. Mine was ordered in December and came with CF bottle, but I only found out when I asked some details. Incredibly stupidly, both the Daystate and AOA web sites still show pictures of guns with metal bottles; why can't they keep the site current?
 
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I have owned an Air Wolf MCT .22 and a Wolverine B Hi-Lite .25 both in the last 10 days. My son now owns that Wolverine. 

I like the Wolf best because of the electronics. I've ordered the single loader by Rowan. Excited to see it. 

The only FX I've owned is the Wildcat .25 I have now, not a bottle gun. 

I also owned Wolf Extreme in .25 but like you I don't like rifles longer than 43" or so. The extreme was too long for me. 

Travels4fun just offered and sold what I think was the best deal in the classifieds I've seen here in the 15 months I've been registered. I'm glad he sold it so quickly because I was trying to convince myself to buy it but I couldn't justify, even in my twisted mind, owning two wolfs in the same caliber. 
 
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I have an Air Ranger in .22 and I can't see me ever getting rid of it, it is just a joy to shoot. I put a CF bottle on it which totally transformed the gun, that being said, I would look real hard at the Royale. The reasons being, it's regulated with a side lever action. The bolt on my Ranger is smooth, but you still have to overcome the HS. The compound leverage of the side lever makes for a more user friendly package.
 
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"Marksman3006"
"grackleblast"I just received a Daystate Airwolf in.22 cal from AOA. Not sure about the sound signature, I ordered it with a Hugget moderator. I also requested that the factory installed Airstream moderator be enclosed so that I could decide which would work the best. Upon arrival, I mounted the Airstream and was pleased with the results: very back yard friendly. The Huggett moderator takes it down to a super quiet level, but adds about 3-4 inches to the guns length. This is the most accurate, best shooting air gun I have ever owned. If you can swing it, this is the way to go. PS the CF bottle just adds more to the overall package.
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Did yours come with the carbon fiber bottle?
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Yes my gun came standard with the 480 cc carbon fiber bottle.
 
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"sniperlabyo"I had both, but kept the 400--why??

what I like about the 400 over the daystate:
1. regulated
2. adjustable power
3. easier and smoother to cock
4. less bulky from scope rail to trigger
5. easier to adjust for high power---21g 975fps
6. lighter in weight
7. gets more shots 





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They both look so nice but I do like the idea of getting more shots. 

Do you have a view on which was more accurate? I know that's probably hard for you to answer because I'm sure you would have worked your magic on both. Do you have an opinion on which had better out of the box accuracy?

I'm interested in accuracy with hunting pellets. I know you're not a hunter but did you try a range of (non-JSB) pellets by any chance?

What about noise? The Daystate comes with the Huggett but the Royale LDC looks fairly chunky. Which was quieter?

That Royale stock looks different. Is it an aftermarket stock or a modified FX stock?
 
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400 has the huggett also they both about the same quietest at the same fpe, the barrel slide in about 4" onto the LDC.

both about the same accuracy, never tested to which one is more accurate than the other, I would think the 400 it's ES is 8-12fps in 65 shots, the W-daystate ES 20-26 fps for 65 shots.

daystate sweet spot fill pressure 175-145 at ES of 15-18 fps, if you fill over 200b the speed will drop 20-25fps.

the Stock is after market by SC

H&M 21g are vary accurate around 900fps on the 400.

didnt have the daystate that long to test other pellets just the JSB 18g



 
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"sniperlabyo"400 has the huggett also they both about the same quietest at the same fpe, the barrel slide in about 4" onto the LDC.

both about the same accuracy, never tested to which one is more accurate than the other, I would think the 400 it's ES is 8-12fps in 65 shots, the W-daystate ES 20-26 fps for 65 shots.

daystate sweet spot fill pressure 175-145 at ES of 15-18 fps, if you fill over 200b the speed will drop 20-25fps.

the Stock is after market by SC

H&M 21g are vary accurate around 900fps on the 400.

didnt have the daystate that long to test other pellets just the JSB 18g




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Thanks for the info. It helps a lot. 

Have you ever put a regulator in a Wolverine for any of your clients? If so, were you able to get more shots per fill out of it?

Were the 65 shots per fill at 30fpe or a higher power tune? I always expect to hear higher numbers for bottle guns but I guess 400 cc is not that much bigger than some tube guns. I assume there is a loss of efficiency from the shorter barrels too.

One other thing I keep wanting to ask you is if you have ever converted a regular tube gun to a bottle gun? For example, if one of your customers wanted to replace the tube on their Ataman Ultra Compact with a CF bottle, is that something you could do?

I have only seen tube to bottle adapters for the Marauder but I am assuming that someone with a lathe and mill (plus the skills and knowledge) could do it for most guns? 

 
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