I am thinking of the Panthera 500 for next summer and getting it as a hunting gun. I know this is a PRS rifle but I feel like the Panthera 500 would be a great gun for hunting to ranges to 150 yards or even more. Do you think the Panthera 500 would be the best for hunting between the three models or a different gun all together?
Best version of the FX Panthera for hunting.
- Thread starter Tonyo155
- Start date
When I first saw the Panthera yesterday my heart rate started speeding up. I like both traditional wood stocks (mostly laminated) but also like chassis style (notice I didn’t say “tactical”), I don’t pretend to be Chris Kyle or a SWAT sniper. My best PB was a Savage Model 12 in an MDT chassis. Out to three hundred yards, the farthest range at my club, it was a laser in 6.5CM. I like chassis guns for their stability with regards to humidity and its effects. My interest in a Panthera would also be hunting. I primarily squirrel and chipmunk hunt, and typical ranges is 40 yards or less. I use my FX Wildcat for hunting and in that range it IS a laser. I often times when getting ready to pack up will set thumb nail sized acorns at various ranges out to 40 yards and pick them off after laser range finding and applying my dope. Other than it looks different from my Wildcat, I don’t think a Panthera would be an improvement. That sure doesn’t mean I don’t want one though. But for the time being, my 700mm barreled Wildcat and Daystate Huntsman Revere are going to be more capable than I am. But much credit to FX for continually pushing the envelope for us airgunners, much appreciated. As soon as the stock market recovers/rebounds, a Panthera will go from my want list to the need list.
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Retail M3 is $2000 for a compact, $2100 for a 600mm. Retail atm for a Panthera 500mm is $1900. If $100 is going to be the difference you should rethink pcp ownership. Its actually dumb how expensive all this stuff is when compared to a PB. I agree the M3 benefits from upgrades that should be factory, but the same issues will be present in the Panthera. You can use them stock just fine for hunting.
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I just want you to know that I know a .22 air rifle can't do the same thing as a 22 rimfire.
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Or just buy something like a Gen1 Uragan.
My uragan .30 will produce more energy at 150 with similar drop and drift out of the box , im shooting 50.15 jsb knock outs at 870 from the short barrel uragan and its rugged, Cheaper and easy to carry.
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If I was hunting the plains and prairies I would not worry about tuning. But I am going to hunt in the woods and maybe a dairy. Before you say it. I have read the stats on the Panthera and it can go down to 25 fpe. Perfectly safe for Outdoor dairy pest bird shooting.
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Man, you ain’t kiddin’. When I swore off PB’s during covid ammo rape I thought “Oh man, I’m going to save so much money with airguns. It started with an Impact, then a Crown Continuum, Wildcat Sniper, Huben, Air Arms S510, HM1000X, Weihrauch HW95L, Daystate Huntsman, Daystate Wolverine, Feinwerkbau Piccolo, Alkin W31. Oh yeah, I saved a ton of money.
Pellets are pretty cheap though. LOL
The twelfth step in AA for airgunners reads: 12. You’re cured, you’re flat broke.
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Wow.Man, you ain’t kiddin’. When I swore off PB’s during covid ammo rape I thought “Oh man, I’m going to save so much money with airguns. It started with an Impact, then a Crown Continuum, Wildcat Sniper, Huben, Air Arms S510, HM1000X, Weihrauch HW95L, Daystate Huntsman, Daystate Wolverine, Feinwerkbau Piccolo, Alkin W31. Oh yeah, I saved a ton of money.
Pellets are pretty cheap though. LOL
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How do you know? Thats the point of FX building this gun, to close the gap between the two to negligible. If both are shooting the same bullet at the same speed, and the PCP has a SD of 1.5 FPS and the Rimfire has the SD of 10 FPS, it would seem that the air rifle would have somewhat of a consistency advantage?
One thing I think the rimfire will have the advantage is lock time, which is probably a factor of ten less than a PCP. There's a lot going on in the PC when you pull the trigger, and not much in the rimfire. So generally, the rimfire is easier to shoot, but that's about the only advantage I can see with the latest PCP offerings...
FYI, at the most recent Extreme FT event in Phoenix, the PCPs (Red Wolf and Ghost) with PELLETS outperformed the rimfires (Vudoo and Anschutz).
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I am trying to keep an open mind to other companies as well. Like the Brocock ghost HP. Also any other new designs that will come out this year.
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I think the Panthera would be a fantastic Hunting gun ( way better then any Pup )......but I'm still talking shortish ranges, for me personally is from 10 yards to 40 maybe 50 on occasion, I hunt thick bush/jungle and I would love such a low profile gun, a .30 that can put out 150 FPE ?.....I take that for quick shooting at unknown distance immediately.
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For the price of the Panthera you could have a Gen1 uragan or something similar and a Rifle for hunting at the dairy
Having a rifle SET for each separate task is far smarter than having one that you need to alter to do 1 then the other, far more room for things to break and or not function properly.
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Some people do not catch all the advanges of a Uragan:
Comfortable, super accurate, lot of shots per fill, reliable, built like a tank, long lasting, two magazines, shoot equally perfect pellets and slugs, not need to play a lot with tunning, not heavy at all, excellent prices vs. What you get....
Almost all other air rifle makers should have nightmares with the Uragan !!!
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They dont though. A 22lr bullet still has the BC advantage, and in the case of the Panthera its slower. A 34 grain at ~1030fps. Also I have yet to see an air rig that can shoot with a Vudoo, and I watch a lot of FX fluff pieces
ES and SD are only part of the story. As you mentioned there are other things such as lock time. A rigid barrel is another.
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I wasn't a believer until I got mine
Look how compact this setup is
This is 2 magazines at 102 yards 87 fpe at muzzle using only 10 power on the TS12x
Out of the box!
@JungleShooter
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Although why is that gun not as popular. Because it is harder to tune. People want to make the guns shoot all sorts of ammo. That is why they love FX guns.
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As a hunter the last thing I want to be doing is always tuning, I want to grab and go, thats why I have the rifles I have. Do you want to hunt or do you want to fiddle and tune?
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Another advantage the M3 Impact has over the Panthera. It is probably the easiest and best on the fly tuner you can find.
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