Cross-post from Talon Tunes - no FX bullpup discussions over there...
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I just bought a new Bobcat in .30 cal from RL, mounted a Hawke scope on it, and went shooting. I've owned a .25 Cricket for about 18 months now, so that's my only bullpup comparison.
First, the gun is lighter than my Cricket. As for appearance, I like the way they both look. The first thing I noticed is that the cocking lever is not as greasy smooth as I read - my cricket is smoother to cock, but the FX loads the pellets smoother. And as for the trigger, I have my cricket down to just a couple of ounces of pull on the second stage. The FX feels unrefined out of the box and I can actually hear the spring tension, so I will be searching the internet for ways to adjust the second stage pull.
Once I sighted the gun with the scope, the consistency in groups is amazing to me. At 40 yards, half inch groups were the norm using a sandbag to support the rifle. Securing the rifle a bit more with a couple of nicely placed bags produced single hole, 3 shot groups.
Excited, I then moved to 93 yards (that's the max distance of my range shooting out of my garage) and I was getting 1 inch groups with a steady hand and more like 1 1/4-ish for a couple of magazines. What was impressive again, was the consistency.
The chrony showed 890 fps average with a 5 fps spread.
Also, I noticed I used slightly less holdover (mil-dot) with the .30 versus the .25. At 93 yards, it was 3 mil-dot for the .30 and 3.3 mil-dot for the .25. Didn't expect that and Chairgun does not agree at all. I am shooting JSB 44 gr.
I then installed my favorite scope, the Bushnell FFP tactical and Atlas bipod, and started plinking pine cones at 65 and 85-ish yards.
Since posting this, I have fixed the slow leak which was a pinched o-ring at the chamber pressure gauge. I've also figured how to adjust the so-called "match trigger" but I still think the Cricket was superior to BC. And I sold my Cricket and Hawke scope.
If I had it to do all over again, I would go with the Bobcat, but in 25 cal because of the increased cost in pellets and charge air for the .30. Also, the sound is louder, but I live on a farm so that doesn't really matter. Unless you are the target. Yesterday, I hit a Euro Starling about 40-ish yards away and sound of the impact was as loud as the shot. The .30 cal hits so hard and with most targets, go right through it leaving a really big hole. So you really have to be careful of surroundings, as if you are shooting a 22 rimfire. I think this also means the days of my 15-20 yard ground squirrel shots are gone.
Now, if the flipping weather will cooperate here in central Georgia, I will get to shoot it again.
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I just bought a new Bobcat in .30 cal from RL, mounted a Hawke scope on it, and went shooting. I've owned a .25 Cricket for about 18 months now, so that's my only bullpup comparison.
First, the gun is lighter than my Cricket. As for appearance, I like the way they both look. The first thing I noticed is that the cocking lever is not as greasy smooth as I read - my cricket is smoother to cock, but the FX loads the pellets smoother. And as for the trigger, I have my cricket down to just a couple of ounces of pull on the second stage. The FX feels unrefined out of the box and I can actually hear the spring tension, so I will be searching the internet for ways to adjust the second stage pull.
Once I sighted the gun with the scope, the consistency in groups is amazing to me. At 40 yards, half inch groups were the norm using a sandbag to support the rifle. Securing the rifle a bit more with a couple of nicely placed bags produced single hole, 3 shot groups.
Excited, I then moved to 93 yards (that's the max distance of my range shooting out of my garage) and I was getting 1 inch groups with a steady hand and more like 1 1/4-ish for a couple of magazines. What was impressive again, was the consistency.
The chrony showed 890 fps average with a 5 fps spread.
Also, I noticed I used slightly less holdover (mil-dot) with the .30 versus the .25. At 93 yards, it was 3 mil-dot for the .30 and 3.3 mil-dot for the .25. Didn't expect that and Chairgun does not agree at all. I am shooting JSB 44 gr.
I then installed my favorite scope, the Bushnell FFP tactical and Atlas bipod, and started plinking pine cones at 65 and 85-ish yards.
Since posting this, I have fixed the slow leak which was a pinched o-ring at the chamber pressure gauge. I've also figured how to adjust the so-called "match trigger" but I still think the Cricket was superior to BC. And I sold my Cricket and Hawke scope.
If I had it to do all over again, I would go with the Bobcat, but in 25 cal because of the increased cost in pellets and charge air for the .30. Also, the sound is louder, but I live on a farm so that doesn't really matter. Unless you are the target. Yesterday, I hit a Euro Starling about 40-ish yards away and sound of the impact was as loud as the shot. The .30 cal hits so hard and with most targets, go right through it leaving a really big hole. So you really have to be careful of surroundings, as if you are shooting a 22 rimfire. I think this also means the days of my 15-20 yard ground squirrel shots are gone.
Now, if the flipping weather will cooperate here in central Georgia, I will get to shoot it again.
) But every moment I had the Cat, it was awesome. Used to hit with authority down the range. Get a shroud made for it. Neil on this forum can help. That will reduce the sound significantly. I had a shroud on mine and it was super quiet.