Reviews of the .25 FX Wildcat (Feel Free to Add Yours)

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I was compelled to chime in here, in reference to T4Fun's candid and objective comments, pointing out the reactive/responsive nature of this light weight/short platform gun, which is definitive of bullpups, in general. I have often been inclined, to the same way of thinking, not only with air rifles but powder burners. The simple laws of physics dictate to the fact that, with the advantages of ease of handling, the lack of moment and inertia will adversely effect stability. As a simple analogy, view a "target" through a compact pair of binoculars or instamatic camera vs. a standard/heavy binocular or production video camera and you will immediately realize the difference, in your ability to maintain a steady site picture. This is exactly the same scenario experienced with your lightweight bullpup, aggravated by it's reaction to trigger pull, the mechanics of the action, minor recoil and any shooter induced aspects of hold or tremor/pulse. The forgiving nature of a heavy gun disappears and the work begins, in honing your shooting skills, to compensate for the less tolerant nature of any light weight bullpup. This is a strong consideration when you determine how much dedication you'll invest, to shoot your new gun well. 

After the reviews and Forum comments, it is apparent that FX has filled a much desired niche for design/style and with this popularity of the bullpup platform, perhaps they will follow someday with a fully ambidextrous design, to accommodate some 16% of shooters, of the south paw persuasion. In this respect, I think Airgun Technologies Vulcan has just about nailed it w/ bolt position and orientation, cheek weld, mag clearance and safety position. Just my 2 bits. 
 
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DAY 7 - Update
I have had the Wildcat for a week and so far, the Wildcat It has proven to be a real winner. It's a total blast to shoot. It is light, powerful and extremely accurate. I have had no problems or issues with the gun and as a whole, it's lived up to hype and then some. Here are some of my thoughts.THINGS I LOVE:
  • Fit and finish is top notch.
  • I haven't encountered any issues or problems whatsoever.
  • The height of the scope rail is spot on
  • The action is very smooth and crisp
  • The charging handle is a huge improvement over the one that came on my Gen I Bobcat
  • The rifle is surprisingly quiet and backyard friendly
  • Accuracy is outstanding. I'm getting 8 shot groupings between .35" to .5"CTC at 65 yards
  • The rifle isn't pellet fussy. So far, the Benjamin Domed, H&N Barracuda, and EunJin Domed pellets have shot extremely well and chamber smoothly.
  • There is no perceivable POI shift from 230 bar down to 150 bar.
  • I'm getting 40-50 shots on a single fill from 230 bar and 150 bar which is pretty darn good for its power and diminutive a 300cc cylinder
  • The gun is extremely light and maneuverable.
  • The built in manometer is very accurate and always registers the same pressure as that shown on my CF tank.
  • I have never come across a rifle that resists finger prints and smudges as well as the Wildcat.
THINGS I DON"T MIND BUT WORTH THE MENTION:
  •  My trigger was soft and had too much first stage travel. Adjusting it made it slightly better but not by much.
  • Magazine capacity is to small so I'm constantly reloading. At least reloading is quick and easy.
  • There is no thumb rest which is annoying
THINGS I DON'T LIKE:
  • The rifle needs Picatinny rails!!!
  • Cleaning the barrel is a pain and time consuming due to small and narrow opening in the breech. I found a work around which is to simply remove the barrel. Not optimal but it makes cleaning much easier.
  • Loading the magazine is way to fussy. Getting the magazine in the proper indexed position so the bolt can close can be tricky.
  • The magazine has no mechanism to let you know once it's empty. This has resulted in countless dry fired shots or removing the magazine too early and finding there is still a pellet remaining.


EDITS
  • Corrected shot count typo
  • Downgraded trigger to just okay.
  • Removed comment about fill port being too small
  • Removed barrel cap issue as it no longer happening
 
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Ready for some nite action, this is my first higher end pcp and so far I am loving it,I can't get used to taking my second shot and having it go in the same hole.cant wait to shoot it past 50 yds 75-100, weather not cooperating 

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"Siscakidd"I can't get used to taking my second shot and having it go in the same hole.

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LOL! I'm sure you'll get used to it pretty fast. ;)
Congrats on your first high end PCP! Good luck with it. I hope you get to post some night time shooting vids/pics over in the hunting section!

@Travels4fun - 
I second that thought on the trigger. I'm still tweaking it. At the same time, how much can you expect from a bullpup trigger mech? It's got a long way to travel which can easily add up to a spongy, sloppy feel. Overall, I think FX did a great job at eliminating as much of this as possible. 
Have you tried loading while shooting? At shot 5-6 you can start loading as you shoot. You'll still want to keep a count, though, because you'll be off the reg before you know it! 
 
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Tom,

I haven't tried loading while shooting as that would require too much coordination and rhythm, both of which I posses very little of. I'm getting better at keeping track of my shots as time goes on. One thing that happened twice yesterday was my magazine popped out while I was cocking the rifle between shots. Strange.

As for the trigger, my 30 Bobcat had a much much nicer trigger and i loved it the weight it shipped from the factory. No play or extra travel, nice weight and crisp break.

Ah well,
Scott
 
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"travels4fun"Tom,

I haven't tried loading while shooting as that would require too much coordination and rhythm, both of which I posses very little of. I'm getting better at keeping track of my shots as time goes on. One thing that happened twice yesterday was my magazine popped out while I was cocking the rifle between shots. Strange.

As for the trigger, my 30 Bobcat had a much much nicer trigger and i loved it the weight it shipped from the factory. No play or extra travel, nice weight and crisp break.

Ah well,
Scott
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Scott,
If you continue to have magazine issues you might want to take a look at this response from FX. There might be something a little off in that area. 

TO AGN... I cannot think of ANY other instance where I have seen a manufacturer participate, interact, and assist its customers this much on any forum ever! re: above posted link and other responses I've seen. This is outstanding to say the least!
 
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Tom!
we bought 2 wildcats friday and one of them has same isue as you have, would say even worse.
the magazine pops out when cocking the gun and even worse, many times would not even cock nor rotate the magazine.

we will have to send back the gun to the shop (Ayala in spain) and expect a substitution. We cross our fingers as it has been a huge dissapointment.

from the other side, the other unit works perfectly and smooth.

keep you posted about this trouble and how to solve it. Ideal would be that FX replies to this with the solution.
 
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Picked up the FX Wildcat .25 earlier this morning and put together a couple of little vids for you.

Intro vid:
https://youtu.be/VDbiBzuecY4

Unboxing:
https://youtu.be/NMgSlzgT5IA

Also sharing with you the spot on the wall where the Wildcat will hang and a couple of images of it in the box.

http://i.imgur.com/0PidYmU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FpnRJLz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Adq6ymf.jpg

More to come....

UPDATE:

UPDATE: 6/29/15
Note: Used the smaller radiused 2.05" rail to maximize contoured grip area on forestock. The stock is made of a somewhat opened-cell light-composite material that can be easily sculpted with an Exacto chisseling blade. This tool was used in conjunciton with a fostner drill bit to create the recessed mount points on the inside of the stock for the flush cups. 

Also, I chose the smaller t-nuts and recessed the mount points on the inside of the stock using a fostner bit and drill press. I was a little hesitant to cut into the new Wildcat stock but I can't leave well enough alone. We will se how resilient the modifications are with real use?


 
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