What would you like to see on the next FX Wildcat?

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cmatera

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Jul 11, 2018
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With the release of the Wildcat MKIII BT, I began to think about what I'd want to see in the next release of it. Since the power has been increased to shoot slugs, it only makes sense to put a 20moa Picatinny rail on top. I would also like FX to re-design the flimsy, two tiny set screw attachment of the cocking lever to the cocking rod, and move the safety forward. While not as bad as rear cocking, why would we want forward cocking and a safety in the back?

What would you like to see on the next Wildcat?
 
Good post, CMATERA. Here are a few things that I feel should be addressed-

1. On the wildcats cocking block that’s cinched down on the cocking rod, those two grub screws are problematic and when they loosen up the transfer port alignments will be shifted. Another way of cinching down that cocking block should be used, or maybe about 1 1/2” of that rod to the left and right of the block should either be machined flat and have indents for the grub screws to land on.

2. The o ring on those magazines to act as a pressure fit to the mag well are problematic as they pop out. Maybe design a magnetized system like Gamo or Daystate uses in their mags

3. the safety with its tiny rod press fit into place onto a cylinder is no good. All it takes is.a ham fisted owner with no finesse to push or pull too hard on that thing and now the rod is loose and the safety just flops around 

4. mag holders. I own two MK2 wildcats with the JSAR scope rails that house three mags. If there is one aftermarket part that was the best ever for a wildcat that was it. I say was because they are no longer being made. Kudos to Travis Whitney for designing that.

5. Beefier cocking handle- the new impacts have them. Why not do the same on all new fx platforms moving forward?

6. A way to keep the cocking lever open with the barrel pointed down- I’ve addressed this on my own MK2 wildcats with a magnet system from smwengineering. The wildcat, I feel, is a purpose designed gun for the hunt. If out in the woods doing a run and gun on s critter, there’s nothing more frustrating than having to hold the cocking handle with one hand while inserting the msg with another with the barrel pointed down.



7. Pic rail under the stock should come standard and properly installed using T- nuts and epoxy, not just screwed into the stock. Also, a rear attachment for sling mounted. After all, this is a hunting gun, and if hatsan, Benjamin, and lower tier platforms have them so should FX.

These are just a few items I’ve had to address and already done to my own MK2 wildcats. Next to the impact, I feel the wildcat is a classic design and a true hunting platform. I see this platform never ever going away. The bottle design is perfect and very glad FX has made that move to better an already awesome platform. I think in time I need to add this to my collection.


 
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Pin probe.

Factory option for a rail down low to get bipod out forward where IMO it belong, there still are no viable option for my Maverick aside for the K&L chassis which to me is a bit steep.

Better / beefier regulators, you can adjust up / down as you please, without degassing system.

Less fuzzy barrels, or at the least factory recommended pellets and slugs so you dont have to test a slew of things to find the 2-3 good / decent combinations.

Actually i think it is very poor by FX that they do not have a page with setup options for this and that ammo,,,, at the very least for the Impact M3. IMO there should be a recommended ammo / setting / speed list for each model.
 
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Stiffer barrel or band from the factory. Being a hunting platform, I lean mine against trees and once in a while I may bump into something. Poi shifts from these flimsy barrels is a problem. Stiffen the barrel system, or add a barrel band (like Augie did to mine), and the problem goes away. Rock steady poi every shot!
 
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Wow! Lot's of great ideas. I thought about the Wildcat BT .25 600mm VP with a carbon fiber bottle substitution, but with the steep loss on new guns, started dreaming of the MK 4. I already have 2 Crowns, a Maverick, 2 MKII Impacts, and M3 Impact Compact so difficult to justify the purchase to myself. My wife? She would say just buy it!

I love hearing what real owners have to say versus the YouTube drummer boys.
 
Upvote 0
Wow! Lot's of great ideas. I thought about the Wildcat BT .25 600mm VP with a carbon fiber bottle substitution, but with the steep loss on new guns, started dreaming of the MK 4. I already have 2 Crowns, a Maverick, 2 MKII Impacts, and M3 Impact Compact so difficult to justify the purchase to myself. My wife? She would say just buy it!

I love hearing what real owners have to say versus the YouTube drummer boys.
Click to expand...

I bit the bullet and ordered the VP version. It is $200 less expensive than the compact version with the 300cc CF bottle. I already have extra 480 cc CF bottles (not to mention 500mm barrel kits from my Impacts (they fit the Wildcat and Maverick with a simple shroud change - which I have). I plan to switch the bottle from the 400cc aluminum one to a 480cc CF bottle. I will probably also switch from the 600mm barrel to a 500mm barrels that I have lying around. This will give me the ideal Wildcat from my perspective. I sold my previous 2 Wildcat MK IIIs (Sniper and Compact) last year because they weren’t quite what I wanted. In particular the shot count just wasn’t where I thought it should be, and the power, while good, was just a little bit lower than I desired. This new model, especially with a 480 cc bottle, looks like it could really be the sweet spot.

We’ll see when it arrives.
 
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Pin probe.

Factory option for a rail down low to get bipod out forward where IMO it belong, there still are no viable option for my Maverick aside for the K&L chassis which to me is a bit steep.

Better / beefier regulators, you can adjust up / down as you please, without degassing system.

Less fuzzy barrels, or at the least factory recommended pellets and slugs so you dont have to test a slew of things to find the 2-3 good / decent combinations.

Actually i think it is very poor by FX that they do not have a page with setup options for this and that ammo,,,, at the very least for the Impact M3. IMO there should be a recommended ammo / setting / speed list for each model.
Click to expand...

Pling pling- if you don’t mind, regarding your wish list of items-

1. Beefier regulators that don’t require degassing in order to lower the pressure(not going to add raising the pressure, as all regs can be raised without degassing). Anyway, do you know of any regulator inside of a pcp out there than can be throttled down w/o degassing? I’m curious

2. FX to have a chart or “cheat sheet” to tell you which Ammo to use, and which settings to set the Gun. Actually one in excel that shows one chart for bench rest, another for hunting for using pellets, then that same chart for bench rest and hunting except for slugs.

oh, and have additional charts showing tunes and settings for a 500 barrel, another for 600, then 700. 
Is this what you’re wanting FX to provide?

Well, let’s hope fx’s phones don’t ring off the hook with customers complaining why the recipes advertised don’t work and you’ve spent $100 on the slugs they told you to use. I can already see fx getting slammed on the open forum because some guy spent $500 on a type of slug and set his speed to 953 FPS on power wheel 6 because FX chart says so.

I don’t think Brocock, Daystate, Hatsan, or Crosman have charts, or do they?
 
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Here you go looks like the cocking handle is on the right side and the magazine on the left 

https://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/fx-wildcat-mkiii-l-hand-synthetic-compact-22
Click to expand...

18.13,

Thanks for the link. I’ll check that out. 
I wonder if the left hand version is produced by FX in the factory or if it’s something that’s modified by the vendor. I’m also curious if the magazine is specially made for inserting on the left side with reverse rotation. 

I’m a bit nervous about buying something that is only available from one vendor.

Update: I reached out to Krale and they said the Wildcat is only available in a right-handed option. I’m not sure what that other vendor is doing but it’s suspect.


 
Upvote 0
Pin probe.

Factory option for a rail down low to get bipod out forward where IMO it belong, there still are no viable option for my Maverick aside for the K&L chassis which to me is a bit steep.

Better / beefier regulators, you can adjust up / down as you please, without degassing system.

Less fuzzy barrels, or at the least factory recommended pellets and slugs so you dont have to test a slew of things to find the 2-3 good / decent combinations.

Actually i think it is very poor by FX that they do not have a page with setup options for this and that ammo,,,, at the very least for the Impact M3. IMO there should be a recommended ammo / setting / speed list for each model.
Click to expand...

Pling pling- if you don’t mind, regarding your wish list of items-

1. Beefier regulators that don’t require degassing in order to lower the pressure(not going to add raising the pressure, as all regs can be raised without degassing). Anyway, do you know of any regulator inside of a pcp out there than can be throttled down w/o degassing? I’m curious

2. FX to have a chart or “cheat sheet” to tell you which Ammo to use, and which settings to set the Gun. Actually one in excel that shows one chart for bench rest, another for hunting for using pellets, then that same chart for bench rest and hunting except for slugs.

oh, and have additional charts showing tunes and settings for a 500 barrel, another for 600, then 700. 
Is this what you’re wanting FX to provide?

Well, let’s hope fx’s phones don’t ring off the hook with customers complaining why the recipes advertised don’t work and you’ve spent $100 on the slugs they told you to use. I can already see fx getting slammed on the open forum because some guy spent $500 on a type of slug and set his speed to 953 FPS on power wheel 6 because FX chart says so.

I don’t think Brocock, Daystate, Hatsan, or Crosman have charts, or do they?
Click to expand...


In my initial post, I was pretty much talking about the physical attributes of the gun. I don't expect any manufacturer to provide that degree of information which would need to be done for every individual gun. That's the end users job. The manufacturers job is to provide a reasonably durable, reasonably accurate, tunable gun with the features we need or want. Maybe all manufacturers should provide me a holdover chart for the scope I intend to use and make me a custom elevation turret dial too? 
 
Upvote 0
Pin probe.

Factory option for a rail down low to get bipod out forward where IMO it belong, there still are no viable option for my Maverick aside for the K&L chassis which to me is a bit steep.

Better / beefier regulators, you can adjust up / down as you please, without degassing system.

Less fuzzy barrels, or at the least factory recommended pellets and slugs so you dont have to test a slew of things to find the 2-3 good / decent combinations.

Actually i think it is very poor by FX that they do not have a page with setup options for this and that ammo,,,, at the very least for the Impact M3. IMO there should be a recommended ammo / setting / speed list for each model.
Click to expand...

Pling pling- if you don’t mind, regarding your wish list of items-

1. Beefier regulators that don’t require degassing in order to lower the pressure(not going to add raising the pressure, as all regs can be raised without degassing). Anyway, do you know of any regulator inside of a pcp out there than can be throttled down w/o degassing? I’m curious

2. FX to have a chart or “cheat sheet” to tell you which Ammo to use, and which settings to set the Gun. Actually one in excel that shows one chart for bench rest, another for hunting for using pellets, then that same chart for bench rest and hunting except for slugs.

oh, and have additional charts showing tunes and settings for a 500 barrel, another for 600, then 700. 
Is this what you’re wanting FX to provide?

Well, let’s hope fx’s phones don’t ring off the hook with customers complaining why the recipes advertised don’t work and you’ve spent $100 on the slugs they told you to use. I can already see fx getting slammed on the open forum because some guy spent $500 on a type of slug and set his speed to 953 FPS on power wheel 6 because FX chart says so.

I don’t think Brocock, Daystate, Hatsan, or Crosman have charts, or do they?
Click to expand...

1. i am aware you can up up in pressure just fine, and as i understand also down in pressure with baby steps and firing off a few shots to level out in between adjustments when decreasing pressure.

But on a rifle like this or my Maverick it matter little as there are not a gauge for each pressure, just the 2 end pressures ( shooting pressure and bottle pressure )

2: yes something like that, but probably unfair to ask FX them self to generate the data, users could submit, and then they could just filter out marginal submissions in their database so " greatest chance of success" results remain and get published.( i dont think this would be complicated to set up on a web page )

No i dont think others have this either, I just think it would be a good thing for a brand to provide, so people do not have to learn "on the streets" what to use, but can get a rifle and a couple tins of pellets / slugs, and be reasonable sure that when they get home at least one of them will be enjoyable to shoot. Sort of what car makers give you in saying we recommend you use so and so oil in the engine ASO / you must use so and so oil or warranty are out of the door.

Also not saying they should cover all pellets in all barrel lengths and calibers, i assume what shoot well in a .22 compact would also shoot okay in a longer version, so maybe just 2-3-4 pellets in each caliber that are "factory recommended for this gun"

Personally i just got 3 rifles so not a wealth of experience here, my +10 year old Cyclone,,,,, which i have not tried with a lot of ammo, tried 2 JSB pellets and both was OK but settled on one ( .22 using 18 grain heavies ) - Then i have my Maverick, which i had a lot of problems with finding just one pellet it seem to like, but granted even here i have just tried 5 - 6 different pellets and slugs,,,,,, results are not discouraging at all but i did feel a bit down with that gun,,,,,, things will get better cuz a quitter i am not, and others have good results in new .177 FX rifles.( i am comparing to my old Cyclone and its groupings, and so far it mostly shoot a lot better than my Maverick )

This FAC Maverick also came with strange factory settings, so on day #1 i put in 13.43 grain MRD pellets, and the FX crony wouldn't even measure them on the high power PCP profile,,, as it turned out they was flying slower than the minimum 600 FPS in the high power PCP profile. Not a big deal though just thought it was strange, but no problem shooting the MRD or other heavy pellet / slugs at +900 FPS now. Regular JSB heavy on 50 M, hard to get anything better than a scatter gun grouping which just freak me out, MRD also not flying too good if a shoot them at normal speeds but group best shooting stock settings and sub 600 FPS speeds i just dont feel like shooting heavy pellets that slow.

And then finally i got my Vulcan 3, which made me feel a lot better better after shooting it a few times, in this i have also tried 6 - 7 different pellets and slugs, but here they all appear to be fairly decent and some pellets and slugs feel really good, even if i also here have not tweaked much for that final cutting groups in half size, i have yet to find a pellet or slug the Vulcan 3 shoot bad, but i have expanded on my collection so i think i will find one soon as i narrow down what to do with this gun ( i wanted to shoot pellets with the V3 ) i am in the process of converting my 600 MM Maverick to a 700 mm one in the hope it was just the "straw" that was holding me back. ideally i want to shoot slugs with the Maverick though so far all barrels for this caliber are choked and so putting a limit on things as far as i understand )

I am not asking anything of FX i would not ask of others, or myself.
 
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@ CMATERA- I’m sorting pellets now, JSB 30 cal, 44.75’s.

Dont know why there’s so much love for these. 4 different head sizes and up to 7 types of weights. I’ll be lucky to get one full tin of one head size, one weight, in a batch 900 that I went thru. At the current prices of around $18/tin, that’s $108 for 6 tins and the majority will become plink ammo.

2BE45220-A9F9-41B0-B4B4-8423FB95D888.1648160993.jpeg




I think JSB should’ve at least provided me the weight scale, the head sizer gage, and sorting containers to make it right?
 
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Asking it of youself would be perfect. You might be able make a spreadsheet and sell the data to others. At this point in airgun shooting the best data we have is that airguns, until relatively recently(with the STX barrels) were designed to shoot diabolo pellets (in the case of FX JSB pellets to be exact). Slugs are relatively new to the scene (other than custom re-barrelled guns) and it wil take the end users shooting the ever increasing numbers of slugs and sharing information with each other. I would also say that the burden of determining such information would fall disproportionately on a company like FX with a large number of models, versus a small boutique manufacturer with one or two guns. Personally, I don't want FX to waste their time doing that which I can do for myself. I want them to keep making great, innovative guns that have only gotten better since my first FX (Ultimate). Before that, I was shooting Beemans, Theobens, and Falcons, but I realize I've only been airgunning since 1997.
 
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