Help, Analysis Paralysis, Daystate vs FX

Jump to latest Follow Reply
W

wile2k

Member
Aug 10, 2021
18
0
MT, United States
Hello All,

After a successful topic about buying a PCP to practice Silhouette during the offseason, I come back to you for a little more advice.

I've narrowed down my choices and right now it is really between the Daystate Huntsman Revere and the FX Dreamline Classic (the Air Arms S510 is still hanging out in the back of my mind too but I think similarities considered, I'd take the Dreamline).

Quick recap, this is primarily for practicing off-hand shooting at home, especially during the winter. I'll have a 10y 'range' in my garage and a 30y 'range' in my yard. Ergos are important on this as I want to somewhat mimic my Anschutz 1712 shooting experience, thus the focus on sporter style rifles.

Ok, so here is where I'm really stuck. I really like the idea of the FX from the perspective that they are so adjustable (barrels, change calibers, reg, hammer, valve, etc). I like to tinker accuracy out of a gun and even though it isn't that important for my off-hand practice, I wonder how much I'd miss not having really any adjustability with the Daystate. On the other hand, I hear a lot of QC complaints with FX and some of that is probably due to all of the things that can be changed along with their rate of 'innovation'. There is also a ~400 buck premium on the Daystate but that isn't all that important in the grand scheme and I think that the heirloom quality of a Daystate makes that 4 hundos understandable.

So, any advice on that? Anyone else have a similar struggle? I'd love to hear some feedback.
 
Having owned two Regals, I'd love to own a Revere for it's side cocking lever vs the Regals somewhat stubborn bolt action. The Air Arms S510 are very nice also. Probably a tad heavier than the Daystate I think. I can see your point too on the FX's flexibility. I own a Impact and I can switch between three calibers very easily and two calibers on my Crown. 

jking
 
Upvote 0
It's a hobby, so pick your poison. IMO, if you can be satisfied to just shoot, the Daystate is the better rifle. But your observation is accurate. Daystate discourages owner involvement with the rifle, while FX has exploited an entire market by encouraging owners to tinker. The service folks might wish ol' Fredrik had taken another course.
 
Upvote 0
I own 3 FX rifles and all of them have been totally trouble free. I own 2 Daystate's, a Renegade and a Pulsar, and have had issues with each, they are both far from heirloom quality IMO. FX is better for user servicing, adjustments and after market parts while Daystate doesn't even publish their O-ring sizes. Of course other people will have had different experiences and opinions. So in the end, it's a matter of personal choice.
 
Upvote 0
I own 3 FX rifles and all of them have been totally trouble free. I own 2 Daystate's, a Renegade and a Pulsar, and have had issues with each, they are both far from heirloom quality IMO. FX is better for user servicing, adjustments and after market parts while Daystate doesn't even publish their O-ring sizes. Of course other people will have had different experiences and opinions. So in the end, it's a matter of personal choice.
Click to expand...

FX and Daystste are, both, super rifles !!
 
Upvote 0
I cannot speak to the virtues of a Daystate, I've never seen one. I can say that I have had absolutely no problems with my FX Dreamline Classic. I would recommend you purchase your airgun of choice from a quality vendor. A vendor that will set the gun up, tune it for your selected ammo and assure it is working properly before selling it to you. I can recommend two such vendors Southern Precision Air Weapons (ie. SPAW or Ken Hicks) and Talon Tunes (Tony). 
 
Upvote 0
I cannot speak to the virtues of a Daystate, I've never seen one. I can say that I have had absolutely no problems with my FX Dreamline Classic. I would recommend you purchase your airgun of choice from a quality vendor. A vendor that will set the gun up, tune it for your selected ammo and assure it is working properly before selling it to you. I can recommend two such vendors Southern Precision Air Weapons (ie. SPAW or Ken Hicks) and Talon Tunes (Tony). 
 
Upvote 0
The consensus thus far in this thread just screams at me to get the Daystate and just have fun shooting not tinkering.

Emu, I appreciate the advice on .177, although I am going to go .22 (even already bought some JSB 18.13s) as I will also play with this gun on the smallbore Silhouette range just for kicks and will be taking it out to 100. I'm not sure that even 30ftlb is going to knock over the rams at 100 but I'm going to try :). We don't have any sanctioned air rifle silhouette, so this would just be a fun thing.

For the rest... I think that I'm going to go find a Daystate, I think that a couple of the bigger air gun specialty sites have one. I'm sure that I wont be disappointed and if at some point I feel the need to tinker, well... I'll make room for an FX then (and have my Daystate to shoot for if / when the FX has QC issues, lol).
 
Upvote 0
The consensus thus far in this thread just screams at me to get the Daystate and just have fun shooting not tinkering.

Emu, I appreciate the advice on .177, although I am going to go .22 (even already bought some JSB 18.13s) as I will also play with this gun on the smallbore Silhouette range just for kicks and will be taking it out to 100. I'm not sure that even 30ftlb is going to knock over the rams at 100 but I'm going to try :). We don't have any sanctioned air rifle silhouette, so this would just be a fun thing.

For the rest... I think that I'm going to go find a Daystate, I think that a couple of the bigger air gun specialty sites have one. I'm sure that I wont be disappointed and if at some point I feel the need to tinker, well... I'll make room for an FX then (and have my Daystate to shoot for if / when the FX has QC issues, lol).
Click to expand...

For shooting to 100 go to the .22. forget about .177

.22 deals better with wind.
 
Upvote 0
don't flip a coin,take a little more time to think what you really want.....you don't know.think it through..

Too bad you can not sample both.....think about fit,trigger pull,the pride of ownership,parts

Cost,resell....etc, what fits you....Daystate for me,I have enough other stuff to tinker with.

The good thing is both choices are good choices.....
 
Upvote 0
don't flip a coin,take a little more time to think what you really want.....you don't know.think it through..

Too bad you can not sample both.....think about fit,trigger pull,the pride of ownership,parts

Cost,resell....etc, what fits you....Daystate for me,I have enough other stuff to tinker with.

The good thing is both choices are good choices.....
Click to expand...

:) thanks for that. I wasn't serious about a coin flip, I'm thinking very hard on which to go with. I don't think that I'd go wrong with either (or if I did, some QC issue, it is likely just bad luck that can happen on either). I agree that it would be nice to handle each but I don't think that that is going to be an option for me. That is part of the reason that this community's experience is so valuable to me on this question.
 
Upvote 0
I love Daystates. I love FX's. I really like Air Arms guns.

I have had both of the rifles you speak of in your original post (well, a Daystate Huntsman Regal HR with a bolt, not a Revere with side lever cocking, but essentially the same gun). I have or do own models from both Daystate and FX which were their entry level guns, as well as their top end guns.

Daystate is a fantastic brand, but in my hands and in my opinion, the Huntsman (Regal, Revere. etc.) says 'bottom end of the range, entry level' much more than does the FX Dreamline Classic. Or, to put it another way, there seems to me to be a more significant difference between the Huntsman and, lets say the next level, Wolverine than there does between the DL Classic and the Crown. Just a feeling I get with the guns in my hands, and how they shoot for me.

I no longer own my Huntsman but we still own our DL Classic (not totally fair, though, as the bolt action was one reason I didn't shoot the Huntsman much and ultimately sold it). I personally wouldn't purchase another Huntsman, not even the Revere with the side cocking lever.

Regarding tunability, FX wins on that front. I applaud Daystate, however, as in my experience they take the time to tune each gun they sell. And they tune them well for general use - not full power but a great balance of power (for high accuracy) and shot count. My feeling and experience is that FX doesn't take the same time and effort to optimize the tune on their guns before shipping, instead pretty much leaving that to the buyer. Different companies doing things differently, but FX does make it easier for the end user to tune (if that is what they want).

Like I said above, I also like Air Arms, based on my experiences with a couple of S510's. These guns are much more in the 'Daystate' camp where they come very well tuned out of the box, but additional tuning is not as easy as an FX. I really like the easy use and functioning of the AA magazines, and they are less expensive than the Daystate or FX mags. I don't much like AA's fill adapter, but that can be 'fixed' with parts from a UK supplier.

I think that I do like the FX trigger the best of the 3, with Daystate and AA coming into second place pretty closely together. This may be one area where I feel there is a bigger difference between the 'low end' models. I never felt my Huntsman trigger was nearly as good as that on a Wolverine or, dare say, one of the electronic Daystates. Maybe it was just my particular gun.

However the feel of the trigger on my DL Classic is very close or identical to that of the triggers on my Crowns. Excellent.

If I could only have one of the 3 discussed it would be the Dreamline Classic in a wood stock. Just my 2 cents.
 
Upvote 0
I own 3 FX rifles and all of them have been totally trouble free. I own 2 Daystate's, a Renegade and a Pulsar, and have had issues with each, they are both far from heirloom quality IMO. FX is better for user servicing, adjustments and after market parts while Daystate doesn't even publish their O-ring sizes. Of course other people will have had different experiences and opinions. So in the end, it's a matter of personal choice.
Click to expand...

FX and Daystste are, both, super rifles !!
Click to expand...


My Pulsar has failed me on 2 of my last 3 outings but fortunately I always take an FX as a back-up rifle. Also the safety doesn't work right and I usually have to cock it more than once to get it to fire, but it is accurate. Like I said it's all personal experience.
 
Upvote 0
I own 3 FX rifles and all of them have been totally trouble free. I own 2 Daystate's, a Renegade and a Pulsar, and have had issues with each, they are both far from heirloom quality IMO. FX is better for user servicing, adjustments and after market parts while Daystate doesn't even publish their O-ring sizes. Of course other people will have had different experiences and opinions. So in the end, it's a matter of personal choice.
Click to expand...

FX and Daystste are, both, super rifles !!
Click to expand...


My Pulsar has failed me on 2 of my last 3 outings but fortunately I always take an FX as a back-up rifle. Also the safety doesn't work right and I usually have to cock it more than once to get it to fire, but it is accurate. Like I said it's all personal experience.
Click to expand...

I have never shot nor own a rifle with a computer inside.

Sooner or later you have to change your smart phone. A Red Wolf or Pulsar cost much more than a smart phone.

I am out of that buyer's segment.
 
Upvote 0
I own 3 FX rifles and all of them have been totally trouble free. I own 2 Daystate's, a Renegade and a Pulsar, and have had issues with each, they are both far from heirloom quality IMO. FX is better for user servicing, adjustments and after market parts while Daystate doesn't even publish their O-ring sizes. Of course other people will have had different experiences and opinions. So in the end, it's a matter of personal choice.
Click to expand...

I’m with Hawkeye on this one. PCP’s will need to be he maintained. FX is very generous for supplying a parts diagram for everything that’s FX, including heir bottles! 

There was a recent thread where a guy fixed a leak on his regal and had to buy the o ring kit....for $50!!! That amount would supply enough o rings for an impact, a wildcat, and a crown, with enough to do 10 reseals per gun! 

If the o ring lists were called out on this Daystate, $15 max for enough o rings to last a lifetime.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu