I am trying to decide on a good 22 cal pcp airgun. I have a couple of Hatsans and want to step up to a nicer more tunable pcp, I like the Bullpup design. I am torn? Any advice? I want something that can shoot 100 yards plus or minus. I like compact designs best. I really like the FX line of products.
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Tuning Is the FX Impact m3 worth the extra money over the FX Dreamline ?
- Thread starter Tbiagi
- Start date
Go with the impact you won’t regret it. You don’t need an M3, you can pick up a used mk2. Just because the M3 is out doesn’t mean the mk2 isn’t an excellent gun.
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I can give you my opinion based on my personal experiences, and we all know that opinions are like... elbows - everyone has one!
I think that the Dreamlines are under-appreciated, except by the people who own and shoot one. They don't have the 'flash' of the flagship FX models like the Crowns or the Impacts, but they are excellent guns in their own right. Accurate, easily tunable, fun to shoot with their smooth actions and excellent triggers, and adaptable & convertible - at least when you can find the conversion parts available in stock.
Maybe an oversimplification by me, but I have found the Dreamlines to be fun and easy to tune. While the Impacts are more tunable, I almost find tuning them to be 'work' instead of 'fun'. They are more complicated guns with more setting combinations which all interact with each other. Tuning a Dreamline is more straightforward to me and makes more sense to my little brain. On the other hand, I have made power adjustments to Impacts in the past, which did the exact opposite of what I was intending it to do, and just left me sitting down and scratching my head as to why it behaved that way, and where I needed to go next.
Dreamlines are for people who like to tune their guns. Impacts are for people who love to tune their guns, and achieve the greatest power (and hopefully accuracy) with different projectiles. Once again, my personal opinion.
You mention in your original post that you like compact designs best. And FX guns. But you don't speak at all of the Wildcats. The Wildcats to me are not quite as easily tunable as the Dreamlines, but (especially in their compact models) they can be smaller than many of the Dreamlines. And if we compare the similar models (Wildcat vs DreamPup), I like the Wildcat better due to the location of its cocking lever. But then again, you can get a DreamPup in a bottle version for lots of shots per fill, which isn't an option with the Wildcat.
Moving up from Hatsans, no you don't need to go straight to an Impact. You will fully appreciate all that a Dreamline gives you over the Hatsan, and it will be a joy to shoot. And if you eventually want to make a future move to an Impact, the resale value of your Dreamline will be pretty good on the used market.
I think that the Dreamlines are under-appreciated, except by the people who own and shoot one. They don't have the 'flash' of the flagship FX models like the Crowns or the Impacts, but they are excellent guns in their own right. Accurate, easily tunable, fun to shoot with their smooth actions and excellent triggers, and adaptable & convertible - at least when you can find the conversion parts available in stock.
Maybe an oversimplification by me, but I have found the Dreamlines to be fun and easy to tune. While the Impacts are more tunable, I almost find tuning them to be 'work' instead of 'fun'. They are more complicated guns with more setting combinations which all interact with each other. Tuning a Dreamline is more straightforward to me and makes more sense to my little brain. On the other hand, I have made power adjustments to Impacts in the past, which did the exact opposite of what I was intending it to do, and just left me sitting down and scratching my head as to why it behaved that way, and where I needed to go next.
Dreamlines are for people who like to tune their guns. Impacts are for people who love to tune their guns, and achieve the greatest power (and hopefully accuracy) with different projectiles. Once again, my personal opinion.
You mention in your original post that you like compact designs best. And FX guns. But you don't speak at all of the Wildcats. The Wildcats to me are not quite as easily tunable as the Dreamlines, but (especially in their compact models) they can be smaller than many of the Dreamlines. And if we compare the similar models (Wildcat vs DreamPup), I like the Wildcat better due to the location of its cocking lever. But then again, you can get a DreamPup in a bottle version for lots of shots per fill, which isn't an option with the Wildcat.
Moving up from Hatsans, no you don't need to go straight to an Impact. You will fully appreciate all that a Dreamline gives you over the Hatsan, and it will be a joy to shoot. And if you eventually want to make a future move to an Impact, the resale value of your Dreamline will be pretty good on the used market.
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I would take a Dreamline over an Impact, unless I wanted a super high power slug shooter.
If you are relatively new to high end airguns, I would urge you to take some time to look at other brands as well. When I decided I was ready to take the plunge and get a $1000+ airgun, I too was enamored by the FX line. After a fair amount of research, I found that for me other brands were a better fit. There are a lot of really great offerings in the Dreamline price range from Daystate, Brocock, Weihrauch, Taipan, AGT, etc. Now, this is my experience, and is not necessarily true for everyone.
FX does a lot of advertising and it's grown the hobby a lot, which is great. But I think a lot of people take the jump to high end without realizing there are so many other great options that might fit better.
You said you are looking for a .22 bullpup. I'm going to sound like a broken record to people who read my posts, but you really owe it to yourself to check out the Taipan Veteran. Either the compact/short or the standard depending on your preferences/needs. It is an incredibly compact gun, very quiet in factory form, built very simple and robust, and insanely accurate.
I have no affiliation with Taipan. I'm just an airgun nut that wasted thousands and thousands of dollars chasing a well built, reliably accurate PCP that worked every time I picked it up. And I finally found it, I finally have no desire to chase other guns, and I'm finally giddy every time I shoot my airgun.
If you are relatively new to high end airguns, I would urge you to take some time to look at other brands as well. When I decided I was ready to take the plunge and get a $1000+ airgun, I too was enamored by the FX line. After a fair amount of research, I found that for me other brands were a better fit. There are a lot of really great offerings in the Dreamline price range from Daystate, Brocock, Weihrauch, Taipan, AGT, etc. Now, this is my experience, and is not necessarily true for everyone.
FX does a lot of advertising and it's grown the hobby a lot, which is great. But I think a lot of people take the jump to high end without realizing there are so many other great options that might fit better.
You said you are looking for a .22 bullpup. I'm going to sound like a broken record to people who read my posts, but you really owe it to yourself to check out the Taipan Veteran. Either the compact/short or the standard depending on your preferences/needs. It is an incredibly compact gun, very quiet in factory form, built very simple and robust, and insanely accurate.
I have no affiliation with Taipan. I'm just an airgun nut that wasted thousands and thousands of dollars chasing a well built, reliably accurate PCP that worked every time I picked it up. And I finally found it, I finally have no desire to chase other guns, and I'm finally giddy every time I shoot my airgun.
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If you plan to shoot pellets, the dreamline is probably a nice option. But if you intend to shoot slugs, the impact has more power available. Even with power kits, the dream line will be more restricted. There also is the maverick, which has a bottle, and not as expensive as the impact.
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I started out with a Hatsan Bullboss and after a few months went the Dreamline route. TMH gave a great post above on the differences and after having the Dreamline realized I wanted more power; Impact MK2 with pp.
Once the bug bit me and my degree of comfort increased I couldn't wait to get the Impact. I have since gotten the M3 as well and can tell you that each has its place but the M3 is more easily tuned than the M2.
Since you said you were interested in the FX line I would also say as tor47 stated look at the Wildcat or the Maverick as well. I don't work for FX or have any affiliation but if you can get one the service has been great whenever I had an issue. Now like everyone has stated this is my opinion and based on my experiences with FX and not a vendor/dealer.
I hope you find what your looking for
Once the bug bit me and my degree of comfort increased I couldn't wait to get the Impact. I have since gotten the M3 as well and can tell you that each has its place but the M3 is more easily tuned than the M2.
Since you said you were interested in the FX line I would also say as tor47 stated look at the Wildcat or the Maverick as well. I don't work for FX or have any affiliation but if you can get one the service has been great whenever I had an issue. Now like everyone has stated this is my opinion and based on my experiences with FX and not a vendor/dealer.
I hope you find what your looking for
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I do like the wildcat and the maverik designs also, I have played with my sisters wildcat and it's a very nice pcp.
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I recently faced the same dilemma and went with the Dreamline. For reference, my other PCP is a 1st Gen Marauder. In the end, I do not feel like I missed out on anything. I think the Dreamline hits a sweet spot in terms of cost vs features. There's a lot to justify the extra spend at that price point. For myself, I didn't feel like I was going to get another $1k of gun with the Impact over the Dreamline, so why spend that extra money? Frankly, I've forgotten all about the Impact... for now.
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It couldn’t hurt. I guess it depends upon your needs and desires. Ask yourself, what do I need or want from an air rifle? Then maybe you can compare the rifle’s features and functions to your needs and desires.
Shortly after I got into airguns, I wanted an EDgun. I read and read and checked the AGN classifieds frequently, but didn’t pull the trigger. After some time I stumbled upon a .25 Brocock Bantam Sniper. It’s kind of a long story how I got it, but it’s become one of my favorite air guns to shoot. It’s aesthetically pleasing, well built, regulated, and came with a power dial so I don’t have to tinker with to change the power settings. The only extras I’ve bought for it are an extra mag and typical accessories (sling, sling stud adapter, and bipod). The EDgun came later, but my Brocock showed me something new, interesting, exciting, and slowed down my enthusiasm to buy various guns because it fills multiple roles. Coupled with my other guns I pretty much have my bases covered.
@TMH gave some good advice. The Dreamline may be a good place to start or perhaps you can compare the Dreamline, Wildcat, and Impact to see which ticks off enough boxes on your needs/wants list. Or you may find something else that catches your eye (for an unbeatable price) that you may want to try. In sum it’s really about what you need and want, at least in my opinion.
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^^^ What he said.^^^
The Dreamline is capable of delivering 22 projectiles accurately; no need for bells and whistles (and associated cost). I am shooting my DreamTacs at .177., .22, .25, and .30 calibers successfully and with accuracy. My range is usually 80 yards and below, but I am confident that I can stretch it out to 100+ yards with my abilities.
Unless you have big power and long range needs and desires, the Dreamline will do just fine.
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I do like the wildcat and the maverik designs also, I have played with my sisters wildcat and it's a very nice pcp.
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A lot of great responses posted above. They’re both great guns and so is the Veteran mentioned above. If you have the money, buy the Impact, you won’t ever be wanting in the future. I love the Impact, it does absolutely everything I want it to. There is a huge misconception that if you buy the Impact, you need to continually fiddle with it. That’s not the case at all. Buy it, if you’re fine with the way it shoots, leave it alone. If you want to adjust it later, try a different tune, try a different caliber or try slugs down the road and have plenty of power to push them fast, you’re good to go. It is certainly more adjustable than Dreamline too. What hasn’t really been talked about here is the Impact’s adjustability, modularity, super shot count, huge magazine capacity, plethora of aftermarket accessories, on line support, videos tutorials, and thousands of people that are very familiar with the Impact and can help you almost immediately with any question you might have. I know we always tend to hear the complaints or bad stories about the Impact and very rarely do we hear the praises and great stories, but consider this…The Impact has dominated the market for years and the demand for them is stronger now than ever. It’s because the Impact offers things that no other gun does. The magazine capacity I mentioned above is one of my favorite features. I can fill my 580cc bottle to 250bar, throw three 28 round magazines and a couple speed loaders in my pocket and I’m good to go for a long time! A lot of features like that get overlooked with the Impact but are what make it great. Obviously, the choice is your but having shot them both a lot, I would suggest you buy the Impact M3! You’ll be happy with either one! Good luck with your decision, be sure to let us know what you decide and share some pictures of your set up when you get it!
Have a great afternoon!
Stoti
Have a great afternoon!
Stoti
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I have to agree with Stoti here. I have 2 Impacts (MK2 and M3) as well as a Dreamline and Wildcats (well, just one as I sold the Compact on Sunday). You don’t NEED the Impact, but you can quite easily buy it and shoot it in stock condition forever, or for as long as you want. The Dreamline is great, but you just have so much more room to grow/change with the Impact. The other point is that, barrel for barrel, the Dreamline is a long gun. The Impact goes from tiny to medium, depending on barrel length. As mentioned above by Tom (TMH), Wildcats are great, and the Compact can be quite tiny. However the handicap is the tube and shot count.
Ifr money is an issue (and when is it not?) then a lightly used MK2 is a great option. I’m never selling mine, even though I also got an M3.
Chris
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I agree with stoti's comment about the great responses and agree with his suggestion too.
My Dreamline Classic in .25 was my entry to the FX world. It is easy to tinker with and adjust making fine power to take pdogs and other small critters well out to 150+yds as well as a fine paper puncher.
Then came the Impact MKII in .22 because I wanted to try it. I liked it (past tense) and learned a lot about tuning from that gun. What I also learned during my time with the Impact was that upgrading from a Gen1 to the newer generations has it's limitations. Having machining abilities can overcome these short comings. What I know about Impacts now and was looking for an upgrade in an Impact, it would be an M3 no question .
Then a Wildcat MK3 in .30 made itself available. Less complicated than the Impact and more like the Dreamline for tuning and ease of tinkering. The ergonomics are wonderful and it "feels" compact. Just an easy gun to handle and fun to shoot.
3 weeks later FX drops the Maverick on our shooting benches. I order one in Sniper .22. and had it 4 days later. Not without issues, but none I could not correct. My reasoning to purchase the Maverick was two fold. First, it was close enough to the impact in most every way and most all my Impact accessories I could transfer over to the Maverick. Second, The main block and trigger assembly were the same as the Wildcat along with with shrouds, probes and liners. 2 different guns within the same platform makes for a fun time tinkering. Which do I shoot the most? The Maverick by far and then the Wildcat when .30 is what you need. The Dreamline has not been shot since late last year if that tells you anything. Is an M3 in my future? Time will tell. Enjoy your search.
Patrick
My Dreamline Classic in .25 was my entry to the FX world. It is easy to tinker with and adjust making fine power to take pdogs and other small critters well out to 150+yds as well as a fine paper puncher.
Then came the Impact MKII in .22 because I wanted to try it. I liked it (past tense) and learned a lot about tuning from that gun. What I also learned during my time with the Impact was that upgrading from a Gen1 to the newer generations has it's limitations. Having machining abilities can overcome these short comings. What I know about Impacts now and was looking for an upgrade in an Impact, it would be an M3 no question .
Then a Wildcat MK3 in .30 made itself available. Less complicated than the Impact and more like the Dreamline for tuning and ease of tinkering. The ergonomics are wonderful and it "feels" compact. Just an easy gun to handle and fun to shoot.
3 weeks later FX drops the Maverick on our shooting benches. I order one in Sniper .22. and had it 4 days later. Not without issues, but none I could not correct. My reasoning to purchase the Maverick was two fold. First, it was close enough to the impact in most every way and most all my Impact accessories I could transfer over to the Maverick. Second, The main block and trigger assembly were the same as the Wildcat along with with shrouds, probes and liners. 2 different guns within the same platform makes for a fun time tinkering. Which do I shoot the most? The Maverick by far and then the Wildcat when .30 is what you need. The Dreamline has not been shot since late last year if that tells you anything. Is an M3 in my future? Time will tell. Enjoy your search.
Patrick
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I have the FX Dreamline compact tactical. I bought it used for $800 a month ago. Every pellet goes into one hole. heck, I think I could shoot rocks out of it and make a ragged hole. I keep asking myself, what is so great about the FX Impact that would be worth me spending $1500 more? Unless I was planning to shoot slugs or past 100 yards, I cannot justify the additional cost/benefit. But Im semi-retired and frugal. If you have no problem slapping down $2200+ for a pellet rifle without thinking twice about it, then by all means get the FX Impact.
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I want to thank everyone for their input and personal experiences with the same subject, they definitely helped sway my decision.
While reading everyone's feedback and trying to decide if I needed an Impact m3 to satisfy my wants and needs for a great pcp rifle, A Dreamline tactical popped up here in the classified that was several hundred under retail, to good of a deal to pass up. So that helped me with my decision, so a friend helped me scoop that up, since I didn't have enough posts to make the deal on my own.
I am excited to get the Dreamline and start modifying it to make it better fit my wants and needs. It's amazing how many options there are out there to improve it's performance or just change it. It very much resembles the modularity of an AR. I love it.
Thank you everyone, Tim
P.S. I may still need an M3 down the road, who knows? But for now I saved some money.
While reading everyone's feedback and trying to decide if I needed an Impact m3 to satisfy my wants and needs for a great pcp rifle, A Dreamline tactical popped up here in the classified that was several hundred under retail, to good of a deal to pass up. So that helped me with my decision, so a friend helped me scoop that up, since I didn't have enough posts to make the deal on my own.
I am excited to get the Dreamline and start modifying it to make it better fit my wants and needs. It's amazing how many options there are out there to improve it's performance or just change it. It very much resembles the modularity of an AR. I love it.
Thank you everyone, Tim
P.S. I may still need an M3 down the road, who knows? But for now I saved some money.
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Patrick,, I'm afraid you could be right, I side stepped it for months, after being stuck in the 22lr hole for the last couple of years, I just crawled out, hopefully not to fall into another one? But I hear you loud and clear. Thanks again for your help everyone. That m3 is still a sexy thing.
Tim
Tim
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