Ok, once and for all is the FX Boss backyard friendly....

[johnp]

Everywhere I read in every video I watched said it was backyard friendly with a few saying borderline backyard friendly. I ordered the gun on Friday now since I ordered it it seems like everything I read says it's not backyard friendly.
What do you guys think?

 

[Guest]

Depends on your backyard, how close are your neighbors. I'd also be concerned about shooting a ~78FPE gun in a backyard without an excellent, safe backstop.

 

[JimNM]

You are asking an impossible question. You want a definite answer to a subjective question. My backyard is 1/2 acre and both my neighbors are into guns. I can't shoot a cannon, but short of a .22lr, I can make as much noise as I want.

my friend lives in a townhouse. He can't burp without both his neighbors hearing it.

Where on a spectrum YOUR backyard is, we cannot possible know.

Imho, "backyard friendly" is less than useless description. 

 

[johnp]

Well, i have 1/2 acre, a good backstop but neighbors on both sides

 

[dodge3500]

I had a 30 caliber Bwalton hatsan carnivore that for an air gun was fairly quiet but not really what I would call back yard friendly and yeah that's a ton of power to have close neighbors.
I accidentally shot through my backstop and took a chunk outta my house plus part of the pellet hit my camper in the siding.
Yup it had to go.
I now will only own up to .22 as my backstop can easily handle them without worrying.

 

[JimNM]

Still impossible to answer. There is no solid basis for a frame of reference. How long is a piece of string? An inch, a foot, a mile?

How loud is a gun? How noise sensitive is your area? How prone to panic and upset are the people around you??? You are the only one who can determine those answers. Realisticly, We can't help you with the answers over the internet.

What makes a good sandwich? Still can't tell you what will make a good sandwich for YOU or your backyard.

 

[Guest]

At 78 FPE it is not backyard friendly, no matter how quiet it might be. That is the kind of energy you get out of a subsonic .22 LR. JMO YMMV

 

[zebra]

I would say no. Then again, I don't think the Wildcat 25 is backyard friendly without the extra baffle pieces or a Huggett.

I would say it's quiet for a 30 cal but that's not the same thing as "quiet". 

I have heard various people claim to have made big bore air guns quiet but I have yet to find one that my neighbors wouldn't be able to hear.

If you want the sort of quiet where you could plink all afternoon without annoying the neighbors in a typical suburban neighborhood then you want a 22 cal. 

As others have said though, it depends how much land you have and how cool your neighbors are... either way, safety is a concern with anything that powerful. Very hard to have 100% confidence in a backstop. One stray pellet or one accidental discharge could do permanent damage. 

Check out the video Ted put out on YouTube of him hunting at 300 yards with a 30cal Bobcat for an idea of their deadly range. 

 

[Smaug]

"zebra"If you want the sort of quiet where you could plink all afternoon without annoying the neighbors in a typical suburban neighborhood then you want a 22 cal.

...or .177. Even a typical 30 FPE .22 can cause serious damage in the neighborhood. Realistically, what are you needing to shoot in your back yard? Raccoons? .177 has you covered. (with head shots) .22, no matter what, and still has relatively affordable ammunition.

The guys who actually need the airguns over .22 caliber are those out west, trying to make 100 yard shots on ground squirrels, or those determined to hunt big games with air rifles.

 

[Marksman3006]

Smaug

"zebra"If you want the sort of quiet where you could plink all afternoon without annoying the neighbors in a typical suburban neighborhood then you want a 22 cal.

...or .177. Even a typical 30 FPE .22 can cause serious damage in the neighborhood. Realistically, what are you needing to shoot in your back yard? Raccoons? .177 has you covered. (with head shots) .22, no matter what, and still has relatively affordable ammunition.

The guys who actually need the airguns over .22 caliber are those out west, trying to make 100 yard shots on ground squirrels, or those determined to hunt big games with air rifles.

I was going to chime in my 2 cents......but these two guys nailed it. Only thing Im adding is this........with a quiet .177 or .22 your backstop is what will make all the noise. So........you will need a quiet backstop.

 

[Mark_Walt]

"zebra"I would say no. Then again, I don't think the Wildcat 25 is backyard friendly without the extra baffle pieces or a Huggett.

I would say it's quiet for a 30 cal but that's not the same thing as "quiet". 

I have heard various people claim to have made big bore air guns quiet but I have yet to find one that my neighbors wouldn't be able to hear.

If you want the sort of quiet where you could plink all afternoon without annoying the neighbors in a typical suburban neighborhood then you want a 22 cal. 

As others have said though, it depends how much land you have and how cool your neighbors are... either way, safety is a concern with anything that powerful. Very hard to have 100% confidence in a backstop. One stray pellet or one accidental discharge could do permanent damage. 

Check out the video Ted put out on YouTube of him hunting at 300 yards with a 30cal Bobcat for an idea of their deadly range. 

My wildcat in .25 is backyard friendly without any extra baffles. The loudest part of the gun is when the bullet his my backstop. The gun is quieter than my friends Thomas .177 so it all depends on the gun. 
I did shot a boss at AOA, but that was indoors so I can really say anything about their noise in particular. All I can say is that you need to at least try and maybe if you take them over some cookies and pie it will change their mind if it's too loud. 

 

[Dairyboy]

One does hafta remember that even though the gun might not be that loud the impact of the pellets are VERY loud unless you have a silent trap or something. I have over an acre of land and neighbors aren't that close so to me backyard friendly is do I need ear protection to shoot it or not LOL others aren't so lucky

 

[zebra]

"Dairyboy"One does hafta remember that even though the gun might not be that loud the impact of the pellets are VERY loud unless you have a silent trap or something. I have over an acre of land and neighbors aren't that close so to me backyard friendly is do I need ear protection to shoot it or not LOL others aren't so lucky

That's so true. Whenever I have accidentally alerted people to my discrete shooting, it has always been the noise from the pellet hitting something hard at close range. 

If I plan to practice for a more than a few shots, I don't bother with a hard backstop. I aim down so pellets go through the paper target and straight into the mud . 

One thing I would add is that it is not necessary the caliber that makes the noise. If a 30 cal gun was tuned down to below 50fpe, the noise would go down accordingly. Similarly, if you buy one of the over-powered 22's (the 50 fpe ones) then the noise will shoot up.

I have guns that range from 25 to 100fpe and, most of the time, I find myself reaching for the Mutant Shorty (tuned to 26fpe) for backyard shots for all the reasons everyone mentioned. It's just more relaxing. This is why a proper airgun collection has at least two air rifles - so you have options for each occasion. It's the closest thing in nature for men to the female purse. 

 

[Oregun]

"Mark_Walt"

"zebra"I would say no. Then again, I don't think the Wildcat 25 is backyard friendly without the extra baffle pieces or a Huggett.

I would say it's quiet for a 30 cal but that's not the same thing as "quiet". 

I have heard various people claim to have made big bore air guns quiet but I have yet to find one that my neighbors wouldn't be able to hear.

If you want the sort of quiet where you could plink all afternoon without annoying the neighbors in a typical suburban neighborhood then you want a 22 cal. 

As others have said though, it depends how much land you have and how cool your neighbors are... either way, safety is a concern with anything that powerful. Very hard to have 100% confidence in a backstop. One stray pellet or one accidental discharge could do permanent damage. 

Check out the video Ted put out on YouTube of him hunting at 300 yards with a 30cal Bobcat for an idea of their deadly range. 

My wildcat in .25 is backyard friendly without any extra baffles. The loudest part of the gun is when the bullet his my backstop. The gun is quieter than my friends Thomas .177 so it all depends on the gun. 
I did shot a boss at AOA, but that was indoors so I can really say anything about their noise in particular. All I can say is that you need to at least try and maybe if you take them over some cookies and pie it will change their mind if it's too loud.

I echo Mark's statement, my Wildcat is backyard quite as well.... I think those who had to quiet there's down, have a little blowback from a bad seal (just a guess). My RWS 350 is louder.

As far as shooting the Boss in a residential neighborhood... My recommendation is, Don't do it! For all the reasons already mentioned in this post.


 

[Topcat]

I have a Boss and the noise output is no different than a .25! It's the impact of the pellet that is going to set off alerts. You always have to consider pass through unless it's a hollow point. That is one long ass gun too!!

 

[chasdicapua]

I used to have an FX Boss. Putting aside what the pellet is hitting (which can be loud!) or the energy that it's carrying (deflected pellets can cause much damage), the sound of the Boss firing is backyard friendly IMO. It really doesn't sound any louder than the Royale 500. BTW, I love this thread. When I saw the title when it first came out, I thought, "Oh boy, here we go!!"

 

[johnp]

Well, i really didn't expect that many replies. What I plan on using the for isn't just sitting out there & shooting all day. The gun will be sighted in
( however many shots that takes)
Once the gun is sighted in it will stay in the gun cabinet until a coyote comes into my yard, that is my main reason for buying this gun. I have an 8 year old and a 10 year old
And my neighbor just started raising chickens, so now I have coyotes in my yard every now and then. I just don't want them to get too comfortable back there.

 

[Guest]

Ok well that makes sense, and your neighbors (at least the one with the chickens) probably won't mind if they're aware of them. Best of luck mitigating your coyote issue, the Boss definitely puts out the FPE to handle the situation.

 

[zebra]

This is why there is no definitive answer because we all have different views on what backyard friendly is. we all have different yards and different neighbors. Plus some people are more considerate to their neighbors.

if you want the real truth, you don't want to be asking any of us here. You want to be asking our wives. I didn't have a clue how far away some of my guns could be heard until my wife told me she could hear me shooting from the other end of the street. 

My neighbors once complained about me using a BB gun that was a good bit quieter than some of my PCP rifles and my neighbors are not that close to my yard. 

 

[Dartagnan]

Here's a quick test without gun in hand. Now conditions may vary (your relationship with your neighbor, lawn mower, windy day, neighbor' kids playing Rock Band in their house, etc). Go to your backyard where you intend to shoot. Do so when you know your neighbor is in their backyard, but make sure you are NOT seen. Some neighbors are not friendly and don't care what your doing in your back yard no matter how much noise you make... if they are aware you're out there. Anyway, put your hands in front of you, slightly cupped, and CLAP once! Did your neighbor turn and see where the noise was coming from and said cursing words or a mean look? If yes, go to a range.