It seems these three rifles come up rather frequently when a new buyer is considering a rifle in this price range. I am fortunate to own all three in .22, having just bought a Revere. Since one of my first PCP rifles was a Huntsman, I'm comparably familiar with the three platforms. It's too cold and windy today to shoot, so I thought I would just offer some thoughts on these rifles for anyone who might be interested. I guarantee my opinion is worth what you're paying!
In terms of accuracy, it would be a mistake to categorize any one of them as best, or to even list them in order. The variables of specific barrels, pellets, tuning, etc. just defy that kind of ranking. All three of mine are very accurate. I consider these as casual target/hunting/pesting rifles which, for me, generally requires squirrel-head accuracy out to 45-50 yards, given good conditions. These meet that test. I could post pictures of tiny, one-hole groups, but that just means I have a camera! However, there is one significant difference with respect to the accuracy of these rifles. The FX original ST barrel, as on the Royale, simply never needs cleaning. The Weihrauch is not a problem, but it does occasionally need cleaning, and I expect the same from the Daystate.
Since hunting is among the defined purposes, the weight of each, and the way each rifle feels and handles is worth mentioning. As presently scoped, the HW 100, Royale, and Revere weights are, respectively, 11.0, 9.0, and 8.5 pounds. The Revere has a lighter scope by at least 8 ounces, so it and the Royale are very comparable. And yes, the Weihrauch is a tank, it's got a lot of good German steel in it! The Revere is really an anomaly, it's a cylinder gun with a trim sporter style stock that begs to be carried, and held against the side of a tree while picking off a bushytail. The Royale, as a bottle gun, doesn't offer the same feel. My HW 100 is a laminate carbine, but the forend is not as trim or field friendly as the Revere, and it's heavy.
A rifle is no better than it's trigger. The FX trigger has always impressed me as a very odd piece of work. That said, it is simple, and can be adjusted for a decent feel. I installed a Boss match trigger in mine, which uses a more conventional design that utilizes the geometry of multiple levers. It is not as simple as the standard trigger, and its design and construction leave me a little unsure of its long-term reliability. But, mine has been fine after a thousand or so shots. Moving to the HW 100 and Revere, now we're getting into a real trigger, and both are excellent. Similar to other aspects of the rifles, the HW 100 is easy to adjust, and the Revere is not. Oddly, the "second stage weight" adjusting screw is actually a sear engagement adjustment. Spring tension is not adjustable, so disassembly and tinkering would be required if you desired a light-pull trigger. Mine arrived at about 1.5 pounds. After some adjusting, it feels very good at around 8 ounces. The HW 100 is set around 6 ounces, and that's about the minimum. But, these are not BR rifles, and all three triggers are perfectly serviceable.
I have short pic rails on the Royale and HW 100 for bench shooting with a bipod. The slim design and contour of the Revere forend is not ideal for bipod use. I would probably just install a stud and use a Harrid bipod. But, that's not really the strength of this rifle, and I'm not sure I will do anything other than just shoot if off bags from the bench.
As I alluded above, Daystate does not invite tinkering with their rifles, whereas FX has invented an entire market around it. Both the Royale and HW 100 are easy to tune, and the Revere is not. But, the Revere is shooting the 18 grain pellet at a very consistent 855 fps, which is very adequate for its intended use. And maybe Daystate is right, better to keep folks like me from going in their rifles and making a mess!
I'm not going to solve anyone's dilemma who may be thinking of buying one of these rifles. I couldn't decide either, and well, you see where it got me. I think the Weihrauch is the best made of the three, but if they will all last a lifetime, does it matter? To be honest, I don't care for anything FX has made since the Royale/Boss platform. And, I'm not real wild about some of the Royale design and build features. But, I've been trying to wear mine out for several years, and it keeps on ticking without a hitch, never needs cleaning, never changes POI. I had only one problem, the FX reg was no good, so I put in a Huma and it's been fine since. If I wanted to go shoot several hundred rounds from the bench, I'd take the HW 100. If I wanted to walk through the woods, it would be with the Revere. Well, I've rambled and probably said a lot of nothing. And, at this moment, there is a squirrel under the bird feeder, so I've got to make a choice.
Ed
In terms of accuracy, it would be a mistake to categorize any one of them as best, or to even list them in order. The variables of specific barrels, pellets, tuning, etc. just defy that kind of ranking. All three of mine are very accurate. I consider these as casual target/hunting/pesting rifles which, for me, generally requires squirrel-head accuracy out to 45-50 yards, given good conditions. These meet that test. I could post pictures of tiny, one-hole groups, but that just means I have a camera! However, there is one significant difference with respect to the accuracy of these rifles. The FX original ST barrel, as on the Royale, simply never needs cleaning. The Weihrauch is not a problem, but it does occasionally need cleaning, and I expect the same from the Daystate.
Since hunting is among the defined purposes, the weight of each, and the way each rifle feels and handles is worth mentioning. As presently scoped, the HW 100, Royale, and Revere weights are, respectively, 11.0, 9.0, and 8.5 pounds. The Revere has a lighter scope by at least 8 ounces, so it and the Royale are very comparable. And yes, the Weihrauch is a tank, it's got a lot of good German steel in it! The Revere is really an anomaly, it's a cylinder gun with a trim sporter style stock that begs to be carried, and held against the side of a tree while picking off a bushytail. The Royale, as a bottle gun, doesn't offer the same feel. My HW 100 is a laminate carbine, but the forend is not as trim or field friendly as the Revere, and it's heavy.
A rifle is no better than it's trigger. The FX trigger has always impressed me as a very odd piece of work. That said, it is simple, and can be adjusted for a decent feel. I installed a Boss match trigger in mine, which uses a more conventional design that utilizes the geometry of multiple levers. It is not as simple as the standard trigger, and its design and construction leave me a little unsure of its long-term reliability. But, mine has been fine after a thousand or so shots. Moving to the HW 100 and Revere, now we're getting into a real trigger, and both are excellent. Similar to other aspects of the rifles, the HW 100 is easy to adjust, and the Revere is not. Oddly, the "second stage weight" adjusting screw is actually a sear engagement adjustment. Spring tension is not adjustable, so disassembly and tinkering would be required if you desired a light-pull trigger. Mine arrived at about 1.5 pounds. After some adjusting, it feels very good at around 8 ounces. The HW 100 is set around 6 ounces, and that's about the minimum. But, these are not BR rifles, and all three triggers are perfectly serviceable.
I have short pic rails on the Royale and HW 100 for bench shooting with a bipod. The slim design and contour of the Revere forend is not ideal for bipod use. I would probably just install a stud and use a Harrid bipod. But, that's not really the strength of this rifle, and I'm not sure I will do anything other than just shoot if off bags from the bench.
As I alluded above, Daystate does not invite tinkering with their rifles, whereas FX has invented an entire market around it. Both the Royale and HW 100 are easy to tune, and the Revere is not. But, the Revere is shooting the 18 grain pellet at a very consistent 855 fps, which is very adequate for its intended use. And maybe Daystate is right, better to keep folks like me from going in their rifles and making a mess!
I'm not going to solve anyone's dilemma who may be thinking of buying one of these rifles. I couldn't decide either, and well, you see where it got me. I think the Weihrauch is the best made of the three, but if they will all last a lifetime, does it matter? To be honest, I don't care for anything FX has made since the Royale/Boss platform. And, I'm not real wild about some of the Royale design and build features. But, I've been trying to wear mine out for several years, and it keeps on ticking without a hitch, never needs cleaning, never changes POI. I had only one problem, the FX reg was no good, so I put in a Huma and it's been fine since. If I wanted to go shoot several hundred rounds from the bench, I'd take the HW 100. If I wanted to walk through the woods, it would be with the Revere. Well, I've rambled and probably said a lot of nothing. And, at this moment, there is a squirrel under the bird feeder, so I've got to make a choice.
Ed
