.25 EDgun Lelya 2.0, EDgun R5M Standard, or FX Wildcat MKII Compact?

Should also mention that this will be used as a (not likely over 75 yards) target, pest control, (and less often) hunting rifle that can be put in a pack. I have an Eberling rifle hunting pack, but would like if it fit in a shorter pack. Thanks!

Thanks PAT. I should not have assumed the MKII had a power level wheel. This is a happy time, except for a sense of urgency should an EDgun be the choice.

Cranky1: Thanks! I did look at the Vulcan because of members here raving about it. It seems hard to get as well, and do prefer a synthetic stock, which Brian says that EDgun is working on currently, presumably for the R5M.

Harmless,

Thanks for your input. Please, please give us your perspective and experience with compact hand pumps when you can. Thinking this is something many of us would like. FX is said to be working on such a device, related to the mechanism on the Indy/Independence. Would prefer a pump that uses arm muscles more than back muscles, at least from an exercise point of view. There are also makers developing compact AC/DC capable electric pumps. That would fit into the target shooting scenarios my boy and I will get into hopefully sometime in the future. 



davidsng,

What a gorgeous tool! Love the pictures. Kind of worried my young son in the coming years might shoot his support hand with such a short gem as the Lelya; maybe should be more worried about me and old shooting habits. Have you done maintenance on your piece? Do you have any comparisons with perhaps the Wildcat? Have you used long pellets? Any details are most welcome. 



Brian, 

Please interrupt some more. You have responded at least 4 times to my email questions with alacrity and professionalism. That and the real-deal videos from Ed go far in building trust in workmanship and support. (A major dealer has seemingly ignored the one email question I asked them. Thinking I would go with the Utah folks if FX gets the nod). Will the long .25 pellets fit in the EDgun magazine? The easily removed breech portion of the EDguns is excellent, would you be so kind as to comment on o-ring replacement? How about as compared with the Wildcat? Will the Lelya be available with a synthetic stock in the foreseeable future? Please tell us why the R5M/Lelya is a better choice for a shooting tool that will be a workhorse without stablemates to fill in, if something breaks? 

Grateful for all the replies

Tweeter, I too have watched EDgun videos, including the EDgunwest ones. Did you see Ed give the factory tour while the workers were on coffee break? I would say those machines were made in Germany or Japan but could be Russian or Korean for all I know. They looked very high quality. And yes, the forward cocking lever is much preferred; not a deal breaker if it does not have it though, if the gun otherwise holds promise.

Having read here the good things about the Taipan Veteran, it was clear they are worth a look. But kind of like the Vulcan, a person almost needs to know what they already want before going to a website to order. And if the vendor just doesn't 'connect' with one's personal perspective, it is hard to take a chance with such a considerable amount of money involved. So many videos really do not go into the more practical aspects of a gun. They mainly focus on some target patterns (which may be suspect) and the looks. Like so much internet fare, a person says the item is awesome and that is that. If the Taipan had in-depth demonstration of maintenance and discussion of dealer support that would be great. I don't care how it looks if it is functional (but the FX and EDgun are fetching to these eyes).

Cranky1, Thanks for mentioning Talon Tunes. Still not sure if the Vulcan2 is the 4th generation or not. rlairgunsupply comes up in search but they say they do not have them in stock, and once again, just not seeing the nuts-and-bolts kind of information desired. Interesting to hear about your feel on the FX Streamline. Seems like such a nice rifle with good design. And the Dreamline would be nice maybe, except for the rear cocking lever perhaps, and when it eventually surfaces in users hands..

davidsng, Really appreciate your information. Guessing you have not had it for a long enough time to have to do maintenance. The whole pellet thing is a bit daunting. Want to have heavy lead capability in case of a problem coyote or rabid dog and originally discussed with Brian about getting the R5M long for maximum take-down power. But a compact weapon will more likely be at hand when the time comes, and the above possibilities are rare indeed. Did see a rabid raccoon many years ago but it was too far gone to be an issue as long as everyone stayed clear.

Please, any member who has any perspective on this, chime in. summer is coming to a close in a couple weeks. The Lelya or R5M Standard may get sold out...

Have been looking around at the options. EDgun still at top of list. No power wheel on Wildcat is a factor. FX Bobcat not appealing. Repair issues with FX more than EDgun? Or is it just sheer numbers sold that makes it look like FX is more flouncy. Dreamline in bullpup would have cocking lever aft?

Checked out Vulcan2; nice. Watched (Arabic?) videos to get a sense of internals and design. Wish more info was out there. 

Love the way the Huben K1 was taken apart and discussed at length. A compact .25 in that might contend, but a lot of 'ifs, ands, and buts' going on there. 

Are alternative pellets polarizing with many shooters? No doubt lead is superior in basically every way. Might a longer lightweight pellet be more accurate, more aerodynamic, better sectional density? Yes, I am a newcomer to this, with enough personal knowledge to look even more foolish than your average noob.

Haven't researched with maximum effort yet, but would like to understand dynamics of pellet weight, barrel length and efficiency. In the more powerful air rifles, a longer barrel uses a given quantity of compressed air more efficiently, right? Is that less of a factor with lighter pellets tuned for accuracy, or are longer barrels better there as well, in terms of efficiency and effectiveness?