Fx vs Daystate

Hey friendly airguners

I would like to start the discussion of Fx vs Daystate.

They are both the leading brands of airguns in the world. Unlike Fx, Daystate appeals mostly to the european market. Fx mainly focuses on the U.S.
They both are extremely accurate. Many people think that the Fx rifles are more accurate. If you look at the Extreme Benchrest results the Fx airguns are all at the top of the chart. Daystate does not have very high ranks, but don't forget that there are more than twice as many Fx rifles, like I said they are mainly sold in the U.S.

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Looking at the price on average the Daystates are way more expensive than the FX rifles. If you look at them, some could understand why. Some think that The Fx rifles are very ugly compared to the beautiful walnut stocks from Daystates. Most of the FX rifles are made of synthetic material. Some people though see that the Fx airguns win the competitions and cost less so why buy a Daystate? Others just see a pride in owning a Daystate rifle.

I am going to leave this up to you guys to give your opinion on which rifle fits you better?

Cheers

Chris
 
As you have said, its completely up to personal preference. I actually don't like the classic look of wooden stocks(no matter what type of wood) and would rather see tons of synthetic plastic and/or stainless steel barrel(at least the silver finish on the outside). It would actually be a bonus if the synthetic black(grey or w/e) of the stock is soft to the touch like the brocock contour series. Now back on topic: FX Airguns also have their "smoothbore barrels" which I have no idea about. Compare that to the Daystate _________ barrel(no idea what kind of barrel Daystate uses) and then its up to you to decide which one is better. Actually after reading this post, it makes me want to buy a FX airgun even more since this data proves its effectiveness :').
 
I have had my eyes on the FX BOBCAT for some time. The revision, MARK 2, was a welcomed addition. HOWEVER, Daystate has been on my radar for a long time too. I like the look and accuracy of the Wolverines. The Wolverine 303 Hi-Lite has been appealing to me for some time. Equipped it with an additional suppressor and she is a WIN for me. 

SO My projected arsenal for the time being is this. 

FX BOBCAT Mark2 .25 Supressed (on order)
DayState Wolverine 303 HI-Lite CF Bottle in the 480cc 
FX Impact - Full barrel and Magazine set
PCP handgun.

Had also been interested in that RAW HW1000 .357 . I want and need BIG BORE to finish out the hunting collection.
 
21 FX's and 8 Daystate's. That says a lot right there. But as a person who owns an FX 400 and 500 along with a Daystate Air Wolf .22 and MK4 .177, I feel I am in a decent position to at least offer my point of view. 

These are two brands which are top-notch in every category. Shot count is incredible, ergonomics are well thought out, quality is impeccable and the accuracy speaks for itself. I think where some people get confused is with the accuracy. Both of these brands will deliver as promised when it comes to accuracy. But that accuracy is dependent on the shooter, the sweet spot of the rifle, the conditions one is shooting around and a whole host of other factors. Think of it as playing golf. You play the same course, use the same equipment. But every time you go out and play, you never get the same score. Why is that? Too many factors to quantify.

But I still think it comes down to the shooter. The gun, once sighted in, will always be the constant. The shooter will always be the unknown variable. And apart from an actual competition, the two brands will not give you much difference in results. I can still hit spinners out to 50 yards and beyond with both brands consistently. So consistent it gets boring. But that is also where the shooter comes in. Some of us want to be able to hit a gnats ear at 100 yards. Some of us are a little more realistic and will just settle for hitting the gnat. :)

Don't get too caught up on results you see posted from competitions. I am not saying they are not real, just not the norm for the "everyday" shooter. Want proof of that, try taking the Manabe challenge. It will humble you. Whatever brand(s) you buy, enjoy it and enjoy the sport.

Keith.

 
For me the daystate would be my dream gun. The wolverine B hi-lite is the sexiest looking gun I have ever seen since I am a sucker for expensive walnut and don't care much for synthetic stocks. For me the real difference comes down to looks and the style of shooter because I think any gun from both brands could out shoot my skills. The daystate seems more like a gentleman's gun and the fx are like the work horse. Both great companies but that is my opinion just wish I had money for all of them. 
 
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"skygear"Is Daystate Skipping the .25 all together?
That is a point I drive home to them every chance I get. They don't have a 50ft/lb .25 Wolverine. They do have a .25 Air Wolf, but it is based off the .22 platform, meaning it tops off at around 42ft/lbs. I believe that a 50-60 ft/lb Wolverine or Air Wolf would launch their US sales.

As for the Extreme Benchrest results... If you go back to the first year EBR was held, no one was using .25's or .30's. Everyone had .22's. And, Daystates were all over the podium. I don't know why, but the 2011 results are not on the Extreme Benchrest website....

 
I have a few of each Daystate and FX, along with several other air gun makers. For the FX I have 2 Bobcats, 25 and 30 and a 22 Gladiator. Daystate I have 25 Air Ranger, 22 Air Wolf, 22 MK4, 177 MK4. Out of those guns the Air Wolf is the most accurate that I have. It is also the most fun for me to shoot.. All will shoot amazing groups and I wouldn't get rid of any. I can't say I prefer one over the other. They are different guns for different jobs. The Daystates just feel better built then the FX but I haven't had any issues with my FX guns either. My Bobcat even took a fall off the shooting bench onto concrete and only broke the cheek pieces, everything else held up great. But Teds point is very valid. Daystate doesn't make a mid powered (45-55fpe) 25 cal airgun. I had to tweek my Air Ranger to do that. I think that is why you don't see many in the extreme benchrest. I bet if there were more of the 30 Wolverines out there that they would have been up there on that list. But being just shy of $3k not as many people can afford them. 
 
I have a Daystate Regal Huntsman XL .22, 30 ft/lbs with a Huggett, and an FX Boss .30, also with a Huggett. Both are great rifles, but with substantial differences, both cosmetic and related to accuracy. I don't have a favorite, they are different guns.

The Regal, and I suspect this is true of all Daystates, has a really gorgeous polished walnut stock (Rolls Royce interior quality), beautifully balanced, with laser cut checkering exactly where you want it. Ted said in one of his holdover videos: the grip is like velcro. Also, the Daystate pellet holder is a superb piece of engineering; it glides into place with zero resistance, and snaps tight as the inbuilt magnets grab it with a satisfying click. Pellet loading is also a joy: intuitive, positive click stop after each rotation; pure pleasure. The trigger is also sweet; crisp, but with a very light transition to second stage; pure joy again. But, the Regal is not regulated, so there is a modest power curve. Also, its not possible to uncock, and the effort required to arm is surprisingly high.

By contrast (& remember we are comparing a 30 ft lb .22 that costs $1295 and an 80 ft lb .30 that costs $2195), the Boss is regulated, and more accurate, which is probably the most important thing for many people. Loading is also much easier due to the mechanical advantage of the arming lever. After that Daystate wins in every department. The FX walnut stock does not have the beautiful finish of my Regal. The FX magazine works, but its crude compared to the Daystate: its has to be shoved in, no magnets to hold it in place, and loading it is clumsy compared to the Daystate. Also, I've yet to get my trigger adjusted to the butter smooth feel of the Regal.

Final thoughts: For some people there is more to a rifle than just how it shoots, and Daystate is the clear winner in this department. FX on the other hand builds powerful devastatingly accurate guns. Don't get me wrong: the Regal is also a very accurate .22. They are both great guns, but with different look and feel.
 
I'm not so sure I agree that Daystate doesn't make a mid powered .25 (45-55fpe). A couple of months ago, I test fired the .25 Air Ranger at AOA and was getting 935-940 fps using the JSB Kings. That's 49fpe. The gun was straight out of a new box and had not been tweaked. It's possible that it may have been a bit hotter than others but I would expect at least 45fpe from a .25 Air Ranger.

I don't know why Daystate hasn't produced a .25 Wolverine as the Wolverine would be a great platform for that caliber. Though it may not be popular in the UK, It would do very well in the States.
 
"Regal_US"I have a Daystate Regal Huntsman XL .22, 30 ft/lbs with a Huggett, and an FX Boss .30, also with a Huggett. Both are great rifles, but with substantial differences, both cosmetic and related to accuracy. I don't have a favorite, they are different guns.

The Regal, and I suspect this is true of all Daystates, has a really gorgeous polished walnut stock (Rolls Royce interior quality), beautifully balanced, with laser cut checkering exactly where you want it. Ted said in one of his holdover videos: the grip is like velcro. Also, the Daystate pellet holder is a superb piece of engineering; it glides into place with zero resistance, and snaps tight as the inbuilt magnets grab it with a satisfying click. Pellet loading is also a joy: intuitive, positive click stop after each rotation; pure pleasure. The trigger is also sweet; crisp, but with a very light transition to second stage; pure joy again. But, the Regal is not regulated, so there is a modest power curve. Also, its not possible to uncock, and the effort required to arm is surprisingly high.

By contrast (& remember we are comparing a 30 ft lb .22 that costs $1295 and an 80 ft lb .30 that costs $2195), the Boss is regulated, and more accurate, which is probably the most important thing for many people. Loading is also much easier due to the mechanical advantage of the arming lever. After that Daystate wins in every department. The FX walnut stock does not have the beautiful finish of my Regal. The FX magazine works, but its crude compared to the Daystate: its has to be shoved in, no magnets to hold it in place, and loading it is clumsy compared to the Daystate. Also, I've yet to get my trigger adjusted to the butter smooth feel of the Regal.

Final thoughts: For some people there is more to a rifle than just how it shoots, and Daystate is the clear winner in this department. FX on the other hand builds powerful devastatingly accurate guns. Don't get me wrong: the Regal is also a very accurate .22. They are both great guns, but with different look and feel.

I have the same two rifles and totally agree with what you say, both great rifles but very different. Daystate builds very beautiful rifles with a lot of attention towards detail. Their wood stocks are works of art and the metal parts are nicely finished everywhere you look. The Daystate magazines are also first rate how they work but cost 1/10th what a Huntsman MKII cost with one magazine included. They also shoot very well and come with a 3 year warranty.

FX, at least the three I own including a BOSS, are all synthetic stocks and are not of the same quality regarding ruff edges, dents in the stocks, and some of the blued metal
bits which somehow made it past quality control or are what FX has deemed acceptable. I would expect such defects on a sub-$500 rifle made by Hatsan in Turkey, but not on one that cost $1700-$2000.

Another brand that builds beautiful, attention to detail rifles is Air Arms. I don't know if they do the bluing on their air tubes or if some other company does it for them. Anyway, whoever does it, it's the nicest bluing I've ever seen on any rifle and they need to get in touch with FX and do their blued parts for them.





 
"travels4fun"I'm not so sure I agree that Daystate doesn't make a mid powered .25 (45-55fpe). A couple of months ago, I test fired the .25 Air Ranger at AOA and was getting 935-940 fps using the JSB Kings. That's 49fpe. The gun was straight out of a new box and had not been tweaked. It's possible that it may have been a bit hotter than others but I would expect at least 45fpe from a .25 Air Ranger.


Good point. I forgot about the 50 ft/lb Air Ranger. But, that gun is the past - Daystate isn't even making them anymore. And, when they were making them, they were not designed for the diabolo pellet. They were making the gun before the JSB King launched a few years back. And the Air Ranger Extreme that I reviewed had a 6 land/groove polygon barrel on it. It was clearly designed for bullet use. This all sounds like I am busting Daystate's balls. I absolutely am not. :) Rather, I am begging them (on my knees) to create a 50 ft/lb Air Wolf (preferably with a standard Huggett moderator). I would prefer the gun to shoot at 47 ft/lbs (Low) and 62 ft/lbs (Hight). This would optimize it for both JSB .25 pellets. And, also make in in tactical black. Can you see me Daystate? I am manically waiving my money at you!!. hahahaha.
 
To me it seems that the deciding factor in who is placing is not the maker of the air gun but the caliber their using.
Almost ever one in the top 28 places is a 30 caliber with the exception of the RAW BM500 .177.
I know with my limited time with my 30lb 22 DayState there is very little doping required compared to lower velocity pistols
and lower a velocity 300S RT and I only shoot about 40yds. So I figure out at 75yds a heavier pellet shot at a
faster velocity "to a point" is just naturally going to do better, especially when wind is a factor.

Maybe the RAW should be in the debate, only 4 rifles in the match and 3 of the placed in the top ten.