How long does it take...?

I haven't hand pumped my wildcat, but I think it's going to take hundreds of pumps to fill and you have to let the pump cool down after 10 to 15 minutes of pumping for 10 minutes.

It depends I have a scuba tank now but I used to pump up my Fx Bobcat MK2 and It took around 15 minuets it’s not fun. 

When your done pumping your not gonna what to shoot it.

I still hand pump my Royale 400 mate. Don't get scared off by some people's comments when it comes to hand pumping. If you are not letting off hundreds of shots in a sitting its absolutely fine. My 400cc tank takes around 15 mins with a fx 3 stage pump. I get around 100 shots per fill which is a lot of hunting and a fair bit of plinking. The wildcat would take a bit shorter time because of the smaller tank but would have to do it more regularly. If you are a fit fella its a piece of cake. Just need to use the right technique of using your body weight instead of actual muscles. Also it is handy having a pump for when your scuba tank gets down a bit and you can't get a full fill out of it. Ill fill it halfway and then top off with the hand pump before heading out in the field. 

Hi Hampton, I've been hand pumping for years, I have two Hill Mk4's and I fill my .25Wildcats 300cc cylinder almost every day. Depending where the pressure is when you start, from 140b to 230b, I go in 50 to 60 pumps at a time than open the bleed valve to clear water than let pump cool for a few minutes, I don't pump too fast, it usually takes me about four of these cycles, 230cc tank would be even easier, I pump my Bobcat 470cc and a 500cc bottle gun, usually top off after short shooting sessions, I'm 63 and I love the workout. Including getting the pump out, filling, then putting the pump away, easy 20minutes for the 300cc cylinder, it can be done faster but its hard on pump seals, the actual pumping isn't what takes the time its the cooling. The idea of harvesting air as a propellant just using a hand pump appeals to me. Enjoy your Wildcat!!!!!

Do not over look the lower cost hand pumps, some of them are very good units.

I hand pumped for years and agree, it's not bad at all. Posture/technique and 120lb+ to drop on the handle with elbows locked. Have filled 500cc tanks from 0psi ( you wont hopefully be doing that) , took just under 500 strokes but that was a less efficient FX pump.

THE standard when hand pumps first hit the masses was, 50 strokes then letcool - w/handle up-.

I like to keep a hand pump around just to show new people it's not hard. The Wife has re-filled her AA during a FT match with one, never complained.

John

My180cc hatsan tank took 120 orso pumps to go from 2000 to 3000psi. Very doable with a hand pump. Your probably looking at 200 pumps to go from low to full. Less if you are just topping off. A good pump is key. My cheapy Amazon $50 pump gave out and I got a full refund so I went the chinisium compressor. Pumping is not all that bad. Proper technique is key. Like stinkajames says body weight works to your advantage. A nice steady pace with a pause at the top and the bottom of the stroke. Pump for 5 to 10 mins then let the pump cool down. I found about 50 to 60 pumps would warm the pump up. 5 to 10 min cool down then pump again.

I think we all have been here for the most of us over our PCP years. That said I would never have owned and enjoyed as many PCPs as I have without a tank and compressor. You can say what you want but owning several guns that take 250bar fills and all you have is a hand pump will limit your shooting time. I can empty my WC Compact in minutes and if you think you will pump 20 mins for 32 shots and do it all day you wont have much fun. Your triceps will give you popeye arms though. I don't have an issue with pumps and it's almost a must on a budget but it does handicap your ability to have all day shooting sessions of 500 rounds or more. 

I'm glad someone that has did it spoke up. I had thought about a hand pump when I first got into pcps but was under the impression that it was going to take a hour or so to fill it. thanks for the info.

Hampton:

I have a WC .25 with an FX 4-stage hand-pump. Topping off the bottle is a chore, but it's not that bad. Of course, I generally don't shoot her down to 150 bar before fully charging to 230 bar. (I wish I had a time period and stroke count for ya, but I don't keep track of those metrics.) I usually fill my baby while multi-tasking watching TV or surfing the Web. If the WC is the only AG you have, and you already have a 4-stage hand-pump, I wouldn't invest in a tank. I'm saying this not from a cost standpoint, but from a practical standpoint. (A high-end 4-stage hand-pump costs almost as much as a tank.) Having a tank isn't a panacea. I live in San Diego, which is dive shop Nirvana. One would think that getting your tank filled here would be e breeze. WRONG, oh moose breath! Filling a tank is a loss-leader just to get you in the store. Dive shops hate to fill non-SCUBA tanks because there is little chance that they will make a dive-related sale. After about three or four times of my local dive shop failing to top off the tank and taking several days to get around to it, I bought a tank and compressor. But, this was only because, at the time, I had a RAW .357; and a hand-pump was out of the question. But since I sold the RAW, the only AG I have is my WC; and a hand-pump is just fine and much more convenient. If you do spring for a tank, I would still keep your hand-pump in case you have issues getting your tank filled.

You can also feed your hand pump with compressed air at 20 to 30 psi. Each stroke will require a little more effort but the total number to fill your tank will be GREATLY reduced. I have been doing this for a couple of years now and it really works. Others have done this using a small compressor. I did it a little differently. I use a 5 gallon 150 psi air storage tank with a regulator and filter on the output. I also put 5lbs of desiccant in the tank. I charge the tank with a compressor - this removes the majority of the moisture from the air - then the compressed air sits in the tank with the desiccant. I have never had a problem with moisture in my guns using this setup.

Rodeo could would share more about your set up sounds interesting as I hand pump also maybe some pictures thanks

With a Hill mk4 t takes about 10 minutes to fill the 230cc wildcat. There's no effort involved, upstroke is easy and if you bend your knees on the downward stroke, then it's just a matter of using your weight. I suppose it helps to weigh over 220lbs, all weight manipulation.

I will start another thread in the compressor section about how I boosted / supercharged my pump. Unfortuneately I won't have time to do it till maybe next week. My nephew passed away and I am leaving for Wisconsin to attend the service. However, there is a write up in another forum that I have posted in - should not be hard to find with a quick search.

Search "Air Venturi G6 pump with booster"

Rodeo, interesting set up, what kind of desiccant do you use and where do you get it in that bulk?

I used silica desiccant with color changing beads. I bought it at a craft store (Michaels I think). I believe it cost around $12 for the 5 pound bag.

I did exactly the same as Rodeo, right down to the extra tank with desiccant in it (bought that on ebay). It basically cuts your pumping in half, although some of those pumps are much harder than unboosted. You can find my setup here: https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=117831.msg1135508#msg1135508
That was my old setup with a Benji pump-- using a cheap $50 chinese pump is preferred (better pumps anyway).

..oh I forgot, I also have an extra desiccant filter I made out of a PVC pipe filled with desiccant that I put inline as well.