I am hooked, need to be able to shoot more per fill, thinking about FX Wildcat

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k_h_d

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Jan 8, 2017
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I bought a Marauder a couple months ago. I went with the .25 caliber as I have had .22 cal break barrel guns and wanted to go slightly bigger.

I have been shooting at this target ) and for some silly reason the loud clang of the pellet and then the metal resetting is very satisfying.

So, I need to get a gun that will have more shots per fill, and I am thinking of an FX Wildcat. I am pretty set on .25 caliber as it is suppose to get 60 shots, which is only 10 less than the .22 caliber version. Anybody have a strong compelling reason to get the .22 over the .25?

I have an Air Venturi 4500 psi 90 Cu in tank with a 2900 psi regulator on it. Will that 2900 psi be enough to fill the Wildcat? Or does it take a higher fill pressure to get the claimed 60 shots?
 
When I fill my .22 Wildcat to 2900 psi (I have the same tank), I get 10-12 shots less than a full 230 bar fill. An easy hack you might consider with that tank is to remove the regulator and replace the thin shim with a thicker 8mm diameter washer. This will increase the output pressure so you can fill the Wildcat to 230 bar. You REALLY need to be careful with this hack as overfilling will occur if you open the valve fully.
 
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The Wildcat has a 230 bar fill. Your tank will only fill to 200 bar, so you won't get the 60 shots. Not sure how many less. Others can chime in who know. 

In terms of .22 vs. .25, what do you want to do with your rifle? Hunt? Target? Both? And how far? This would determine if a .22 or a .25 would make better sense. 

I like shooting metal targets as well. Especially long distance. The sound of a metal gong being hit at 100+ yards is music to my ears!!
 
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I would guess that 70% of the time I will target shoot and the other 30% of the time I will shoot squirrels. I live on 6 acres and regularly shoot the squirrels that dig up the yard, probably kill 4-5 a week. Been less lately as I think the population is being reduced! I feed the local hawks, Fox, and Coyotes. If I just leave the squirrel in the yard they will snatch them up.

The 25 cal marauder really takes out a squirrel easily. The Marauder is suppose to be 40fpe. The 22cal Wildcat is suppose to be 30fpe. Would I notice a difference in knockdown power between 30 and 40fpe?

I have an Air Venturi handpup also, I guess I could top off from 200 bar to 230 bar with the hand pump. I am sure I will be getting the new Air Venturi compressor at somepoint.
 
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There is a compelling reason. The 25 has a larger cylinder and you won't get that many fills from that tiny little tank.

if that tank is all you have to work with and you don't want to invest in something bigger, you should avoid all of the guns with large tanks / high air usage. You can check it out for yourself using one of the fill calculators to see how many times you could fill a 25 Wildcat to 230 bar with that little tank. 

if I were you, I would be looking for the most efficient PCP gun possible, especially if you are only plinking in your garden. I use my 25 cal guns for hunting shots only. 

The other option is teathering the tank to your Marauder and getting more shots that may.
 
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"zebra"There is a compelling reason. The 25 has a larger cylinder and you won't get that many fills from that tiny little tank.

if that tank is all you have to work with and you don't want to invest in something bigger, you should avoid all of the guns with large tanks / high air usage. You can check it out for yourself using one of the fill calculators to see how many times you could fill a 25 Wildcat to 230 bar with that little tank. 

if I were you, I would be looking for the most efficient PCP gun possible, especially if you are only plinking in your garden. I use my 25 cal guns for hunting shots only. 

The other option is teathering the tank to your Marauder and getting more shots that may.
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I assume I can just shoot the Marauder directly from my tank since it has a 2900 PSI regulator, that is a good idea.

Looks like I should have opted for a larger tank from the get go, Oh well, guess I will order one.

Any other recommendations than this one?

http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Air_Venturi_Carbon_Fiber_Tank_4500_PSI_74_Cu_Ft/5834
 
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"zebra"I buy used 30 and 45 minute scba tanks with a fresh hydro and around 8 years of life left for $115-$120. I don't like spending a lot on tanks - it means less money for air guns!

also, you can buy cheap Chinese compressors shipped to your door for $450 on eBay these days. You could fill your small tank from the compressor
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Where do you buy your tanks?

I will look into the chinese compressors, not many reviews about them on the forums.
 
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Tough one.
I'm a big fan of the Wildcat. I shoot mine for ~40 shots before refilling. I can shoot more but, those 40 give me the most consistency. 
Reading your original post (You can get that target cheaper), I had two thoughts for you...
Get a compressor, you'll have all the air you need and, therefore, can shoot all you want. 
Get a bigger tank, regulator, and tether your rifle. You can shoot hundreds of shots before refilling. But either way, "cha-ching!" lots of $.
Something else to ponder is the air consumption of a .22 vs a .25. Off the same volume of air, you'll get more shots from a .22. 

You may be hooked on the Wildcat, and it's a great choice IMO. But, consider something with a power wheel. This will allow you to get many more shots by turning the rifle down for target shooting, then up again for hunting.
Tom
 
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"Tominco"
You may be hooked on the Wildcat, and it's a great choice IMO. But, consider something with a power wheel. This will allow you to get many more shots by turning the rifle down for target shooting, then up again for hunting.
Tom
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For guns that have a power wheel, is there any change in accuracy and sites when you go up and down on power? Seems like there would be.
 
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Given that you will be shooting 70% of the time at targets and the rest at small animals, and you want lots of shots per fill, I would agree with Tom and get something with a power wheel, and get it in .22. The FX Royal 200 has a 200 cc tank and in .22 gets 50 full power shots from that!! It has a power wheel with three settings. At full power, your at around 34 FPE. Plenty for what you want to knock down with it. IT is very accurate. Capable of sub MOA at 50 yards no problem. Very quiet with full length shroud. FX makes the Royale line standard with a regulator now. If I remember correctly, the ES and SD for those 50 shots on my rifle was 12 and 2. That's pretty awesome. Also, the price just dropped some on the Royale line (along with some other FX models). Check it out. 

In terms of lower power settings and accuracy, you will loose some accuracy from shooting any pellet at less than it's optimal speed. This shows up more as you shoot longer distances. On power level one (lowest power) the FX 200 will give you well over 100 shots and be accurate enough for shooting 1 inch spinners (or smaller) at 30 - 40 yards all day long. 
 
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KHD, Just for grins my question is: if your plinking and not shooting in matches, why do you think you need a higher shot count ? I have a 22 PCP and it is actually too loud in the yard as neighbors can hear those plates getting whacked at 22 FT/lbs. I am now shooing a .177 pcp and OMG the shot count increased by 60%.
So try a .177 if you "gotta" shoot a lot more shot count (before refills I assume), the gun will be so much quieter and more repeatable shot strings and further with .177. and if your shooting reactive targets no one will ever know you're shooting especially with Bagged Cyprus Mulch bacstop. Plus youll get double the ammo in .177 for the same price as .22 

Try a.177 it amazed me,
BR
Pinwheel87
 
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You might look at the Cricket .25 also. A friend has a Wildcat .25 and he is always getting air about twice as often as I do with my Cricket.
I'm sure the air tube has less volume, but his regulator is set much higher than mine also. 
For me a 2900 PSI fill will easily give 3 - 12 shot Mag's. @ 51+ FPE and still be above the 110 Bar that the regulator is set to. 
I had a Marauder .22 cal. first. Then a .25 Cricket second. I'll never part with it.
FX Wildcat is a great gun and very accurate. The smooth twist barrel's not for me though. Can't shoot slugs. 
Probably not much help, just something to think about.

 
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"k_h_d"
"zebra"I buy used 30 and 45 minute scba tanks with a fresh hydro and around 8 years of life left for $115-$120. I don't like spending a lot on tanks - it means less money for air guns!

also, you can buy cheap Chinese compressors shipped to your door for $450 on eBay these days. You could fill your small tank from the compressor
Click to expand...
Where do you buy your tanks?

I will look into the chinese compressors, not many reviews about them on the forums.
Click to expand...
I get them from a local firefighters supply store called AAA emergency supply store in White Plains NY. They do the Hydro testing themselves onsite. Give them a call and ask to speak to Seth to see what they have in stock. You can usually negotiate on price a bit. 
 
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"Long_Shot"You might look at the Cricket .25 also. A friend has a Wildcat .25 and he is always getting air about twice as often as I do with my Cricket.
I'm sure the air tube has less volume, but his regulator is set much higher than mine also. 
For me a 2900 PSI fill will easily give 3 - 12 shot Mag's. @ 51+ FPE and still be above the 110 Bar that the regulator is set to. 
I had a Marauder .22 cal. first. Then a .25 Cricket second. I'll never part with it.
FX Wildcat is a great gun and very accurate. The smooth twist barrel's not for me though. Can't shoot slugs. 
Probably not much help, just something to think about.

Click to expand...
The Wildcat 25 is listed as having a 300cc cylinder. The Cricket 25 has 350cc. 
 
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