Looking For A New PCP

I look at the reviews from folks that get the gun handed to them from a dealer or manufacturer more of a promotion and overview to show off it's features .The actually reviews from owners that purchased the item will have more of a tendency to show off the good and bad .Those type of reviews are the ones you want to find several to watch from different owners and see if they generally say the same thing wether it's good or bad to weed out a single lemon or an actual issue with most of them.
Just my thoughts about reviews.

The ONE exception to me on the sugary sweet reviews is Steve at AEAC. I've been lucky enough to get to talk with him a couple times on the phone though he wouldn't remember , and he is exactly as he is in his videos .
Take a look at his springer video from a couple weeks ago. I watched another sponsored video on almost the identical gun . And the " other guy" made it sound like it was just one hair short of kicking PCP ass !!!!
Steve actually uses phrases like pellet fussy , hold sensitive , hard recoiling and such . Other guys won't .
I shot a gun in person at the Texas gun show last year with one glaring fault . No way you could shoot that gun and not be aware of it ....Watched a review that made this EXACT gun sound flawless.
I wouldn't have trash talked the entire gun because of this one point ...But it was DEFINITELY worth pointing out to guys looking for a new rifle . By the way it WASNT a FX Royale

As a owner and tuner I'll can tell what I think.

1. You must get one with the CF bottle, just to front heavy with aluminum bottle

2. As a BP lover it's 2 long for my liking.

3. The stock power is great and set at most accurate speed for the kings 25g but you can't over power.

4. Has a useful power wheel, if you move up to the boss there is no power wheel. 

5. It's quite enough with on board mod, you have to spend hundreds to make it quieter, removing the mod yourself is a nightmare and for sure you will dull / damage the finish.

6. The cocking lever action is vary smooth

7. The trigger is great, but if you adjust to light the trigger blade doesn't reset foward if you just lean on the 2nd stage with out firing you have to push it forward to reset.

8. The reg is vary consistent with a lot of shots per fill.

9. Had to get the smaller mag to get the proper height for my liking --just don't like any scope 2 high for that matter in any AG

If a rifle is what you need or prefer you will be happy with the 500 I highly recommend!

"JoeWayneRhea" The ONE exception to me on the sugary sweet reviews is Steve at AEAC. I've been lucky enough to get to talk with him a couple times on the phone though he wouldn't remember , and he is exactly as he is in his videos .
Take a look at his springer video from a couple weeks ago. I watched another sponsored video on almost the identical gun . And the " other guy" made it sound like it was just one hair short of kicking PCP ass !!!!
Steve actually uses phrases like pellet fussy , hold sensitive , hard recoiling and such . Other guys won't .
I shot a gun in person at the Texas gun show last year with one glaring fault . No way you could shoot that gun and not be aware of it ....Watched a review that made this EXACT gun sound flawless.
I wouldn't have trash talked the entire gun because of this one point ...But it was DEFINITELY worth pointing out to guys looking for a new rifle . By the way it WASNT a FX Royale

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Yeah I agree with you,he seems very genuine and honest.

Perspective is a key element in all reviews Steve was a police officer at one point and time so I am sure he would agree with this, You could get four people to do a review on the same gun and all four may find different faults and or positives for that same gun.
I view reviews from manufactures and retailers as white sheets on a gun (key points, features, and advancements or helpful tips)
I view reviews from a select few dedicated reviewers as a first impression, Knowing the background of the reviewer helps, are they target shooters hunters, backyard plinkers ... whatever. One key element of finding a good pro reviewer is who is furnishing the product, If they have two or three different retailers or a bunch of different manufactures sending them products to review then they are more likely to (as I have seen Steve do) publicly say I don't like the way the trigger feels or I wish the manufacturer had done this or that to make the gun better.
I view reviews from end users as last impression ( not unboxing reviews GOD I hate those) There are even some that hang around this forum that give some darn good honest reviews

And Last but 100% not LEAST!!! I use forums like this to do some due diligence and research
****with one small caveat and that is, for the most part people are more apt to take the time to complain about a product or service while not have the time to praise a product or service

The FX Royal 500 or the RAW HM 1000X are top choices.

I would also strongly consider reviewing the seller and how warranty repair friendly they are. Buy from someone who is authorized to do warranty work and people speak highly of as far as service. Another thing is I would avoid rushing out to buy the newest model rushed to market. Let the early birds help work out the bugs.

So I would like to weigh in also. I have owned mostly FX Airguns so I'm partial to FX. The Daystate is a top airgun too but I just don't like that tiny bolt action at the rear. It is the quietest airgun I own though. So I've owned the Gladiator, Verminator, Bobcat, Wildcat, 500, Impact, an Air Arms TDR, Daystate MCT and I thinking I'm forgetting some. But ask me which model that I bought a second. FX 500. I can nitpick something about each of these. The linkage on the Wildcat, the first Gladiator would kick out the mag if you weren't careful & air leaks here & there etc. the 500 has been bulletproof! It is longer the the bulpups but no longer than a regular gun. I bought a second one because my unregulated first one shot lights out so I decided to get a regulated one too. It doesn't shoot any better than the first but it uses less air. My 500s have never had a problem. No leaks, no nothing! You get my drift? I LIKE THE 500!

fsa46, in my short stroll along the airgun evolutionary trail; I have blown through a P-Rod, the Daystate Pulsar .25, and the FX Impact .30. I am now awaiting delivery of the RAW HMx .357 (130 ft-lbf regulated) Forest Green Laminate thumbhole stock w/ adjustable cheek piece. IMO, the new RAW is the current epitome of airgun technology for small/medium game. She has the power and accuracy profile of a standard .22lr rimfire (130 ft-lbf at the muzzle and 80 ft-lbf at 100 yds w/ an SD of 3.00). She has a regulated shot count of 16 shots per fill; and with an Omega 12 cu-ft 4,500 psi carbon fiber mini-tank, a total of approx. 60 shots in the field without the leaking issues associated with so-called field-swappable bottles. For what it's worth, for your approval.

https://www.rapidairweapons.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17762

I have a FX Royale 400 (.22) that I bought myself. My understanding is that this is essentially the same rifle as the 500 but in smaller caliber.

Here are my thoughts on it:

Specs can tell you the size and weight, but this rifle is lighter and more compact than I was expecting it to be. For me it's perfect. I'm 5'6" so I could imagine it may seem really small to bigger guys.

I have always wanted a good thumbhole stock. And boy, I'm glad I got this one. It is the most natural feeling rifle to shoulder that I've felt - and I have not done anything to adjust it. I also needed an ambidextrous stock which this is.

Speaking of the stock, it feels dry to me. Not bad, but it really needs a little more finish on it. If I were the super nitpicky type, I would complain about a couple of marks where the stain is lighter than the rest of the rifle. I have been working coats of Howards Feed-n-wax polish into the stock and that's helped quite a bit!

The overall finish is less impressive than the Air Arms s510 I had before. Family members who really don't know guns even noticed this. It's not bad, but seems "utilitarian". The AA stock, finish, and bluing were so very nice...

I hated the magazine at first. Now I don't think twice about loading it. And unlike the s510's magazine, pellets that are loaded into it don't fall out. Yes, it truly bothers me with how much FX charges for their magazines. I would think that aftermarket sellers (UTG / Leapers) should pick up on this and offer options.

Now that I have it shooting (at what I believe to be) full power, I can say it seems a *little* louder than my s510. Not bad, but I can see my dog flinching when I shoot it from inside my shed...

I love the trigger and safety. I don't see me adjusting it. However, it is odd how the 1st stage does not spring back forward when you release the trigger.

Sidelever action is great. Very comparable to the AA. I have shot a buddy's Crickets and Daystate (thanks Sam!) but I have to say this cocking mechanism on the FX is probably the best of the bunch. I have a had a couple of double-loads. A mechanism to prevent this would be nice, but anytime it occurs all I can say is "user error".

I love the position of the air gauge. IMHO, no air gauge she be positioned at the END of the air tube. (DUH...) And the gauge itself is clear and easy to read.

The air fill adapter is in a great spot right next to the gauge. However, I had one "incident" filling it for the 1st time when I must have not fully engaged the locking collar around the foster... I cracked open the pressure on my tank to fill and BAM! it bloodied my nose faster than you could imagine! It still hurts but I consider myself lucky that it did not punch out a tooth or hit my glasses. Lesson learned. And I may switch to the FX one included in box vs. what came on my Joe B. tank.

At this price it SHOULD have some system for mounting a bipod and/or sling, but it doesn't. Boooooo!

Accuracy. I'm not disappointed





12-shots @65 yards:

She is a gorgeous little honey alright

great rifle enjoy it

Truth be told, I had just as much fun (maybe more, because the experience was new) with my P-Rod w/ a red dot and a hand pump as I did with my FX Impact .30 w/ a Sidewinder and a compressor.

Buying a particular brand doesn't guarantee it will shoot as good as you want it to. Seems like no two act the same. I have a FX 500 and it shoots really good but i had to do a couple of things to it to get it where i was happy with it. My FX Boss was the same way. My RAW HM1000 X in 25 cal didn't shoot as good as i wanted and it is being worked on by a very skilled airrifle expert. If you buy a FX500 chances are good that it will shoot well. Same with the RAW. It is hard to go wrong with either.

I wholeheartedly agree, Scalf. A major part of the fun for me with airguns is to make the weapon my own. I love monkeying around with different settings and pellets.

It seems that is what it takes to get a shooter. Little things seems to make big differences some times.