Rethinking my choice for first PCP Bullpup

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J

johnkn

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Dec 28, 2015
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MD
Greetings, getting ready for my first PCP and was dead sure I wanted/needed a FX Wildcat .25 but now leaning toward a Cricket 22. My needs are:

Quiet
  • 99% of shooting will be ground squirrels, starlings, etc
  • 90% of that will be ~30 yards out to perhaps 50 max
  • Trouble free

Shooting from the back of my house I've got ~30 yards of lawn to the tree line, then 400 feet of wooded property behind that, but for a 2 acre lot it's relatively narrow. The majority of my shots are to the woodline. I have .22 Spring gun now that has really never lacked the power to fulfill my needs. I tend to be old school with a 'bigger is better' mentality but am now thinking the .22 Cricket is a better fit for my needs. Not sure I really need or want the extra power. Suggestions? Thanks
 
Thanks guys, I failed to mention, I'm looking for kind of a single "click to buy" solution. I don't want to be working on or be tweaking anything here. I already (hastely) ordered the scope and biod, but I want a rifle that I take out of the box, charge, and shoot. At age 60 (don't worry, you will get there if you're lucky, LOL) I have way too many hobbies, but want a pretty good PCP for my needs.. I'm presently in a wooded development, 2-4 acres if that helps, and I don't want to alert neighbors. Thanks!!! John
 
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You can't go wrong with any of the suggestions above. All are accurate, efficient, and loaded with features. One major difference is the location of the cocking lever. The Impact, Wildcat, & Vulcan all have mid-mounted cocking levers (bolt on the Vulcan), which means that you can keep your eye on the target for multiple shots. The cocking lever on the Cricket is located at the rear and it is difficult to cock without taking your cheek off of the block.
 
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 For your stated purpose you certainly do not need a .25, no doubt a .22 will take care of your needs ( so would a .177). You also do not need more than 12fpe.
Have you ever fired a bull-pup?
Have any shooters near you?
Getting together with some other airgun folks and trying whatever they have just might really open your mind and is THE way to buy right the first time.


John
 
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I bought a .22 Cricket on impulse and love it. Compact, light, deadly accurate. Haven't seen many squirrels in my yard for some time. Mag changes are a bit fumbly, but with 14 rounds on board at any given time, a speedy mag change hasn't proven to be that important. Liked it so much my second (even more impulsive) buy was a 9MM Cricket. Now, that puppy is a cannon, any way you slice it. Others in the fleet include a .25 Marauder (awesome gun, though needs some extras to be really quiet) and an FX Revolution. The Revo is a riot too, very quiet, very accurate, very hazardous to the squirrel population. Scoop up a second hand Cricket, you won't be disappointed.
 
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Thanks everyone, I greatly appreciate your input. I'll go with the synthetic .22 Cricket. What I didn't want to happen was to buy something then wish I had made a different choice, appears that won't be the case here. I already ordered a Hawke Sidewinder Tac scope in 8.5x25x42, what are the recommended rings for the Cricket? FX No Limit? Lastly, I have an assortment of .22 pellets but will pick up some more, what's am good starting point, JSB 18.13s? Thank you.
 
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