An FAC air rifle is a very good tool, but it comes at a cost ! You need a variation, then over £1000 for a reasonable set up for a non springer. What about making a good hide in a good spot and luring them to a nut feeding station ? Depending on the range you could springer (cheaply) or 22 rim fire with a built in back stop. No one thing is perfect, or fits all situations. It all comes down to how much you wish to spend.
Fac air is it worth it ?
- Thread starter .222roebuck
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Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Put your tin hat on... and wait for incoming missiles
Yes you have your romantic’s with rose tinted glasses out there for the rapid , god knows whyPut your tin hat on... and wait for incoming missiles
FAC air .22 is pretty close being perfect out to 100 -150 yards using slugs and pellets from 10- 80 or so yards
Rake Aboot
Well-Known Member
So basically you’ve not got a clue?
Fac air is a brilliant well used tool.
I much prefer it over 12ft/lb guns so if you already have an fac then it would be daft not to own one
I have a BSA R10 .177 running 20ft/lb
What an awesome tool it is.
Anyone who says it’s no good has absolutely not a clue what they are talking about
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
Hi Rake, I think 222Roebuch asked specifically if there were any fac springers that are worth a look, I think Glasshalffull is a devoted pcp fan, hence he just said "No" don't bother with a springer...
Bo Diddley
Well-Known Member
I miraculously dodged a bullet it seems when I opted for a Crown instead of an Impact, loved the idea of the shorter rifle with a longer barrel but being a lefty I couldn't live with the magazine on the Impact.
I'm really in love with my Crown, it's a good tool.
LarryLightFoot
Well-Known Member
If your just sat a feeders 20 ish yds off then sub 12 will do the job, if you want to walk and stalk and take them out of trees at longer distances with H&L shots then something with a bit more punch is needed .
Bagged hundreds sat at feeders with sub 12 now use .22 FAC Crown Mk 2 which can go from sub 12 ish up to 30-40 ft/lb depending on what settings/ammo I choose, the Crown is less faff than some others, great field gun .
Bagged hundreds sat at feeders with sub 12 now use .22 FAC Crown Mk 2 which can go from sub 12 ish up to 30-40 ft/lb depending on what settings/ammo I choose, the Crown is less faff than some others, great field gun .
Outandabout-goneshooting
Well-Known Member
Was in exactly the same situation as you with a need to keep things quiet due to equestrian facilities close by.
Took the plunge on a second hand daystate huntsman regal running at 32 FPS and love it. Got a hawke sidewinder scope with the mildot type reticle and can get them at 75 yards accurately and with barely any sound. Shot 4 off one tree base the other day as their mates kept wondering what was going on and came down to see.
Zero issues so far. Only use a hills pump but that gives me 33 full power shots which is enough for an afternoon squirrel bashing. Kept .22 lr for rabbits at night but I think the fac air would be more than capable.
I'd say go for it, but that's my opinion only!
i really wanted to keep the rifle that’s why i persevered. maybe i will buy another one day
I have an FX Crown, possibly the best FAC, PCP I've ever had.
When I'm out waiting for foxes in the Hilux I have an FX Wildcat bull pup. This is so short I can move it around and shoot the odd rabbit that turns up. I tried the Crown but with the 204 it was too much of a tangle getting it out the window.
When I'm out waiting for foxes in the Hilux I have an FX Wildcat bull pup. This is so short I can move it around and shoot the odd rabbit that turns up. I tried the Crown but with the 204 it was too much of a tangle getting it out the window.
Folks often dont understand all the different ammo you can get for the 22 RF . In my own experiance shooting a fair number of PCP rifles in Comp and in the field ..... The rifles and the charging systems often develop faults . Are also very much more costly to purchase.
We have a couple of CZ 452 in 22lr and i had one in 17 early days of the cartridge ( fell out with that chambering though ) . Really dont know where the .22 Lr will go when lead goes beyond the fact that 22 lr ammo is sold in way bigger quantities Globally than airgun ammo , cf ammo . Anyone who manages to make and protect rights to a great design is going to be extremely rich . if they dont ? At least i had my moneys worth years ago
I think you find more pellets are sold world wide than .22lr ammo
One on top of two
Well-Known Member
This has got to be the worst place to ask for advice on air rifles be it sub 12 or FAC 
Most peoples experience is a decade out of date , things have seriously moved on at an unbelievable rate .
High end air rifles are expensive and so are high end rim fires just look at a voodoo and tell me thats value for money while keeping a straight face . And then you have to feed them with £20 /100 ammo and as for the low power stuff well most of that is a total joke in fact nearly all of the ammo nowadays is hit and miss unless your using match grade oh and thats if you can get hold of them . And then theres the lead ban , in 4-5 years your be begging your RFD to take it off your ticket for free .
There are cheap PCPs just like there are cheap rimfires lots and lots of both under £500.00
If all your doing is knocking stuff out of trees you really do NOT need an FAC air rifle .
Most peoples experience is a decade out of date , things have seriously moved on at an unbelievable rate .
High end air rifles are expensive and so are high end rim fires just look at a voodoo and tell me thats value for money while keeping a straight face . And then you have to feed them with £20 /100 ammo and as for the low power stuff well most of that is a total joke in fact nearly all of the ammo nowadays is hit and miss unless your using match grade
oh and thats if you can get hold of them . And then theres the lead ban , in 4-5 years your be begging your RFD to take it off your ticket for free . There are cheap PCPs just like there are cheap rimfires lots and lots of both under £500.00
If all your doing is knocking stuff out of trees you really do NOT need an FAC air rifle .
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Probebly more 22 rf sold in the USA alone than airgun pellets in the rest of the world i Suspect . Not the fact in the UK but we are not a big user indeed we wont use the quantity of most of the rural states individually. The only reason our airguns stand out globally is our limited access to RF / CF firearms has created a skewed demand . You just dont find many at all sub 12 ftlb in the USA . Take a look even the cheap springers are pushed up to the max ( making them a licenced item as a firearm in the Uk ) RF ammo sales are massive with plants running night and day none stop
The FAC airgun in the UK remains a thing of the enthusiast , would be interesting to find out how RF stood against air on UK licencing but my money is very much on the RF .
Think it depends what your circumstances are for the squirrel control.
Most squirrel control is best carried out off feeders from a static position and that can usually be achieved from within 30 metres - and that's fine for a sub12 rifle.
I use my .20 HW100 KT for that. It's sub12 and plenty for that work.
I also have a .25 FAC rifle running at 42ft lbs mainly for locations I can't use LR on rabbits. Ideal for the scenarios I have; but in all honesty no need for it for squirrel control.
I'd have a think about your circumstances and if you can shoot predominantly from within 30 m, you probably don't need FAC.
A good SH sub12 HW100 in 22 is a reliable, accurate and effective tool and plenty a out too.
Most squirrel control is best carried out off feeders from a static position and that can usually be achieved from within 30 metres - and that's fine for a sub12 rifle.
I use my .20 HW100 KT for that. It's sub12 and plenty for that work.
I also have a .25 FAC rifle running at 42ft lbs mainly for locations I can't use LR on rabbits. Ideal for the scenarios I have; but in all honesty no need for it for squirrel control.
I'd have a think about your circumstances and if you can shoot predominantly from within 30 m, you probably don't need FAC.
A good SH sub12 HW100 in 22 is a reliable, accurate and effective tool and plenty a out too.
There are some very good reduced power .22 RF rounds available CCI quiet target are real good when you need to shoot up into the trees ( safely )
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