I received my FX Streamline on Tuesday (at work) which I ordered from Airguns of Arizona, along with pellets, Hawke Sidewinder 10x42 half-mildot, and FX No Limit rings.  

Hawke sends its Sidewinder scopes in a very neat carrying case.  Upon opening the big box from AoA the Scope case was the first thing to come out.  The scope was missing from the case.  

After removing all the peanuts, I found the seven tins of pellets I ordered but no scope rings.    My boss started playing with the tin of JSB King Heavy pellets while I got the rifle box out and opened it.  I found that the folks at AoA, without my instructions to do so, mounted the scope to the rifle. (That was a relief: all the stuff I ordered was shipped.)

AoA shot eight shots for a group and chronograph numbers.  The muzzle velocity with the JSB King 25.4 grain pellets was at 900 ft/s.  The group at 20 yards was a cluster with a couple of slightly lower hits.  But all the pellets would have taken out a dot in the middle of the group.

The pressure gauge read 160 BAR which I thought was enough to try it out.  I also brought my SCUBA tank to work.  But, I had not realized that the FX fill probe did not have a Foster fitting.  I could not fill it yet.  

Since my boss had already opened that one tin, I loaded the magazine with those pellets and set up a target at 12 yards: a convenient distance with a table for some semblance of support.   Guessing the hold (cross hairs one mildot high) I shot a small group that printed just a bit lower than that dot. I let my boss shoot a couple of shots.  His printed in essentially the same spot but slightly to the right.

That evening I placed an order for the fill device, a BKL scope level, and a bit of other small stuff from Airgun Depot, in Draper UT.  Since they are close, I knew that I had a good chance of getting my stuff to the house on Thursday, which I did.

Yesterday, we shot the rifle nearly the length of the shop at 50 yards.  The JSB King Heavy pellets (both the Mark I and Mark II) struck the target right at the mildot below the crosshairs. The 25.4 grain FX pellets (I forgot to bring a tin of the JSB Kings of the same weight) printed right on the crosshairs at high power.

Overall impressions so far:

This rifle is rather precise, even with the makeshift bench.  I think it shoots a bit fast on high power with the 25.4 grain pellets, and a bit slow on medium.  But, it shoots the Heavy pellets quite well.  I'll have to see what these shoot at a bit later.

It is much lighter in weight than any of my other pcp rifles. Everyone seems to have remarked on this.  The balance is also very good.  I think that the .177 and .22 versions may have the weight shifted a bit further to the rear which might make the sense of balance a bit off for me.  I tend to like heavier rifles with a bit more toward the muzzle.

The FX magazine is a bit more of a pain to load than the Benjamin Marauder, but it is not too bad.  It also holds 10 pellets in .25 unlike the Benjamin which holds only eight in this caliber.  The first pellet has to be loaded backwards from the front, while the rest load nose first from the rear.

Single shot loading without the tray is much easier than the Marauder/Armada.  The technique I found that works very well is to hold the pellet in the loading port between the index fingers of each hand and use the right thumb to start the bolt forward.


I'm about to leave for the range to test this rifle further, and will get more chronograph numbers tomorrow.

For pictures, just search for "FX Streamline Walnut" and you will get a very good representation of what my rifle looks like.   I should get some of my rifle soon and will post here and in the photos thread.

Townsend Whelen one said "Only accurate rifles are interesting."  That being the criteria, while the pressure is above the regulator, this rifle is quite accurate and precise.  However, my criteria for an interesting rifle is a bit different.  I think a rifle that has some sort of quirk that needs to be sorted out makes the thing interesting.  Well, this rifle has that as well.  When the pressure reaches the regulated pressure the rifle pings and the shots group quite a bit higher.

On medium power, with the JSB King 25.4 grain pellets, the change in impact is about 1.75" or one mil-radian at 50 yards.  The JSB King Heavy Mk I pellets print 1.38 higher on the high power setting when going of the regulator.  I did not shoot the King Heavy Mk II pellets on and off reg. However, the Mk IIs don't quite group as well as the MK Is.

Later today, after it warms up a bit more, I'll shoot some velocity strings on and off reg pressure to see if there is a marked increase.  I somehow don't think this is the case, however. I think that the ping is setting up other vibrations but we shall see.

I did shoot a good group when the wind was quite consistent, but blowing a bit harder than normal.  This group measures at .58" center to center of the furthest shots.  All ten shots clustered in a ragged hole.  I did not try doping the wind except when shooting some steel swingers at 75 and 100 yards.  This rifle with me behind the buttplate can hit pretty reliably at 100 yards even with erratic wind.


These shots show the change in impact when going off the regulator with the JSB King Heavy pellets.  The shot between the 7 and 8 is the transition.



Here is the 25.4 grain pellets doing the same thing.  I switched targets after the first slight ping.  There are 20 off reg shots on medium power.  The two in the black are shots 19 and 20 with the latter going lower.  I made no compensation for wind which was a bit erratic blowing from about 4:00 to 5:30.


Here is my streamline as set-up with the Hawke scope.

Velocity Summary:

All strings started at 160 BAR (2320 psi).  I noticed yesterday that the <ping> occurred at about 145 BAR. I wanted to shoot past this point for 10 shots to get an idea of velocity changes.

JSB King Heavy Mk I pellets 33.9 grain at the high power setting:

Number of shots before <ping>:  7

17 shot: Average velocity 774 ft/s;  High 796 ft/s; Low 748 ft/s; Extreme Spread 48 ft/s; Standard Deviation 14 ft/s.

7 shot regulated:  Average 759 ft/s; High 767 ft/s; Low 748 ft/s; Extreme Spread 19 ft/s; Standard Deviation 6.6 ft/s.  

10 shot unregulated: Average 786 ft/s; High 796 ft/s; Low 779 ft/s; Extreme Spread 17 ft/s; Standard Deviation 6.1 ft/s.

Delta Average from regulated to unregulated: 29 ft/s increase



JSB King pellets 35.4 grain at the medium power setting:

Number of shots before <ping>:  14

24 shot: Average velocity 679 ft/s;  High 688 ft/s; Low 672 ft/s; Extreme Spread 16 ft/s; Standard Deviation 4 ft/s.

14 shot regulated:  Average 676 ft/s; High 681 ft/s; Low 672 ft/s; Extreme Spread 9 ft/s; Standard Deviation 2.7 ft/s.  

10 shot unregulated: Average 683 ft/s; High 688 ft/s; Low 677 ft/s; Extreme Spread 11 ft/s; Standard Deviation 3.5 ft/s.

Delta Average from regulated to unregulated: 7 ft/s increase (Not significant)


H&N Field Target Trophy  19.9 grain pellets at the low power setting:

Number of shots before <ping>:  24

34 shot: Average velocity 525 ft/s;  High 530 ft/s; Low 519 ft/s; Extreme Spread 11 ft/s; Standard Deviation 2 ft/s.

24 shot regulated:  Average 524 ft/s; High 530 ft/s; Low 519 ft/s; Extreme Spread 11 ft/s; Standard Deviation 2.8 ft/s.  

10 shot unregulated: Average 527 ft/s; High 530 ft/s; Low 522 ft/s; Extreme Spread 8 ft/s; Standard Deviation 2.9 ft/s.

Delta Average from regulated to unregulated: 3 ft/s increase (not significant).

That's a good looking rifle!
It appears the scope is really high on it though? That's some good power it makes but man I'd have to go .22 just for the price of pellets.
Cool report.

The FX No Limit Rings are quite high.  The Streamline comes with a bit lower profile magazine that has some clearance.  However, to use the regular magazine high rings are a must.  I am thinking about going to a lower mount and just using a singleshot loading tray.  It's either doing this, or adding material to the cheek piece.

Nice setup. I have been drooling over their new Crown.