FX Streamline

On certain shooting forums, there’s a growing consensus that certain models of top of the range multi-shot PCPs are becoming far too hi-tech in terms of function; plus, carrying hefty price tags.

However, you don’t need to ‘have’ the latest all-singing, all dancing machine to be a good shot and if you can afford the flagship models, treat yourself! However, without getting too embroiled on finances, you must take into consideration the time taken in R&D and materials used in manufacture. Including other market variables mean production costs for manufacturers have risen - so in that respect – there’s no escaping the inevitable.

Lot of choice

But I digress, as there are a lot of well-priced PCPs on the market, many of a very high quality, and that nicely brings me to the rifle on test, the FX Streamline. The ambidextrous black/grey synthetic stock has a high, well-defined, thickset cheekpiece, heightadjustable rubber butt pad, slim, nicely contoured neck plus a steep pistol grip with palm swell. The forend is in perfect proportion to the butt and shows a slab-sided profile, which begins above the trigger and runs the length of the action block. Here, it morphs into having a well-rounded underside with gently curved sides ending with a neat and practical angle back tip. Although there is no moulded stippling or chequering, the material has a non-slip texture, making it feel secure in the hold and it balances and handles perfectly.

There are now three stock options available; black synthetic (shown), beech and laminate.

The air reservoir has a forward-facing, generously sized air gauge (manometer) to keep check on your fill status. Behind this and integrated onto the end of the reservoir is a lengthy rotating collar that covers the fill port, protecting it from grime and dirt. Using the probe supplied, the rifle takes a recommended 230-bar fill and helped by the fully regulated action gives 150+ shots in .177 calibre and 200+ in .22. That, for a gun of this size, is a mightily impressive shot count and one that no-one will ever exceed in a single hunting foray. There’s little doubt that today’s airgun technology is producing super guns at high street prices!

Biathlon-style

A biathlon-style sidelever runs the action, which again is another reasonably modern design that offers far better operation that the older turn bolt design. Feed is from a Perspex-fronted, 11-shot removable magazine. This small and neat self-actuating unit isn’t as straightforward as most others to fill, even though it does have a familiar looking design. The procedure is as follows: firstly, with the Perspex faceplate facing you, hold the casing and rotate the ‘see-thru’ cover clockwise until it comes to a natural stop. At this point, turn the magazine around, so the rear-side is facing you. Now, load the first pellet from this side with the pellet placed into the chamber ‘skirt’ first. Then reverse the magazine, so that the clear faceplate is facing you again and as you let the cover return you now load pellets as normal (nose-first) into each chamber as they appear in the loading aperture. This is similar to some of their other rifles like the high power BOSS.

Once the magazine is returned into the right of the action block, returning the side-lever secures it in place and a pellet is probed directly into the fully-shrouded Smoothtwist barrel. After you’ve fired through your ammo store, the side-lever won’t pass through the magazine, so you have clear and physical indication that you need to ‘re-fill’ or exchange the empty with a spare full one. However, if shooting in daylight you can clearly see your ammo status through the cover plate, due to the magazine being in such a position that you hardly need move your head away from the scope to check on it.

Neatly configured

In fact, the action, including the short travel of the side-lever, is neatly configured, so that everything is to hand including the ease of which you can disengage the safety lever, thus making this a very user-friendly and enjoyable rifle to hunt with. There’s also a 3-position power adjuster dial for versatility located on the left side of the action block just forward of the magazine well. The good news is it’s to an extent usable having settings of approximately 11.4, 8 and 4 ft/lbs. The middle one being ideal for close range work, such as feral pigeon control inside buildings; so, should a shot miss its mark, it will cause insignificant damage and no risk of ricochet.

The action block is quite short but lengthy enough that using the correct mounts the fitting of virtually any optic isn’t a problem. I scoped up with an MTC Mamba- Lite 3-12 X 44IR in 2-piece, medium height mounts and I had no problem bridging-over the magazine or positioning the glass to gain full eye-relief.

The 2-stage, adjustable match-grade trigger unit has a blade and trigger-shoe configuration plus the manual safety lever is positioned top right at the rear of the action block. I like this type of configuration, as it gives you the ability to adjust the shoe’s height and angle, so that the pad of your forefinger makes full contact for a consistent and high level of shot control. Shooting is effortless and it’s accurate too; the .177 calibre test rifle showed itself capable of ½” c-c groups out to 40 yards.

Bully for you

The bull barrel shroud isn’t just ‘cosmetic’, because it holds an integral sound suppression unit that has to be one of the most efficient of its type, but for a total hush-up, the muzzle is threaded ½” UNF for fitting a secondary can of choice. Note that previously I mentioned the rifle is fitted with one of FX’s famous Smoothtwist barrels. Initially, when we first saw FX rifles come available with this type of technology, many were to an extent rightly unsure of their ability. However, they’re now a well-proven system.

Put simply, a Smoothtwist barrel has a plain/smooth bore for most of its length. Now the ‘magic’ is at the muzzle (choke) because internally there are spiral flats that impart spin to the pellet as it passes over them. The benefits of this are that it isn’t being cut and dragged back by a conventionally ‘fully rifled’ bore. Therefore, as it travels up the smooth section it gains a better and more symmetrical seal, also it travels faster, having less drag. Meaning you incur less air wastage and to an extent because the pellet isn’t continually being affected by the lands and groves, it exits the muzzle with far less external damage.

This translates over to the pellet picking up less resistance as it travels through the air and tests have shown it has a flatter trajectory and more impact at the target. Food for thought indeed! But, in my experience, I’ve certainly found that these barrels are not pellet-fussy.

Ethos

The whole ‘ethos’ behind this very practical and compact multi-shot PCP is that all the unnecessary has been stripped away, but without anything being left out in respect of features and function that would affect overall performance. Also, consider this: a bullpup air rifle design is not to everybody’s taste, but if you create an ultra-carbine that feels like a true sporter in the hold, then you’ve managed to produce something ‘quite special’, which, in my opinion, is exactly what FX undoubtedly have.

The FX Streamline handles and balances superbly, is light, user-friendly and highly accurate. The ideal hunting tool for times when quarry can suddenly present itself and you need to react quickly.

They say they don’t make diamonds as big as bricks and only good things come in small packages. In that respect, the FX Streamline proves both sayings to be very, very true!