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Reader Survey >FX Leopard .30 Calibre Air Rifle Review: A Next-Level Bullpup
- By Chris Parkin
- Last updated: 08/07/2025
The FX Leopard is FX’s latest bullpup air rifle, designed to combine the benefits of its DRS-style over-barrel air system, which offers enhanced structural rigidity via a barrel-within-cylinder layout, with a carbon-fibre bottle that significantly increases overall air capacity.
Constructed primarily from aluminium and carbon-fibre, the Leopard is as modern as it is functional. At the muzzle, a knurled cap covers a ½”x20 TPI thread for a sound moderator, which must match or exceed the 34.2mm diameter of the barrel/air shroud to look in proportion. The barrel features FX’s renowned Superior Heavy Liner, designed specifically to stabilise slugs, which were, incidentally, supplied for use during testing.
The 700mm barrel is incorporated into the bullpup format, resulting in an overall rifle length of 905mm (37”). Beneath the barrel lies a carbon-fibre air bottle with a 580cc capacity. This threads into the precisely machined aluminium action, which houses the regulator and all the internal mechanics. The result is a seamless, unified structure, rather than a traditional action/stock or action/chassis setup.
On top of the receiver is a 220mm Picatinny rail with a 20 MOA inclination, allowing greater distance capability. The right-hand-only cocking lever is made of aluminium and features a 50mm-tall finger grip for cycling the action with ease. The complexity of the loading probe mechanics is visible beneath the Picatinny rail and receiver, and these components must be kept clean to ensure smooth longitudinal movement each time the cocking handle is operated. All the trigger mechanics are also concealed within the action and receiver.
The action includes an ambidextrous safety catch located just above the trigger guard—vertical for safe and horizontal for fire.
The two-stage trigger is adjustable and came set from the factory at a crisp 115g (4oz), making it ideal for shooters who prefer a light pull. Instructions for adjusting the trigger are provided in the manual, which is supplied with the rifle in a rugged polymer carry case.
FX provides a rubberised AR-15-style grip with a slight ambidextrous palm swell, finger grooves, and full stippling for secure handling, even on this relatively heavy and compact rifle. Plus, a short Picatinny rail beneath the rifle accommodates a bipod or tripod mount.
Moving towards the butt of the rifle, you’ll find two pressure gauges: one on the right for the main fill/bottle pressure, and one on the left for the AMP II regulator pressure. A Foster fill connector sits adjacent to the right-side gauge, with markings showing a maximum fill pressure of 230bar. On its website, FX claims this should provide around 21 shots, but this likely refers to the standard tubed version without the additional air bottle. Using the configuration on test, I was refilling after about 50 shots. The Foster cap clicks into place securely, with the O-rings ensuring easy, leak-free filling.
The right side of the action reveals the magazine port, and the Leopard is available in .177, .22, .25, and .30 calibres, each with different magazine capacities. This .30 calibre version holds 13 projectiles. The magazines feature a clear lid; flip the latch 180 degrees to remove it, turn the internal rotor to preload the spring, load the final slot to lock it, and then fill the remaining 12 slots. The design allows for projectiles up to 13.4mm long, equating to over 60gr depending on brand and profile. The side-lever cycles a probe that loads each slug smoothly into the breech. Once the magazine is empty, the rotor blocks the probe to prevent dry-firing and the waste of air.
FX has cleverly hidden the power plenum as dual cylinders integrated into the butt pad and handgrip area, offering an additional 54cc of transitional capacity per shot.
Externally, the rifle is all-black anodised aluminium, flawlessly machined with no visible blemishes. The polymer butt pad runs vertically on rails and includes an adjustment screw on the right-hand side. However, it can be slightly uncomfortable during extended use, so I’d recommend replacing it with a grub screw. The butt pad lowers 30mm, and the base provides 65mm of flat surface that’s usable with a rear support bag.
On the left side of the buttstock, you’ll find the Macro and Micro adjusters on this FAC-rated version of the Leopard. The Macro dial features 16 power settings, while the Micro adjuster is a Vernier-style dial marked 1 to 4, offering precision tuning for different projectiles. After some experimentation, I found peak performance with the regulator set to 110 bar, the Macro at 16, and the Micro at 3.5, using a 44gr FX slug. These settings produced sub-10mm centre-to-centre groups at 50m outdoors, and I was thoroughly satisfied with the performance.
The average muzzle velocity was around 978fps, the extreme spread over a 10-shot group was just 8fps, and the 95ft/lbs of muzzle energy would satisfy most airgunners. However, results will vary depending on the projectile type, batch variation, and environmental conditions, which is why FX’s tunable platforms hold such strong appeal.
It is worth keeping in mind that .30 calibre is a known air guzzler compared to .177 or .22. For a more versatile FAC airgun, the .22 remains a strong all-rounder unless you specifically need 95ft/lbs of energy, where projectile weight is critical, since it’s now well accepted that staying below transonic speeds is definitely preferable.
I found the rifle very comfortable to shoot, thanks to the relatively slim cheekpiece and a generous length of pull at 383mm (15”), although this may be a little long for some shooters. The Picatinny rail provides ample scope-mounting space, but bear in mind that, due to its configuration, you will likely need high mounts to ensure the objective lens clears the rail.
The rifle’s physical mass helps to stabilise your aim effectively, although its vertically stacked design does result in a slightly top-heavy balance, making it easier to cant the rifle unintentionally. It’s also worth noting that any bipod mounted on the underside Picatinny rail should be adjusted to reach forward as far as possible to help enhance stability.
So far, this has been the most consistent large-calibre FX I’ve shot in terms of air performance, yet I still think of it as an air rifle, even though it’s operating at .22LR power levels. The air consumption was significant, and although I was achieving around 50 shots per fill with my settings and consistent performance, it was really loud, so you’ll want to use a moderator or ear defenders. I measured it at 89dB, which is considerable, and it’s clear just how much air is blasting out behind the slug, even though there’s no sonic crack from the projectile. Because there’s no crack, you instead hear the boom from the rifle echoing and returning from the backstop. I’d definitely recommend adding a Donny FL or similar moderator. The end of the barrel is threaded, but at 34mm in diameter, I doubt any reflex-style designs would fit.
Other than refills and magazine changes, the gun did not miss a beat. The magazine was absolutely reliable, and I didn’t get any air leaks when filling. Keeping an eye on the regulator pressure allowed me to see when it was getting close to the filling pressure, but to save any wasted air and projectiles, I never exceeded 50 shots.
You can feel a slight linear recoil pulse from each shot, which is so unusual for an airgun, but there is no muzzle flip, and you can still see your projectile in flight. I did try some heavier 64gr ZAN slugs, but these were clearly not compatible with the twist rate of the liner. I could see them jitter in flight, and they didn’t leave round holes in the paper. However, I wasn’t concerned, as every projectile and barrel combination will have its limitations.
The FX Hybrids proved to be the most reliable option, and that’s coming from someone who usually prefers pellets. It just goes to show how FX is focused on the future, catering to airgun tuners seeking a ballistic advantage from slugs that require an optimised rifling twist rate. These projectiles don’t just rely on drag-induced stability like a shuttlecock.
Finally, the spacious magazine is a step in the right direction, and FX made a real leap forward when they adopted the DRS-type barrel-within-air-cylinder concept. This design keeps the liner more rigid, reducing the likelihood of a knock causing a loss of zero or a shift in tune.
FX markets the Leopard as delivering “precision, power and versatility in a tactical bullpup”, and it certainly lives up to that claim. The innovative barrel-within-cylinder concept offers excellent rigidity but with a notable weight penalty. If you don’t require the extended shot count, the pure cylinder version could make an exceptional high-powered hunting rifle. The AMP II regulator delivers impressively low extreme spreads, and from a mechanical standpoint, the Leopard performed flawlessly throughout testing.
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