FTX Accessories

FTX is a relatively new UK based company on the shooting scene. They are making and importing products primarily designed for the HFT and FT market - more details can be found on their website from which you can also purchase products.

FTX Shooting Seat

You wouldn’t think that something as humble as a shooting seat would evolve much over the years, however there have been developments.  These are difficult to pinpoint and credit to any one person, but are we getting to the point where there is nowhere else to go with the FTX shooting seat?

Back in the early days of FT there were few commercially available seats and shooters had to improvise.  Such improvisations included car mats and cushions from the settee.  One of the commercially available seats was available from Mede Targets and was made from fairly hard expanded foam with a little ‘well’ shaped into it to accommodate your bottom.  The above solutions kept your bum dry (more or less) but left a lot to be desired when it came to comfort.  Home made bean bags began to appear which offered more support and comfort, this was clearly the shape of things to come.  As waterproof materials became more widely available at a sensible price the bean bag really took off and anatomically shaped seats began to appear made by companies such as Gun Gear.  Since then little pockets have been added to some designs, vents added to others (preventing potentially embarrassing noises upon sitting) and of course just about any colour or pattern is available.

The FTX shooting seat looks fairly unremarkable.  It measures 36cm x 36cm with a depth of 13.5cm and is similar in shape to almost all other shooting seats, a kind of rounded off triangle.  Constructed from black, heavy duty, wipe clean Nylon, the seat is also lined and should withstand rough terrain and have a long life.  Two vents in the side allow air to escape easily as you sit down, so it shouldn’t explode in a puff of polystyrene beans if you happen to drop onto the seat a little heavily.  A carry handle on the front not only allows you to pick up the seat but is designed to complement the FTX range of gun cases by attaching to them, freeing up a hand when carrying around all your gear.

All well and good so far, but what makes this particular seat stand out is one particularly thoughtful touch.  Inevitably any shooting seat is going to get muddy.  If you are halfway through a competition course and the heavens open there is little choice but to carry on with the thought of all that cleaning to come.  I do know a few shooters that are organised enough to carry a few black bags in their cars, but they are rare.  If you own an FTX shooting seat you will have a bag in which to store your muddy seat with you all the time, as a nylon seat cover is incorporated into the design which can be pulled out of its storage pouch and wrapped around the muddy seat, allowing your car boot to remain clean on the way home.  The nylon cover also has a drawstring that can be used to sling the seat over your shoulder.

Retailing at just £20 this particular seat is competitively priced and due to the heavy duty materials used in its construction should last well.  So this seat is worth considering if you have a tendency to attract mud and like to keep everything else clean.

FTX Shooting Glove

£20 doesn’t seem to go a long way these days and from my own experience I have always found that shooting gloves are quite expensive.  It is surprising then to find that just £20 will get you an FTX shooting glove.

Similar in style to most supportive shooting gloves, it is suitable for a range of different shooting disciplines. The glove is fully lined and nicely padded giving a good feeling of support without taking away the ability to feel what you are doing with it, for example the operation of a focusing wheel.  Adding to the support is an elasticated wrist band which opens up well enough for inserting your hand easily. 

The glove is made from leather and rubber. The rubber gives a good grip, thanks in part to its highly textured surface.  I like to see the use of durable leather in this glove, which isn’t entirely expected at this kind of price.  I have, in the past, used both synthetic and leather gloves for shooting.  All of them have tended to wear out from the inside or all the padding has disappeared, but I guess I would go for leather over a synthetic if the price was the same.

One thing that I am not sure about however is the colour.  Available in orange, it may not be to everyone’s taste although it does go well with the black rubber.  I suppose after a few outings in our British climate you won’t know what colour it was meant to be.  A range of sizes are available in both left and right hand.  The one I had on test was a large and fitted me nicely, large is my normal glove size so the sizing seems consistent with other brands.

FTX Rifle Case

It makes sense, if you have spent a small fortune on a rifle and scope, you need to protect them in the best possible manner. Now that can mean anything from dull insurance to mundane cleaning, or in this particular case, well… a good case!

As with all things there are hundreds of options available from flimsy gun slips which are ideal for use as a quick cover, all the way through to flight cases which can be a little impractical for everyday use.  The FTX rifle case (which is available in 2 lengths) falls somewhere in between; something you can use everyday that offers a good level of that all important protection.

Hard rifle cases can be a little troublesome as they tend to damage everything they catch (cars, wife’s ornaments etc).  Recently soft cases seem to be more popular and there is no doubt they are more friendly towards their surroundings.  The latest generation of soft cases have large amounts of padding and offer just as much protection as most hard cases.

The FTX case is made from the same hardwearing grade of nylon as the FTX shooting seat, it is also the same colour (black) so it nicely coordinates!  The padding is high density foam and as well as protecting the sides of the rifle there is also a strip along the bottom of the case that is useful extra protection.  A nylon lining on the inside of the case covers the foam and prevents little bits of the foam breaking off and getting onto scope lenses etc.  The inside also offers a muzzle cover and strap with Velcro fastenings which are intended to stop the contents sliding around within the case.

Heavy duty zips fasten the two sides of the case together and they move freely without trapping any of the lining.  Webbing carry handles are located a the centre of the case that have wrap around padding making carrying a little more comfortable over a longer distance.  However if you fancy carrying your rifle even further you could always use the straps located on the side which mean the case can be carried rucksack style.  These straps can be stowed away when not in use so they shouldn’t catch on things.

On the opposite side of the case to the rucksack style straps there are four pockets of varying sizes.  There is plenty of room in these pockets.  Shooters will carry around different pieces of kit depending upon any particular situation but a waterproof could easily be stored leaving room for a few tools etc., in the other pockets.  These pockets are also zippered so there is no risk of smaller items finding their way out.

Dimensions of the larger FTX rifle case (on test) was 117cm x 34cm approx. The price of both versions of these rifle cases may not be bargain basement, but I feel they offer good value for money at £55.

FTX-G2 4-12x50mm Scope

In recent times riflescopes, particularly those designed for air rifles, have become ever more complex and feature packed.  It seems that anything that it is possible to adjust has been given a means of doing so.  Turrets have got larger (even lockable), reticules are now more like works of abstract art and you can illuminate it to a brightness of your choosing.

Now don’t get me wrong, all these features have a place and it is a good thing that they are attainable at an affordable price.  Indeed my current competition scope is feature packed, although it is also true that I rarely use it’s illuminated reticules.

It is quite refreshing therefore to take a look at the FTX-G2 4-12x50 riflescope.  Feature packed it is not, but don’t let that cloud your judgement.  My first problem is how to review a scope without lots of gadgets attached (quite a reviewer’s nightmare I think you’ll agree).  Perhaps I should take a leaf out of the scope’s book and keep it simple.

The specification then is as follows.  It has a magnification range from 4 to 12x adjusted via a ring mounted forwards of the eyepiece, which also has a fast focus adjustment.  This is a scope for holdover not dialling, as there is no parallax adjustment offered and the focus is set at about 25yards.  The relatively low magnification means that the image is clear throughout normal airgun ranges, only for very close shots would you perhaps have to turn down the magnification to its lowest setting.  Zero adjustment is offered by low profile turrets, giving ¼ moa adjustment per click. These turrets are covered by weatherproof caps when not in use. 

A 30mm body tube and 50mm objective mean the scope is nice and bright and as there is no parallax adjustment on the objective the scope doesn’t look big and cumbersome.  The reticule is of a mil-dot style offering plenty of reference points for using holdover, neither too thick or too thin it shouldn’t put anyone off this scope.

Supplied with the scope is a sunshade, flip up lens covers and a set of mounts, making this a complet package for the moderate £70 asking price. Not overly heavy at 580grams the scope measures 34cm (without a sunshade).  A black satin finish complements the simple outline of the scope and it will look good on most air rifles. 

The FTX-G2 4-12x50 scope is priced at a very reasonable £70.