The Best Looking and Most Ergonomic Air Rifle on the Market

I like capturing air rifles. They’re quiet, you possibly can shoot them in your yard, they’re correct, and so they make nice small sport weapons. However, I don’t like the way in which they appear. With their chunky profiles, and tubes and gauges cluttering up the aesthetics, most air rifles appear to be a mixture of an excellent soaker and a potato gun. The ergos are equally unrefined, and I at all times hoped an organization would supply one thing that felt and appeared extra like a basic searching rifle. 

My want was granted when FX launched their DRS Traditional this summer time. It has the modern strains of a tremendous searching rifle and it retains all of the efficiency of a contemporary air gun. I acquired my arms on the walnut stocked model and I’ve been testing it at my yard vary and within the woods.

FX DRS Classic .22 Caliber Specs and Options

• 58 pictures per fill (examined)
• Weight 5.2 kilos
• 14-shot journal 
• General Size: 41 inches (600 mm)
• 1/2×20 threads; contains thread protector 
• 2-stage, adjustable set off
• Adjustable hammer spring rigidity
• 11mm dovetail scope mount 
• Max Fill Strain: 230 bar
• Velocity with 18.1 grain pellets: 898.1 fps (58-shot common)
• Obtainable Calibers: .177, .22, and .25
• Obtainable Barrel Lengths: 500 mm, 600 mm, and 700 mm 
• Superior Easy Twist X Barrel in 500 and 600 mm; 700mm size makes use of Superior Easy Twist X Heavy Barrel 
• Artificial or Walnut Inventory 
• Value: $1,000 (artificial) and $1,150 (walnut)

Velocity and Shot Depend 

I had my Garmin Xero C1 operating the complete time I used to be conducting my accuracy testing to gather velocities for various ammo. I additionally shot 5 full magazines over the chronograph to see what number of pictures per fill you may get with the inventory tune. 

The 15.9 grain FX Atomic Pellets went 947.2 fps, the FX 18.1 grain pellets averaged 898 fps, and the 22-grain FX Hybrid Slugs shot 769.6 fps. For the primary 58 pictures with the 18.1 grain pellets the DRS Traditional had a ten.2 fps customary deviation, which may be very constant. After the 58th shot over the chronograph I noticed a speedy decline in pace — about 10 fps per shot. So you possibly can count on to shoot 4 magazines earlier than needing to refill. 

Accuracy

I accuracy examined the DRS Traditional at 50 yards with three varieties of ammo: FX Atomix 15.9 gr, FX 18.1 gr, and 22-gr FX Hybrid Slugs. I shot 16, five-shot teams and the accuracy total was wonderful. Each pellets averaged lower than a .4-inch group measurement, however the Hybrid Slug teams opened up a bit. It’s value noting that slugs sometimes shoot greatest at greater velocities and the inventory tune was pushing these slugs at a reasonably sluggish pace. If you wish to shoot slugs, I counsel going with the 700mm barrel and tuning the gun for extra energy. 

Filling 

The DRS Traditional makes use of a fill probe, which is inserted subsequent to the charging deal with. You’ll then connect your Foster fast disconnect to the fill probe. The air is saved within the tube that surrounds the barrel. 

Scope Mounting

The FX DRS Traditional has an built-in 11mm dovetail mount. I didn’t have any dovetail rings helpful, so I used a dovetail to Picatinny adapter to mount my excessive Vortex Pro Series Rings. The scope I selected was the Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42mm. It has a reasonably modest goal diameter, however it wanted excessive rings to clear the DRS Traditional’s large-diameter barrel. That’s one thing to maintain that in thoughts whenever you’re deciding on rings on your DRS. 

Tuning

Once I assume FX, I consider highly-tunable, precision air rifles like my Impact M3. However, the DRS Traditional lacks the exterior tuning changes we’ve come to know and love from different FX choices. 

Mine shot wonderful with the inventory tune, however if you wish to refine the tune, you possibly can alter the regulator or spring hammer rigidity. To make these changes you’ll should take away the motion screw positioned subsequent to the set off guard and pull the barreled motion out of the inventory. I counsel clamping the barreled motion down or securing it on a capturing bag throughout tuning. When you’ve hit your required velocity and consistency, you possibly can remount the motion into the inventory and sight it in. 

Learn Subsequent: Best Air Rifles for Squirrel Hunting

Searching With the FX DRS Traditional 

I’ve been obsessive about squirrel searching since I used to be a child, and, like crappie fishing, it usually takes a again seat to larger sport. The DRS Traditional was a terrific excuse to take pleasure in some pure enjoyable searching and get again to strolling by way of the woods with a walnut-stocked rifle. 

The accuracy testing gave me a variety of confidence to take the DRS Traditional on an early-season squirrel hunt, which could be difficult as there’s loads of meals and canopy round this time of 12 months, so squirrels are more durable to see and don’t transfer as a lot.

I began the day leaned up towards an oak tree that was dropping acorns. I heard a squirrel behind me and needed to spin round to make a shot. The gun got here to my shoulder naturally and it was steady as I braced towards the tree. 

Later within the morning, the sound of a squirrel gnawing on its breakfast led me to an enormous hickory tree. Items of hickory nut husk raining down gave away the squirrel’s precise location. 

The difficulty was the acute shot angle into the tall tree’s cover. I needed to lay on my again and steadiness my forearm on my knee in a type of inverted kneeling shot. Additionally, the tree department lined many of the squirrel’s physique and I might solely see a sliver of the important zone. The DRS Traditional rapidly settled in that awkward place and its inherent accuracy made the tight shot straightforward. 

I lined a variety of floor whereas squirrel searching and the DRS Traditional was a pleasure to hold within the woods. I’ve been carrying weapons with an identical profile and dealing with traits my complete life, so it felt pure. 

Earlier than I acquired my DRS Traditional I watched a Pyramyd Air evaluate that talked about the air rifle was loud. I simply solved this by screwing on a DonnyFL moderator once I acquired mine in. The tone with the moderator on is great and I’d name it very quiet. It’s no louder than my Avenger or my Influence M3 and it’s quiet sufficient for yard capturing. Whereas filming the video portion of my evaluate I made a decision to see what it seemed like with out the moderator and was shocked on the noise stage, which to my ears is near subsonic, suppressed .22 LR. Kudos to DonnyFL for firming down that kind of report back to a whisper.  

What it Does Greatest

The FX DRS Traditional has all of the accuracy I’ve come to count on from FX air rifles. It’s a shooter proper out of the field and I don’t really feel compelled to do any additional tuning. Its greatest attribute, although, is its dealing with. It’s such a pleasure to shoot offhand and in subject positions. It’s additionally straightforward to hold within the woods as a result of its weight and steadiness. 

The place it Can Enhance 

It didn’t take me lengthy to marvel how FX might create a thoughtfully-designed air rifle, however overlook sling mounts — one thing so elementary to hunting rifles. There’s a sling swivel stud on the butstock, however the fore-end is naked. You’ll should DIY a sling swivel stud if you wish to sling up your gun. Ideally, FX would have included two sling swivel studs on the fore-end — one for a sling and one for a bipod. 

In 2024, 11mm dovetails aren’t the popular scope mount. The Picatinny rail has change into an ordinary for rifles and the widest assortment of rings can be found for Pic mounts. I’d like to see FX supply the DRS Traditional with an built-in Picatinny mount.

The filling adapter looks like an pointless complication. I don’t need to preserve monitor of a small brass half or handle its two o-rings (one in every of mine already wants altering). Maybe there’s a legitimate design motive for utilizing the fill probe, however an ordinary, exterior foster port is my desire. 

The max fill stress is 230 bar, however there’s no 230 bar indicator on the stress gauge. Sure I can set my compressor for 230 bar, however I like utilizing my rifle’s stress gauge to test my fill. One other small gripe is that I’d wish to see air rifle firms present multiple journal. 

Ultimate Ideas 

The FX DRS Traditional’s  acquainted strains and attractiveness have been sufficient for me to need one. And fortunately it wasn’t a case of ‘65 Mustang seems and DeLorean efficiency. 

That is really one of the properly rounded searching air rifles I’ve examined. The mix of sunshine weight, dealing with, and accuracy make it a no brainer for PCP fanatics. When you’re a rimfire shooter who’s on the lookout for their first PCP, and desires to start out on the prime finish, the DRS Traditional is without doubt one of the greatest choices.