06-Jul-2026
FX Airguns, the Swedish manufacturer based in Mariestad, has spent the better part of three decades building a reputation as one of the most technically sophisticated PCP air rifle manufacturers in the world. Their rifles are known for exceptional accuracy, innovative engineering, and a willingness to push the boundaries of what air rifle technology can achieve.
The FX Wildcat represents something slightly different from the brand's more ambitious designs, a compact, practical, highly capable bullpup PCP that packages serious performance into a format that is genuinely convenient for field use. And in doing so, it has become one of the brand's most successful and enduring models.
The bullpup format: Compact without compromise
The FX Wildcat is a bullpup; the action sits behind the trigger, allowing a full-length barrel within a significantly shorter overall package than a conventional rifle design would require. For air rifle hunters and pest controllers, who frequently operate in confined spaces, from hides, and over varied terrain, the reduction in overall length is a genuine practical advantage that does not come at the cost of ballistic performance. The barrel is full length. The shot is as fast and as flat as the calibre and pressure settings allow. The only thing that changes is how the rifle fits in your hands and how easily it moves through a hedgerow.
FX manufactures the Wildcat in .177, .22, .25, and .30 calibres, the last two being particularly popular with UK hunters who want maximum downrange energy within the sub-12-ft/lb legal limit (using the .22 or .177) or who hold the relevant authority for higher power levels. The multi-shot magazine system, feeding from a rotary magazine sitting ahead of the trigger group, is smooth and reliable, qualities that FX has refined over years of experience with magazine-fed PCPs.
The shot capacity varies by calibre and pressure setup but is typically generous enough for practical hunting outings, FX quotes figures in the range of 30 to 50 or more shots per fill depending on configuration, and the on-board manometer (pressure gauge) allows shooters to monitor remaining charge without guesswork.
The FX Smooth Twist X Barrel
No discussion of any modern FX air rifle is complete without addressing the Smooth Twist X barrel system, because it represents one of the most significant barrel innovations in recent airgun history. Traditional rifled barrels impart spin to a pellet through helical grooves cut into the bore, effective, but also a source of friction, leading and fouling over time. The FX Smooth Twist X barrel uses a proprietary surface treatment that imparts a gentle twist to the pellet as it travels through an otherwise smooth bore.
The result is a barrel that delivers excellent accuracy with reduced leading, easier cleaning, and compatibility with a wider range of pellet designs than conventional rifling. For shooters who want to experiment with different pellet types to find what their rifle shoots best, a common and worthwhile activity with any PCP, the Smooth Twist X barrel's broader compatibility is a meaningful advantage.
FX also offers interchangeable barrel liners for many of their rifles, allowing calibre changes and barrel profile adjustments, and the Wildcat benefits from this modular approach in later variants.
Accuracy and tuneability
The FX Wildcat is a regulated PCP, meaning each shot receives a consistent charge of air from a pressure regulator rather than drawing directly from the reservoir. The accuracy benefits of regulation are well established; shot-to-shot velocity deviation drops dramatically, which translates directly into tighter groups at all ranges. FX's regulators are adjustable and, in the hands of a knowledgeable shooter or tuner, allow the rifle to be optimised for specific pellets and power levels.
This tuneability is a defining characteristic of FX rifles. Unlike some manufacturers who produce rifles intended to be used as-found, FX designs their products with the expectation that serious shooters will want to adjust, experiment, and optimise. The Wildcat responds well to this attention, and shooters who invest time in learning their rifle's characteristics and preferences consistently report outstanding accuracy results.
For hunting at typical UK air rifle ranges, 30 to 50 metres, the Wildcat's practical accuracy is more than sufficient for clean, ethical shots on quarry up to rabbit size. At these distances, a well-set-up Wildcat will deliver groups tight enough that shot placement becomes the limiting factor rather than mechanical accuracy.
Build quality and the Swedish premium
FX rifles are not inexpensive, and the Wildcat is no exception. The price reflects a combination of genuine engineering quality, manufacturing precision, and the cost of producing rifles in Sweden rather than in markets with lower manufacturing costs. Whether that premium is worth it is a question only the individual buyer can answer, but the build quality, when you handle a Wildcat, makes a convincing argument. Components fit with precision. The action cycles smoothly. The stock, available in synthetic and laminate variants, feels properly engineered rather than assembled to a price.
Final verdict
The FX Wildcat is one of the finest compact PCP hunting and field target rifles available at any price. Its combination of a compact bullpup format, FX's Smooth Twist X barrel technology, excellent regulation, and genuine tune-ability makes it a versatile and deeply capable tool for serious airgunners. For hunters who want maximum practicality in the field without sacrificing the accuracy and shot count that PCP technology provides, it is very difficult to find a more complete package.
Read next:
