As with many hunters, I started down the hunter’s path using air rifles as a kid. Understanding my blossoming outdoor passion, my dad tucked a break-barrel BB-gun under the tree for my eleventh Christmas. The make of the BB-gun escapes me now, but over the next two years, I used it so much that it eventually fell apart in my hands. It was during that time I was convinced that I would be a hunter for the rest of my life.
From there I began using a Benjamin pistol my grandpa lent me to plink birds around his property. I also picked up a used Crossman pumped pellet gun at a garage sale. I used these two air guns for a summer, mastering my aim and learning to stalk close to targets. Even back then, I realized the limitations of the air guns I was using during that time.
When I was fifteen, I borrowed my uncle’s lever-action .22 for a family camping trip. Once we got set up, I grabbed the firearm and headed out to hunt. Seeing a jack rabbit escape into the brush, I sat at the base of an oak tree waiting for him to come back out. An hour later, I was dragging the dead jack back to camp as proud as can be. Essentially, once I found gunpowder, I left the air rifles behind.
I spent my entire adult life chasing everything from mourning dove to elk, never once thinking about air guns. I was aware of the technological advancements being made in air gun design during the 2000’s, but I had no desire to enter back into the air gun world.
In 2020, I relocated to Idaho, excited to explore the hunting opportunities of the gem state. My buddy Eric Mayer had landed in Idaho a few years before and we hunted together often as I got to know my new hunting grounds. Eric was heavily into air gun hunting and would often bring a few along for us to mess with on the trip. It was during one of these trips where I decided to jump back into the air-gun game.
I had access to a dairy property where the rancher was having a problem with Eurasian dove constantly eating his grain. We arrived in the morning with a couple of air rifles from Eric’s collection. Both rifles were pre-charged pneumatic air guns or PCP. This means they carry a carbon fiber tank under the barrel that charges the air gun with pressurized air. Eric was using a .25 caliber LCS Air Arms air rifle, and I was using a Daystate Huntsman in .22 caliber. Neither rifle looked anything like the BB-guns I used when I was a kid.
After some brief operational instructions, we spent the afternoon hunting the dairy for Eurasian dove. I was impressed with the consistent power of the .22-caliber pellet rifle, and the accuracy of the Huntsman was amazing. At 50-yards I was consistently placing a pellet in a quarter-sized target and easily dropping birds. Despite being a little heavier than the rifles I was used to using, I really enjoyed plinking around the property with the air rifle.
We ended the day with over 70 birds removed from the dairy. The owner was so impressed that he told us to come back anytime. On the drive back to Eric’s, we talked about different types of air guns and the massive array of calibers now available. I could just feel that I was about to drop back into the air gun world. Using Eric’s expertise, I decided to purchase an FX Panthera PCP air rifle in .25 caliber in 2023. I also picked up a filler tank to charge the Panthera.
Here in Idaho, you can use PCP air rifles to hunt upland game, small game, big game and furbearers. Different caliber restrictions apply depending on the animal you’re pursuing. For example, projectiles must be at least .35 caliber for deer, pronghorn, wolf and black bear, and at least .45 caliber for elk, moose and sheep. The bottom line, whether it’s varmints, game animals or furbearers, it’s legal to pursue with an air rifle here in Idaho.
Over the next three years I hunted as often as I could with the Panthera .25 caliber. I was very impressed with its accuracy, ease of use and durability. I am hard on my gear, and the FX surpassed my expectations on every level. I was so impressed with the FX Panthera, I am currently looking at picking up another in a larger caliber for bigger game.
I paired the air rifle with a Hawke Airmax 30 SF Compact 4-16x44mm scope. After looking through several scopes at the Idaho Air gun shop, I decided that the Hawke was the best optic for the Panthera.
I replaced the fixed stock with a collapsible stock, making it lighter and easier to carry. I also had a larger air tank fitted to the air gun, giving me more shots between air fill ups. The overall form of the FX Panthera heavily resembles the AR rifle platform. With a 26.54 grain pellet, the muzzle velocity of the FX .25 caliber is around 960 fps.
With the insane accuracy of the Panthera, I feel very comfortable taking 50-60 yards head shots on animals up to about ten pounds. I have no doubt that with the bigger calibers, I would be able to take far larger animals.
The technology available in today’s air rifles has enabled hunters to shoot in areas where traditional firearms are not allowed. They are powerful, compact and beyond accurate. The FX Panthera is without doubt the most accurate rifle I own. If you’re looking to expand your hunting area or just want to check out today’s air rifle technology, check out what’s available in today’s air gun market. There are several solid companies with great products available for every purpose. It doesn’t matter what you decide on, with just a single squeeze of the trigger, you’ll quickly realize that today’s PCP air rifles are nothing like your grandpa’s air gun.
