falcon fn8 raptor review

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Picture courtesy of rob3dr.

Average Ratings

Value for Money	8.5/10
Reviewer Rating	9.5/10
Overall Rating	7.2/10

100% Recommended2 out of 2 Reviews

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Review of Falcon FN8 Raptor

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By rob3dr on 11th Jan 2006

rob3dr's Ratings

Value for money	9/10
Overall value	10/10
rob3dr's recommendation

Good Points

High quality build, amazing accuracy and power, good ergonomics

Bad Points

Price, but you get what you pay for

General Comments

I've had the Falcon FN8 for about a month now so I've had ample time to review it. This is one of the few pistols that can truly be considered a hunting class pistol. The fit and finish of the gun is flawless. It has an 8 inch, .22 caliber barrel and walnut stock. There is a different hardwood stock available at a lower cost, but you'll sacrifice some ergonomics and looks with it. The Raptor action feeds any normal shaped pellet well. Dome pellets feed flawlessly and with little effort. Wadcutters will feed fine, but a little more effort is required. I've been using 14.3gr Crosman Premiers in mine and have had no trouble out of the gun, nor the 8 shot magazine.
Feel and balance of the pistol is first rate. At first, it seems a bit unweildy and awkward, but it balances nicley in the hand. I've got mine paired with a cheap 2x6x32 scope and I have no trouble with weight or balance.
The quick fill adapter is a welcome addition to this setup and it makes filling the gun a breeze. I am able to get 20 usable shots per charge and even using a hand pump, it only takes 45-55 strokes to fill the gun to 3000psi.
Accuracy and power is first rate. US dime sized, 5 shot groups at 30 yards are a given if you do your part. Being a PCP, recoil and hold sensitivity is a non issue with the FN8. The muzzle blast does make the gun jump up a bit and a vented or ported muzzle brake may help with this, but I dont find it deters from accuracy one bit. Using 14.3 grain Crosman Premiers the FN8 gets 600fps and 16gr JSB Exacts give around 590fps for a genuine 12fpe pistol that can send a pellet downrange with authority and accuracy.
The price is steep for a pistol, but there are currently no other pistols in this class to compete with the Falcon, unless you can custom build or buy a custom built gun.

5 Comments on Review by rob3dr for Falcon FN8 Raptor

1. Redd on 18th Feb 2006

   Hey Rob... Thanx for the review... Very well done... Question or two for you??? I want this pistol so bad but I just spent $1,300 on a rifle... Anyway, would you ever think about putting a nightvision scope on this pistol and making it a rat killer? Is this making a great pistol too one dimensional? What is primary reason for your use? Any other pistol you like as well? If you had to do over again & had full choice- .177, .020, .022 ??? Thanx again for great review... Redd

2. rob3dr on 20th Feb 2006

   I personally wouldnt as I do think it'd make it a bit one dimensional and the weight would nullify it even being a pistol.
   As far as night vision without having to 'sacrifice' a gun, you can do what I've done. Take a Yukon 2x24 NV monocular and with a couple peices of PVC pipe and a rubber pipe boot and a steel door hinge, you can connect the pipe out a ways from the NV so you can adjust it and connect it to the NV via the tripod screw hole. Slip the boot over any of your scope and you'll have a $150 NV setup that will rival Gen 2. I can see a rat pretty clearly out to 20 yards with mine and the scope set to 10x. Best thing is that you dont change the POI on your scope and can remove it in under a minute. You can even have several sizes of PVC pipe fittings to go on your airguns for rats and on other guns as well. Forgot to mention. I do like this pistol. I've got several custom Crosmans and this one is just great. I wouldnt get a different caliber because I do hunt a tad with it, but if you are target shooting only, you might want to think about .177

3. bikerdude on 28th May 2006

   hi, am currently working as a pest control officer and have been searching for a pistol for work, although we use rifles a lot, sometimes its not viable to use a rifle in a small workspace, therefore a pistol is needed, I have been thinking of the crossman ratbuster as its cheap at £88 use's bulblets, but is single shot, but have been told it will be ok culling mainly feral pigeons at 5 to 15ft away, then on doing another google seach found the falcon multi shot, quite a jump in price, but already have to bottle for recharging my own rifle and a works stirrup pump, so would this pistol be better at humanely culling pigeon in your opinion?

4. rob3dr on 31st May 2006

   Bikerdude... as far as a pest control pistol, it really depends on what you want to spend. For a moderately priced pistol, you can get a .22 Crosman 2240. It's rated at 460fps... but... add a steel breech and a 2250 14 inch barrel (about $40 and 15 minutes of work) and you have a pistol that without any other mods will shoot 14.3gr pellets at 540fps. Thats plenty to take out a pigeon or rat at a reasonable distance. If you can do a little valve work, you can up that to around 620fps, but its still single shot. Do a google search for 'crosman forum' and you'll find the green crosman forum where many of us customize Crosmans. You'll get a lot of info there. If you dont mind spending the cash, though... this Falcon is the ticket. Very accurate to 30 yards (and probably beyond, I've just not tested it) and plenty powerful. Can be made quiet as well.

5. JoaoAMP on 20th Sep 2006

   Hi Rob,
   I'm just about to get a FN8-PG in .22 cal. So, because I ordered the gun on UK it comes with 6 fpe. My question is if it's possible to upgrade the pistol up to 12fpe or more just replacing the hammer spring for a stronger one or if it needs an additional valve work? You said your FN8 shoot a 14,3 grain pellet at 600 fps, what would be the velocity for the same gun in .177 cal. with a 8 grain pellet?
   By the way, short but great review.
   
   Regards,
   Joao

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