Gear Reviews · Airgun Tech · Premium Outdoor Gear
Gear reviews and airgun tech, tested in the field
I'm James. Here we review optics manufacturers, thermal optics, high-end PCP brands, and camping, overlanding and premium outdoor gear, along with the airgun tech behind them. The field guides cover invasive species management, farm protection and collateral damage prevention. I test with a slug-tuned FX Impact M4 in Southern California and film through the scope, misses included.
Brand partners
Arken OpticsChannel sponsor
Utah AirgunsChannel sponsor
RTI ArmsBrand ambassador
Every page that mentions a partner says so at the top, and partners don't decide what gets recommended. Sponsorship policy
Explore by category
Airguns, ammo, optics, air supply, hunting, rifles and brands, each with a hub of every guide in it.
Latest field footage
The hunts behind the reviews, each paired with the full write-up.
Field footageSniper Shots | FX Impact M4 | Rabbit & Dove Airgun Hunting | Pest Control
Desert small-game hunt (Mexico series) with the FX Impact M4 and 40.1gr slugs: collared doves and pigeons through the scope at roughly 100-130 meters, in 111-degree heat.
Watch & read
SponsoredAirgun Hunting - Arken Outrider
Sponsored first hunt with the pre-release Arken Outrider 2-12x42 on an FX Impact M4 in .30 caliber: an invasive hog, from glassing to field-to-freezer.
Watch & read
Field footageFx Impact M4 vs Texan .257: Which One Wins?
FX Impact M4 (.22, 40.1gr slugs, DNT Zulus 4K) vs AirForce Texan .257 (60-grain-class slugs, Arken EP4) on collared doves. The Texan developed a valve problem, so the Impact carried the hunt.
Watch & read
Field footageFX Impact M4 Airgun: Why I Use It For Rabbit Hunting
Hunting with the FX Impact M4 in .22, 40.1gr ACE FRAG slugs, and the DNT Zulus 4K scope cam.
Watch & read
Field footageFX Airguns - I Tested My Girlfriend's Aim (First Time Shooting Guns)
Teaching a first-time shooter with a PCP air rifle: the four safety rules, eye protection, a safe backstop, breathing, and trigger control.
Watch & read
Field footageI Hunted The Rattlesnake That Attacked My Dog
Mexico desert hunt, part 2, with the FX Impact M4: extreme heat, 70 miles from a hospital, and my dog Max charging a big rattlesnake.
Watch & read
Most-read guides
- Field Guide
Airgun Hunting for Beginners: The Complete Guide
Legal checks, the right rifle and pellet, practice, shot placement and your first hunt.
Read the guide - Field Guide
Rabbit Hunting With an Airgun: The Complete Guide
Energy, caliber, shot placement, range, when and where to hunt, and California's rules in one page.
Read the guide 
Comparison.177 vs .22 Air Rifle: Which Caliber Should You Choose?
Trajectory, energy, pellet cost and hunting performance compared, with a straight verdict.
Read the guide
Buyer's GuideBest PCP Air Rifles by Budget: Under $500, $1,000 and Premium
Where the money actually goes in a PCP, and the rifles that earn their price at each tier.
Read the guide- Rifle Review
Is the FX Impact M4 Worth It for Hunting?
Months of hunts, independent accuracy data, the full system cost, and who shouldn't buy one.
Read the review - Field Guide
What Can You Hunt With an Air Rifle?
Quarry by quarry: the energy it takes, the caliber to use, and where it's typically legal.
Read the guide 
Energy GuideHow Much FPE Do You Need? Airgun Energy Chart
Foot-pounds by quarry, plus FPE-by-velocity tables for .177, .22 and .25.
Read the guide
Buyer's GuideBest Break Barrel Air Rifles for Hunting
Springers and gas-pistons worth buying for small game, compared on power, weight and trigger.
Read the guide
Brand guides
Who makes what, where it's made, and which models fit which hunter.
Airgun brands
- Air Arms
- Air Venturi
- AirForce Airguns
- Benjamin Airguns
- Brocock
- Crosman
- Daisy
- Daystate Airguns
- Diana Airguns
- FX Airguns
- Gamo
- Hatsan
- Kral Airguns
- Umarex
- Weihrauch
Rifle brands
- Bergara Rifles
- Browning Rifles
- CZ Rifles
- Christensen Arms
- Henry Rifles
- Howa Rifles
- Marlin Rifles
- Mossberg Rifles
- Remington Rifles
- Ruger Rifles
- Sako Rifles
- Savage Arms
- Tikka Rifles
- Weatherby Rifles
- Winchester Rifles
Optics brands
Questions answered
Hundreds of the questions people ask about airguns and hunting, answered directly.
- Q&A Hub
Airgun Questions Answered: The Basics and Buying
Straight answers to the most-asked airgun questions, each linked to the full guide.
Read the guide - Q&A Hub
PCP Air Rifle Questions Answered
Filling, pressure, shot counts, regulators and maintenance, answered in plain English.
Read the guide - Q&A Hub
Airgun Pellet and Slug Questions Answered
Calibers, pellet types, slugs, weights and energy, answered.
Read the guide 
Q&A HubScope and Optics Questions Answered
Zeroing, parallax, magnification, FFP/SFP, thermal and night vision, answered.
Read the guide- Q&A Hub
Airgun Hunting Questions Answered
Quarry, energy, range, shot placement and legality for airgun hunters.
Read the guide 
Q&A HubRifle Hunting Questions Answered
Calibers, rifles, sighting in, shot placement and range for firearm hunters.
Read the guide
Q&A HubHunting and Airgun Law Questions Answered
Licenses, airgun legality, backyard shooting and transport, with how to verify locally.
Read the guide
Q&A HubAirgun Maintenance Questions Answered
Cleaning, oiling, seals, storage and troubleshooting, answered.
Read the guide
The loadout & the Data Locker
What I actually carry on hunts, not a wish list. Every load I hunt with gets a public 10-shot chronograph string (average velocity, extreme spread and energy) measured on a Garmin Xero C1 Pro, not copied from a box label.
My rifle for rabbits and invasive Eurasian collared doves. The review with the cons: is it worth it for hunting? The exact tune: my slug setup.
Read the reviewRecords exactly what I see at the moment of the shot. Review.
Check price on AmazonThe radar chrono behind the Data Locker. If you hunt, you need your real velocity, not the advertised one. Run your numbers in the FPE calculator.
Check price on AmazonMy hunting load in the Impact: about 950 fps, roughly 80 FPE. Why slugs, and when they're the wrong call: the caliber guide.
See the setupAs an Amazon Associate, James Southern Outdoors earns from qualifying purchases. Arken Optics sponsors my channel (disclosure).