The Best Looking and Most Ergonomic Air Rifle on the Market

I love shooting air rifles. They’re quiet, you can shoot them in your backyard, they’re accurate, and they make great small game guns. But, I don’t like the way they look. With their chunky profiles, and tubes and gauges cluttering up the aesthetics, most air rifles look like a mix of a super soaker and a potato gun. The ergos are similarly unrefined, and I always hoped a company would offer something that felt and looked more like a classic hunting rifle. 

My wish was granted when FX released their DRS Classic this summer. It has the sleek lines of a fine hunting rifle and it retains all the performance of a modern air gun. I got my hands on the walnut stocked version and I’ve been testing it at my backyard range and in the woods.

FX DRS Classic .22 Caliber Specs and Features

• 58 shots per fill (tested)
• Weight 5.2 pounds
• 14-shot magazine 
• Overall Length: 41 inches (600 mm)
• 1/2×20 threads; includes thread protector 
• 2-stage, adjustable trigger
• Adjustable hammer spring tension
• 11mm dovetail scope mount 
• Max Fill Pressure: 230 bar
• Velocity with 18.1 grain pellets: 898.1 fps (58-shot average)
• Available Calibers: .177, .22, and .25
• Available Barrel Lengths: 500 mm, 600 mm, and 700 mm 
• Superior Smooth Twist X Barrel in 500 and 600 mm; 700mm length uses Superior Smooth Twist X Heavy Barrel 
• Synthetic or Walnut Stock 
• Price: $1,000 (synthetic) and $1,150 (walnut)

Velocity and Shot Count 

I had my Garmin Xero C1 running the entire time I was conducting my accuracy testing to collect velocities for different ammo. I also shot five full magazines over the chronograph to see how many shots per fill you can get with the stock 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 first 58 shots with the 18.1 grain pellets the DRS Classic had a 10.2 fps standard deviation, which is very consistent. After the 58th shot over the chronograph I saw a rapid decline in speed — about 10 fps per shot. So you can expect to shoot four magazines before needing to refill. 

Accuracy

I accuracy tested the DRS Classic at 50 yards with three types of ammo: FX Atomix 15.9 gr, FX 18.1 gr, and 22-gr FX Hybrid Slugs. I shot 16, five-shot groups and the accuracy overall was excellent. Both pellets averaged less than a .4-inch group size, but the Hybrid Slug groups opened up a bit. It’s worth noting that slugs typically shoot best at higher velocities and the stock tune was pushing those slugs at a pretty slow speed. If you want to shoot slugs, I suggest going with the 700mm barrel and tuning the gun for more power. 

Filling 

The DRS Classic uses a fill probe, which is inserted next to the charging handle. You’ll then attach your Foster quick disconnect to the fill probe. The air is stored in the tube that surrounds the barrel. 

Scope Mounting

The FX DRS Classic has an integrated 11mm dovetail mount. I didn’t have any dovetail rings handy, so I used a dovetail to Picatinny adapter to mount my high Vortex Pro Series Rings. The scope I chose was the Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42mm. It has a pretty modest objective diameter, but it needed high rings to clear the DRS Classic’s large-diameter barrel. That’s something to keep that in mind when you’re selecting rings for your DRS. 

Tuning

When I think FX, I think of highly-tunable, precision air rifles like my Impact M3. But, the DRS Classic lacks the external tuning adjustments we’ve come to know and love from other FX offerings. 

Mine shot excellent with the stock tune, but if you want to refine the tune, you can adjust the regulator or spring hammer tension. To make those adjustments you’ll have to remove the action screw located next to the trigger guard and pull the barreled action out of the stock. I suggest clamping the barreled action down or securing it on a shooting bag during tuning. Once you’ve hit your desired velocity and consistency, you can remount the action into the stock and sight it in. 

Read Next: Best Air Rifles for Squirrel Hunting

Hunting With the FX DRS Classic 

I’ve been obsessed with squirrel hunting since I was a kid, and, like crappie fishing, it often takes a back seat to bigger game. The DRS Classic was a great excuse to indulge in some pure fun hunting and get back to walking through the woods with a walnut-stocked rifle. 

The accuracy testing gave me a lot of confidence to take the DRS Classic on an early-season squirrel hunt, which can be challenging as there is plenty of food and cover around this time of year, so squirrels are harder to see and don’t move as much.

I started the day leaned up against an oak tree that was dropping acorns. I heard a squirrel behind me and had to spin around to make a shot. The gun came to my shoulder naturally and it was stable as I braced against the tree. 

Later in the morning, the sound of a squirrel gnawing on its breakfast led me to a huge hickory tree. Pieces of hickory nut husk raining down gave away the squirrel’s exact location. 

The trouble was the extreme shot angle into the tall tree’s canopy. I had to lay on my back and balance my forearm on my knee in a sort of inverted kneeling shot. Also, the tree branch covered most of the squirrel’s body and I could only see a sliver of the vital zone. The DRS Classic quickly settled in that awkward position and its inherent accuracy made the tight shot easy. 

I covered a lot of ground while squirrel hunting and the DRS Classic was a joy to carry in the woods. I’ve been carrying guns with a similar profile and handling characteristics my whole life, so it felt natural. 

Before I received my DRS Classic I watched a Pyramyd Air review that mentioned the air rifle was loud. I easily solved this by screwing on a DonnyFL moderator when I got mine in. The tone with the moderator on is excellent and I’d call it very quiet. It’s no louder than my Avenger or my Impact M3 and it’s quiet enough for backyard shooting. While filming the video portion of my review I decided to see what it sounded like without the moderator and was shocked at the noise level, which to my ears is close to subsonic, suppressed .22 LR. Kudos to DonnyFL for toning down that type of report to a whisper.  

What it Does Best

The FX DRS Classic has all the accuracy I’ve come to expect from FX air rifles. It’s a shooter right out of the box and I don’t feel compelled to do any further tuning. Its best attribute, though, is its handling. It is such a joy to shoot offhand and in field positions. It’s also easy to carry in the woods due to its weight and balance. 

Where it Can Improve 

It didn’t take me long to wonder how FX could create a thoughtfully-designed air rifle, but overlook sling mounts — something so fundamental to hunting rifles. There is a sling swivel stud on the butstock, but the fore-end is bare. You’ll have to DIY a sling swivel stud if you want 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 preferred scope mount. The Picatinny rail has become a standard for rifles and the widest assortment of rings are available for Pic mounts. I’d love to see FX offer the DRS Classic with an integrated Picatinny mount.

The filling adapter seems like an unnecessary complication. I don’t want to keep track of a small brass part or manage its two o-rings (one of mine already needs changing). Perhaps there’s a valid design reason for using the fill probe, but a standard, external foster port is my preference. 

The max fill pressure is 230 bar, but there’s no 230 bar indicator on the pressure gauge. Yes I can set my compressor for 230 bar, but I like using my rifle’s pressure gauge to check my fill. Another small gripe is that I’d like to see air rifle companies provide more than one magazine. 

Final Thoughts 

The FX DRS Classic’s  familiar lines and good looks were enough for me to want one. And thankfully it wasn’t a case of ‘65 Mustang looks and DeLorean performance. 

This is truly one of the most well rounded hunting air rifles I’ve tested. The combination of light weight, handling, and accuracy make it a no-brainer for PCP enthusiasts. If you’re a rimfire shooter who is looking for their first PCP, and wants to start at the top end, the DRS Classic is one of the best options.