I was browsing the pages and threads on my various social media platforms when the Vixen popped up, and as a lover of the tactical-looking rifles, my eyes also nearly popped out. That oversized shroud really set it off for me, along with the left-hand cocking – which can be swapped to right hand if required – so before we get out into the woods with it, let’s have a closer look at this great, lightweight, tactical airgun.
First off, I need to mention Evgeny Pigrov, who I’ve met many times and we still keep in touch to this day. He’s the man behind the AGT brand, and he was also heavily involved with the Cricket from Kalibrgun, another awesome airgun, and I should know because I had three, but when the original Vulcan was released I just had to have one.
The Vulcan had a great mag’ system and a forward-positioned cocking lever on the left means that cycling the mag’ is easily done without having to move your head away from the scope, and the Vixen is the same. Another nice little feature is the mag’, which has an elongated slot where you load the pellet and that prevents the pellet from falling through the mag’ when loading, I’ve lost count of how many times this has happened on other mag’ systems.
The Cricket’s Achilles heel was the fiddly cocking, but the Vixen maintains the left-hand cocking and has the tactical look that appeals to me. A rear-mounted, carbon-fibre air bottle sits at the rear and forms the butt pad and cheek rest. This one has a soft Kydex-type covering that provides a comfortable feel when your face is wedged into the bottle, which is a little small at 250cc, but provides an ample shot count in .177 sub-12. A Picatinny rail on top takes care of mounting your scope and/or other optics, and an underslung rail takes the bipod.
EASILY CARRIED
Measuring in at 920mm the ‘long’ version certainly doesn’t feel that long, and at 2.3kg it is no heavyweight and is easily carried around for hours. Add the cracking, fully adjustable trigger, plus the cold hammer-forged CZ barrel and you have one very impressive airgun. I would have preferred a soft-touch, AR-style pistol grip in lieu of the hard item, but that’s just me being picky.
The Vixen came with two mag’s, a fill probe, some sort of filling whip which won’t be used, a nice AGT soft gunbag, and a Sightmark Presidio scope. Edgar Brothers is a supplier of the Sightmark brand of optics and another company with whom I have a close relationship. I’ve used many Sightmark night-vision scopes in the past, and have nothing but praise for them, but I have never used one of the company’s day scopes in anger. One last moan; the scope was mounted too high with what looked like extra-high mounts. I’m sure we could have got away with mediums, but I’d just have to rest slightly on the cheekpiece and take care to get the right eye alignment. I was now almost ready to go, and once I had the Tier-One A-Tac bipod fitted and a quick 25m zero check – which was unsurprisingly brilliant – and topped up the air bottle, it was time to make a plan.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
I had a few options for the Vixen and I had just about decided on where to go, but first I had to meet with one of the keepers to discuss access to the various areas now that the end of the pheasant season was almost upon us. We stood chatting outside a disused barn where I had shot a few ferals in the past, talked about how the season had been so far, and how eager I was to get back among the greys in the woods because if last year was anything to go by, then the number of skinnies would have grown during my absence. It’s a difficult pill to swallow for me, allowing the greys to get re-established after clearing large numbers of them between the end and start of the pheasant season, but it’s a huge money spinner for the estate. ‘Guns’ come from all over the world to have a few days on this prestigious shoot, so I have to bite the bullet and hit them hard at the beginning of February. One of my options was a spot that would not be shot on again this season, and there had been a report of a grey or two among the pines that’s home to a good few reds, so with the keepers blessing, I was back in early.
As we spoke, it was noticeable that the ferals had also made a bit of a comeback to the barn. I’ve covered these ferals before in the mag’ and if memory serves me right, then the numbers taken were around double figures. There were a few buzzing round and popping into the barn through the triangular opening in the gable end. The keeper gave me that knowing look, and said can you take care of them too, mate? Of course I could, but the greys needed my attention first.
A MATTER OF PRIORITY
The pines were right at the other end of the estate, and a service road led straight to it, past a new milking building. There were quite a few corvids hanging around, along with a handful of ferals – I must talk with the farmer about having a crack at them because their droppings would no doubt be getting into the feed and that would not be tolerated.
I have a feeder strategically placed that the keeper tops up for me, so I can park up 30 yards max away with a clear view of the surrounding area. I’d see any incoming greys well before arrival at the feeder, and the Vixen could be rested on the truck’s door and the scope set on the feeder, so any movement could be taken care of without spooking them.
I’d given myself 30 minutes to see if anything showed itself, and 20 yards, I picked up movement through the InfiRay Gemini thermal bino’s. Even with the superb image and clarity at this distance, I couldn’t be sure if it was a grey or a red, but the way it moved and the size had me convinced it was a grey. Right behind it was another, both on the ground, which again made me think ‘grey’. The Vixen was going to be christened and on a grey – no better way I reckon, and it looked like being a double.
CLEAN HEADSHOTS
They were showing no interest in the feed, just content to chase each other around in the standard mating ritual. Patience would pay off because they would come to a standstill sooner or later, and surprisingly, it was sooner. What I assumed to be the female came to a stop at the base of a Scots pine and started to scratch itself with its rear leg – a clean headshot dropped it like a stone. The male had been in close pursuit and I lost sight for second but it showed up on the feeder, looking directly at its mate, as they always do. It was getting agitated, so I needed to be quick before it legged it – another headshot and another kill.
I was delighted with the result and was about to head back to the barn when the Geminis picked up another heat source – surely not another grey! It was edging closer very hesitantly, moving side to side, but its head was focused on the two greys laid out in front. Like a flash, it was up the adjacent Scots pine, facing downwards around 6ft off the ground. The Air Arms Diablo Field struck the back of its head and it was a no fuss, clean kill number three.
WINDY ADVANTAGE
The weather was freezing, and by the time I’d taken photos, the skinnies had frozen solid and the forecast was for the winds to increase quite significantly, too. Maybe it was time to move and get inside the barn. The timberwork was still in place with the cammo netting on, but the feral droppings had piled up high since my last visit. The door was stuck and the noise it made opening had the ferals making for the exits, but as I crept in to get behind the netting and scan with the thermal, I could see a couple; one on an oak beam and the other tucked into the rafters, but its head was visible. The longest shot was no longer than 17 yards, so plenty of hold-under would be required for the close ones. First up, was the one on the beam and the pellet struck its neck – a few flaps on the ground and it was all over. The second feral was good enough to poke its head out a little further to see what all the commotion was about, and at the farthest point from me, it was a straight shot. It fell like a high-board diver, with a thud as it hit the rotten wooden floor.
Once more, patience was key, and with the wind picking up to somewhere near gale force, the flying rats would be back I was certain of it. A couple popped on to the ledge of the triangular opening. They presented a perfect shot, but a miss, or a through-and-through would mean the pellet heading into the unknown, and that is always to be avoided.
FERAL BONUS
By this time, it was really cold and the wind was blowing though the window openings horizontally. Sure enough, back they came either in ones or twos, tucking themselves into the corners and rafters, but the Gemini’s thermal-imaging picked them out, no problem, and the NV side confirmed it was a feral and not a stock or collared dove. My intention was to clear strike them, to drop them instantly rather than a misplaced shot and get them all flying again, but unfortunately, this happened on one occasion when a feral was so close that I couldn’t even focus on it. The shot passed through just below its neck, and it flapped around for way too long on the floor. A couple flew never to return and I think they could have made their way to the milking parlour.
After around 90 minutes, I’d managed to rattle eight off; it was seven, but I spotted one flying in, so I took the Vixen from the gunbag, inserted a mag’, and chambered the Diablo Field. The Sightmark didn’t let me down even at its higher mounting position – I even had to resort to illuminating the reticle because the incoming storm brought a whole load of darkness with it. A return visit to this barn and the milking parlour is definitely on the cards, probably when I’m back in the woods properly. Eleven kills from an impromptu visit is something I’d gladly accept every day – a date with a Vixen is another.
