Flextone FLX100 Electronic Game Caller - test and review

A detailed test and review of the Flextone FLX100 Electronic Game Caller... its simple design gets a big thumbs up!

LIKES

Definite bias towards keeping matters simple

I like the secure remote attachment to the main body

Will fit in a generous coat pocket

DISLIKES

Its only £40 cheaper than the FLX 500 that does have more features

OVERALL

I preferred this to the 500 but mainly due to the weight and portability benefits over the larger 500 unit. Keeping things simple and working with the tools (calls) you have can make you concentrate a little more on the other effects a called in predator may be considering in the darkness

PRICE

£129.99

CONTACT

www.scottcountry.co.uk

01556 503587

IN DEPTH

The Wildgame Innovations Flextone FLX100 is a smaller more compact caller than its FLX500 brother. Lighter and easier to carry, at just over 8.5” or 225mm, it will fit into a generous coat pocket. The caller’s remote control clicks, dovetail-like, into the handle for transport and still has a range of 100 yards when detached – depending on the surrounding environment and structural features – to allow the twin 10 and 5W speakers to call out to your quarry. Sound quality is remarkably good even at high volume with little distortion or crackle, and having a speaker at both ends, a 360-degree arc of sound is covered. Sheer volume isn’t always the best tactic though, and with the smaller mouse squeaks, minimal volume showed the sound to be detailed and gentle – you can bet a fox’s ears are far better than your own. Although there isn’t the option to upload new calls to it or play them directly from an SD card, two additional rubber-sealed ports allow it to be connected to ancillary speakers and extra power supply. As standard, the unit is powered by eight AA batteries for a decent life and have so far provided me with the equivalent of over two hours of continuous use. The unit is water resistant to withstand a night of rain on your outing. Ultimate longevity of a battery set is dependent on volume and the effect of winter temperatures on the batteries. The remote has an identical illuminated green LED backlit display to the base unit and is powered by a nine volt PP3 battery with eight identical control buttons.

There are 100 supplied calls, from wolves and bears to hares and mice, with at least 15 having direct suitability to UK legal quarry species. Controls enable rapid scrolling and selection of your choice with immediate volume control. Some may say it’s not enough, but on the other hand, having fewer calls might make operators concentrate a little more on the surrounding conditions, topography and wind direction rather than the endless task of scrolling on and on, hoping one will prick up the ears of a fox and draw it in like a locomotive for a shot.

In use with a Pulsar XQ50 thermal monocular, we drew a fox in using the caller, visibly through the monocular, from over 500 yards away before taking a single shot at the animal for a quick, clean kill. When stomping across freshly turned soil on the arable fields, every leaden-footed muddy step benefits from the lightweight and compact nature of the ‘100’ versus its bigger ‘500’ brother. Although the ability to add more calls is a bonus, there is a definite benefit in keeping things a little simpler and not endlessly hoping yet another ‘new’ sound will attract or turn a twitchy predator.