Zuru redesigned many blasters in the Xshot lineup last year, with the Xshot Xcess perhaps seeing the most impressive overhaul. Also included in the revamped lineup was the Vigilante, with a slick new body, good looking paint scheme, and the same silly break-open loading. It’s not the most war-worthy blaster, but it’s a lot of fun and packs a nice punch.
Calling Shotgun
The stock isn’t the steadiest thing in the world, but it’s adequate. It also has storage for eight darts.
Interesting Internals
The Vigilante, like most other current Xshot blasters, has a large plunger tube with a strong stock spring. However, it has two outputs. The old version used a rotating wheel with alternating holes – this switched barrels, but also made it hard to seal the barrels properly.
Performance
The Vigilante can fire off both rounds in a second, but then requires reloading by flipping open the barrels. This part is what ultimately hurts usefulness in a Nerf war – although if you hit your opponent the first time, then it’s not really an issue.
Dart velocity is very impressive, with the included darts hitting 82fps on average, and Nerf Elites hitting 76fps. That’s more than enough velocity to hit the 90′ range claims on the box. Of course, the Xshot darts may not actually hit a target at that distance, due to accuracy issues, but it’s enough velocity for the box claims to be valid.
Final Thoughts
The 2018 redesign of the Xshot Vigilante is a great improvement over the original, with a solid body, color scheme, and power. It’s not the most useful blaster, but it’s also lots of fun. At the very least, it’s a great blaster for kids, as well as fans of the Xshot value brand.