4-Fluorophenylacetone oxime was not successfully reduced to the amine. Not even to the hydroxylamine. As a matter of fact I did not get any reaction with the oxime. I tried with both activated Mg and unactivated Mg. I tried with grignard magnesium as well as pyrograde magnesium. I tried with MeOH, EtOH and IPA. I thought my ammonium formate was perhaps a bit too wet and perhaps the water somehow hindered the reaction. So I dried the ammonium formate over P2O5. Just a waste of P2O5, but at least I have some bone dry ammonium formate. Then I tried the Mg/NH4COOH-system in MeOH on 1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-nitroethane and it worked like a charm.
Please, someone else try this system too since my track record for reducing oximes is not good.