HatsanAir

I bought this because I've had a big disconnect with the airgun market lately. I have extensive experience through a vintage Gamo Hunter in .177 and a Benjamin Marauder in .22. I've purchased other rifles since owning these but every time I've been disappointed.I wanted an open-sight rifle that would be moderately accurate and have decent power, but everything on the market was disappointing or extremely expensive. I purchased the Hatsan without having any knowledge about the brand, and I'm impressed.The quality of the wood and metal finish was better than I expected for the price. The accuracy out of the box was fine with the massive RWB Super-H Point .25 pellets, and while I have not gotten it on paper, it did just fine plugging lemons at 12-15 yards, though it seems it is sighted to have the sights just below the intended target. With an on the fly adjustment of the elevation dial, it was hitting just about dead on with my offhand standing hold.The most incredible part to me about this airgun is the sheer power that sits behind the .25 pellet. While they fly alot more slowly than a .177, they absolutely transfer a pile of energy into their target. I knocked over a piece of firewood, which was about a half of a quartered 6" diameter log. When shooting lemons, they visibly would send pulp flying out of the back and hollowed the internals of the lemons out with just a few shots. There is an incredibly satisfying meaty "thwack" when attacking lemons.I will say, however, that (1) the build quality of the sights is not excellent. One of the rear sight dots is a slightly different color than the other and maybe a little off-center. It has not been an issue yet. (2) the .177 pellets I have used in the past would simply lodge themselves into wood targets or lose all energy and fall right there. The .25's do massive damage to the wood, but I have had some of them come back in the direction they were sent. It pays to be cautious when engaging hard targets with a high-speed projectile, but it seems to be extra relevant with these slower speed projectiles.I would say to buy with confidence. I will update the review if and when any issues arise.Update: I’m almost through a whole can of RWB Super-H pellets and have taken a small game animal with the rifle already. I noticed my accuracy was getting worse and I was getting keyholing in my target. The main screw which attaches the rifle to the stock had come loose. Will tighten and report how the issue progresses, but CHECK YOUR SCREWS!

Seems to be pretty sturdy, though I've only owned it for a few weeks. It isn't as jumpy as the daisy .177 I own, but if my chronograph is right I'm getting about 520 fps from the .25, pushing a 28 grain pellet, compared to the Daisy at 860 fps pushing a standard pellet, and the damage, of course, is considerably more with the .25 compared to the Daisy, the crosman .22 at 690 fps, or the crosman nitro .177, the one I spent the most on, that to my disappointment only fires at 500 fps on a good day. (No wonder the nitro is so quiet...)Accuracy, it outperforms both the scoped nitro and the scoped .22 , with open sights. (Haven't bothered with the scope on the .25, seeing it as a potentially unnecessary hindrance)I've already found that the best pellets for this particular .25, I believe they are called "super H", though with the exception of the heavier pelletsFor my other air rifles they all seem to like the crosman hollow points best, which is fine by me since they are the cheapest I've found, but you get what I call wild ones where you may miss by as much as 12" at 50', a problem I have yet to notice with any of the pellets I've bought for the .25. The heavier .25 pellets I bought that I believe are 32 grain, they perform poorly, sometimes as much as 4" at 40', but I think this is due to the skirts being damaged, assuming during shipment? But the less damaged ones fly fair, hitting lower due to projectile weight, which is to be expected.I plan on this being a rabbit gun, as I think it will give a quicker, more humane kill, that is if I can stop plinking with it (so much fun!) and actually get out hunting instead.

Got mine late 2017 for under $100. Hatsan Striker Wood (Beech stock) combo (with scope) in 25 caliber.Mine is the steel coil spring model. I have some Vortex air-spring models but almost all of those have gone limp (leaked) and needed repair. Trust me, coil springs are more reliable.I rate mine at 5* for excellent performance at a bargain price, but the journey to get there was not easy.Some points:- YOU MUST check stock screws and keep them tight or you will break the stock!- These are jumpy "springer" rifles and most (but not ALL) require a special LOOSE HOLD ... look up "artillery hold".- Springers are notorious for being "pellet fussy". Some will shoot ANY pellet well but most will shoot best with a select few pellet types. It is up to the buyer to FIND OUT which pellets will shoot well in THEIR SPECIFIC air rifle.- Once you discover the best "hold" and a pellet the rifle "likes" you will need to practice-practice-practice and practice MORE to get good accuracy with a springer style rifle.- Scopes and rings on jumpy springer rifles can move around if not properly secured. Accuracy will be poor until the scope and rings are SECURELY mounted.- Scopes may be blurry as adjusted from the factory. There are ocular adjustments even on these bargain scopes. There is a recommended process for focusing the reticle and then the target to YOUR SPECIFIC eye. Do some research on this if you have never adjusted a scope before.- Springers are "jumpy" limited energy style air rifles. It is unrealistic to expect precision accuracy out to 50-100 yards. Accuracy out to 50-100 feet IS possible... with practice!- I can usually group 10 pellets under a US penny at 30' using the factory installed open sights. For many months I could NOT get my Striker25 groups under 2" at 30'. That is not good accuracy for this style air rifle. I almost gave up and was about to disassemble the rifle for spare parts. I then discovered that my Striker25 "likes" a firm DEATH GRIP HOLD! This is NOT typical for a springer air rifle but it does happen. When using the firm hold my air rifle began to stack pellets into one ragged hole at 30'. Nice!With a little effort and care these air rifles can be reliable, accurate, and FUN to shoot!5 stars!FWIW, this particular model Hatsan air rifle also performs very well in 22 caliber and 177 caliber.