...just to add my 2 cents here..
Firstly, Anschutz North America, IMHO, slapped together a 10 meter World class air rifle and simply added a LDC to call it in MARKETING TERMS = a "...Black Air
HUNTER"
Yes, we know its not 40J or 400J big bore blast em to smitherens bazooka ;-)
Genuinely the "Hunter" term has no business being added to this product. But because the velvety black soft touch is superb...Its got a black action and barrel, Its got an LDC, and a scope...dang ! It looks so cool factor... someone in Marketing figured to spin a yarn that it would be a "urban hunter" (which we all know is a crock of cow manure ;-)
As far as 4.5 or .177 - Its the MOST accurate (and for another thread discussion) caliber at 7.5J or 16J (common for UK and HFT and Field Target use and pest control in UK)
Some readers are correct in their assumptions about power limits in Europe and what they produce for their core market; Anschutz has won more Olympic gold medals, apart from Feinwerkbau and Carl Walther and Steyr for those awesome disciplines in air rifle & pistol - all at 7.5J power. I say awesome- because you need to be as steady with your stance, & breathing as when a brain surgeon is going in deep to remove a pin size tumor out of someone's brain ;-) Let's not forget the 10 meter market in Germany itself, apparently caters to over 2 Million Germans (the sum total size of the market - young & old, male & female) who practice or who once took up the 10m discipline.....
So these tools, or air rifles are the best in class.
Quiet Simply the Best. And there is no comparison. $2350 is actually bottom of the curve for this beauty. Its not catering to the sub $500 or $1000 market in the US. Let's not forget, these same German manufacturers are also in the powder burner market- in hunting, sports, and to a limited extent, military sector.
Would it be cool if the Black Air Hunter had a power turbo boost ? yes, It's do-able and currently available in a 15J/16J variant (Official Anschutz Factory boost). This power level equates to roughly 785 fps for a 7.9g pellet.
By the way, all 8001/8002 , 9003, and 9015, irrespective of 7.5J power, or new 9015 power plant available at 16J , can be swapped from wood, to laminate, to alutec stocks; they are all interchangeable. So yes, the NEW 9015 Hunter action at 15J, can be fitted into the Black soft touch stock...(if you dont like the fancy ergonomics of the 9015ONE or Precise alutec stocks - you simply request the shop ask Anschutz to re-configure your order; you can "build" up your rifle and not simply have to buy off the shelf what's available.. > http://www.airgunnation.com/topic/iwa-2017-anschutz-9015-field-target-official-factory-model/ This is the picture I took when at
IWA 2012 :
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/03/new-m8002-s2-black-air-iwa-special-from-anschutz/ This guy won the UK's Hunter Field Target
2016 (powered at 16J)
What is Hunter Field Target ? >
https://sites.google.com/site/whfta1/latest-news A Jon Harris power mod pimp (our own Allen Zasadsny Airgunsmith Guru in the UK) -
https://www.pimpmyairgun.com/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=1806 And by the way- Field Target shooters in UK, pimp their kit, from titanium and carbon fibre upgrades & add ons, to cosmetic stuff anodised to black or whatever colours to personalise and make more ergonomic -fit like a glove - their shooting rigs. So in the end, the North American edition of the 'Anschutz Black Air Hunter' - IMHO with some of you- aint necessarily that special .....considering what's out there and what owners spend $$$ on their set up.
If you want to see what other rigs am talking about including Anschutz, see here:
http://www.airgunnation.com/topic/a-taste-of-the-uk-field-target-scene-bfta-2017-champs/