Just got a new Hatsan Jet 2 in 22 cal

[Geezerhood]

My first impression was that it feels much lighter than I expected based on how it looks and the stated weight. I hefted a Jet 1 and a Jet 2 side by side and the Jet 2 actually has a better balance for me. The Jet 1 would possibly be a better choice for a junior shooter who wants to shoot it as a handgun or for anyone who wants a lighter, more compact setup. I like the extra weight out front vs the Jet 1 and can hold it steadier on target. To me the Jet 1 is more attractive then the Jet 2 but the Jet 2 look is growing on me.

No built in moderator, but It was very quiet with a Donny FL and two different Buck Rail moderators on it. I think I would prefer the super short length and slim lines as it is built to a significantly longer and larger diameter shroud / moderator.

I was pleased to find inside the box a 1/2 UNF moderator adapter and a stainless steel, extended female QD whip connector, though I have not seen that part mentioned anywhere in website listings or on the Hatsan website. Those parts alone would cost you $60. ($40 Donny FL Adapter plus a Stainless QD connector +/-$22) Thanks Hatsan!

Though there are several line items in the dislikes column, they Likes far out way the dislikes in importance vs aggravation levels. Overall I am happy with it and am not aware of anything in this price range that ticks as many of the likes in my list. Though my P-Rod does shoot the CPHPs better than this gun, I am guessing I will grab this one more often for my (supposed to be) daily hikes rather than my P-Rod with the folding stock on it.

Likes

• Lightweight, compact and well made considering the price.
• Easy cocking side lever! MUCH better than any bolt action pistols I own. I can reload quickly with my left hand. Doesn't appear to be changeable to the right side for you lefties.
• It came with a moderator adapter, a stainless steel, extended length female QD connector and a fill port cover!
• Stock adjustable for length and cheek rest height
• The grip is comfortable and helps in steadying the gun when shooting offhand.
• Simple and easy to change safety lever.
• Decent trigger
• Good balance
• Accurate enough for what it cost
• Nifty flip up open sights with one for carbine use and one for pistol use, or you can sight in one for close range and the other for longer range. Elevation adjustable rear sights, windage adjustable front sights. I was able to use either sight when configured as a pistol or a carbine.
• Ability to have a scope mounted in QD rings with the sights folded down allowing the switch to the open sights in less than 6 seconds without having to carry other parts.
• Quick on / off adjustable length and shoulder stock - I think I like this at least as much as my Buck Rail folding stock. It will fit in a much thinner case than it would if the stock was folded on the side.
• Storage compartment inside the pistol grip for a cleaning kit and magazines.
• Two picatinny rails on either side for lasers / lights
• Two clamping screws for the barrel rather than the normal 1 screw
• A rifle scope sits in just the right spot for me when mounted on the tight fitting polymer shroud which means that any bumps on the barrel are not going to change your zero as is so common with multiple piece barrels + tubular shrouds.
• A low mounted MDS / micro dot sight would allow you to use the flip up sights without needing to remove the micro dot sight. You could have them all zeroed to the same distance or at three different ranges.

Dislikes

• Polymer receiver - Though it doesn't bug me too much. I am sure the weight would go way up if it as aluminum. The setscrews for the barrel have steel inserts in them, so I don't foresee any issues with the polymer receiver.
• Too small flip up sights that are pretty fragile looking, particularly when extended to the highest useable position. The notched bladed tends to rock left and right when extended but I am pretty sure I can eliminate that with some supporting dowels down in the openings on either side. To sight mine in at 15 yards the sight was extended almost to the point where there were no more threads left on the screw. The sights are still worth having on the gun, but I would not want to rely on them. A nice set of open sights mounted on the dovetail would be preferred for a non scoped / red dot gun.
• No true Picatinny rail on top - Will Hatsan ever catch up to 2023 with their rails for the US market?
• Magazines are the most difficult to load of any airgun I have ever shot. You have to hold the spring loaded wheel just right and load the pellets with the pellet tip up into a hole with sharp edges that catch on the skirt. I am probably going to chamfer the opening to see if that helps with loading.
• No magazines that I am aware of that hold more than 7 in 22 cal.

This group was fired from a rest at 15 yards with H&N round nosed field target pellets, using the QD shoulder stock and a 9x scope. Sadly it doesn't shoot quite this well with CPHPs, but I don't see myself firing many thousands of rounds through it each year like some other guns, so the extra cost over the CPHPs isn't a problem.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Shot count?

 

[silvershooter589]

I believe you can use larger capacity magazines from a Flash, Hydra, or Sortie in the Jet. But please double check that before spending the money on them.

 

[Geezerhood]

Shot count?

From a 250 bar max fill down to 100 bar = 64 rounds before the groups started growing noticeably. I was able to keep 78 rounds in a 50 cent piece sized group down to 60 BAR. No velocity readings as my new Aliexpress chrono hasn't arrived yet but they were going pretty slow.

After some break in shooting and cleaning cycles I am able to get some more than acceptable groups from CPHP and RWS Meisterkugelns. I found that the moderator adapter that comes with it tends to degrade accuracy with smaller diameter opening moderators. The Donny FL adapter does not. I suspect that it is caused by the too small mating surfaces on the hex shaped shoulder. I think it needs to be at least as wide as the knurled ring on the Donny FL adapter. I will post photos of both later. The only moderators that didn't open up the groups substantially were 30 cals from Buck Rail and FX/Donny FL.

Best two groups with the Meisters at around 200 bar. No moderator installed.
(Both pix are at 15 yards, 7 shots, from a rest with a 9x scope.)
The larger of the two groups is close in size to the H&N above.

Next is post break in / cleaning cycles CPHPs at ~180 bar with a 30 cal Buck Rail moderator installed on the Donny FL threaded adapter. None of the previous groups with the CPHPs were anywhere near this size. Most were at least 2x bigger. It shoots CPHPs better without any moderator installed but I didn't take any photos.

I believe you can use larger capacity magazines from a Flash, Hydra, or Sortie in the Jet. But please double check that before spending the money on them.

Thanks! I will look into that.

 

[regsmizer]

Great Write up!

 

[CfiDave]

I use a Sortie magazine on my Jet I. Works very well and is easier to load.

 

[efem09]

Can this be used to kill magpies and doves inside 40 yards?

 

[CfiDave]

My Jet is in .25 and the most I can get is about 20 FPE. It is soda can accurate with a red dot at 30 yards.
I think with a scope you could easily kill birds at 35+ yards, even with a .22 cal Jet.

 

[scopecreep...]

I pop starlings out of a pine tree that is 17 yards from our deck with .22 cal Hades and a red dot. The shoulder stock is required for 30 yards to the top of a utility pole the little bastards hang out on. No data for 40 yards, that would be furry critters for which my dog has much faster target acquisition.

 

[Geezerhood]

I was getting split groups quite frequently with half the shots in one group and the other half or so in another group 1/2" to 5/8" apart from each other in random directions. The scope and rings are known to be solid, producing 1/4 MOA groups or better on another gun and the gun is in a clamping Caldwell Precision rest.

The polymer shroud that is held in place by two setscrews on the top that press onto the barrel, has some very narrow gaps between the top of the barrel, touching in some places. I removed it and shot some groups using a red dot sight mounted by the rear sight with the barrel free floating. The two separate group thing was no longer happening. The overall group size was significantly reduced and more "normal" looking. It shoots the CPHPs and Meisterkuglen match pellets fairly well now.

Guessing the shroud was the problem with varying contact points on the air tube, to see what gluing or bedding the shroud to the barrel might accomplish, since I don't want to shoot it without the shroud as there would be no way to attach a moderator or a scope, I put some mylar shims between the shroud and the air tube until there was no more up and down movement of the barrel with medium heavy downward pressure on the muzzle. Shooting it with a scope installed again, mounted to the shroud produced acceptable groups with both pellets mentioned above. Time will tell how long the zero will be maintained. Not sure how I would go about glass bedding the shroud without making it too difficult to remove the barrel, so shims might be the best solution. I will post some groups later.

 

[Geezerhood]

My hopes were dashed the more I shot the Jet 1 and Jet 2 I bought to try out. I finally realized they were not going to consistently give me the accuracy I expected so I sold them and got a Notos. I wish I had gone straight to the Notos. Fortunately I didn't lose any money when I sold them so I guess that was like free airgun school tuition.