Anschutz Black Air Hunter

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zebra

Member
Sep 29, 2015
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New York
I know Anschutz makes nice target rifles for FT and BR matches but their first attempt at a hunting rifle is a little embarrassing to look at. It literally made me cringe.

They call it the "Black Air Hunter". They specifically describe it as a hunting rifle, albeit for an urban setting, but aren't they all. It almost raised my interest until I noticed that it was a .177 with a pellet velocity of just 580 fps at 7 joules..... It's a BB gun! I actually have a .177 BB gun with the same advertised specs.

The more I read the sales spin / excuse / justification, the more I cringed. Specifically, "high power air rifles are dangerous and loud so we made it safe and quiet by reducing the power". Yes, it is now much safer, but..... It's meant to be a hunting rifle. Last time I checked, hunting rifles were not meant to be "safe". They are specifically meant to be dangerous and kill things.

We rely on common sense and good practice to be safe. We definitely don't rely on the gun lacking enough power to do harm if I shoot people with it. That concept would be insulting. There are guns like though. They are called "airsoft" and "paintball" but we don't hunt with those ever. 

I can only assume that somebody misunderstood the significance of the "mouse fart" description amongst desirable air gun features. They must have assumed it referred to the power instead of the noise level. 

The company is obviously having a hard time selling these $2350 (plus shipping) bb guns because they added "come on, give us a call and we will work with you on the price, less get them sold" to the ad on their website. That's right, Anschutz with their typical take it or leave it pricing, it looking to shift their stock at knock down prices (and they only made 20 to start with). 

I don't get how such a quality outfit (and their target guns are awesome) could be so clueless with this product. please, someone tell me I am missing something.... 

 
I remember when the first announcement about these rifles was made. I though it if you could buy it (much) cheaper, then send it to Alan Z, you might have an interesting rifle. Not worth the money, by any stretch, bur interesting. At the time I think you could buy a Daystate Mk4 with Huggett for less, and that would be a prettier and more useful rifle.
 
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I've generally liked the look and utility of those Anschutz and Steyr target guns. I often wondered why nobody made something so adjustable or with metal stocks for hunting guns right up to the point where I felt how heavy even having just an adjustable length of pull made a rifle. 

I have never ever wondered why nobody made a hunting rig with less power than a 10m gun. I actually read about this rifle on a pure firearms forum. They didn't even have an air gun section so it was shoved into the rimfire section. There was no reviews of any other brands of air rifle and I could easily see it "confirming" what firearms enthusiasts already "knew" about air rifles - that they were just toys...

Somebody needs to send those boys a Taipan Mutant to play with so they can see just how quiet a 22 can be with enough power for hunting.

I would like to see Anschutz do a proper job of a hunting rifle because the quality, fit and finish on their guns is superb. If they could apply some of that precision, care and attention to something more powerful and not price themselves out of the market, it would be interesting. 

IMO, they need to start by not being lazy and design it from the ground up instead of repurposing a .177 low power target gun. Hunters have different needs to field target shooters. It needs to be light, maneuverable, have appropriate power for the caliber and purpose and quiet etc.
 
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Yes, you are missing something. The gun is beautiful, and beautifully done. You are however, not one of the makers target market individuals. If I had the cash on hand, I would snag one in a heartbeat. If you have never shot a gun like this, you have no idea what you are missing ;-)

What you are missing, is what the gun was actually made for - which is URBAN hunting, and pest removal. Not rural critter blasting where ft/lbs are king. If you were in a supermarket after hours, to remove sparrows, this thing would reign supreme. Same with rodents inside live stock stalls. I have dealt with many officials from our State's DNR to know that at almost EVERY opportunity they would choose a weapon like this for pest removal, vs something like a Mutant, Cricket, talon, etc... They have firearms for dispatching larger pests and vermin. We have done TONS of events for the DNR, and the officials gravitated towards the 10m converted FT rifles more than any other platform, hands down.

Just because it is not for you, does not mean there is not a market. 
 
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"DaveG"Yes, you are missing something. The gun is beautiful, and beautifully done. You are however, not one of the makers target market individuals. If I had the cash on hand, I would snag one in a heartbeat. If you have never shot a gun like this, you have no idea what you are missing ;-)

What you are missing, is what the gun was actually made for - which is URBAN hunting, and pest removal. Not rural critter blasting where ft/lbs are king. If you were in a supermarket after hours, to remove sparrows, this thing would reign supreme. Same with rodents inside live stock stalls. I have dealt with many officials from our State's DNR to know that at almost EVERY opportunity they would choose a weapon like this for pest removal, vs something like a Mutant, Cricket, talon, etc... They have firearms for dispatching larger pests and vermin. We have done TONS of events for the DNR, and the officials gravitated towards the 10m converted FT rifles more than any other platform, hands down.

Just because it is not for you, does not mean there is not a market.
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I live in an urban setting, not a rural one. I use my PCP guns almost exclusively for hunting small game and pest control (in that urban setting). I also spend more than the average person on air rifles. I could certainly find the cash to buy one of them, if I wanted to. I would say that makes me exactly the target market. In fact, it makes me more their target market than you, as I actually could buy one.

You can't say I'm not the target market, just because I think the specs are inadequate for the advertised intended purpose (when the advertised intended purpose is exactly what I do). 

These DNR officials you speak of who "would jump at the chance" are clearly not jumping at the chance as it doesn't seem like they are flying off the shelves. Only 20 were made and now they are offering to discount them for anyone who calls. 

I am well aware that Anschutz make a quality product. Their target guns are up there among the best. The issue with this gun is that the power is insufficient to take pests humanely. 7 joules is 5fpe which is like a co2 BB gun and definitely not something that should be sold to hunt live animals with. 

I'd have to check but I'm not sure it even meets the legal minimum power requirement for small game hunting with an air gun where I live (in New York). 

I can't see that power being enough for most target shooters in America either. Maybe 10m but is this really what people would choose for that vs buying the one made specifically for 10m? You can modify any air gun but for $2300, I would expect it to arrive ready to go. 


 
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"scrane"If I remember correctly, this was a special edition put together in the US by the American Anschutz distributer. A nice toy for people with too much money.
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It's basically an 8002 S2 10m gun with a permanently attached moderator. I couldn't see a single other change to the specs to make it a hunter. It's the same action, power, stock etc. with the exception of the moderator, you can't tell the difference between them either in the photo or on paper. 

It would have made more sense to just sell it as an 8002 S2 quiet edition to allow people to practice for 10m matches in their backyard without disturbing the neighbors. 
 
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"Smaug"5 FPE is enough for rats and sparrows at close range.
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Have you tested that?

i know little birds are delicate. I've never had rats to shoot where I live (luckily) but if they are anything like chipmunks and squirrel, I would want more than 5fpe available. 

5fpe can easily bounce off a squirrel even at 15 yards. I've seen it happen. The squirrel just shook it off (after being hit in the head) and ran away. Rodents can be tough. 

Either way, I don't think the aim should be "just enough" when using an air gun on live animals. It's ok to think about your own needs but a person also has to avoid the risk of being cruel by causing injury or slow death. For hunting, this means using as much power as you can get away with, not the least. There are plenty of super quiet guns with enough power to choose from.

Chipmunks are very delicate. There is already a noticeable difference when they die from a 22 vs a 25. I've seen them thrash around for a minute after being hit with a 22 at 30 fpe vs a 25 when it seems to just turn them off in an instant. 

I'm sure that rifle is well made, like all Anschutz stuff. I would just not be recommending it to a friend for hunting. Steyr, a similar brand in the air gun world, had the right idea when they made hunting guns based on their target rifles. They aren't the most powerful but at least they are functional for the purpose. 

 
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"zebra"
"Smaug"5 FPE is enough for rats and sparrows at close range.
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Have you tested that?

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Yes, I've tested it. 5 FPE works great on sparrows, starlings, and chipmunks.

I shot one chipmunk with my HW30s, and a JSB 7.3 gr. (7 FPE at the muzzle) the pellet entered right next to his nose, went through the brain, down the neck, and out the side of the lower abdomen. The small pest birds are also pass-throughs @ 5 FPE.
 
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