Anschutz Black Air Hunter

EMrider · Oct 26, 2016

The R7/HW30 is a better choice IMHO for low FPE pest removal. Very accurate, quiet, reliable, low maintenance and comparatively cheap.

I don't see how this gun can be economically viable.

R

zebra · Oct 26, 2016

"ajshoots"I have shot numerous pest birds and even a few squirrels with my FWB 300S that only makes about 6.5fpe at the muzzle and 5fpe at 30 yards. I usually only shoot pest from 15-20 yards with this gun, but have taken the occasional 30 yard shot. Always clean kills. The trick is to hit em in the brain box. When a gun is super accurate even at low power, making precise head shots is really not difficult.

The beauty of using a low powered 10m rifle for pest control is the amazing accuracy and the low fpe makes for a great indoor pest gun. I live in farm country. There are chicken, hog, and cattle farms all over. Not to mention a grain elevator in every small town. When sparrows, starlings, rats, and other small pests need to be removed, these low power guns offer the accuracy and just enough power for clean kills, but not holes thru barn roofs, walls, or damage to equipment and such.

While this Black Air Hunter might be a flop and incorrectly marketed, these types of guns have a place for some pesters with specific needs. Also, anyone that has ever spent even just a little time with a high quality 10m rifle has to agree that they are amazing guns. Quality is as good as it gets, triggers are superb, and accuracy is ridiculously amazing!!

Just my pennies worth.

I don't agree. Even lower power bb guns will make a mess of the wall. There is no air gun on this planet that can kill but won't take a chunk out of the brickwork. I used to use a little 300fps bb pistol in my garage before I got into pcp guns. The wall is a complete mess wherever I missed the backstop. Anyone shooting indoors who wants to protect their property should plan on using a good backstop.

I don't know if anyone buys such an expensive rifle and limits themselves to sparrows but it is not responsible to hunt squirrel with only 5pe. It doesn't matter if some have been killed at that power level. I've heard of a Racoon being killed with an Airsoft gun. The key point is that the chances of wounding vs killing are much higher. As I said, I've seen first hand how far more powerful guns injure when more power would have done the job humanely.

The idea that every shot will be perfect because the gun is accurate is fantasy. That doesn't even happen at FT or BR matches with professionals shooting paper targets that stay perfectly still. At 10m, my Mutant will put every pellet in the same hole but humans make mistakes (all humans). Animals move. The wind shifts the poi and the effect will be even more pronounced at such low power levels. There will be damaged skirts on the pellets.

I bought my first 25 cal after I shot a squirrel in the head with a 22 and knocked it out of a tree. It fell more than 25 feet and landed head first but it got up and ran off into the bushes bleeding....

ajshoots · Oct 27, 2016

Removed

JG66 · Apr 24, 2017

...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.