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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Bargain Gate => Topic started by: Kragman1 on July 19, 2021, 07:23:00 AM

Title: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 19, 2021, 07:23:00 AM
Here's a good deal for .25 shooters - $6.99 for 200, and free shipping (over $20) if you become a member.  CONUS only.

Thats 600 pellets for $21 delivered. 

Pellets are made in Germany and rumor has it that they are H&N.  I figure that it has to be worth $20 to give them a try.

They are in stock - I just ordered 1,000.

One caveat - I don't know how well they pack pellets, but I begged for good packing in the order notes.  We shall see.

https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/hunting-shooting/airguns-pellets/pellets-bbs-co2/hatsan-vortex-strike-25-cal.-pellet-200-100588635.html?cgid=0#q=.25%2Bpellets&lang=default&start=1 (https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/hunting-shooting/airguns-pellets/pellets-bbs-co2/hatsan-vortex-strike-25-cal.-pellet-200-100588635.html?cgid=0#q=.25%2Bpellets&lang=default&start=1)

Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Captain Paul on July 19, 2021, 07:32:12 AM
Where / who is KTP?
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 19, 2021, 08:01:30 AM
Sorry - Kittery Trading Post in Maine.

I meant to include the link.  Here it is:

https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/hunting-shooting/airguns-pellets/pellets-bbs-co2/hatsan-vortex-strike-25-cal.-pellet-200-100588635.html?cgid=0#q=.25%2Bpellets&lang=default&start=1 (https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/hunting-shooting/airguns-pellets/pellets-bbs-co2/hatsan-vortex-strike-25-cal.-pellet-200-100588635.html?cgid=0#q=.25%2Bpellets&lang=default&start=1)
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Blowpipe Sam on July 20, 2021, 09:52:07 PM
SteveP sent me some to try out.  I found that they shot almost as well as the JSB Kings which were the favorite of my Striker.  Haven’t seen any for sale at Hatsan.  Thanks! I’m going to jump on these. ;D
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 20, 2021, 10:33:45 PM
You're welcome Sam!
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Pb_Volare on July 22, 2021, 12:41:31 AM
 Out of stock!
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 22, 2021, 12:49:32 AM
Yeah.  I just tried to buy a few more but.theyre gone.
I hope a few people here got in on it while they had them.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Captain Paul on July 22, 2021, 08:18:19 AM
MidwayUSA has them in stock, same price.  I just ordered 8 tins and got them the other day.  Tins have screw on lids and wrapped with tape.  Although they weren't packed very well in the box and a couple tins looked like they had a dent or two, the pellets looked fine.  They're made in Argentina and look pretty good.  Lots of lead dust and flakes in the tin.  Not the same quality as JSB or H&N but not bad.  Haven't tried them yet but can't beat the price.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: SteveP-52 on July 22, 2021, 09:33:50 AM
MidwayUSA has them in stock, same price.  I just ordered 8 tins and got them the other day.  Tins have screw on lids and wrapped with tape.  Although they weren't packed very well in the box and a couple tins looked like they had a dent or two, the pellets looked fine.  They're made in Argentina and look pretty good.  Lots of lead dust and flakes in the tin.  Not the same quality as JSB or H&N but not bad.  Haven't tried them yet but can't beat the price.

My tin says the same thing on the bottom tag, Made in Argentina. A quick random google search for Argentinian pellet makers came back with the name Apolo, although I only went back 2 pages and never did find a website for them, just a bunch of places that sell them and where Hard Air Magazine mentioned them in an article. Apparently a newer company that showed up at the IWA show in 2018? with a few others. I have them in all 3 calibers but have yet to try them myself.

The H&N rumor might well be because H&N makes their Vortex pellet line and until you mentioned it, I'd never looked at the tags on mine, just stuck them on my shelves.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Ironman482 on July 22, 2021, 09:42:37 AM
I just ordered 2000 from midway 5.99 a tin of 200 , hopefully they'll shoot well out of one or more of my .25 cal guns , with all the shortages lately thought it'd be good to stock up at that price.free shipping too.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: avator on July 22, 2021, 09:51:15 AM
Good luck with Midway... their packing is really bad.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 22, 2021, 11:00:39 AM
OK, a little more info gleaned from internet images -

The Vortex Supreme pellets are proudly marked Made in Germany on the front of the tin.
The Big Bore Supreme is marked Made in Czech Republic.
The Strike isn't marked on the front, and as has been shown here to be from Argentina.

Not sure that "Made in Argentina" equates to poor quality though, as I've read quite a few positive reports on them. 
I hope everyone is satisfied with the pellets they receive, but either way I would like to see a few people report on them here after they get a chance to try them.


Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Captain Paul on July 22, 2021, 01:10:07 PM
Ok, I pulled out a couple pellets and took some photos.  The pellet on the left is the Hatsan Vortex and on the right is an Air Arms Field 18 gr. 
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Ironman482 on July 22, 2021, 06:33:04 PM
Good luck with Midway... their packing is really bad.
  yeah, after ordering , I looked at the projectile gate and saw the horror stories there, keeping my fingers crossed, I've ordered a lot of stuff from midway and don't remember them packaging items poorly,maybe I should have ordered something that wouldn't fit in a envelope.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Captain Paul on July 23, 2021, 07:48:03 AM
Good luck with Midway... their packing is really bad.
  yeah, after ordering , I looked at the projectile gate and saw the horror stories there, keeping my fingers crossed, I've ordered a lot of stuff from midway and don't remember them packaging items poorly,maybe I should have ordered something that wouldn't fit in a envelope.

I read similar feedback in the reviews on Midway's site.  At least the tins have screw on lids and tape around the lids to keep them secure.  I ordered 8 tins and they came in a small box with a couple of those wimpy "balloons" they use to fill the empty box, but did nothing to secure the heavy tins.  Fortunately shipments from Midway get here pretty fast so the box didn't go through too many hands before reaching me.  Even with a couple small dents in the tins, the pellets appear to be undamaged.  I think they use a harder alloy of lead than JSB, probably more like H&N's.

Also, if you look at the photos I posted closely you'll see a casting "seam" on the Vortex pellet.  I'm betting that seam won't help the ballistics coefficient.  :P

But for cheap pellets, especially during this pellet shortage, I'm happy.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Blowpipe Sam on July 23, 2021, 11:57:11 AM
Good luck with Midway... their packing is really bad.
  yeah, after ordering , I looked at the projectile gate and saw the horror stories there, keeping my fingers crossed, I've ordered a lot of stuff from midway and don't remember them packaging items poorly,maybe I should have ordered something that wouldn't fit in a envelope.

I read similar feedback in the reviews on Midway's site.  At least the tins have screw on lids and tape around the lids to keep them secure.  I ordered 8 tins and they came in a small box with a couple of those wimpy "balloons" they use to fill the empty box, but did nothing to secure the heavy tins.  Fortunately shipments from Midway get here pretty fast so the box didn't go through too many hands before reaching me.  Even with a couple small dents in the tins, the pellets appear to be undamaged.  I think they use a harder alloy of lead than JSB, probably more like H&N's.

Also, if you look at the photos I posted closely you'll see a casting "seam" on the Vortex pellet.  I'm betting that seam won't help the ballistics coefficient.  :P

But for cheap pellets, especially during this pellet shortage, I'm happy.
The seam around the pellet head is a bit disconcerting.  I shot some through three different guns into a bucket of water to check how the rifling engages the pellet.  Even my RIM, which has a loose bore, engraved the pellet head very uniformly indicating that the pellet centers well.  The RIM did not shoot this pellet well, nor did my Hatsan Mod 125.  However my old Crosman 1400 gobbled them up.  Even pellets shot from the Hatsan did not expand in the water.  I suspect they are using a fairly hard alloy of lead. The pellets shot well enough to hunt with in my 1400 but they are a bit pricey if you buy them over the counter from Academy sports.  $10 for a tin of 200 and $11.00 for the .177 caliber S-target Match pellets.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 23, 2021, 06:37:56 PM
Mine arrived last night in a medium USPS priority mail cardboard.  5 tins and a few air pillows in te box, which was flattened along about 1/3 of its length.  One minor dent in 1 tin, the others were fine.  I opened the dented one a found a few slightly oblong skirts, so be it.  A lot of flash on them though.
They are a tight fit in my bore as well, but seemed to shoot OK.  I will try to really "test" them at a later date as I have plenty of work to do around my house. 
I would say definitely better than the Benjamin domes though.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Ironman482 on July 24, 2021, 07:10:03 PM
My ten tins arrived today,  cardboard box from Midway, a few air pillows box only one still inflated, no bad damage to tins ,opened one and pellets seem to be OK , if all tins are like that one no problem . .25 cal . But dang midway Styrofoam peanuts would be better .
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Captain Paul on July 24, 2021, 07:17:06 PM
My ten tins arrived today,  cardboard box from Midway, a few air pillows box only one still inflated, no bad damage to tins ,opened one and pellets seem to be OK , if all tins are like that one no problem . .25 cal . But dang midway Styrofoam peanuts would be better .

Yep, my shipment last week looked exactly like yours.  I opened a couple tins and didn't see any damaged pellets.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Ironman482 on July 24, 2021, 07:18:59 PM
I opened another tin ,the one with the worse amount of damage and the pellets look OK,  and no seam around the head , haven't tested yet but I have 5 guns in 25 cal so hopefully one of. Them will like them plus I've been thinking of buying one of the aea semi hp carbines so will need lots of pellets.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: RickHem on July 25, 2021, 10:17:06 PM
KTP is sold out, just looked them up tonight.
The pellet drought continues.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on July 25, 2021, 10:31:23 PM
Yeah.  They did still have them in .22 a couple of days ago so I ordered 2 tins of thise and 2 tins of Baracudas.  But they did have a decent selection in general, and you can make small purchhases without getting hurt by the shipping cost.  I would recommend 4-6 tins as they fit decently in the medium sized USPS priority box KTP shipped to me in (both times, once 4 tins once 5)
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Ironman482 on August 07, 2021, 07:29:41 PM
I ordered another 12 tins and midway sent me a 10% off birthday code so got them at 4.99 a tin and free shipping so now I  have 22 tins, and been shooting them in my avenger with good results ,not as good as JSB but a whole lot cheaper and available.
Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Kragman1 on August 07, 2021, 07:53:09 PM
That's a great deal Ron!

Speaking only for myself and my 125, the Vortex Strike heads are very tight in my barrel but seem to shoot fine.  Range day got cancelled today but I did get a very few shots off with the 125 and here they are.  FYI - that group is a near perfect record of how thought I was holding on each shot.  That impressed me despite the over tight bore fit.

Title: Re: Hatsan Vortex Strike .25 pellets at KTP
Post by: Blowpipe Sam on August 07, 2021, 09:23:51 PM
I just received four tins from Midway USA.  Just dropped into a cheap USPS mailer with no padding.  Only one tin was dented and these pellets are packed loosely enough in the tin that no damage occurred.  Disappointingly, they did not shoot well in my new Hatsan Mod 125.  Not a total loss though, I know they shoot well in my Striker.  They will be fine for the sort of short range reptile and amphibian busting I use the Striker for.