GTA

All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Archery => Topic started by: ShakySarge on December 23, 2020, 12:01:00 PM

Title: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on December 23, 2020, 12:01:00 PM
Haven’t seen much firsthand experience on this platform other than the world of YouTube. Anyone have any personal experience with it? Bought one today. Should be here next week. I already have the proper bolts due to being a crossbow user.

Here in Tennessee they are legal to hunt with and the idea of a bolt going almost 600 feet a second depending on broad head weight is totally new to me. Perhaps I just get to be the test dummy. I’ve got some perfect, brand new GT bolts and some nice RAGE broad heads for crossbows. I’m hoping they perform well so I don’t have to buy some fixed broad heads again. A 2” cut from an air-bow would be devastating on a deer. But that will have to be saved for the hunting gate.

I’ll report back once I get to run it through the paces of set-up/testing. I hope it performs well because the opportunity to hunt with airguns exclusively is one I would love to take.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on December 27, 2020, 01:21:30 PM
Gonna have to re-think how I need to secured the inserts for the crossbow bolts. The first shot was fine. Went so fast all we saw was the dirt fly up where it embedded itself up to the end in the ground. Only saw it because a tiny bit of orange vane was barely visible.

The second test shot was at a big oak tree with a field point. It blew the field point and insert out and then the bolt, at about 1/3 of the speed it should have been, lodged into the tree and rammed the wood and bark about 1.5” into the end of the bolt shaft where the insert should have been.

May try using 5 minute epoxy on a few inserts to see if that holds up. The bolt shaft seems fine and shows no physical damage during the bend test. All part of learning a new platform that barely has a following.

Once I get the bolt inserts figured out, I will be running some numbers and testing accuracy.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on December 27, 2020, 02:36:04 PM
A few Pics.

(https://i.imgur.com/rMCEwxD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UqaGI05.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Vd7eFo5.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/psNMvZA.jpg)
Will add more as I continue to learn the platform.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: chico on December 27, 2020, 04:19:24 PM
don't have one of these . . . yet . . . but i am following and learning from your posts.

i heard it said they are quite loud - almost shotgun loud. do you find that to be the case ?
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on December 27, 2020, 04:54:46 PM
Would say more the sound of a .22 short. Not really loud, but a sharp snap.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on December 27, 2020, 04:56:37 PM
I just ordered some Tenpoint aluminum bolts with the .305 id. I’ll be using quick set epoxy on the inserts and will let it set overnight just to be sure it set properly. I should have numbers and accuracy testing in a few days.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: screwwork on February 06, 2021, 08:03:52 PM
Matt,
Did the quick set epoxy work for you?

On my Prod arrow gun, I was blowing out the field tip and inserts like crazy, I used Loctite 609 retaining compound with Loctite 7471 primer on the arrow & insert and finally some success without shooting bolt parts everywhere. 
My Prod shoots 2219-20 bolts @ 444grs at 275fps = 74.5 fpe at the muzzle :o
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: Rob M on February 06, 2021, 08:07:14 PM
insane, you could hunt rhinos with that thing
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: screwwork on February 06, 2021, 08:12:41 PM
Yeah, the Hatson Harpoon is no joke for sure when it comes to launching bolts at almost 600fps. 
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on February 08, 2021, 12:47:16 PM
Matt,
Did the quick set epoxy work for you?

On my Prod arrow gun, I was blowing out the field tip and inserts like crazy, I used Loctite 609 retaining compound with Loctite 7471 primer on the arrow & insert and finally some success without shooting bolt parts everywhere. 
My Prod shoots 2219-20 bolts @ 444grs at 275fps = 74.5 fpe at the muzzle :o

The epoxy seems to hold. I have switched strictly to the ten point AL bolts and so far no issues with them as long as you hit the target. If you miss, that bolt and broad head or FT is as good as gone. It’s moving fast enough that you cannot see the bolt in flight even with bright vanes. You should be good with epoxy at the speeds you’re getting.

I haven’t shot it much since my last post due to a lost bolt is right around 7-10 bucks a pop. I lose at least one each time I go to zero it in.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: The breeze on April 07, 2021, 04:50:55 PM
i had a harpoon but i sold it on ebay just to heavy to hunt with imo
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on April 08, 2021, 10:16:30 AM
i had a harpoon but i sold it on ebay just to heavy to hunt with imo

It’s heavy for sure. I’ll be hunting stands with it so the weight doesn’t bother me much.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: Rat Sniper (AKA: PaulT58) on April 08, 2021, 10:42:09 AM
Heavy seems to be a Hatsan Hallmark!  Built like a tank and weighs about the same.  I really have no use for an air bolt rifle, but they sure are cool!  ;D
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: 51coronet on December 06, 2021, 11:52:40 AM
I have one and similar experience.
Only use aluminum bolts, the fiberglass and carbon fiber bolts will explode or split and peel.
Inserts must be secured with a good adhesive or else they will just get blown out. When installing inserts it is a good idea to have a layer of adhesive built up like a wall inside the bolt behind the insert for the air to push against.  This can get tricky depending on the type of adhesive and the bolts should be placed tip side down when the adhesive is curing.  You dont want adhesive running on the inside walls of the bolt preventing them from sliding over the air tube.

I haven't figured out how to adjust the hammer on mine because its under the advertised FPS and FPE
Bigshot extreme 500 and a backup easy pull type target will catch the bolts but you are likely going to have fletching damage depending on your distance from the target
The tube that the bolt slides over is extremely soft and bends easy, mine was bent upon arrival.  I took things apart, rolled the tube on a flat glass table until I got it rolling smooth then put things back together.  I ordered a chromoly tube that needs to be machined down before it will work, its way more rigid than whatever the stock material is.

From what I remember when I did do some chrono testing the shot string is not a curve its a gradual decline and I was above 300 FPS for over 20 shots.  Had to find lots of inserts that day. They were Chinese fiber bolts that mostly held up when the FPS got below 400.  Above that the inserts blow out and the bolt sometimes cracks and splits open if the insert holds

I think its a quality item with some nuances that people should be aware of.  I still want to figure out how to adjust the hammer if there is a way.  I want to see the numbers Hatsan claims it to have for myself.  When I was shopping for an arrow slinger it was between the harpoon and the airbow by benjamin.  I chose the bigger numbers so when it under performs its disappointing since that was my determining factor for a harpoon over an airbow.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: ShakySarge on December 06, 2021, 07:22:25 PM
The only hammer adjustment that I now of is a pressure change in the gas ram for the hammer. A very poor design in my opinion. Much easier to replace a spring than to rebuild a gas ram.
Title: Re: Hatsan Harpoon
Post by: 51coronet on December 07, 2021, 11:59:57 AM
So that is why I couldn't figure it out.  I had no idea its a gas ram.  Is this similar to break barrels that use a nitrogen charged piston sort of device?  IGT is what some call it.  Well that is very disappointing. 

The benjamin fitted with an air tube that uses 2219 over the counter bolts looks like the way to go then. 
I also wanted to stay clear from proprietary arrows/bolts that the benjamin and umarex use.  Forgot to mention that as a big determining factor to go with the hatsan.