First post - here we go :)

[larspawn]

PS is the Hatsan 128 the same as the Walther Falcon Hunter?  How's the trigger on it? Always wanted to try the Walter line

[Johnno]

Thanks for that Skonion and Larsporn As you can tell I am a bit of a rookie when it comes to air guns so the idea that the pellet might be too heavy and cause damage really didn't occur to me - I'm guessing I might need to find something a bit lighter then and start of with the zero process again and then a new bdc... Okay - in case any of you guys are really familiar with the Hatsan 125 (.22/5.5mm) any recommendations for a really good hunting pellet with hitting power/accuracy in the 15-20gr range maybe ?

[Johnno]

Larspawn - just saw your post then I'm no expert and as I said at the beginning of the thread the only other air rifle I have owned is one I inherited from my dad that is probably about 60 years old lol Having said that I have done a fair bit of online research and then I started looking at was available in the armerias (gunshops) down here in Buenos Aires - and the Hatsan 125 really DID sound like the best bang for my buck For me the trigger is a tad on the stiff side but it is adjustable - but since I feel I can shoot with it accurately I'm not too worried - it takes a fair bit of effort to cock it - I definitely wouldn't recommend this air rifle for a 12 year old or something - but yes, I'm EXTREMELY impressed with its power and although the only accuracy testing I have been able to do so far has been at 10 metres I was able to group 3 or 4 rounds in about 1cm...

The REALLY cool thing about this air rifle is that you can shoot into a telephone book at about 10 metres and the penetration is amazing and the way the bullet deforms/expands is like you would expect from a real .22lr rifle - the bullet penetrates an inch or so and creates the equivalent of pretty impressive ''wound channel'' and deforms in a way that it ends up with some fairly nasty edges/etc. so yes, this is one impressive piece of kit...

I had no idea that air rifles had come so far from the first one I played with as a kid 30 to 40 years ago - these aren't ''kids toys'' anymore - for me this weapon is more like a real .22lr rifle - the only difference is its even CHEAPER to shoot and more quiet lol

[Nathan]

Johno I would suggest that you look for lighter pellets (that are accurate) for your rifle. While your Hatsan model 125 is quite powerful (IIRC it is the same as the Walther Falcon Hunter sold here in the US), those extra heavy 28 grain pellets will put extra stress on the mainspring. Pellets of that weight are better suited in pre-charged pneumatics. If you damaged the main spring, I don't know how hard it would be to get a replacement in Argentina. If you're primary target are birds the size of pigeons, 14 to 18 grain pellets from your Hatsan will more than do the job. Plus they will have a flatter trajectory.

Nathan

[VINNY]

Welcome!!

[Johnno]

Thanks for that Nathan - mostly pidgeons for the moment - but whenever I can take a break and get out of the city I would like to have a go at rabbits, carpincios (not sure on the spelling) and small to medium sized pigs - from what I've seen there is no problem with an air rifle like this taking down a medium size porker with good shot placement (which is why I have now added the red dot sight). I'm experimenting with some of the pellets that are easy to get down here - most are around 14.35 grains from memory - some with pointed heads and some with more rounded - but my gut feeling is still that if I was going for heavier game I would want the heaviest pellet I could get my hand on - but having said that maybe for all the small stuff I could stick to something around 14.35 grain and keep the 28 grainers for the few times I get to shoot something bigger ?

[Calmark]

Glad you found us and joined up.  Thanks for sharing your story and keep us posted on how things go.   

-Mark

[Johnno]

Thanks Calmark;) Will do...

[Conelty]

Welcome to GTA!

[Johnno]

Okay guys - I finally spent about 70 pesos (maybe 12 bucks lol:) and got myself one of those detachable bipods so I could do my zero at 10 metres routine a bit better - since my first zero was with the heavy 28 grain pellets I thought I would stick with them for the moment - well, for another 10 or 20 shots or so anyway...

Here is the mean woman of it - I used about 10 shots tonight ATTEMPTING to get a perfect zero - using the red dot sight and in the prone position using the bipod - after rough tuning I found I was getting all the pellets around the edge of the 1cm or so (maybe half an inch) bull in the centre of the target - but quickly realized NO WAY I was going to get every pellet into the same hole (something I could easily do at closer range with my crossman benjamin EB22...) IS it just the pellets or is it that this Hatsan 125 is ''too powerful to be accurate'' or is anyone else out there getting ''tack driver'' type accuracy with a particular type of pellet? I know I am being a bit lazy and I could always experiment at this 10 metre range indoors with the other different pellets I have - the lighter 14.3gr ones and so on - but coming from the background I do with really only having experience with precision long range ''sniper''/target type rifles etc are my expectations okay or is that simply NOT the sort of accuracy I should be expecting? I am guessing that if my bullets are grouping in a half inch group at 10 metres/yards then at 50 metres/yards I will probably find the group will spread out to 2.5 inches (?) - and if that is the case my idea of getting chest shots on pidgeons at 50 yards/metres simply isn't going to work?

Oh - you'll notice I'm trying to do the metres/yards thing as being the same - thats because what we were taught (years ago) was that they are basically the same when calculating firing solutions in the 300 to 1000 metres range with long range rifles...

Okay - sorry to be a pain again and come in with a dozen more questions - I am STILL *very* impressed with this new rifle - because I never thought an air rifle could produce this sort of power - but on the accuracy side of things I admit I am a tad disappointed right now - but bearing in mind that these are locally produced out of the ordinary HEAVY pellets - I doubt there is much heavier in the .22 calibre pellet category than 28 gr (?)

Anyway - any and all input gratefully accepted MAYBE its the clip onto the barrel bipod (?) From regular rifle experience I *do* remember that benchresting ALWAYS produced tighter groups/more accuracy than using any bipod (have I maybe answered my own question there?)

Johnno out

[Johnno]

PS I do have sort of an excuse for trying to pick all of your brains rather than experiment TOOOOO much - I am zeroing/testing at a 10 metre indoor range that is actually the living room of my apartment here in Buenos Aires - up on the 7th floor of a reasonably tall apartment building - its a new country and everybody is pretty laid back - I know I've been shooting my BB pistols indoors and my .22 Benjamin Crossman co2 pistol basically every day - and I've gotten away with THAT without the neighbours complaining - but the noise from the Hatsan 125 *is* just a tad louder than the benjamin crossman and while I don't mind getting 5 to 10 shots off in the evening - before it gets toooooo late - I don't know I would get away with putting hundreds of rounds through it every evening - and I don't want to push it too much

[Johnno]

Okay guys - time for my first update lol I've done some online research and found one guy who really seemed to have done a fair bit of the work for me - according to him the best pellet for the Hatsan 125 is the Gamo pro magnum (15.4gr) (in terms of accuracy) - apparently it gives fingernail size groups at about 25 metres - so assuming that is what the Hatsan 125 is capable of doing that is what I am aiming for...

I headed off to the armeria here in Buenos Aires again today and came back with a few more pellet types to play with - I've dropped down from the 28 grainers and today I was on the Gamo TS-22 22 grainers - I started to get REALLY excited when with first couple of POIs/holes were touching each other - but after several more shots and adjustments it turns out that the 22 grainers are no more accurate than the 28 grainers - the only advantage the additional muzzle velocity you can feel is there with the lighter pellet...

STILL no nosy neighbours making trouble - but I don't want to overdo it - so no more shooting tonight - tomorrow I'll be testing either the Savage Magnums (weight unknown) or moving down to the Jumbo express exact which weigh in at 14.35 grains - these are also a domed pellet...

My gut feeling at the moment? I think these Gamo Magnum Pro pellets will probably turn out to be the best like this other chap has said - if there are I'll let you guys all know - use the free ballistics software to make up a new bullet data chart for 10 to 100 yards (after zeroing at 10 again) and if all goes well I should be able to ''dial up'' fairly precisely for 50 and do my first bit of pidgeon killing

I've seen a few other comments on a local Spanish language airgunners forum saying good things about the Gamo Magnum Pro pellets in the Hatsan 125 and from what I can make out whilst this is one of the most powerful springers out there it seems that it is very ''pellet fussy'' - it likes what it likes - but at least it looks like it IS possible to get really good accuracy out of this rifle as well as the hardcore power...