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PCP Don't Overlook the Vectis

Pumacarl

Grand HAMster
3,371
12,873
HAM Points
13,509.25
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When this gun was first reviewed by AEAC I gave Steve a little bit of grief in the comments for not saying outright that the gun's receiver was solid plastic and not cladded metal. I should actually clarify, not just plastic but a very heavy, heavy duty polymer. Well, that was years ago, and I bought a .177 re-furb (perfect condition) back then to try it out and see how it would hold up. I will say my one really negative remark first, the muzzle brake on this gun is poorly designed, loud, ugly, and actually weighs more than the Tanto I replaced it with. Cut the thing off if you get a Vectis. The barrel is threaded 1/2' x 20 so you would be crazy not to. It is very quiet with the Tanto. The initial magazines were messed up but Hatsan sent out their redisigned ones right off the bat and they have worked great, and the gun has only been coming with the good ones for years now. This gun has been fun and solid, completely reliable, I haven't had to do anything to it. The lever action is very short throw and feels good. It shoots 10.5gr CPD (950fps), JSB 13.4gr RD (850fps), and 12.5gr NSA slugs (880fps) all with the same hammer spring adjustment and filling to 2600psi. I just shoot one mag to keep the spread negligible and the accuacy amazing. The NSA slugs do 3/4" groups at 75 yards! Yeah, the long term update is very positive! You can get the re-furb ones from Hatsan really cheap, I think I paid $225, worth every penny. Actually, mine would have been worth paying full price for, but I didn't know that at the time.
 
When this gun was first reviewed by AEAC I gave Steve a little bit of grief in the comments for not saying outright that the gun's receiver was solid plastic and not cladded metal. I should actually clarify, not just plastic but a very heavy, heavy duty polymer. Well, that was years ago, and I bought a .177 re-furb (perfect condition) back then to try it out and see how it would hold up. I will say my one really negative remark first, the muzzle brake on this gun is poorly designed, loud, ugly, and actually weighs more than the Tanto I replaced it with. Cut the thing off if you get a Vectis. The barrel is threaded 1/2' x 20 so you would be crazy not to. It is very quiet with the Tanto. The initial magazines were messed up but Hatsan sent out their redisigned ones right off the bat and they have worked great, and the gun has only been coming with the good ones for years now. This gun has been fun and solid, completely reliable, I haven't had to do anything to it. The lever action is very short throw and feels good. It shoots 10.5gr CPD (950fps), JSB 13.4gr RD (850fps), and 12.5gr NSA slugs (880fps) all with the same hammer spring adjustment and filling to 2600psi. I just shoot one mag to keep the spread negligible and the accuacy amazing. The NSA slugs do 3/4" groups at 75 yards! Yeah, the long term update is very positive! You can get the re-furb ones from Hatsan really cheap, I think I paid $225, worth every penny. Actually, mine would have been worth paying full price for, but I didn't know that at the time.
Surprised to hear this, I had a flashpup when I first got into airgunning and it was TERRIBLE
 
Nope! They shoot fantastic! They are not pretty, or machined too pretty, but they are accurate. I bought a Flashpup in .22 and I sold it to my brother because he liked it so much. Theses aren't grail guns for passing down but they get the job done for less money (re-furb) than most of the new batch of budget guns (Notos) with way more power, range, and accuracy. Maybe I just got lucky, but I doubt it. These guns cost about two Evol magazines and a tin of pellets worth, you really can't go wrong for a cheap gun for friends or family to shoot, without worrying to much.
 
Nope! They shoot fantastic! They are not pretty, or machined too pretty, but they are accurate. I bought a Flashpup in .22 and I sold it to my brother because he liked it so much. Theses aren't grail guns for passing down but they get the job done for less money (re-furb) than most of the new batch of budget guns (Notos) with way more power, range, and accuracy. Maybe I just got lucky, but I doubt it. These guns cost about two Evol magazines and a tin of pellets worth, you really can't go wrong for a cheap gun for friends or family to shoot, without worrying to much.
This is exactly how I felt about the Airacuda Max in .25!
 
I think a lot of the low end of the price range for airguns have many excellent shooting guns but people new to the sport don't know how to shoot them. The whole bell curve to pressure ranges for different weights, or lengths of shot strings and spreads, etc. Making the ports the size for the purpose you have for the gun is huge, and again beyond the novice at first it would seem. That is the reason the regulated guns are now selling so well I know, but even with that, everyone benefits from learning all of it.
 
The Airacuda Max seems like an awesome gun to me too but I would get the standard version in .25 as powerful hunter and the Max in .22. Just to utilize the amount of air capacity in the cylinder better.
 
NO! You can't ignore the Vectis. I had to chime in on this post, as I recently bought a refurb in .25 directly from Hatsan. I've always wanted one and finally got it. So far, I really love it. Right now it does the best with Predator Polymags, but still more to test. I'm going to set this up as my 'woods-walker' for stalking coyotes and anything else that moves. But three things I wanna do first; quiet it down (Probably gonna HAVE to buy a moderator), see if I can calm that "thwang" from the hammer spring and maybe stiffen the trigger-seems way too light right now. Anyway, would love to hear comments and thoughts on everyone else's Vectis. OH! And I wanna put a regulator in it.
 
I think no matter what gun you get you got that % of chance its good or not so. Just some brands or line that % can be on the +/- side of things.. like i got one good hatsan and one not so as well as Beeman or hw's. Just dont know what you got till your all set up and shooting it ..
This is very true, but the more you know the less problems you have too. What is a deal breaker to some, is laughably easy to remedy for others. These guns are less expensive for a reason but pretty easy to get shooting well. The Hatsan barrels that I have seen have been as accurate as anything.
 
Think of Hatsan as a manufacturer that makes their guns by just chewing out shapes of parts using their teeth. Smoothing out everything with with 12 grit sandpaper and lubing parts with sand and grease. I’ve owned a few Hatsans and they’re all the same I don’t know why I didn’t learn the first 5 times. Ok, triggers are ok (the Flashpup would jam the trigger I had a .177 and .22) they shoot good but oh man they’re gritty. The wood stocks are nice. Sorry for being blunt I just call it as I have seen it from experience.
 
Don't be sorry for your experience or being blunt, you've earned your opinion. I might have gotten lucky but the two that I've had shot awesome with zero problems, and they were so very inexpensive that it makes me laugh to think what a deal I got.
 
I'm a newbie here and to modern airguns, full disclosure, but I gotta chime in on behalf of Hatsan, here. Maybe 10 years ago I got a Hamerli Pneuma .177, polymer stock, for less than $200 from a little place down in Alabama. Just wanted to find out what this PCP thing was, was tired of my multi pumps and break barrels, and quick follow-up shots on the chipmunks sounded great. THAT opened a whole new world of possibilities; math, research, testing and tuning, etc as you all know. Used to get all the Nitrogen i wanted for free at the paintball shop around the corner. But I digress.

This little Pneuma is very well made, inside and out, NO problem with the workmanship, fit and finish, etc. Up to 40 yards it will out-shoot any of my .17 rimfires, WSM, HMR. Then about two years ago I felt the need for more firepower and found a NIB Hatsan Flash in .25 wood stock at a grand theft price at the same little shop. Now, I haven't put nearly as many .25 pellets in the tree stumps in the backyard as there are .17's, and just getting into the slugs, but this one is no slouch either for accuracy. And, the workmanship, fit and finish on this Flash is even better than the Pneuma. (ZERO issues with either, also)

I didn't get to choose either of these from a wall, they just FEDEX'd me whichever one they wanted to (was on top) and don't know me from Adam's housecat. I'm not saying these are the most accurate air rifles out there, no sir, but they will quite reliably do a clean headshot on a 'munk on the far corner of my property from my kitchen table. And tink is all you hear.

So, what's going on here with the trash talk on Hatsan?? Do we maybe have some that are trying to justify all that extra money they're now missing?? Maybe a little snooty, too??
 
I'm a newbie here and to modern airguns, full disclosure, but I gotta chime in on behalf of Hatsan, here. Maybe 10 years ago I got a Hamerli Pneuma .177, polymer stock, for less than $200 from a little place down in Alabama. Just wanted to find out what this PCP thing was, was tired of my multi pumps and break barrels, and quick follow-up shots on the chipmunks sounded great. THAT opened a whole new world of possibilities; math, research, testing and tuning, etc as you all know. Used to get all the Nitrogen i wanted for free at the paintball shop around the corner. But I digress.

This little Pneuma is very well made, inside and out, NO problem with the workmanship, fit and finish, etc. Up to 40 yards it will out-shoot any of my .17 rimfires, WSM, HMR. Then about two years ago I felt the need for more firepower and found a NIB Hatsan Flash in .25 wood stock at a grand theft price at the same little shop. Now, I haven't put nearly as many .25 pellets in the tree stumps in the backyard as there are .17's, and just getting into the slugs, but this one is no slouch either for accuracy. And, the workmanship, fit and finish on this Flash is even better than the Pneuma. (ZERO issues with either, also)

I didn't get to choose either of these from a wall, they just FEDEX'd me whichever one they wanted to (was on top) and don't know me from Adam's housecat. I'm not saying these are the most accurate air rifles out there, no sir, but they will quite reliably do a clean headshot on a 'munk on the far corner of my property from my kitchen table. And tink is all you hear.

So, what's going on here with the trash talk on Hatsan?? Do we maybe have some that are trying to justify all that extra money they're now missing?? Maybe a little snooty, too??
The trash talk only sounds snooty to people who haven't yet seen the full spectrum of pcp's. It actually isn't, and I get their point, and you will too if you stick with it. Like I said, comparitively, these are not heirloom quality guns but they have managed to work great for me. Obviously, they have worked for you too, but a lot of people here haven't been so lucky. Little problems can be a big deal to someone without the experience to recognize and fix them (or the tools and the time). These guns sell cheap, but are easy(for me) to get working well so I think they are a screaming deal, others might just send it back. If you spend the money on a tier one pcp, or several, and work on them, and then go back to the Hatsan, you are going to notice many things for sure. This awareness will most probably make you less willing to put up with the differences from tier one too. Still, I think for the money they charge, I am not going to complain. Though a gun should show up working correctly for sure, and I don't think anyone is wrong for believing so, and just sending it back. At the end of the day, the reliabilty and as-good-as anything accuracy I have had, for so little money spent, is a rare deal these days. Besides that, they're fun and I don't worry about them!
 
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THE FOLLOWING IS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE DISRESPECTFUL, INSULTING OR ANYTHING We’re all air gunners and we all share the passion in different ways. Anyway I don’t see it as trash talk. I see it more like stating the facts in a creative way. I have both high end and affordable stuff and none of them are Hatsans anymore. The market now offers affordable PCPs that are pretty darn close to the big boys (Avenge x, Notos…) the list is short and doesn’t include Hatsan for me unfortunately. Yes they make good field guns but when it fails and they all do cheap and high end that’s where the difference is. Can you call Hatsan? No, it’s through email and it’s slow. Are there parts? Some. I have to give it to them they covered shipping back and forth 4 times on a Flash Pup with a leaky tank caused from sharp edges tearing up the o ring on the end cap. That experience left a sour taste in my mouth it was very annoying dealing with email. The premium stuff I just call my fellas at Utah Airguns, Edgun West, Airguns of Arizona…..problem solved. It’s the service and quality you’re buying. It’s not about being snobby or anything. It’s the difference between Snap On and Husky or whatever. I’ve owned both being a motorcycle tech for 20 years . There is a difference service and quality. Don’t believe the YouTube influencers on their reviews their mainly “fluff” 😉. The legit ones are here with us on HAM. Is the Vectis good? I don’t know because for me Hatsan has a bad reputation with me from personal experience. I’ve owned maybe 5 or more and have sold, returned or given them away. As far as accuracy, yeah they are accurate but that’s not everything to a gun for me at least. I’ve owned and given away or sold many many brands of air-guns. Unfortunately Hatsan stands out as not the best of them and in fact in my experience it’s been the worst one out of all
Of them.
 
Okay I 've read all of this, now my 2cents. I've just recently sold my first PCP, a Hatsan FlashPup .22 that I bought from Utah Airguns after shooting the Flash at their range. That was 2018 and it has never been resealed , leaked or hiccuped !
It still had the original o-rings on the fill probe. So now another friends son has his first PCP all set up tested & ready to go. I just can't handle the tough bolt throw anymore because of arthritis. Lucky ,maybe, probably well... Now my Hatsan
Factor, that was another story. I had two, one I bought & returned promptly for another brand. Another was gifted to me as a retirement gift. It was ok for a year before it started leaking. I emailed Hatsan USA & was contacted by them in a couple days. They sent an RMA & off it went, to return in less than 2 weeks. Ok for a month or so,but after some up & down tuning( by following the manual) it puked again. Again Hatsan USA stepped up & repaired it on their nickel. It was returned with instructions on how to adjust the regulator !That went bad again shortly thereafter. Enough! It went away
shortly after it was repaired & returned without a test shot. The gun was only ok when it worked & nothing as dependable as my FlashPup. Yes it had more bells & whistles for tuning but just more to go bad. Now Hatsan USA on the other hand was stellar , I did not have a nickel invested in the gun & had no receipt or proof of purchase yet I was treated quite well. Sometimes it goes right, other times....
 
I don't even remember how old my Vectis is anymore. I just shot it today. I still have never touched it. I checked speed, and because of no regulator, first shot was spot on. It's been nothing but a win for me. I just love, that it loves, NSA 12.5gr slugs. The easiest pcp that I ever found a slug to work in.
 
The Vectis is one of my favorites of my dad's guns. I will admit to that being that I am a sucker for lever action, but still. I don't know that it's one we have played with slugs in though, maybe next time I'm out there.
 
Okay I 've read all of this, now my 2cents. I've just recently sold my first PCP, a Hatsan FlashPup .22 that I bought from Utah Airguns after shooting the Flash at their range. That was 2018 and it has never been resealed , leaked or hiccuped !
It still had the original o-rings on the fill probe. So now another friends son has his first PCP all set up tested & ready to go. I just can't handle the tough bolt throw anymore because of arthritis. Lucky ,maybe, probably well... Now my Hatsan
Factor, that was another story. I had two, one I bought & returned promptly for another brand. Another was gifted to me as a retirement gift. It was ok for a year before it started leaking. I emailed Hatsan USA & was contacted by them in a couple days. They sent an RMA & off it went, to return in less than 2 weeks. Ok for a month or so,but after some up & down tuning( by following the manual) it puked again. Again Hatsan USA stepped up & repaired it on their nickel. It was returned with instructions on how to adjust the regulator !That went bad again shortly thereafter. Enough! It went away
shortly after it was repaired & returned without a test shot. The gun was only ok when it worked & nothing as dependable as my FlashPup. Yes it had more bells & whistles for tuning but just more to go bad. Now Hatsan USA on the other hand was stellar , I did not have a nickel invested in the gun & had no receipt or proof of purchase yet I was treated quite well. Sometimes it goes right, other times....
I think I read somewhere with Hatsan it's hit-and-miss sometimes. I bought my Vectis from their website. It wasn't the 'best' at shooting, so I returned it and they put another barrel in. I got it back and it's a little better. I've put a Huma regulator in mine and so far I've liked it. Bottom Line, with the plastic stock it's an every day 'woods beater'. I like the lever action style, which is what sold me on it. And other than me being picky and adjusting regulator settings, I've never had to change anything on it. But you also have a good point; Hatsan has always taken care of me with their service.
 

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