PINTY STRIKER VALUE FOR MONEY
The Pinty value proposition is based on value for money. In this case, they have definitely succeeded. As you can see from our HAM Rating scores, this is a very solid overall performer.
At $329.99, the current price of the Pinty Striker Compact Bullpup Mk 2 is extremely attractive. Plus, HAM Community members can save 20% on that price by redeeming 1,000 HAM Airgun Points. That would bring the price down to just $265.00!
And that price includes a real, “tree wood” Beech stock, not a synthetic stock that is a common way to achieve a low price point.
Alternatively, you can buy the Striker with a bundled High Pressure Air hand pump for just $40.00 more. Yes, you read this right, just another 40 Bucks for the pump (but you can’t use HAM Points on that deal).
The Gunnr Heimdall 6-24 x 50 FFP scope featured in this review is great value at its normal $299.99 price. But at the time of writing, it’s on special offer at just $199.99. WOW!
Overall, there’s no question that this gun and scope are outstanding value. If we could award a score of more than 100% in this category, we would!
BUY FROM PINTY
Mk 2 Pinty Striker Bullpup PCP
PINTY STRIKER SPEED AND ACCURACY
The maximum Muzzle Velocity for the .22 caliber Pinty Striker Mk2 air rifle tested by HAM was 1,074.78 FPS with H&N Field Target Trophy Green pellets. The fastest-shooting lead pellets were – as always – the light 11.9 Grain RWS Hobby wadcutters. These achieved an average of 967.59 FPS.
More importantly, the Striker displayed an ability to generate Muzzle Energies above 25 Ft/Lbs with all pellet weights above 14.3 Grains. Power topped-out at over 27 Ft/Lbs, which is satisfactory for a gun of this class with relatively compact dimensions.
| Pellet | Average Muzzle Velocity | Average Muzzle Energy | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| H&N Field Target Trophy Green 10.03 Grain | 1,075 FPS | 25.78 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
| Predator GTO 11.75 Grain | 994 FPS | 25.77 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| RWS Hobby 11.9 Grain | 968 FPS | 24.74 Ft/Lbs | Poor. |
| Crosman Premier HP 14.3 Grain | 901 FPS | 25.80 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| JSB Jumbo Express 14.35 Grain | 909 FPS | 26.36 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| H&N Field Target Trophy 14.66 Grain | 890 FPS | 25.80 Ft/Lbs | Very Good. |
| NSA Hollowpoint Slugs 20.2 Grain | 741 FPS | 24.66 Ft/Lbs | Very Poor. |
| H&N Baracuda Match 21.14 Grain | 764 FPS | 27.42 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. |
| JSB Jumbo Monster 25.39 Grain | 692 FPS | 27.03 Ft/Lbs | Excellent. Best Tested. |
As can be seen from the table above, the Striker tested by HAM gave good accuracy with most of the pellets in the HAM standard test suite. This is not a pellet-picky air rifle – but it obviously is not a slug-shooter.
Best accuracy in HAM testing was achieved using 25.39 Grain JSB Redesigned Jumbo Monster pellets. However the 14.35 Grain JSB Express pellets were very close to that, too.
The sub-half Inch CTC group for 10 shots at 25 yards is about as well as I can shoot. Possibly the gun can shoot better, but the shooter can’t!
PINTY STRIKER TRIGGER AND COCKING EFFORT
The trigger fitted to the Striker tested by HAM had a pull weight averaging 3 Lbs 1.9 Oz. So this is not a heavy trigger pull – in fact, it’s definitely good for a bullpup air rifle. However, it’s important to know that this trigger is non-adjustable.
The Striker tested by HAM offered almost no first stage travel to take up in the trigger before it fires. In fact, it felt just like a single stage-trigger.
Positively, there seems to be no slack in the long linkage inherent in bullpup airguns where the trigger (in the middle) is separated from the sear (at the rear).
We liked it!
The safety is built-in to the trigger and is of the push across type. It definitely works however it’s very tough to find, see and operate, even when operating the gun.
This safety is simple to operate for a right-handed shooter. It’s less convenient for a left-hander, however, as a change of hold is required to operate by Southpaws. Also, it’s likely to be waaay too small for effective use in cold weather when wearing gloves.
The side lever cocking works pretty well, too. The lever springs out with first pressure from the finger. However, it requires a fairly stout pull back to complete the full cocking cycle.
The O rings installed on the non-rotating cocking lever handle made it easy to keep the operator’s fingers on the lever. That’s a nice touch!
Overall, the action is fairly heavy to pull open, but easier to close. Operation is smooth but unsatisfying. Functional would be the best description and – at this price – there’s nothing wrong with that.
PINTY STRIKER COMPARISON TO MAKERS CLAIMS
The Pinty Striker Compact Bullpup is currently in its “Mk 2” version. That’s what we are testing here.
The company says that they have re-designed the hammer and valve system in the Mk 2 version with the result of increasing efficiency and power. Let’s see how test performance compares to the claims…
Looking at the Pinty website (screenshot below), the company claims 45 consistent shots at 950 FPS. In HAM testing, we achieved 82 consistent shots at an average of 948.8 FPS. That’s more than 80% greater than the manufacturer’s shot count claim with just 0.2% less Muzzle Velocity and pellets of the same weight!
Pinty also claims that the Striker delivers up to 950 FPS Muzzle Velocity with 18.13 Grain pellets. In “as received” condition, the gun tested by HAM definitely will not achieve that. Nor will it match the claim of 34 Ft/Lbs Muzzle Energy. This is undoubtedly related to the extremely high shot count of the test gun.
Judging from experience, it’s likely that either the regulator or hammer spring (probably both) were set to the low end of the specification tolerance in assembly. Undoubtedly the power could be increased, with a corresponding reduction in shot count and the resulting performance being close to the manufacturer’s claims.
Another claim on the Pinty web site is that the Striker incorporates a “phenomenal” regulator with “ultra-low Standard Deviation spread”. The Standard Deviation delivered by the test gun was 4.96 FPS across those 82 consistent shots. That’s a very good figure, particularly for an air rifle of this price.
Finally, there’s the trigger. The claim is that this is a two-stage unit. That may be so. But – as described above – it felt like a single-stage mechanism to me!
Please note that – from my personal perspective – the very high shot count combined with somewhat low Muzzle Energy and the trigger feel were ideal. (As a happy plinker, I’ll usually trade some power for a greater shot count). But the fact is that these elements of performance were somewhat different to the product claims and that’s what we are assessing in this section of the review.
PINTY STRIKER CONSISTENCY
The Striker tested by HAM displayed very good consistency of velocity in the shootdown test.
When firing 15.89 Grain JSB Hades pellets, the HAM test gun delivered 82 consistent shots before reaching the regulator set point. The Standard Deviation of these 82 shots was just 4.96 FPS. Excellent!
That’s an average of 31.78 Ft/Lbs with these mid-weight pellets. However there was something strange with the performance that I could not understand…
You will notice that the Standard Deviations for the individual 10-shot test targets (below) show somewhat higher Standard Deviations than attained in the shootdown test. In fact, the average for all nine test targets was 6.60 FPS.
Examination of the test target chrony printouts shows that – in almost every case – the first shot in the string was somewhat slow. Not disastrously slow, but slow enough to cause the increased Standard Deviation.
So – in that case – why did that behavior not show itself clearly in the shootdown test? There’s no sign of regular low shots there. I dunno! Suggestions please in the HAM Community comments area…
The trigger pull weight was definitely very consistent. It varied by only +/- 5 Oz around the average of 3 Lbs 1.9 Oz. That was an imperceptible difference to this tester!
Finally, the Striker tested by HAM showed itself to be not notably pellet-picky. Consistently accuracy with wide range of pellets is another good element of consistency that can be beneficial for many shooters.
PINTY STRIKER NOISE LEVEL
The Striker air rifle has a fully-shrouded barrel. This gives a fairly quiet report. It should be backyard-friendly for many owners, unless neighbors are very close.
An interesting design feature is the series of tiny holes drilled in the rear of the shroud. Air can be felt exhausting from these holes whenever a shot is taken. It’s not a strong rush of air, but you can detect it with a hand in the right place.
In addition, the barrel is threaded 1/2-Inch UNF for the attachment of a dedicated airgun silencer where legal. There’s a knurled cap at the end to protect the thread in case a separate silencer is not attached.
At any rate, the Striker was quiet enough that most people probably would have no need to attach any additional silencing equipment to this gun.
PINTY STRIKER SIGHTS AND SCOPE
I decided to use the Gunner Heimdall 6-24 x 50 FFP scope with the Striker. This is a rather long scope for a bullpup, but I have been impressed with the performance of this riflescope in previous use. Plus, it’s also a Pinty product, so it makes sense to combine them here.
Now I usually find trouble achieving a comfortable shooting stance when using bupllpups. It’s something to do with my long neck. It’s not a specific strike against the Striker!!!
This means that I’m a great advocate of Leapers UTG Picatinny Riser Mounts with bullpup PCP air rifles. They allow for a raised sightline, removing the stress on my neck.
In this case, I installed the lowest – 0.5-Inch – riser on the Striker. Combined with high rings, this gave the result I wanted. Plus, by locating the Riser Mount slightly forward on the Striker’s buit-in Picatinny rail, I was able to achieve the eye relief I need.
Most people will likely be happy with the scope-mounting arrangements of the Striker.
PINTY STRIKER SHOOTABILITY
I found that the Striker Bullpup shouldered and balanced well for off-hand shooting.
The mid-mounted cocking lever is another good feature. It was conveniently-located, fast-acting and easy to use for rapid follow-up shots without moving the Striker from the shoulder.
Overall length is 33 Inches and the “bare” weight 6 Lbs 5 Oz. With the scope mounted and the gun “ready to go”, the total weight was 9 Lbs 1 Oz.
Another good feature that immediately became apparent is that the “vertical” style magazine does not project far to the right of the receiver. This means that the Striker can be used by left-handers without too much problem.
In addition, there’s a hammer spring adjuster at the rear of the action. This has the potential to increase the power of the Striker and HAM hopes to investigate this further in a separate post.
The HPA pressure gauge is in the end of the pressure tube of the Striker. It has a good, easy-to-read face plate. As always, the HAM Team does not like this position due to safety concerns – particularly when the gauge is so close to the muzzle.
This means that it’s almost impossible to check the fill pressure without looking down the barrel. What does it say on page 1 of the Owner’s Manual? “NEVER POINT THIS AIR RIFLE AT ANYONE.” That “anyone” includes the shooter. This gauge position is something that I would definitely like to see changed in future.
(PS, those marks on the shroud were made by me and are associated with clamping the gun in position for photography. They rubbed off very easily, but I noticed too late for this photograph. Sorry, Pinty!)
There’s a “good news/bad news” aspect to filling the Striker with High Pressure Air. The bad news is that it uses a probe filling system. The HAM Team always prefers a “standard” 1/4-Inch NPT quick disconnect filling system.
However, the Striker’s probe fill did work well. Plus, the spring-loaded cover does a great job at keeping junk out of the HPA tube while being impossible to lose.
PINTY STRIKER APPEARANCE AND FINISH
Overall I would describe the Striker’s appearance and finish as “workmanlike”.
To me, this is not a sexy-looking air rifle. It’s more of a practical tool. That’s OK. After all, beauty is only skin deep!
The machining and finish of the metal (and few plastic) parts is good, however. In fact, I would say very good for the price.
Many owners will be pleased to see that the Striker has a hardwood stock. There’s no question that wood stocks have a higher perceived value than synthetic and it’s a big positive, particularly at this price point.
Stock finish is – again – workmanlike. The appearance has a traditional, hand-finished appearance. There’s little sign that this was the result of modern high-tech CNC woodworking machinery.
While the design is sound enough, I would like to see some checkering on the pistol grip and forend. This would aid with use in inclement weather conditions, were the Striker to be used for hunting – as many probably will. But, yes, I understand that would increase manufacturing cost and the aim with the Striker is price/performance.
PINTY STRIKER VALUE BUYING AND OWNING
Currently, Pinty airguns are available primarily from the company’s own website at Premium AR15 Rifle Scope Optics for Hunting and Tactical Shooting Another source for some Pinty products is Amazon.com.
As with other Pinty airguns, an excellent illustrated owner’s guide is included – although in English only. The warranty is now 2-years and is another improvement from the 12-month period of the previous model. This brings the Striker more into line with other models and is a definite customer benefit.
The gun is supplied with two magazines, a fill probe and bags full of O rings (I counted 21 of different sizes), plus a valve poppet and hammer spring and some silicone grease. This is great.
Unfortunately, the manual does not describe how to use them. As they are included, the Owner’s Manual should explain what they are for and how they can be used, not just recommend that a professional airgunsmith be consulted.
Finally, it’s a shame that there is no single-shot tray, for those who prefer not to use a magazine. However it’s likely that this opportunity will be filled by an aftermarket supplier with a 3d-printed part.
PINTY STRIKER TEST TARGETS
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Mk 2 Pinty Striker Bullpup PCP
This entire article including scoring, test targets etc is Copyright Hard Air Magazine and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the publisher.
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