Daystate Huntsman

Daystate are well renowned in the air gun industry for innovation and high quality rifles. As a specialist pest controller I’m reviewing the company’s famous Huntsman model and I’ll give you the reasons why I’ve chosen to use this formidable sporter for work and hobby alike.
There is so much good choice out there these days but there will always be models which stand out amongst others as the one to meet your own particular needs and tastes, the Huntsman is very much one of those rifles for me.
I refinish, customise and make gun stocks for a living but I also volunteer as a Red Squirrel Ranger for Penrith and District Red Squirrel group, working closely alongside my good friend and full time ranger Jerry Moss to control the invasive grey squirrel. For this job I need a reliable, durable work horse, something accurate and reliable in all weather conditions, easy to carry and able to meet some tough working and sporting requirements in the field or - in my case - mainly woodland and forests. The tool I use has to be able to provide total dependability for grey squirrel control - and also be a competent range gun, as it regularly gets put through its paces at my local target club too.  To me the Huntsman is one gem that shone out above the competition and has become my trusty companion over the years.
So let’s take a look at the rifle…

The Huntsman is light at just 6.3lbs unscoped but is certainly no lightweight in the looks or performance departments. This is a pre-charged pneumatic air rifle, capable of 60 shots (approx) in .177 and 75 shots (approx) in .22 calibre at just under the 12 ft/lbs legal limit muzzle energy. That’s impressive figures in both calibres when you consider the compact size of the 114cc air cylinder, and more than enough for a good days hunting. I am lucky enough to own a rare .20 calibre Anschütz barrelled version of the gun and I can confirm that I get around 70 extremely accurate shots to a full charge, with a standard length cylinder.  There are options for FAC versions of the Huntsman too, up to 40ft/lbs in fact, with the longer “XL” variant of the air cylinder.

Minelli Stock

A couple of points really catch the eye when you look at one of these compact hunting rifles. Firstly for me has to be the beautifully crafted walnut sporter stock made by Minelli, the famous Italian stock manufacturer. The attention to detail on this lovely piece of woodwork is outstanding. A striking feature of the gun is that the inlet has been cut deep and precisely into the walnut to accept the action so that it sits very low in the stock and gives an impressive rimfire or centre fire style appearance. The raised comb of the cheek piece is specifically designed for use with a scope fitted to the action. The height, angle and feel of the comb are absolutely spot on for me and gives a very confident and comfortable feel. The pistol grip, which incorporates a well-positioned (right hand) palm swell, and the nicely rounded fore end area have been treated to high grade laser cut diamond chequering in panels which are shaped to complement the sleek design of the stock. This gives a very sure and confident feel. The pistol grip is nicely finished off with a gorgeous rosewood cap and contrasting light maple spacer. A vented rubber pad sits at the back of the butt, which suits the sporting lines and feel. The Daystate company logo has been precisely etched onto both sides of the stock too and recent models feature larger lettering than previous versions. All-in-all, a class act.

Harper and the Huntsman

The mechanical action, although tastefully understated in appearance externally, houses cleverly designed and efficient internals. The Huntsman has constantly evolved since early models, hugely contributing to its impressive efficiency and accuracy. Much of this is down to Steve Harper – which is why the right hand side of the breech block bears his name.

As well as being the man behind the operating system of the famous electronically operated Daystate air rifles, Steve Harper has also designed the “slingshot” high efficiency hammer and micro valve system of the Huntsman and Air Ranger models. The striker of the Slingshot hammer is reverse sprung which means that it is withdrawn from the valve as soon as it hits thereby eliminating bounce. This increases the efficiency of the gun by not allowing excess air to escape from the valve once it has been open. In turn this gives greater shot to shot consistency and an increased number of shots per charge, while also contributing to how smooth and quiet the action is to shoot.

The Huntsman, as the name suggests, is completely at home in the hunting field and although probably not considered a likely candidate is an impressive performer on the bench rest too. This is partly thanks to the match grade floating 17” Walther barrel. The Barrel is wrapped in an all weather shroud, which protects it from the elements. The test gun was fitted with a Daystate Airstream silencer which, in combination with the baffled shroud, is an efficient device and provides a quiet firing cycle. My own .20 calibre gun is fitted with a Huggett moderator which is also extremely good at diminishing the muzzle report to a barely audible level.

The trigger is an impressive unit too, with match grade precision and is multi adjustable to individual needs. The curvature of the blade is comfortable and positive and aids with precise control.

Slick Magazine and Action

The gun is supplied from factory with a ten shot rotary magazine. The magazine has been updated and has an easy to access loading port which does make life a lot easier, especially when you are suffering from fumble fingers on cold days. A red dot appears in the nine o’clock position on the drum of the magazine when all the shots have been fired. At this point the magazine is removed from the breech by pulling the silky smooth chromed bolt to the fully “back” position and sliding the mag out to the side.  A pellet is loaded into the mag and the drum then indexed manually, anti-clockwise, to load the next pellet, these steps are repeated until all ten are loaded (if required). At this point the red dot appears in the ten o’clock position to let you know that it is full. The side which the magazine slides out of the breech is your choice as it can be altered by moving a pin and a magnet into opposite locations on the front face of the magazine.  When the magazine is placed back in the breech the bolt is pushed fully forward and the first shot is chambered. I have to say that a combination of the slick and smooth operation of the bolt combined with the clever little magazine gives consistently good indexing and reliable ease of use.

The manual rotary safety catch at the rear of the cylinder is very positive and easy to use and is clearly defined in the fire position by a red dot when the catch is in the upper position. The catch is resettable, safe and obvious, just how it should be really.

Protective Powder Coating

Something that has really impressed me with the Huntsman and all the Daystate range is the “Zinc Passifying” all weather powder coat finish on the action. This finish really does take some stick in the field.

My own two Huntsmans, the Anschütz barrelled .20 cal variant and the Limited edition Forester (which Daystate named on behalf of myself, with huge honour) have been subject to all kinds of harsh weathers when out hunting through all seasons and testing. Both guns look as good as they did, on the day when they were both new. The Forester was presented to me last year by Daystate Sales Director, Tony Belas, so is a fairly new addition to my stable but I’ve had the .20 calibre rifle for years of hard testing, and believe me, it still looks fabulous.

Range Test

I shot the .177 calibre test gun from a bench rest on the range and was pleased to see that the MTC Mamba Lite scope had been zeroed at 30yds for me by Daystate technicians before leaving the factory. The tight groups of 8-10mm on average that I produced at this distance speak volumes for the capabilities of this sporter. I was keen to see what this standard model was capable of at 45yds and was happy to consistently hit 20mm discs set out at this range without great difficulty. I have total confidence in the rifle’s accuracy and know it is more than capable of dispatching live quarry cleanly and efficiently.

So there you have it, my view of the Daystate Huntsman Classic. Hopefully this overview has given you some insight as to why I consider this beautiful thoroughbred the perfect hunting partner and why I have chosen to live with one for so long. There are many fabulous rifles out but this classic is at the top of my list.

FILL PRESSURE: 200 bar
Accurate full power shots per charge: 60 (approx.) in .177 or 75 (approx.) in .22
Shot to shot variation over 30 shots: 9 fps (12 fps over 60 shots)
Average energy: 11.5 ft/lbs.
Best group at 30 yards: 8mm (0.31”) diameter
Best compatible pellets in test: Daystate Rangemaster Li and JSB Exacts
Optional extra (as seen on test gun): Silencer (£58)